Recently Dismissed NHL Coach Finds Job In KHL

Saturday, January 17, 2026 ,


It was a sudden development back in October when the Washington Capitals fired assistant coach Mitch Love after an NHL investigation involving a personal conduct incident.

Love has landed on his feet in the KHL as the new head coach of the Shanghai Dragons.

The 41-year-old coach is signed on for the rest of this season and next season. He replaces former NHL coach Gerard Gallant, who had to step down due to health issues. 

The Dragons compete in Russia's Kontinental Hockey League. According to RG Media, they are currently based in Saint Petersburg, Russia, but have plans to relocate to China in the long term. Love will make his first trip with the team to Shanghai in March where they will play two regular-season games. 

Love was once one of the hottest NHL head coaching candidates. Before joining the Capitals as an assistant, Love won AHL Coach of the Year honours twice with the Calgary Flames’ AHL affiliate, the Wranglers. 

But an investigation by the NHL into conduct that predated his time in Washington led the league to suspend Love for the 2025-26 season. The Capitals subsequently fired him. According to ESPN, a league source said that the NHL received a letter detailing allegations about Love's personal conduct while he was interviewing with teams for head coaching jobs. Two of the teams that Love reportedly interviewed with were sent a similar letter.

Several former NHLers will be under Love's stewardship in Shanghai, including Kevin Labanc, Ryan Spooner and Nick Merkley. 

Photo: KHL, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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