Hockey Operations Staff

Mike Murray - General Manager

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Murray joined the Wild as Assistant to the General Manager on Oct. 1, 2020. Murray helps oversee the day-to-day operations of the Wild’s hockey operations department, assisting with contract negotiations, player development and scouting. He also serves as the General Manager of the Iowa Wild of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Prior to joining the Wild, he spent the nine seasons working in hockey operations for the AHL. He was named Vice President of Hockey Operations for the AHL in October of 2011 and promoted to Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations in July of 2015. While working for the AHL, Murray oversaw all aspects of the league's hockey operations department, including management of the AHL's officiating program, the league's disciplinary process, player registry, compliance with rules and regulations, and scheduling.

He joined the AHL after spending three seasons working in hockey operations for the ECHL. Prior to joining the ECHL, Murray interned as a law clerk in the Labor Relations Department for the Massachusetts Port Authority following two years at Pro Athletes Management Inc., a law firm in Boston that represents professional athletes. He also served as an assistant to the general manager of the Lowell Lock Monsters in the AHL.

An admitted member of the Massachusetts Bar, Murray received his bachelor's degree in history from Dartmouth College, and was awarded his Juris Doctor cum laude from Suffolk University Law School in Boston. The native of Dover, Mass., played hockey for four years at Dartmouth College (1999-03) and two seasons of professional hockey in the ECHL, UHL and CHL (2003-05).

Brett McLean - Head Coach

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Brett McLean enters his first season as Head Coach of the Iowa Wild following three seasons as an Assistant Coach for the Minnesota Wild. Prior to his time in Minnesota, he spent three seasons (2017-20) as an Assistant Coach for the Iowa Wild in the American Hockey League (AHL). During his tenure, Iowa owned a record of 107-71-37 (.583).

McLean played 18 years of professional hockey including 385 games in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers. During his NHL tenure, he collected 162 career points (56-106=162) in six seasons (2002-09). The former center played in seven different leagues from 1999-2017, compiling 1,111 pro games between the NHL, AHL, IHL, ECHL, SEL, Swiss-A and the Austrian League. The Comox, BC native also represented Canada many times during his career including at the U-18 level, the World Juniors and for six Spengler Cups, winning the Spengler Cup in 2012. McLean also won the Swiss-A championship in 2010. He completed his pro career in 2016-17 in Austria with Linz EHC. The former forward was originally drafted by the Dallas Stars in the ninth round (242nd overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft. McLean skated in 274 AHL games in six seasons, totaling 198 career points (72-126=198) with Cincinnati, Saint John, Houston, Norfolk and Rockford (1998-12).

He and his wife, Brenna, have a daughter Darian, and two sons, Nixon and Nash.

Ben Simon - Assistant Coach

Simon, 45, spent the previous eight seasons with the Grand Rapids Griffins. He served as an assistant coach for Grand Rapids from 2015-18 and won a Calder Cup in 2017 before being promoted to head coach for the 2018-19 season. Simon also served as the assistant coach of the Toronto Marlies (2014-15), head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones (2013-14), and assistant coach of the Rockford IceHogs (2011-13).  

During his playing career, Simon skated in 81 NHL games and totaled four points (3-1=4) with the Atlanta Thrashers and Columbus Blue Jackets. The Shaker Heights, Ohio native also added 188 points (78-110=188) in 481 AHL games with the Chicago Wolves, Milwaukee Admirals, Syracuse Crunch, Grand Rapids Griffins, and Toronto Marlies. Simon won a Calder Cup with the Chicago Wolves in 2002 and a Turner Cup in the IHL with the Orlando Solar Bears in 2001. Prior to his professional career, Simon played four seasons of college hockey at the University of Notre Dame, where he totaled 130 points (44-86=130) through 144 games and served as captain during his senior season. 

Patrick Dwyer - Assistant Coach

Dwyer, 40, began his coaching career in 2019-20 as an assistant coach with the Charlotte Checkers. He served as an assistant coach for the Chicago Wolves from 2020-23 and was a member of the Calder Cup-winning team in 2021-22. 

As a player, Dwyer totaled 93 points (42-51=93) in 416 NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes from 2008-2015. The Great Falls, Mont. native also added 196 points (94-102=196) across 345 AHL games with the Chicago Wolves, Albany River Rats, and Charlotte Checkers. Dwyer also spent three seasons of hockey overseas; he played for MODO Hockey in the SHL (2015-16), SønderjyskE in Denmark (2017-18), and the Belfast Giants in the EIHL (2018-19). Prior to his professional career, Dwyer played four seasons at Western Michigan University, where he served as captain during his senior year.  

Richard Bachman - Goaltending Coach

A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Bachman began his pro career in 2009-10 after two seasons with Colorado College (NCAA). After beginning his rookie season with the Idaho Steelheads (ECHL), Bachman made his American Hockey League debut for the Texas Stars on Dec. 6, 2009 in San Antonio. His AHL career consisted of 264 regular-season games between Texas, Oklahoma City and Utica, compiling a record of 133-95-17 with 16 shutouts and a 2.70 GAA Bachman played in 21 Calder Cup Playoff games over his career, and was named a 2015 AHL All-Star with Oklahoma City.

Drafted by the Dallas Stars in the fourth round (120th overall) of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, Bachman made his NHL debut with Dallas on Dec. 11, 2010, stopping all four shots he faced in relief of Andrew Raycroft in a 5-2 road loss two Phoenix. Bachman’s first NHL start resulted in his first NHL win, a 26-save performance in Los Angeles, as the Stars claimed a 2-1 win on Dec. 10, 2011. He finished his NHL career with a 20-18-2 mark, a 2.97 GAA and .903% save percentage and two shutouts between stints with Dallas, the Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks.

Bachman played in three games with Utica in 2019-20 before being loaned by Vancouver to IK Oskarshamn of the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) on Feb. 12, 2020. Bachman skated in three games with IK Oskarshman, posting a 3.29 GAA.

He has a wife, Devyn, and two children, Knox, 5, and Vail, 3.

Ray Sylvester - Video Coach

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Sylvester, 24, spent the 2022-23 season as the video coach for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL. The Pittsburgh, Pa. native served in the same role for the Charlotte Rush’s Elite and Premier teams in the USPHL from 2020-22 and helped each team win a league championship in 2021. He attended Robert Morris University and assisted the men’s hockey program with analytics from 2017-19 before working as the team’s video coach in 2019-20. 

Daniel Barker - Head Athletic Trainer

Iowa Wild-20221004-TG8_0682.jpgBarker joins Iowa after three seasons as Head Athletic Trainer for the ECHL’s Wheeling Nailers. Before joining the pro hockey ranks, the Wheeling, W.Va. native served as the first Head Football Athletic Trainer in program history for Wheeling Jesuit University from 2018 to 2019. Barker is a certified athletic trainer, received his Master of Science degree from California University of Pennsylvania in 2018 and graduated Salutatorian of his class at Wheeling Jesuit University in 2017.

Dylan Taylor - Assistant Athletic Trainer

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Andrew Kacsor - Strength and Conditioning Coach

Iowa Wild-20221004-TG8_0643.jpgKacsor comes to the Wild after spending the past two years as the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) in Russia. Prior to his stint in Russia, the Toronto, Ont. native worked as Strength and Conditioning Coach for KRS Vanke Rays Women’s Professional team, based in China, of the Zhenskaya Hockey League (WHL). Kacsor received his undergraduate degree in Sport and Physical Education from Laurentian University and earned his postgraduate degree in Exercise Science from Humber College.

Richard Krouse - Head Equipment Manager

Brandon Schroeder - Assistant Equipment Manager

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Schroeder, 24, joins Iowa's equipment staff following several seasons with the Flint Firebirds in the OHL. The Livonia, Mich. native spent the 2017-18 season as the team’s assistant equipment manager before working in Thief River Falls for a season. Schroeder returned to Flint for the 2019-20 season and was promoted to head equipment manager ahead of the 2021-22 season.