Jared Bednar

Jared Bednar (born February 28, 1972) is a retired Canadian professional ice-hockey player, currently the head coach of the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL.

Playing career
Bednar played junior hockey with the WHL's Saskatoon Blades, Spokane Chiefs, Medicine Hat Tigers, and Prince Albert Raiders, from 1990 to 1993, playing in 152 games with 520 combined penalty minitues, establishing himself as a physical player. After going undrafted by the NHL, Bednar made his professional debut during the 1993-94 season, with the Huntington Blizzard of the ECHL. He played three seasons with the team, posting a career high in points during the 1994-95 season, with 45 in 64 games.

Bednar joined the South Carolina Stingrays halfway through the 1995-96 season, posting 24 points and 126 penalty minitues in his first 39 games. From 1995 to 1998, he played mostly with the Stingrays, with small stints in the AHL with the St. John's Maple Leafs and Rochester Americans. He played the 1998-99 season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the IHL, racking up 21 points and 220 PIMS in 71 games with the Griffins. Bednar re-joined the Stingrays for the 1999-00 season, and played two more seasons with the Rays afterwards before announcing his retirement after the 2001-02 season.

Coaching career
After retiring as a player, Bednar became the assistant coach of the Stingrays from 2002 to 2007. After head coach Jason Fitzsimmons stepped down, Bednar was promoted and became the new head coach for the 2007-08 season. His first season as coach was extremely successful, with the Stingrays winning 47 games in the regular season, and making it to the American Confrence Finals in the playoffs. After another successful season in 2008-09, the Stingrays won the Kelly Cup, giving Bednar his first championship as a coach in only his second season.

After winning the Cup, Bednar stepped down as head coach of the Rays and became the assistant coach of the Abbotsford Heat of the AHL for the 2009-10 season. He is now head coach for the Peoria Rivermen.