The New England Wolves are very pleased to welcome back Coach Connor Bates for the 2025-26 season.

Connor Bates a Laconia, NH native, came to the Wolves in the 2017-18 season upon the completion of his Pro Career after stops in Manchester with the ECHL Monarchs and the SPHL Fayetteville Marksmen. Bates had an outstanding JR career in the AJHL with both the Laconia Leafs and Northern Cyclones (where he was Captain), then Connor went on to a 4 Year NCAA Career, his last season serving as captain at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI.  A 6'3 center, Coach Bates was a 200' player who recorded 38 goals in his 4 year NCAA career.

In his first run with the Wolves, Bates was an assistant coach on the 2018-19 EHLP championship team, and an assistant with the EHL team during their 2021-22 Frozen Finals run.  Serving in a variety of roles, he led his 16U team to a championship season in the NEPHL in the fall of 2018, then followed that up with leading the EHLP team as Head Coach for 3 seasons from 2020-21 to 2022-23, capping it off with a memorable playoff run in his final season.

Bates left in 2023 to pursue a Head Coaching opportunity at Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, NH where he also served as an Admissions Counselor.

Bates will step back into the role of Assistant Coach with Coach Tim Kunes' EHL squad.

The Wolves welcome back Coach Bates, and are looking forward to a tremendous season ahead as the Wolves EHL squad embarks on year 1 at the Tier II EHL level.