Gearing Up for the 2025-26 Season with Head Coach Ryan Parent
By: Joe Benson
Sep 10, 2025Utica, NY – After stepping in as interim Head Coach last November, Ryan Parent is preparing for his first full season as bench boss in Utica.
“It’s going to be a different experience now. Going through training camp with the players down in New Jersey is something I’m looking forward to and starting from scratch at the beginning of the season is going to be a good opportunity,” said Parent.
Despite an 0-10-1-2 start last season, the Comets had a solid second half, finishing just seven points outside a playoff spot. They had a couple impressive stretches, winning 10 of 15 games from January 8th to February 14th, and winning seven of their last 11 games to end the regular season. Looking back, Parent mentioned, “One thing that stood out was that everyone was a contributor down the line and we had a full team buy-in which helped stabilize things and made us competitive down the stretch.”
Veteran forwards Brian Halonen and Ryan Schmelzer led the way in scoring with 27 and 23 goals, respectively. The Comets also got contributions from guys like defenseman Colton White who registered 21 points last year, and from late-season arrivals like Shane Lachance who recorded a goal and an assist in his first two professional games, a guy whom Comets fans should most certainly have their eyes on this season.
More reason for optimism comes with the additions of Mark Voakes and Matt Carkner to the coaching staff. Voakes, who served as a Development Coach for the New Jersey Devils the previous three seasons, was described by Parent as “a keen guy who wanted to transition from the development to the coaching side which is something he has a lot of passion for. He really enjoyed working with our young players and can’t wait to start his coaching journey.”
Carkner is also no stranger to pro hockey having played in 237 career regular-season games in the NHL and having served as the General Manager and Head Coach of the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears the past three seasons. “Having a guy with an established playing and coaching career carries a lot of weight. It’s really valuable for our younger players to lean on a guy with experience like that,” Parent commented.
The aforementioned Ryan Schmelzer returns for his fifth consecutive season, having donned the ‘C’ for his entire career with the Comets. In addition to being a fan favorite, the Buffalo native is set to become the franchise's leading scorer in the era of the affiliation with the New Jersey Devils. Sitting just two goals shy with 65 as a Comet, it should come as no surprise to fans if the captain hit that mark on opening weekend. When asked about Schmelzer’s importance to the Comets, Parent stated, “He’s earned everything he’s gotten and has grown a lot as a player. I’m sure he’s aware of those records but what he’s really looking for is to have success as a team which is exactly why he’s been our captain for the last few years.”
Parent, known for his defensive-minded coaching style, also shared his thoughts about a few members of Utica’s D corps. “‘Osi’ and Strand came in from trades and really impressed us. They’re both strong and hard to play against, and brought a lot of depth to our lineup,” Parent said of Dmitry Osipov and Austin Strand, who will both return to the blue line this season. Osipov was acquired from the Hershey Bears last season and registered 1 goal and 5 assists in 39 games with the Comets. Strand came over from the Rockford IceHogs and saw action in 39 games as well, notching two goals and 12 assists.
Another defenseman the Comets signed over the summer was Jackson van de Leest. The Kelowna, British Columbia native stands at 6’7”, 238 lbs. While he spent the majority of last season with Utica’s ECHL affiliate, the Adirondack Thunder, he appeared in six games with the Comets and is a player that fans should be excited to watch. “He’s got huge upside. It’s not often you get a player that size and can move that well,” Parent added.
We rounded out the conversation with Coach Parent by talking about goaltending which, like much of the roster, is still to be determined. “Every one of them is motivated to make the best impression that they can in New Jersey during camp and we’ll see how things sort out before we get an opportunity to see who we’ll have this year,” Parent noted. Last season, Isaac Poulter and Nico Daws shared the crease with 36 and 34 appearances, respectively. Jeremy Brodeur, who was signed to an AHL contract in July, saw some action as well, posting four wins in five appearances.
The Comets season opener is right around the corner as they get set to welcome the Cleveland Monsters to Adirondack Bank Center on October 10th at 7 PM. To purchase tickets, please visit uticacomets.com/tickets or call 315-790-9070.