Attack Hire Scott Wray As New Head Coach

Scott Wray is the new head coach of the Owen Sound Attack.

The 44-year-old Ottawa native met with fans and took questions after being introduced by the team’s general manager Dale DeGray at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre Tuesday afternoon.

“With Scott, right from our first conversation, it’s all about expectations. And that will start with compete, work ethic and everything else will drive off of that,” DeGray says. “As I said at the end of the year, that’s what I’d like to get back to. That blue collar mentality … and I think that’s what we have to have set up from the get-go.”

Wray comes to Owen Sound after spending the past six seasons as an assistant coach with the North Bay Battalion. His hockey coaching resume also includes a three-year stint in the Northern Ontario Junior Hockey League from 2014-17 as head coach of the Powassan VooDoos, and two years as a player-coach in the East Coast Hockey League (then the Central Hockey League) from 2009-11 with the Rapid City Rush.

The new Attack bench boss had a brief stint in Owen Sound as an OHL player in the 1990s. He was drafted by the Platers in 1996 and appeared in 21 games during the 1996-97 season.

“I think the fact that I played here and was drafted here, it was kind of unique. Let’s face it there’s 20 jobs in this league and it’s hard to get a head (coach) job,” Wray says. “I’m really excited to get the head job here in Owen Sound.”

He says he wants to ensure the Attack have a culture rooted in hard work and compete level.

“We’ll have non-negotiables (the players are) going to have every game,” Wray says. “And being detailed. Structure is going to be in place. They’re going to know their structure, but they’re going to have freedom within it.”

The Attack had an empty bench before the addition of Wray. DeGray mentioned Tuesday he and Wray have spoken about some candidates for the two vacant assistant coaching positions, but nothing is close to finalized yet.