Windsor's Evola leaves Spitfires to become GM of IceDogs
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The Windsor Spitfires are one of the most stable franchises in the Ontario Hockey League.
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It's probably why the Niagara IceDogs were drawn to Frank Evola, who was named the team's general manager on Monday after eight years as director of scouting and hockey operations with the Spitfires.
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'It's an opportunity to better my career and something I've strived for,' said the 52-year-old Evola, who is a Windsor native. 'It's the perfect time in my career and the opportunity in Niagara, with the market and the team, makes it a great destination.'
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The IceDogs have had issues in recent years. Owner Darren DeDobbelaer bought the team in 2022 and named himself general manager, but he was handed a two-year suspension by the OHL in May of 2023.
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His suspension from that post ended on Sunday, but another league investigation brought sweeping changes to the team last month.
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The club announced DeDobbelaer would step back from day-to-day operations with general manager Wes Consorti moving into a new role as executive liaison between ownership and the club's operational leadership.
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As well, head coach Ben Boudreau was let go along with assistants Dan Paille and Marc Slawson, who were not renewed. Evola will now be tasked with hiring the team's fourth head coach since DeDobbelaer purchased the team.
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'At the end of the day, I say this to people,' Evola said. 'I wouldn't be in this position if everything went right in Niagara. Sometimes. you take advantage of a situation and you run with it and try to do the best for the organization and the OHL.'
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An Assumption high school product, Evola got his start in the OHL as a scout with the Oshawa Generals in 2007-08 and remained with the team through 2015-16 and its Memorial Cup run in 2015. He has been involved at the minor hockey level locally with Sun County and Windsor as well as Mississauga, Oshawa and Vaughan before joining the Spitfires prior to the 2017-18 season.
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'I've learned a ton from the ownership groups in Windsor and Oshawa and I've matured as a person and that's a testament to the organizations,' Evola said. 'Bill (Bowler, the Spitfires' general manager) has taught me a ton along with (former Spitfires' GM) Warren Rachel and (Generals' director of hockey operations) Mike Kelly and you take bits and pieces as you go along. I've learned a ton along the way and I've had a ton of support.'
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Evola has helped build a Windsor team that has won three division titles in the past four seasons and oversaw two massively productive drafts for the club in 2022 and 2024.
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