*This press release is courtesy of the Maine Mariners*
PORTLAND– The Maine Mariners announced on Wednesday that Terrence Wallin has been named the third head coach in team history. Wallin was the Mariners assistant coach last season, serving under Ben Guite who accepted the head coaching role at Bowdoin College on July 11th. Wallin has been a part of the Mariners organization since the beginning, also spending the final two seasons of his playing career with them from 2018-2020.
“It is incredibly exciting to promote Terrence Wallin to the Head Coach position,” said Adam Goldberg, Mariners Vice President of Business Operations. “Terrence was one of the first Mariners and he has earned the right to lead the team on the ice. Not only does he have a high hockey IQ, but he is also someone that is willing, able, and excited to be a part of the community. He will lead the players by example and the fans should be excited about the head coach we have behind the bench.”
Wallin, 30, is originally from Yardley, Pennsylvania but also has Maine roots, with a family home in Kennebunk. His professional playing career spanned five seasons, rising all the way from the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) to the American Hockey League.
“It’s a huge honor to be named the third head coach of the Mariners,” said Wallin. “Obviously, the previous two have had significant impacts on my development not only as a player but a coach. I can’t thank Danny [Briere], Ben [Guite], and Riley [Armstrong] enough for all they’ve done for me to get to this position. This city means a lot to me and I’m so happy that I’m able to step in and lead the Mariners.”
A 2015 graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, Wallin began his pro career with the SPHL’s Peoria Rivermen in the 2015-16 season. The Adirondack Thunder gave him his first ECHL opportunity later that season, and after stops back to Peoria and out to Rapid City (ECHL), he settled back with the Thunder for 2017-18, where he enjoyed the best season of his pro career – 50 points in 59 games. It was also during that season that Wallin reached the AHL for the first time, playing four games for the Binghamton Senators.
The following September, Wallin was dealt to the Mariners, marking the first trade in team history. He became an alternate captain on the inaugural Mariners squad and would spend a significant portion of 2018-19 with the Mariners AHL affiliate at the time, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Wallin would play one more campaign in a Maine uniform in 2019-20 season – the last of his career. Both of his seasons as a Mariner were productive, finishing in the top four in team scoring in both years. His 23 goals in 2019-20 tied him for the best mark on the team alongside Dillan Fox. In total, Wallin posted 73 points (34 goals, 39 assists) in 97 career games as a Mariner. He played 230 career ECHL games altogether.
On August 3rd, 2021, Wallin was named assistant coach of the Mariners, joining the staff of new head coach Ben Guite. Guite and Wallin led the Mariners to a 33-31-5-3 record and the first playoff appearance in team history.
“Wally’s knowledge of the game, his ability to relate to players and his work ethic make him a great choice,” said Guite. “While we worked together last season, he had a hand in every facet of the Mariners program and gained invaluable experience that prepared him for this new challenge. I am very excited for him.”
Wallin was already coaching prior to retiring from his playing career. In 2019, he founded “Evolution Hockey,” teaching skill development to players of all ages with a series of Maine-based hockey camps. In the summer of 2020, he took over the Southern Maine Youth Hockey travel program, now known as the Maine Evolution.
Wallin is the third head coach in Mariners history, following Guite (2021-22) and Riley Armstrong (2018-21). He will now begin the search for his assistant coach.
“It’s crazy to think that four years ago I was asking for a trade here and now I’ve had the chance to play two years, go through a pandemic, get heavily involved in the community, be the assistant for a year and now have the honor to be the head coach,” said Wallin. “Not many guys can say they played, were an assistant coach and then head coach for the same team and I’m proud to do it in a place that me and my family have grown to love.”
The Mariners 2022-23 season is once again presented by Hannaford To Go, and begins on Friday, October 21st at Trois-Rivieres, followed by the home opener on Saturday, October 22nd also against the Lions at 6 PM. Full and half season packages plus 12-game plans and 10-ticket flex plans for the 2022-23 season are on sale now by calling 833-GO-MAINE or visiting the Mariners front office at 94 Free St. in Portland. Prospective package holders can also put down a deposit or fill out an inquiry form at marinersofmaine.com. Single game tickets will go on sale in September.
