JACKSONVILLE, FLA – Back in February when the Jacksonville IceMen were introduced to the ECHL and North Florida, team President Bob Ohrablo stated that the ownership group wanted to be competitive from day one. To that end, he and his staff were going to bring in a head coach who knew how to build a roster and win in the premiere double-A league.
Tuesday morning, the IceMen delivered on that promise by introducing an iconic coaching veteran with a track record that has success written all over it.
In front of a room filled with local media and supporters, Ohrablo proudly announced that Jason Christie had been selected as the franchise’s first VP of Hockey Operations and Head Coach. The IceMen will be Christie’s fifth ECHL stop in a 17-year coaching career that also included two seasons as an assistant in the AHL and one in the old Central Hockey League.
“When we announced the formation of the Jacksonville IceMen in February, we said we are committed to winning immediately,” Ohrablo said in a team release. “When you are able to sign an ECHL coaching legend that has a proven track record as Jason does, that’s your man.”
Christie, 48, is coming off a two-year stint as the head coach of the Tulsa Oilers. His record of 64-67-0-13 was just one of only two stops where his teams fell below the .500 mark. Christie’s 547-352-111 record in the ECHL puts him at the top of the list for most wins by a coach in the 29-year history of the league. He is also two games away from surpassing coaching icon John Marks for most games coached in ECHL history.
A native of Gibbons, Alberta, Christie started his professional career in North America with the ECHL’s Columbus (OH) Chill in the fall of 1991 with another well-known ECHL bench boss, Terry Ruskowski, running the Chill. It did not take long for Christie to get noticed as he scored 28 goals and added 56 assists and 218 penalty minutes in that first year in Columbus.
Over the course of five separate stints in the ECHL between Columbus, Charlotte and Peoria, Christie tallied 88 goals and 174 assists for 262 points – which over 250 career games came out to an average of just over a point per game – as well as 732 penalty minutes. It got him five different stints in the AHL between the Hamilton Canucks and the Portland Pirates where he totaled 42 goals and 87 assists for 129 points in 216 games as well as time with the Manitoba Moose and the Milwaukee Admirals in the original IHL (16-27-43 in 89 career games).
Christie’s final playing season, 1999-2000, was split between Milwaukee and Peoria. While with the Rivermen, he was a player-assistant coach under former Columbus teammate Don Granato. When Granato left for the AHL during the summer of 2000, Christie was promoted to head coach in Peoria and he quickly earned the trust of his squad. The Rivermen went 45-17-0-10 that first season and got to the league semifinals before losing to the Trenton Titans in an epic seven game series.
In five seasons in Peoria, Christie amassed a record of 217-101-42 and missed the playoffs just once – the 2004-05 campaign which closed with Christie leaving the Rivermen. He went on to Utah where he guided the Grizzlies to 90 wins in three seasons and two post-season appearances.
The AHL called Christie “up” in 2008 when the Chicago Wolves brought him in as an assistant coach for two years. In 2010, he dropped down to the CHL where he became the head coach of the Bloomington (IL) Prarie Thunder where his squad posted a 37-22-0-7 record.
In the fall of 2011, Christie returned to his roots, taking over the head coaching duties of the Ontario Reign. Over the course of four seasons, the Reign went 176-79-32 and made the playoffs every year through 2015. From there he headed to Tulsa and now on to Jacksonville.
Christie’s teams have always reflected his style on the ice – gritty and talented. It is that mindset that the IceMen hope will make them a contender right away. As for Christie, he is excited for his next challenge in the league that has long been his home.
“I am excited to bring my experience, recruiting network and most importantly a winning culture to the Jacksonville IceMen,” Christie said. “After learning about the incredible reception the team has gotten from the community and the ownership’s commitment to winning on the ice, I can’t wait to get started. I am committed to bringing Jacksonville fans a competitive culture and an exciting team.”
Contact the author at don.money@prohockeynews.com
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