Indy Fuel head coach Duncan Dalmao will not return for the 2026-27 season, the team announced Thursday.

Dalmao is leaving Indianapolis to become an assistant coach with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League, one level below the NHL. The move creates a head-coaching vacancy for the Fuel ahead of their 13th ECHL season.

Fuel Owner and Chairman Jim Hallett thanked Dalmao for his work with the organization during the past five seasons.

“During his time with Indy, Duncs has been a strong presence both behind the bench and in our community,” Hallett said. “We are immensely proud to see him make this move to further his coaching career.”

Dalmao became the Fuel’s interim head coach near the end of the 2021-22 season. He was named the permanent head coach before the 2022-23 campaign, becoming the fourth head coach in franchise history.

During his tenure, Dalmao recorded 159 regular-season victories—more than any coach in Indianapolis hockey history—and guided the Fuel to four consecutive Kelly Cup Playoff appearances.

The Fuel also enjoyed their best regular season under Dalmao in 2022-23. Indy set franchise records with 43 victories, 244 goals and 23 road wins while earning a playoff berth.

In a statement, Dalmao thanked fans in Indianapolis and Fishers for supporting him and the team.

“After arriving five years ago, I never imagined Indiana would come to feel so much like home,” Dalmao said. “I will never forget your unwavering support through the good and bad.”

Dalmao also expressed appreciation for the Fuel’s players, hockey operations staff and front office, along with the Hallett family and the organization’s affiliates, the Chicago Blackhawks and Rockford IceHogs.

“It’s been the honour of my life to be able to operate within such an amazing franchise,” he said. “A piece of me will always remain here in Indy.”

The Fuel did not announce Dalmao’s successor Thursday.

Indy is the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs. The team will return to Fishers Event Center in October 2026 for its 13th season.