The Victoria Grizzlies didn’t have to look far to find their next bench boss – just a little further down the hallway.
After guiding the team to the Coastal Conference final as interim head coach, Geoff Grimwood has officially been promoted to head coach and general manager of the BCHL club on a multi-year contract.
He becomes the 14th head coach in franchise history.
“It is with a lot of excitement that I accept this position going forward with the Grizzlies,” said Grimwood, a Victoria native who’s spent the past three seasons as the team’s associate coach and director of player personnel.
Grimwood took the reins on March 18 when longtime coach Rylan Ferster stepped away. What followed was an inspired playoff charge that saw the Grizzlies knock off the Alberni Valley Bulldogs and Surrey Eagles before falling in five games to the Chilliwack Chiefs in the conference final.
For team president David Michaud, the decision to remove Grimwood’s interim tag wasn’t just about results – it was about being aligned.
“I just kind of kept coming back to Grimmer,” Michaud said. “The respect that our players had for him and the job that he did guiding the guys through the playoffs made it really hard for me to seriously consider looking outside the organization.”
That respect showed on the ice, but perhaps even more off it. Michaud described Grimwood’s immediate reflection and evaluation following the playoff loss – an “autopsy” of what worked, what didn’t, and how to get better – as evidence of a coach hungry to keep pushing.
“It’s not like he said, ‘Well, we got to the third round – what more do you want?’” Michaud said. “It felt like there was unfinished business.”
Grimwood brings with him a lengthy resume in junior hockey.
A former BCHLer himself – he suited up in 29 games with the Victoria Salsa during the 1998-99 season – Grimwood has coached across the VIJHL, SJHL, MJHL, and BCHL, including stints as a head coach in Kindersley, West Kelowna, Swan Valley, Cowichan, and Kamloops.
He cut his teeth with the Victoria Cougars and Peninsula Panthers in the VIJHL, where he captured multiple league titles and quickly built a reputation for getting the most out of his players.
Now, he’ll be tasked with leading a Grizzlies program looking to take the next step in a deep and competitive league. Michaud believes they’re on the right path, but knows championships don’t come easy.
“You have to be hyper-specific in identifying what a Victoria Grizzly looks like and how we go get them,” Michaud said. “We’ve got the city, we’ve got the facility – now it’s about rounding out our staff and building a player development model that checks every box.”
The first box – naming a new head coach – is now checked. Next up: finding an assistant to replace Grimwood’s old role.
For Grimwood, the job comes full circle. From playing in the city’s colours to coaching behind its bench, there’s personal pride in the opportunity – but also a clear sense of purpose.
"We have a really strong returning group of players who learned a lot during our playoff run this spring," Grimwood said. "We are looking forward to continuing our growth as a program."
