AHL Utica Comets

Comet Tales: Scouting the B-Sens

December 27, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Utica Comets News Release


The day before the Utica Comets play host to the Binghamton Senators, there would be AHL action in the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena. The Hershey Bears were the opponents for the team from New York's Southern Tier. Currently in second place of the Eastern Conference's East Division behind Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, an important factor behind the B-Sens on-ice success is due to it's coaching's braintrust.

With the AHL being the primary developmental league for the NHL, experience is key for those leading the next generation of stars. B-Sens coach Luke Richardson, skated in 22 NHL seasons for six different clubs, and his assistant Steve Stirling, has 25 years of coaching on the college, NHL, and European levels. With this amount of experience, the Ottawa Senators' prospects are in good hands.

At any point on Friday evening, when the Comets and B-Sens take to the ice, take a long look at the visiting team's bench. The taller of the two men in suits, Richardson (6'4â=80") sports a pedigree NHL resume. Just five seasons removed from skating in his final game with Ottawa, Richardson, 44, is in his second season as the head coach in Binghamton. The Ottawa native wasn't selected to his current position because of his playing credits.

Before replacing Kurt Kleinendorst, current Iowa Wild coach and who led the B-Sens to a Calder Cup championship during the 2010-11 season, Richardson put in three seasons as an assistant coach in Ottawa under Cory Clouston and Paul MacLean. In educating those assigned to Binghamton by their parent club in Canada's Capital, having the statistics and game credibility goes a long way to having the players' full attention. 1,417 games skated and 2,000-plus penalty minutes racked up on NHL ice, to Richardson's roster, these are attention-getters.

As for Richardson's partner in coaching, Steve Stirling, a quarter century of coaching on various levels of hockey continues to garner him respect. Stirling, 64, is now in his fourth season as a member of the B-Sens coaching staff. On the collegiate level, Stirling put in 13 seasons as Babson College's (MA) head hockey coach, and two seasons guiding the D-I Providence College program. On the AHL level, prior to becoming part of the Senators organization, the former Boston University skater has been part of the Springfield, Norfolk, Bridgeport, and Lowell staffs.

Playing professionally in Austria and coaching in the DEL (German professional league) for the Iserlohn Roosters, plus being the the New York Islanders head man for two seasons, Stirling's travels are also attention-getters.

Touting a 16-9-0-3 record going into Thursday's Hershey contest, Richardson and Stirling see their teachings flourish in Mike Hoffman. Skating in 26 games for the B-Sens this season, Hoffman is third in AHL scoring with 31 points (14 goals & 17 assists). Goalie Nathan Lawson, with 15 games in the net, he ranks fourteenth in the AHL with a 9-4-0 record.

Winning, success, and a bright future for Ottawa's AHL affiliate begins with leadership, at the top. Players follow those who inspire and are responsible for delivering positive results. The twosome of Richardson and Stirling are doing their parts, to ensure a winning atmosphere with the B-Sens.

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