ECHL Has 15 American Hockey League Coaches

October 12, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL) News Release

PRINCETON, N.J. – The ECHL is represented in the American Hockey League coaching ranks with five head coaches and 10 assistant coaches. The ECHL has affiliations with 23 of the 28 teams in the AHL in 2004-05 and will have a coach behind the bench of 15 of the teams in 2004-05.

Claude Noel returns for his second season as head coach of Milwaukee after leading the Admirals to the Calder Cup title and being named Coach of the Year in his rookie season in 2003-04. Noel, who was ECHL Coach of the Year in 2002-03, is the fourth ECHL coach in a row and the fifth in six years to be named the outstanding coach in the AHL, but the first to win the coach of the year award in both the ECHL and the AHL.

Don Granato, who coached Columbus (Ohio) and Peoria, is in his fifth season as the head coach of Worcester, the AHL affiliate of Peoria. Granato, who led Peoria to the Kelly Cup Championship in 2000, was named AHL Coach of the Year following his rookie season in 2000-01 when Worcester won the regular season title with 108 points and a team record with 48 wins.

Doug Shedden, who coached Louisiana from 1995-99, is in his second season as head coach of St. John's, the AHL affiliate of Pensacola. Bruce Boudreau, who led Mississippi to the 1999 Kelly Cup Championship, is in his fourth season as head coach of Manchester, the AHL affiliate of Reading.

Roy Sommer, who coached Roanoke Valley and Richmond, is the head coach of Cleveland, marking the seventh season he has been the head coach of San Jose's top affiliate. Cleveland is the AHL affiliate of Fresno and Johnstown. Sommer was ECHL Coach of the Year in 1995-96 after leading Richmond to the Brabham Cup with a league-record 105 points. He led Richmond to the Riley Cup Championship in 1994-95 and was selected as head coach of the East team for the 1995 All-Star Game and head coach of the North team for the 1996 All-Star Game. Returning for his third season as Sommer's assistant is David Cunniff, who played for Jacksonville and Raleigh from 1996-98.

Gord Dineen, who coached Macon in 2001-02 and Richmond in 2002-03, is in his first season as assistant coach and director of hockey operations for Utah, the AHL affiliate of Idaho. Kjell Samuelsson, who was an assistant coach with Trenton in 1999-2000, is in his fifth season as an assistant coach with Philadelphia, the AHL affiliate of Trenton.

David Baseggio, who was an assistant coach with Charlotte in 2000-01, is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with Bridgeport, the AHL affiliate of Atlantic City. Dan Bylsma, who played for Greensboro from 1992-94, is in his first season as an assistant coach with Cincinnati, the AHL affiliate of San Diego.

Greg Ireland, who was head coach of Dayton in 1998-2003, is in his second season as an assistant coach with Grand Rapids, the AHL affiliate of Toledo. Matt Shaw, who coached Mobile in 1997-98, is in his second season as an assistant coach with Houston, which has a working agreement with Louisiana.

Ron Wilson, who played for Wheeling in 1995-96, is in his second season as an assistant coach with Hamilton, the AHL affiliate of Long Beach. Nick Fotiu, who coached Nashville and Johnstown, is in his third season as an assistant coach with Hartford, the AHL affiliate of Charlotte.

For the 15th season in a row in 2003-04, an ECHL player was a member of the AHL champion team. In addition to eight players, including the Calder Cup Playoffs' Most Valuable Player Wade Flaherty, the ECHL was represented on Milwaukee by Noel and radio announcer Kyle Schultz.

Former Charlotte goaltender Jason LaBarbera was named as the AHL MVP in 2003-04, becoming the fourth ECHL player to earn the honor. In addition to LaBarbera, former ECHL players named MVP of the AHL are Eric Boguniecki in 2001-02, Martin Brochu in 1999-2000 and Brad Smyth in 1995-96.

In 2003-04, the ECHL had affiliation agreements with 21 of the 28 teams in the AHL. There were more than 90 players on AHL contracts in the ECHL and more than 220 players played in both the ECHL and the AHL in 2003-04. The ECHL had 425 call-ups, involving 234 players, to the AHL during the regular season.

ECHL Stories from October 12, 2004

• New York Rangers to attend Checkers camp - Charlotte Checkers
• Gulls get ready for two preseason games - San Diego Gulls
• Broadcast and video webcast schedule ready for puck drop - Alaska Aces
• One Signed, Two Assigned to Titans - Trenton Devils
• ECHL Transactions - ECHL
• Tickets Available Thursday - Johnstown Chiefs
• Two Assigned From AHL Affiliates - Johnstown Chiefs
• ECHL Has 15 American Hockey League Coaches - ECHL
• Royal Reinforcements Sent by Affiliates - Reading Royals
• New Dayton Bombers Partner with Ticketmaster for Added Convenience - Dayton Bombers
• Edmonton assigns players to Grrrowl - Greenville Grrrowl
• Pre-season action this week for the Grrrowl - Greenville Grrrowl
• Watch Live Bullies Action Over The Web - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
• Fahey Assigned From AHL Worcester - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
• Lynx Kick Off 'It's Spooky To Be Hungry' Campaign - Augusta Lynx
• Veteran returns from Swiss Army - Charlotte Checkers

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