By: Ben Buttrick
Ahead of the 2026-27 season, the Wisconsin Windigo are excited to announce the signing of Andrew Howard to be the team’s next Head Coach and General Manager. He is set to be the fourth Head Coach in Windigo history following John Mitchell’s departure to the ECHL’s Rapid City Rush. Howard has worn a multitude of hats during his time in the world of hockey, which gives him the strong background needed to lead the Windigo into their second season at The Ponds of Brookfield.
Like many coaches in the NAHL, Howard got his start in hockey as a player. The Commerce, MI native played junior hockey between 1999 and 2003 before he spent three seasons at St. Clair College in Ontario, Canada. He then moved closer to home and suited up at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Howard then moved closer to home to suit up at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, where he played two seasons and grew fond of the city he’ll be coaching in during the upcoming season. Outside of his pair of collegiate seasons in Milwaukee, he continued his time in semi-pro hockey until 2011, playing in leagues across the United States, Australia and Austria.
Between his time playing and coaching hockey, Howard wore the white and black stripes as a referee. He spent a large chunk of time as an official in professional hockey, including six years in the AHL and a season in Germany’s DEL. However, Howard’s first season as a referee was in the NAHL. “After starting in the NAHL as an official, it feels like a full-circle moment returning to the league,” he stated.
Prior to the start of his time behind the benches, Howard worked on the sidelines and in the film room as a scout. His scouting journey began at the highest level of hockey as a video scout for the Arizona Coyotes (currently known as the Utah Mammoth) during the 2019-20 NHL season. With the COVID-19 pandemic putting the 2019-20 campaign on a long pause, Howard pivoted to scouting for major junior hockey organizations, such as the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL and the Medicine Hat Tigers of Canada’s WHL. He spent two seasons with Green Bay and continued his role as the main U.S. scout for Medicine Hat through the 2025-26 campaign.
While building up a strong scouting resume, Howard began his coaching career at the same time. His journey behind the benches started with the Phoenix Jr. Coyotes, where he spent two seasons as the Head Coach for the 14U and 15U AAA teams. After leaving Arizona ahead of the 2022-23 season, he stayed in AAA hockey as the Head Coach for Victory Honda’s 16U and 15U teams over the next two years. He served in multiple coaching roles between the STAR Hockey Academy 15U and 17U squads during the 2024-25 season before he ended up with the Cleveland Barons 16U AAA team ahead of last year.
Looking ahead to the 2026-27 NAHL campaign for the Windigo, Howard aims to implement a team culture centered around accountability and positivity. He added that his top goal with each player that joins the team is to help them find their role. “I’m not one to try and change a player’s identity,” he said. “Say we have an offensive-minded defenseman, we want to embrace that and give him everything we can as a coaching staff to help elevate that part of his game.”
Alongside the locker room atmosphere, Howard has high hopes for the growth and goals of his future squad. “We want to push the envelope with these guys,” he said. “My main objective here is to do everything in my power to get these young men to the next level of hockey they’re striving for.”
While breaking down the X’s and O’s, Howard discussed what he wants to bring out of his players. “First and foremost, the work ethic and compete level needs to be at the highest level every day,” he stated. “I’m also a big believer in coaching the details, because everyone is trying to do the same thing in hockey, so the teams who have a strength in their preparation over the details of the game are the ones who often find success.”
Additionally, he also spoke to how he preaches the defensive aspect of the game. “We can score eight goals a game, but if we are giving up just as much, that’s not where we want to be,” he said. “Taking care of the defensive zone with the utmost pride is the priority.”
Howard also mentioned how having Assistant Coaches Graydon Skok and Anthony Rohde will be a huge benefit to the team during his first season at the helm. “With Anthony, his skills working with the D-core will help strengthen my overall message,” he stated. “And Graydon has been very supportive as well. If you have a question, he finds the answer. Both of them have been a huge help to this point, and I anticipate that to keep rolling into the season.”
From his time as a scout to serving as a head coach, Howard has looked for some consistent qualities in the players he’s searched for in the past and the ones he’ll monitor at Windigo Main Camp. “The skating ability, compete level and overall hockey IQ are the skills that jump out at you,” he said. “But the skill set sets the floor – your character sets the ceiling. We can have all the skilled players in the world we’d want, but if the guys don’t have good character and aren’t into it with a team-first mentality, we aren’t going to have as much success as we should or as the box score says.”
With Howard stepping into his first head coaching role in junior hockey, he’ll be tasked with hosting players from across the world. For both the players who might be close or far from home, he wants to help build a family-like environment around the Windigo crest. “If you’re going to the rink every day with some of your best friends and guys you trust, I think it makes the whole culture and experience more positive and conducive to success,” he stated.
Howard also wants to be a coach that his players can rely on mentally. Regardless of the result of games, he will aim to be constructive in his teachings rather than overly-critical. “I try to instill everything with a compliment sandwich,” he said. “We’ll give some positive feedback from the game, then get into what we could improve upon, but follow that up with a positive outlook on what’s to come.”
On the same topic, he added, “In hockey, there are thousands of mistakes made in a game. As young guys, they’ll make mistakes, and I’ll make mistakes as well. But the message will always be ‘How do we respond from this? Do we give up, or push the pedal a little more to try and execute what we want to achieve?’”
In a closing statement, Howard set the precedent for what Windigo fans should expect in the upcoming season. “Fast, intense and exciting hockey is coming your way,” he stated. “I’m excited to get started here and to embrace the Windigo community with a full-steam ahead mindset. With anybody from billet families to season-ticket holders, I want everyone to feel comfortable coming up to me and saying hello. I look forward to helping create a community experience through the Windigo here in Brookfield.”
With the 2026-27 season right around the corner, now is the best time to secure your tickets! Single-game tickets begin as low as $5.00, and season tickets can get anyone over 18 in the door starting at $10 per game. The Windigo can’t wait to hear you cheering loudly this season; click here to secure your seats!
