A New Face on the Bench: Getting to Know Comets Assistant Coach, Mark Voakes
Oct 22, 2025Utica, NY – Now with four games under his belt, Comets Assistant Coach Mark Voakes is thoroughly enjoying his role with the Comets and life in Utica. “We’re very happy to be here. It’s been a great fit so far for all of us and we’re very content with where we’re at."
Although this is the first season of his career being on the bench, Voakes is no stranger to coaching and certainly no stranger to hockey. He spent the previous three seasons as a Player Development Coach with the New Jersey Devils and on June 25th this year, the Devils announced that Voakes had been promoted as an Assistant Coach for the Comets for the 2025-26 season.
Over the past few years in New Jersey, Voakes worked closely with Devils Director of Player Development, Meghan Duggan, and longtime Devils Development Coach, Eric Weinrich, who was named Interim Assistant Coach last season in Utica. Voakes described his role of Player Development Coach as working more on an individual level than a team level with the goal of taking the attributes of an NHL player and instilling them into the prospects he worked with, many of whom were Comets players which made him a natural fit to step in as an assistant coach this season.
Voakes grew up in southwestern Ontario in the mid-sized city of St. Thomas. Like many hockey players, he fell in love with the game at a young age, lacing up the skates on the pond for the first time around the age of four and on the rink shortly thereafter. With a brother just two years younger who also played hockey, Voakes had a competitive and fun upbringing.
Hockey provided him with an opportunity to play at the collegiate level and ultimately led to a pro career. Voakes spent one year at Bowling Green before returning to Canada where he attended Wilfrid Laurier for four years, two of which he played alongside his brother. "That was one of the best, if not the best, hockey memory I have was the time there with him. We always missed (playing with) each other growing up being two years apart, so we never got to play on the same team (until then).”
Voakes played three seasons of pro hockey in North America from 2009-12, totaling 186 games, 93 of which were spent in the AHL with the Portland Pirates and Rochester Americans. Prior to the 2012-13 season, he headed across the pond to play in Germany’s top professional league, DEL. “I didn’t know much about hockey in Europe, but it was a good opportunity in a reputable league, and I felt comfortable about taking that step even though it was uncomfortable going to a foreign country. My wife was on board. We jumped in with two feet and it was a lot of fun,” Voakes said. That was his first time traveling outside of North America, and the original plan of spending one year there turned into nine.
Being overseas for nearly a decade, Voakes’ time in Germany is chock full of memories both on and off the ice. He raised his first child in Germany and gave his family an experience that they would not have found elsewhere. “One of the unique things was how we could just go for a car ride and be in a different country so quickly. I know here you can get to Canada in a couple hours, but it’s still pretty similar to the US. But when you go from, say, Germany to France, you can feel that difference. It was cool that we could experience that at relatively close distances.”
Following the conclusion of his hockey career at the end of the 2020-21 season, Voakes decided it was time to move his family back home. He remained a part of the team he finished his playing career with, EHC Munchen, working as a North American Scout. He admitted, however, that there was some uncertainty as to whether he would stay involved in hockey. “After a lot of talking with my wife and family, they thought I would be maybe wrong if I didn’t at least give hockey a chance which led to me getting hired by the Devils three years ago. That went well, and I’m excited about the opportunity here in Utica.”
As part of the Comets' coaching staff, Voakes is primarily responsible for working with the forward group. Although this role is different from that of a development coach, he has embraced the challenge and is pleased with the experience so far. “Ryan (Parent) and Matt (Carkner) have been very welcoming to me and helping me figure this new rhythm out. Being on this side is a bit of a different lens. I’m really excited about how it’s been going and look forward to being able to implement what I know and at the same time learn as much as I can to become a better coach overall.”
Away from the rink, Voakes relishes every moment he has with his family. Voakes and the Comets will be in Syracuse to play the Crunch for the first time this season on Friday night at 7 pm and will be back home to host the Laval Rocket on Saturday at 6 pm. Tickets are still available. For more information, please visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.