Milwaukee, WI—The Road to the NHL goes through Milwaukee isn’t just for players, it also holds true for coaches.

Admirals Legend Scott Ford has been hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets as an assistant coach, joining the staff of former Ads Head Coach Dean Evason, who was hired to lead the Columbus last month.

Ford departs the Admirals after 14 seasons with the organization, first as a player and then as a coach. He joined the team for the 2008-09 campaign and would go on to play 378 games, which is the second most in team AHL history. He accumulated 45 points on 14 goals and 31 assists and his 577 career penalty minutes are third since the Ads joined the AHL in 2001. He served as the team’s Captain for a pair of seasons and helped the club to six appearances in the Calder Cup Playoffs.

Following his retirement, the Fort St. John’s, BC native was hired by the organization as an assistant coach, joining Evason’s staff in 2015 and continuing in that role under current Head Coach Karl Taylor. During his seven years behind the bench, Ford helped the Admirals to a combined 333-193-42-19 record and a pair of Central Division titles. Those team’s qualified for the post-season six times, including back-to-back appearances in the Western Conference Finals in 2023 and 2024.

“We are very happy for Scott to finally make it to the National Hockey League,” said Admirals President Jon Greenberg. “His journey is a testament to the hard work and perseverance that is needed to realize that dream as a player and as a coach. We are very proud of him and he’ll always be a part of the Admirals family.”

The Admirals kick off the 2024-25 season on Friday, October 11th in Grand Rapids against the Griffins before beginning their home schedule on Saturday, October 19th at 6 pm against the Rockford IceHogs at Panther Arena.