TORONTO — The Flint Firebirds will have a young coaching staff in place for the 2016-'17 Ontario Hockey League season.

Ryan Oulahen, 31, was named head coach of the team Friday and Eric Wellwood, 26, will serve as associate coach.

"Today's announcement is a further piece in putting together a strong hockey operations staff for the Flint Firebirds," OHL commissioner David Branch said in a release. "Their combined knowledge and experience will help develop the Flint Firebird players both on and off the ice."

Oulahen, a native of Newmarket, Ont., has spent the last five seasons as a top assistant with the North Bay Battalion franchise. He played three seasons for the team when it was in Brampton before joining the American Hockey League's Grand Rapids Griffins for four seasons.

Wellwood, a native of Windsor, Ont., has been an assistant coach with the Oshawa Generals for the last two seasons. He played junior hockey for the Windsor Spitfires before splitting three seasons with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and AHL's Adirondack Phantoms.

"Ryan and Eric are both young yet experienced, bringing tremendous enthusiasm, leadership and a strong foundation in junior hockey to the Firebirds' bench," said Flint general manager George Burnett. "My role is to support Ryan and Eric as they lead our group of current and prospective players in delivering an exciting brand of junior hockey to Genesee County in the 2016-'17 season and beyond."

The Firebirds are coming off a tumultuous season. Team owner Rolf Nilsen was given a five-year suspension last month after twice firing the team's head coach last season despite the protests of the players.

The club has been under Branch's direction since the suspension. Burnett was appointed general manager earlier this week while Joe Stefan was named assistant general manager and director of player development.

Joe Birch, who has led Flint's hockey operations since February, is serving as director of hockey operations.

On Nov. 8, all 23 players on the team quit in response to the firing of then-head coach John Gruden and his staff. Gruden had been let go over an ongoing dispute with Nilsen, who wanted more ice-time for his son, defenceman Hakon Nilsen.

The players' protest worked, as Gruden and his staff were re-hired that day and given three-year contract extensions.

However, Gruden was fired again on Feb. 17. Branch responded by suspending Nilsen and his appointees on the management and coaching staff.