The New Jersey Devils have named Ryan Parent the head coach of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Utica Comets.
Parent had been appointed interim head coach on Nov. 6, 2024, and led the Comets to a record of 31-25-6-1 over his 63 games at the helm. He enters his eighth season with the organization after being hired as an assistant coach with the Binghamton Devils in 2018.
The native of Prince Albert, Sask., was a first-round draft pick by the Nashville Predators (18th overall) in 2005 and played 106 games as a defenseman in the NHL with Vancouver and Philadelphia, notching one goal and six assists. He also played in 27 career Stanley Cup Playoff games.
Parent skated in 251 games in the American Hockey League with Milwaukee, Philadelphia, Manitoba, Chicago, Norfolk, St. John’s and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, totaling four goals and 24 assists. He also appeared in 31 postseason games in the AHL, including a trip to the Calder Cup Finals in 2006.
Additionally, Mark Voakes and Matt Carkner have been named assistant coaches for the Comets.
Voakes, 41, previously served as player development coach for the Devils. He played 12 seasons professionally from 2009 to 2021, including 93 games in the AHL with the Portland Pirates (2010-11) and Rochester Americans (2011-12).
Carkner, 44, spent the past three seasons as head coach of Orlando in the ECHL, leading the team to the postseason in 2024 and 2025. Carkner began his coaching career as an assistant in the AHL with Bridgeport from 2016 to 2021. A second-round pick by Montreal in the 1999 NHL Draft, Carkner played 587 games in the AHL with the Cleveland Barons (2001-06), Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (2006-07), Binghamton Senators (2007-09, 11-12) and Bridgeport Sound Tigers (2014-16), as well as 237 games in the NHL with the Sharks, Senators and Islanders.
