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Biography: Jared Bednar, 38, was named the 17th head coach in Peoria Rivermen history and fifth since joining the American Hockey League on June 15, 2010. He spent last season as an assistant coach with the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL where he helped guide the Heat to a 39-29-5-7 record and first-round playoff upset over the Rochester Americans.

Prior to joining Abbotsford, Bednar spent seven seasons (2002-2009) with the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays as an assistant coach, head coach and general manager. He was named head coach on April 27, 2007 and compiled an 89-45-9 record in two seasons. He took the Stingrays to the American Conference finals in his first season (2007-08) before being ousted by the eventual Kelly Cup Champion Cincinnati Cyclones. In 2008-09 he finished the job, guiding the club to the 2009 Kelly Cup over the Alaska Aces.

Bednar played eight seasons in the ECHL and had 173 points (43 goals, 130 assists) and 1,210 penalty minutes in 434 regular season games and 17 points (two goals, 15 assists) along with 157 penalty minutes in 56 postseason games, helping the Stingrays capture the Kelly Cup in 1997 and 2001. He was the first person in ECHL history to win the Kelly Cup on three separate occasions.

The Yorkton, Saskatchewan native also played parts of three seasons in the AHL and the International Hockey League (IHL) where he had 26 points (four goals, 22 assists) and 420 penalty minutes in 148 games. Jared and his wife, Susan, have two children, son, Kruz, and daughter, Savega.