Head coach of Team GB will be behind the Cardiff Bench
Pete Russell celebrates winning gold in Nottingham at the World Championships (photo CREDIT Dean Woolley)
Pete Russell is the new head coach of the Cardiff Devils.
The 48 year old Scotsman put pen to paper earlier this week and will be behind the Cardiff bench on an initial two-year deal.
Russell has spent the last four seasons coaching in Germany, first with EHC Freiburg for two seasons (2019/20 & 2020/21) before moving to Ravensburg for the 2021/22 season. After losing in the Playoff Finals that year, the Augsburger Panther came calling from the DEL, Germany’s top league and one of the best league’s in Europe. His stint in Augsburger ended last December, but Ravensburg asked him to come back for the remainder of the season.
Russell salutes the Ravensburg fans after a game (photo credit IMAGO / Eibner)
He ended up leading the Ravensburg Towerstars to the DEL2 Championship two weeks ago winning the best of seven series 4 games to 1. Just 72 hours after winning that title, he was back on the ice with Team GB preparing for the World Championships as Head Coach of the GB National Team. He capped off the season with a perfect 5-0 record at the World Championships Division 1A in Nottingham last week to gain promotion back to the top level of the IIHF World Championships in May 2024.
Click here to see Pete's coaching career statistics
Originally from Ayr, Scotland, he started his coaching career with his local club in 1999 as the Director of Junior Development. Five years later, he was doing a similar role in Cardiff with the juniors. His head coaching started in Swindon and progressed with stints in Bracknell, Slough and eventually Milton Keynes where he spent three years, including their first season in the EIHL. He spent one season in Glasgow as Head Coach of the Clan before moving to Germany for the Freiburg job in 2019. He took the Freiburg team that finished in 14th place the year before all the way to a 3rd place finish and was selected as the DEL2 Coach of the Year in 2019/20.
Russell lifting the DEL2 Championship Trophy (photo credit IMAGO / Eibner)
His progression to Head Coach of the GB National Team started back in 2003/04 when he took an assistant coaching role with the Under 18s. He was selected to coach the Under 20s in the 2005/06 season and spent 9 years as their Head Coach.
During a three-year stint coaching at the Okanagan Hockey Academy based in Swindon, he became an assistant coach for the National Team under then Head Coach Doug Christiansen. In 2014/15, Russell was given the head coaching role for the National Team. He eventually led Team GB to back-to-back gold medals and promotion from Division 1B to Division 1A then to the top level of the World Championships in 2019.
Russell is the most successful coach in GB history at both the senior and junior level, with 11 medals including six gold medals.
Russell on the bench beside his Team GB coaching staff in Nottingham (photo credit Dean Woolley)
Pete Russell had a message to the fans about signing in Cardiff:
“The goal when I was a young and upcoming coach was always to manage an historic club and try to make an impact.
“I am delighted on many fronts, and in many ways, it feels like home already after meeting up with Todd (Kelman) and Franny (Neil Francis) this week. Something just felt right.
“We must control our own identity and ingrain our culture. We must come together as one (owners, fans, players and staff) to be the club we all want to be. We must also have patience and belief in the process.
“My approach is always transparent. My job is to convince the people here to set this club on fire with excitement, create some passion and to set the vision.
“So, let’s start fresh from today and make it happen together.”
