The Victoria Grizzlies are heading into a new era behind the bench.
On Tuesday, the BCHL club announced it has parted ways with head coach Rylan Ferster following the team’s third-round exit from the 2025 playoffs.
Assistant coach Geoff Grimwood, who took over on an interim basis late in the season, led the Grizzlies to the Coastal Conference final before a five-game defeat to the Chilliwack Chiefs brought the campaign to a close.
Ferster, who took a personal leave just prior to the start of the playoffs, had been behind the Grizzlies bench since 2022. In that span, he helped guide the team to three consecutive playoff appearances and built on his already lengthy BCHL resume.
“In the end, we both sort of agreed that maybe it’d be best just to move on,” president David Michaud told Victoria News. “Sometimes those conversations aren’t easy, especially with someone you like and respect, but you have to make decisions that are best for the collective.”
Ferster departs with 453 career BCHL victories – sixth-most all-time – and a coaching career that includes previous stops in West Kelowna and Salmon Arm. This was his second stint with the Victoria franchise, having also coached the team during its time as the Salsa.
Michaud, who joined ahead of the 2024-25 season, said he’s known Ferster since 2010 and holds deep respect for his contributions to the game.
“Rylan had some things he had to deal with late in the season, and he stepped away to take care of that,” Michaud said. “Unfortunately, I think he was a bit of a victim of circumstance. Geoff Grimwood and Suneil Karod did such a good job with the group, and sometimes everything just sort of aligns that way.”
Under Grimwood, the Grizzlies made a spirited postseason run, pushing deep into the spring with 17 playoff games and a strong showing in the Coastal Conference.
“We inherited a good hockey program and Rylan had the team in a strong position,” he said. “But new ownership brings new philosophies, and sometimes that means taking a different path.”
The Grizzlies are expected to announce their new head coach in the coming days.
