AHL Providence Bruins

P-Bruins Gordon Named AHL Coach of the Year

Published on April 9, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Providence Bruins News Release


Providence, RI - The Providence Bruins, member of the American Hockey League, announced today that head coach Scott Gordon has been named the league's 2007-08 recipient of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award honoring the AHL's outstanding coach. The award, voted upon by coaches and media members from the league's 29 cities, was instituted during the 1967-68 season in tribute to Louis A.R. Pieri, a long-time contributor to the AHL as owner of the Providence Reds.

Gordon, 45, is in his eighth season coaching in Providence and his fifth full year as the P-Bruins' head coach. Since taking over for Mike Sullivan late in the 2002-03 season, Gordon has compiled a record of 219-139-20-14-13 (W-L-T-OTL-SOL) in 405 regular-season games and has guided Providence to the Calder Cup Playoffs each year, including a trip to the conference finals in 2005.

This season has been Gordon's best behind the bench as Providence sits atop the AHL standings with a record of 53-16-3-4 for 113 points. With four remaining regular season contests, Providence can still eclipse its franchise marks of 56 wins and 120 points, both set during the club's 1998-99 Calder Cup championship season. The P-Bruins are three points away from clinching the Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL's overall regular season points-champion, which would give them home-ice advantage throughout the 2008 Calder Cup Playoffs.

On the year, Providence ranks second in the AHL in offense, averaging 3.55 goals per game, and the club is first in both shots on goal taken (34.24) and fewest shots allowed (25.55) per contest. The P-Bruins are also a perfect 32-0-0-0 when leading after two periods, the second straight year they have posted an unblemished record in that situation.

Gordon, the PlanetUSA head coach at the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Reebok, began his coaching career with the International Hockey League's Atlanta Knights, serving as both the head coach and as an assistant from 1994-96. He also spent two seasons as both the head coach and an assistant of the IHL's Quebec Rafales from 1996-98. When Gordon was named the head coach of the Knights on January 5, 1996, he became at 32-years-old, the youngest head coach in the league's 53-year history. Gordon's next move came in 1998-99, when he was named the head coach of the Roanoke Express of the East Coast Hockey League. He led the club to consecutive first-place finishes in the Northeast Division while compiling an 82-42-16 overall regular season record. The 1999-2000 Express set franchise records for wins (44), points (94) and fewest goals against (181).

Prior to entering the coaching ranks, the native of Easton, Massachusetts, enjoyed a four-year playing career as a goaltender for the Boston College Eagles from 1982-86, posting a 64-35-3 record over that span. He backstopped the Eagles to a NCAA Final Four appearance in 1985 and was named a Hockey East First-Team All-Star in 1986. Following the completion of his collegiate career, Gordon began his professional playing career in 1986-87 when he signed a contract with the National Hockey League's Quebec Nordiques. Along with parts of six seasons in the AHL from 1986-92, Gordon appeared in 23 career NHL games, all with the Nordiques.

Providence last boasted a Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award winner when Peter Laviolette, now the head man on the bench for the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, received the award in 1998-99 en route to guiding the club to its only Calder Cup championship.

The P-Bruins return to action to close out the regular season this week with four games in five nights, beginning tonight against the Worcester Sharks at 7:05 p.m. Providence is back at the Dunkin' Donuts Center to start a home-and-home series with the Manchester Monarchs on Friday for Team Poster Giveaway Night at 7:05 p.m. The posters, free to the first 3,000 fans in attendance, are courtesy of ABC 6, University Orthopedics, Dunkin' Donuts and your New England Dodge Dealers. Saturday's game at Manchester's Verizon Wireless Arena begins at 7:05 p.m. The regular season ends on Sunday at home versus the Lowell Devils at 4:05 p.m. The contest is a Family Game, as fans can purchase one ticket, one hot dog and one soda for just $16.

2008 Calder Cup Playoff Packages are on sale now with Providence set to take on Manchester in the Atlantic Division Semi-Finals, beginning with Game 1 on Wednesday, April 16 at The Dunk. To purchase tickets or for more information, call the Providence Bruins ticket office at (401) 273-5000 or log on to the team website at www.providencebruins.com. Tickets may be purchased in person by visiting the Dunkin' Donuts Center Box Office or all TicketMaster outlets.

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