The Regina Pats have named David Bell as the 44th head coach in franchise history, the team announced Monday. Bell, 49, replaces Brad Herauf, who was dismissed earlier this off-season after two seasons as head coach and seven as an assistant with the club.
Bell brings extensive coaching experience
Bell joins the Pats after seven seasons with the American Hockey League's Belleville Bulls, the affiliate of the NHL's Ottawa Senators. He served as an assistant coach from 2019 to 2023 and as head coach from 2023 to 2025, compiling a 97-78-26 record over 201 regular season games before being fired in December.
“It was a real easy choice for me to pick to come here,” Bell said during his introductory press conference at the Brandt Centre. “A great franchise, a franchise going in a real good direction with real good people running it.”
Coaching journey spans two decades
Bell began his coaching career in 2004 as an assistant with the OHL's Owen Sound Attack for three seasons. He then joined the AHL's Springfield Falcons as an assistant in 2007 before returning to the OHL with the Barrie Colts from 2009 to 2011. After a stint as head coach of the CHL's Quad City Mallards in 2011-12, the Wiarton, Ontario native returned to the OHL with the Sudbury Wolves for a season, followed by four years with the Niagara IceDogs, serving as head coach in his final season.
Prior to coaching, Bell played four seasons in the OHL for the Ottawa 67's under legendary head coach Brian Kilrea, serving as captain in his final two seasons. He then played 12 seasons professionally in the ECHL, AHL, UHL and WCHL from 1997 to 2004.
Focus on development and winning
Pats general manager Dale Derkatch emphasized Bell's ability to develop players. “I just wanted to get a quality person in with the qualities that I value,” said Derkatch. “Passionate, structured, caring, good communication. A big part is development, and Dave has been doing that now for 20 years. He’s generally been in leagues developing players for the next level, and he’s had success doing that, so I think we’d like to see that continue here, and winning is part of it. I think ultimately development and winning go hand in hand.”
Bell takes over a Pats team in the final stages of a rebuild, with a promising core led by 16-year-olds Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue, who played 34 games last season. “There’s a real good core here of players that we can build around with those guys and support those guys,” said Bell. “But definitely those names came up a lot in my research of taking the job.”
