Prince George Cougars general manager Todd Harkins acknowledged on Tuesday he has spoken with former NHL defenceman Richard Matvichuk about the team's head coaching vacancy.
Harkins said he met with Matvichuk in Kansas City earlier this month.
The Cougars have been searching for a new bench boss since they parted ways with Mark Holick on April 12.
Matvichuk, who played 796 regular-season NHL games with the Minnesota North Stars, Dallas Stars and New Jersey Devils, has spent the past two seasons as head coach of the ECHL's Missouri Mavericks, who are based in the Kansas City area. In 2015-16, he led them to a first-overall record of 52-15-3-2 and was named coach of the year. In the playoffs, the Mavericks were eliminated in the Western Conference semifinals in six games by the Allen Americans.
Prior to his post with the Mavericks, Matvichuk served two seasons as defensive coach and assistant general manager of the Americans, who at that time skated in the Central Hockey League. During Matvichuk's tenure with the Americans, they won back-to-back CHL championships (2013-2014).
Matvichuk, originally from Edmonton, is 43 years old. He won a Stanley Cup with Dallas in 1999.
Harkins has said more than 50 candidates have expressed interest in the Cougars' coaching job.
Gregg Drinnan of News Kamloops first reported the Matvichuk development. Drinnan has also reported that Holick is believed to be on the short list to take over as head coach of the Vancouver Giants, who fired Lorne Molleken with two games left in the Western Hockey League season.
The Giants named former Vancouver Canucks goalie Glen Hanlon as their general manager on May 19.
