The Indy Fuel’s new head coach will have to wait a little longer to make his debut behind the bench at the Fishers Event Center.
The Fuel tell LarryInFishers that Jesse Messier is not expected to coach the team’s season home opener Friday, Oct. 16, against the Wheeling Nailers, or Saturday, when the Cincinnati Cyclones visit Fishers. Messier is awaiting immigration authorization to begin his duties.
Assistant coach Christian Horn will handle both head and assistant coaching duties until Messier is cleared.
On Oct. 8, Fuel President Sean Hallett said the late-offseason departure of former head coach Duncan Dalmao pushed back the team’s immigration filing.
“The unexpected departure of our previous head coach, Duncan Dalmao, late in the offseason meant we submitted our immigration application later than we typically would,” Hallett said. “While that timing did not cause the processing delay in and of itself, it has left us with less flexibility to accommodate this unforeseen development.”
The Fuel announced Dalmao’s exit in mid-August. He left to become an assistant coach with the Bakersfield Condors of the American Hockey League, one level below the NHL. Dalmao won 159 regular-season games with the Fuel, the most of any coach in Indianapolis hockey history, and led the team to four straight Kelly Cup Playoff appearances.
The Fuel named Messier the fifth head coach in franchise history about a week later, on Aug. 21. Messier spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Bloomington Bison, one of Indy’s Central Division rivals. He previously served four seasons as an assistant with the Ontario Hockey League’s Saginaw Spirit and four seasons as an assistant at York University, where he helped the program win the 2017 Queen’s Cup. In 2023-24, he guided the Kam River Fighting Walleye to a 39-9-1 record, a regular-season championship and a league final appearance.
Hallett said the organization is working to speed up the process, including contacting the office of U.S. Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., whose staff he described as “extremely responsive” in trying to help.
“We have confidence in Coach Horn’s ability to lead the team during this interim period and look forward to Jesse assuming his responsibilities as soon as necessary authorization is received,” Hallett added.
Friday’s opener marks the start of the Fuel’s 13th season and third at the Fishers Event Center. Puck drop is set for 7:15 p.m. Friday and 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Fuel are the ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks and the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs.