AHL Thoughts 8/24/17
The Coaching Carousel
Editor's Note: Stealing a page from the book of the great Elliotte Friedman, a twist with thoughts on things happening around the American Hockey League (AHL). The current plan, subject to change, is to run a 30 AHL Thoughts post at least twice a month for our subscribers (perhaps more) dependent on what's happening around the league.
Back in time for the beginning of prospect tournaments, rookie camps and main training camps, Inside AHL Hockey's AHL Thoughts post aims to provide a broad scope of what's happening around the league with plenty of links outward to further coverage.
We had two with Highland Park Hockey transferred over here to the new site from back in May, with the most recent one some three months ago before free agency, the NHL Draft and the Expansion Draft.
This edition of AHL Thoughts is focused on examing all the coaching changes around the league in what was also a busy offseason in that department in addition to organizations announcing player signings.
1. Bakersfield Condors (Edmonton Oilers)
The Condors return an experienced coaching staff that has had time to gel. Some members of the staff have been behind the bench together even before the arrival of the Oilers' top minor league affiliate to California. Bakersfield prepares for its third season this fall.
Gary Fleming has been on the coaching staff at the AHL level for Oilers prospects each of the last seven seasons, and will be entering his fourth year as head coach this fall.
AHL assistant coaches Tony Borgford (entering 4th year) and Jean-Francois Houle (entering 3rd year) round out the coaching staff though the team did announce a few other changes in their hockey operations department.
2. Belleville Senators (Ottawa Senators)
Ottawa relocated its AHL franchise into Canada from Binghamton, New York to Belleville, Ontario for their inaugural season this fall, and both general manager Randy Lee and head coach Kurt Kleinendorst will retain their respective roles in Belleville.
Steve Stirling, an assistant coach with the Binghamton Sentors the previous seven seasons, was retained by the Ottawa organization but will be moving on to the scouting world as a pro scout. Stirling's coaching career spanned over the past 40 years in the NHL, AHL and overseas in Italy and German pro leagues.
Joining Kleinendorst behind the bench in Belleville will be Paul Boutillier as an assistant coach, who coached Senators 2015-1st round pick Thomas Chabot as an assistant for the St. John Sea Dogs the past two years. The move was announced back in June.
Boutillier has plenty of accolades in his playing days as well as a gold-medal winner in the 1982 World Juniors tournament and a Stanley Cup champion as a member of the 1983 New York Islanders as well.
All of Belleville's roster moves with regards to hockey operations can be found here.
3. Binghamton Devils (New Jersey Devils)
Although the city of Binghamton lost the Senators, the New Jersey Devils relocated their AHL team to the southern tier of New York from Albany for the upcoming season. We'll have a story on the new era of AHL hockey in Binghamton online in the near future.
The coaching staff from AHL Albany last season - head coach Rick Kowalsky and assistant coach Sergei Brylin - both were brought over in the transition to the Binghamton Devils.
4. Bridgeport Sound Tigers (New York Islanders)
The New York Islanders announced yesterday that they have hired Chris Terreri as the organization's goaltending development coach. He'll work with the goalies in Bridgeport as well as the organization's goalie prospects across the amateur level as well.
As far as the AHL coaching staff goes, both Brent Thompson (4th year AHL head coach) and Eric Boguenecki (6th year AHL assistant coach) will be behind the Sound Tigers bench again this fall.
5. Charlotte Checkers (Carolina Hurricanes)
Charlotte moves from the Western Conference to the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division this fall, and will not only face new opponents but also have a new voice on the bench as head coach.
Ulf Samuelsson accepted a position as an NHL assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks, and the Carolina Hurricanes hired from within by expanding assistant general manager Mike Vellucci's role to include head coaching duties with the Checkers this fall.
Peter Andersson returns as an assistant coach with video coach Myles Fee also serving as an assistant coach for Charlotte this fall according to their front office staff listing on the Checkers' official team website.
6. Chicago Wolves (Vegas Golden Knights)
The Wolves are going to be an interesting team to watch this fall now that the Vegas Golden Knights are the club's affiiliate with the St. Louis Blues left without an affiliate for the 2017-18 season and subject to spreading their prospects around a bit.
Last season's head coach Craig Berube was named associate coach of the St. Louis Blues, while assistant Darryl Sydor joins St. Louis's coaching staff as an NHL assistant coach.
The new-look Wolves on the ice will have a new-look coaching staff as well with Rocky Thomspon named the team's head coach earlier this summer after leading the OHL's Windsor Spitfires to a Memorial Cup Championship. Former development coach Bob Nardella and former York University (Toronto) head coach Chris Dennis will serve as the team's assistant coaches this season.
7. Cleveland Monsters (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Three-time Stanley Cup Champion John Madden returns for his 2nd season as the Monsters' head coach while all reports indicate that assistant coach Steve McCarthy will return for a 2nd season in his role as well.
8. Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit Red Wings)
Many thought that the defending Calder Cup Champions would be entering this season with a new head coach as Griffins bench boss Todd Nelson appeared to be on the NHL radar for some coaching vacancies, but the Griffins will defend their championship with a full returning coaching staff that includes assistant coaches Ben Simon, Bruce Ramsay and Mike Knuble.
9. Hartford WolfPack (New York Rangers)
The New York Rangers essentially cleaned house at the AHL level with Hartford for the upcoming season.
Assistant GM Jim Schoenfield was relieved of his duties as the GM of AHL Hartford, and Chris Drury will take over as the WolfPack's GM overseeing their AHL-related moves.
Also, longtime Hartford head coach Ken Gernander was relieved of his head coaching duties, with last year's assistant Keith McCambridge set to take over as the team's bench boss this upcoming season. McCambridge will be joined by former longtime AHL'er Joey Mormina behind the bench as Mormina was named the WolfPack's assistant coach back on August 1st.
10. Hershey Bears (Washington Capitals)
It's a new chapter for Hershey Bears hockey as Bryan Helmer takes over as the team's VP of Operations with regards to making roster moves, etc. but it will be much of the same elsewhere throughout the organization as head coach Troy Mann returns as well as his assistants Reid Cashman (defensemen, penalty kill) and Ryan Murphy (forwards, power play).
11. Iowa Wild (Minnesota Wild)
While Minnesota made several big moves at the AHL level in free agency on the ice, their coaching staff in Iowa remains intact as head coach Derek Lalonde and associate coach David Cunniff return for 2017-18 with what should be a much better AHL roster this fall.
12. Laval Rocket (Montreal Canadiens)
The Montreal Canadiens have migrated their AHL affiliate in recent years, from Hamilton, Ontario to St. John's Newfoundland and now a new era in nearby Laval, Quebec for the upcoming season.
Who better to have at the helm than Sylvain Lefebvre - the AHL head coach for Montreal's affiliate the past five seasons who played three of his several NHL seasons in Montreal and even played junior hockey in Laval for three years in the 1980s. Larry Carriere has been named the team's general manager by Canadiens' GM Marc Bergevin.
13. Lehigh Valley (Philadelphia Flyers)
The Lehigh Valley Phantoms had a much better season in 2016-17 than in years past, and qualified for the postseason for the first time in seven years in Scott Gordon's second season as head coach of the Flyers' AHL affiliate.
While Gordon returns to the helm for the Phantoms in the fall, second year AHL assistant coach Kerry Huffman appears to be the only assistant working alongside Gordon as Riley Cote was relieved of his duties earlier this summer prior to the organization's annual development camp in July.
14. Manitoba Moose (Winnipeg Jets)
Pascal Vincent (head coach) and Eric Dubois (assistant) return behind the bench for the Moose in 2017-18, but assistant coach Mark Morrison accepted a job as an assistant coach in the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks.
Former longtime Carelton University head coach Marty Johnston is joining Mantioba's coaching staff this fall as a second assistant coach under Vincent.
15. Milwaukee Admirals (Nashville Predators)
The Milwaukee Admirals will have a full compliment of their 2016-17 coaching staff for the upcoming season as Dean Evason returns for his sixth season as the team's head coach while Stan Drulia and Scott Ford will be back as assistant coaches.
16. Ontario Reign (Los Angeles Kings)
Leading the Los Angeles Kings AHL affiliate behind the bench for the fourth straight year, Mike Stothers has quickly become one of the top AHL head coaches in the league. His wealth of knowledge and experience both in coaching and from his playing days are a perfect fit in an organization that has developed several great NHL players in recent years.
Former assistant coach Chris Hajt has moved on to the NHL as an assistant with the Buffalo Sabres, but reunited with Stothers will be the Reign's new assistant coach for 2017-18 in David Bell - a former assistant coach under Stothers in the OHL with Owen Sound from 2004-07.
The Ontario Reign announced today that they will be hosting Eisbaeren Berlin of the top professional hockey league in Germany (DEL) on Febaruary 13th in a friendly exhibition match out in California.
17. Providence Bruins (Boston Bruins)
The Bruins organization is in a transition phase with regards to the coaching staff this summer, as last year's PBruins coach Kevin Dean has moved up to be an assistant coach with Boston. Meanwhile, assistant coach Jay Leach has been promoted to the AHL Bruins' head coaching position and will be joined by returning assistant coach Trent Whitfield and first year AHL assistant coach Spencer Carberry, formerly the head coach of the OHL's Saginaw Spirit.
18. Rochester Americans (Buffalo Sabres)
Another year, another new head coach for the Rochester Americans as the Buffalo Sabres organization gutted their coaching staff and general managers across the board. Chris Taylor is the Amerks' new head coach, with Gord Dineen and Toby Petersen joining the AHL staff as assistants.
New Sabres GM Jason Botterill is a former Pens associate GM, and has brought in a few former Penguins players over to the Buffalo organization with the likes of Kevin Porter, Barry Goers and Adam Krause all likely candidates for the AHL club this fall.
19. Rockford IceHogs (Chicago Blackhawks)
Rockford moved on from head coach Ted Dent, and the Blackhawks brought in Jeremy Colliton - a notable former AHL player who has taken great strides in the coaching ranks overseas in Sweden, leading to his hiring for his first AHL head coaching gig.
Last year's assistant coach Dwight King was retained, and Sheldon Brookbank will also be joining the IceHogs' coaching staff as an assistant under Colliton.
20. San Antonio Rampage (Colorado Avalanche)
No changes on the AHL-level coaching staff in San Antonio, as head coach Eric Veilleux and assistant Randy Ladouceur are slated to return for 2017-18. Things might get hairy heading into next year as the Avalanche are expected to re-locate their AHL affiliate from San Antonio to Loveland, Colorado - the current home of the ECHL's Colorado Eagles.
San Antonio is expected to keep AHL hockey and be the primary affiliate for the St. Louis Blues, so there will still be a potential opening for the current coaching staff in Texas if they aren't retained and relocated to Loveland, CO themselves.
21. San Diego Gulls (Anaheim Ducks)
No changes to the Gulls coaching staff for 2017-18 as head coach Dallas Eakins and assistant Marty Wilford are returning behind the bench in San Diego.
22. San Jose Barracuda (San Jose Sharks)
San Jose remains in good hands behind the bench as the AHL's all-time winningest head coach Roy Sommer is at the helm for the Barracuda with assistant Ryan Mougenel also expected to return for San Jose in 2017-18.
23. Springfield Thunderbirds (Florida Panthers)
The Thunderbirds' coaching staff of Gordie Kinnear (head coach) and assistant coaches Doug Janik and Michael Ryan return behind the bench in Springfield in 2017-18.
24. Stockton Heat (Calgary Flames)
Head coach Ryan Huska returns for 2017-18 for Stockton along with assistant Domenic Pittis, but they will joined by Cail MacLean this season as last year's assistant coach Todd Gill accepted a head coaching position with the Owen Sound Attack in the OHL.
25. Syracuse Crunch (Tampa Bay Lightning)
After taking the Crunch to the Calder Cup Finals in his first year as the team's head coach, Benoit Groulx and assistant coach Jeff Halpern are returning to Syracuse this fall. They'll be joined on the bench by Ken Klee, previously a teammate of Halpern's in the NHL. Klee replaces former assistant coach Trent Cull. Cull moved on to become the head coach of the AHL's Utica Comets.
Karl Goehring also joins the staff this season as the team's goaltending coach.
26. Texas Stars (Dallas Stars)
Both head coach Derek Laxdal and assistant coach Karl Taylor will be back behind the bench in Cedar Park this season
27. Toronto Marlies (Toronto Maple Leafs)
Head coach Sheldon Keefe returns as does assistant AJ MacLean, but they'll be joined behind the bench by Rob Davison as Gord Dineen has moved on to an assistant coaching position with rival Rochester for the 2017-18 season.
28. Tucson Road Runners (Arizona Coyotes)
The Arizona Coyotes cleaned house at the AHL level, appointing Mike Van Ryn as Tucson's new head coach with John Slaney and Steve Potvin being appointed assistant coaches under Van Ryn. The trio replaces Mark Lamb and Mark Hardy who were the two coaches for Tucson's inaugural AHL season last year.
29. Utica Comets (Vancouver Canucks)
Last year's Comets head coach Travis Green and assistant coach Nolan Baumgartner were promoted to be the next head coach of the Vancouver Canucks this summer, leaving Utica with coaching vacancies.
Jason King was retained by Utica as an assistant coach, but Vancouver brought in Trent Cull (previously an assistant with rival Syracuse) to be the new head coach and added former Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Gary Agnew as a third man behind the bench for 2017-18.
30. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Clark Donatelli (head coach) and JD Forrest (assistant coach) return behind the AHL Penguins' bench in 2017-18, but will be joined by new assistant Tim Army this fall. Tim's son Derek Army made an appearance with the AHL Penguins in 2015-16.
Last year's assistant coach Chris Taylor moved on with former Penguins assistant GM Jason Botterill to the Buffalo Sabres organization, where he's the new head coach of the Rochester Americans.
