Egeland is 'King

Published on December 17, 2002 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Lubbock Cotton Kings News Release


EGELAND IS THE MAN

TRACY EGELAND IS OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED AS ‘KINGS COACH

LUBBOCK, TX: December 17, 2002 – Lubbock Cotton Kings General Manager Mark Adams announced today that Cotton Kings assistant coach Tracy Egeland will serve as the Cotton Kings Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the remainder of the 2002/2003 season.

"Tracy has been preparing for this position for the past two seasons in our organization progressing as a player to a captain to an assistant coach, so this was an easy decision," said Adams. "You look at all the dedication towards community functions he takes part in and all the hockey operations work he does in the office and you see he has all the tools to develop into a fine coach with quality character. Under the circumstances of McDonald resigning, I think he is the perfect fit to rally our team together and lead us back to the playoffs."

Egeland (egg-luhnd), a native of Lethbridge, Alberta, becomes the organization's third head coach in franchise history. At the age of 32 (8/20/70), Egeland ranks as the youngest coach in the Central Hockey League and the fourth youngest coach in all of North American professional hockey. This is Egeland's first head coaching position and he will inherit the Cotton Kings 5-4 overtime win Friday night in Corpus Christi and Saturday night's loss to Memphis onto his coaching record while he was serving on an interim basis as head coach. Egeland has been with the Cotton Kings organization since the 00/01 season, when he signed with the squad as a player/assistant coach. He played 11 games during the 00/01 season with Lubbock picking up 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. Egeland stepped into the front office the remainder of that season and through countless community hours, was named the team's nominee for the Western Professional Hockey League "Man of The Year" award. When the WPHL/CHL merged prior to the 01/02 season, Egeland was the first player signed, marking the Cotton Kings first signee under the CHL label. During the 01/02 season, Egeland was again limited in action only appearing in 16 games collecting 3 goals and 6 assists for 9 points. His season and his career would come to an end in early December last season after re-injuring his shoulder.

"At a time like this, with a head coach departing during the season, a team needs continuity and leadership," said Minnesota Wild head pro scout Rich Sutter. "The Cotton Kings made a great choice in serving those needs with the promotion of Tracy Egeland. He has been with the organization through the good times and the bad times to earn this position and he deserves this opportunity. Tracy is young, energetic, respects the players and the game, is a great communicator and teacher, and he will do what it takes to make the team successful. Speaking on behalf of the Sutter family, we are proud of him and very happy for him."

Egeland's playing career spanned twelve professional seasons, as he scored 189 goals and 184 assists, equaling 373 points, while also accumulating 1745 penalty minutes in 592 games. The Chicago Blackhawks selected Egeland as their fifth selection, 132nd overall, in the 1989 NHL Draft.

The 6'2", 200-pound right-hander played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League from 1986-90, and in that span, Egeland played 238 games scoring 80 goals and 72 assists equaling 152 points. In the WHL, Egeland played in Swift Current, Medicine Hat, and Prince Albert. In Swift Current, he played alongside Colorado Avalanche star Joe Sakic, and in Prince Albert, he played alongside Dallas Stars forward Mike Modano.

Egeland turned professional in 1990 jumping into the International Hockey League with the Indianapolis Ice, who served as the top affiliate of the Chicago Blackhawks. He played three seasons in Indianapolis, where he scored 48 goals and contributed with 47 assists to equal 95 points, while also playing with NHL'ers Dominik Hasek, Stu Grimson, Tony Hrkac and Sergei Krivokrasov.

The Chicago Blackhawks traded Egeland's rights to Philadelphia, which placed him in Hershey, the top affiliate of the Flyers in the American Hockey League. Egeland played two seasons in Hershey, tallying 28 points off 12 goals and 16 assists amassing 388 penalty minutes in 95 games. Egeland played in the East Coast Hockey League from 1996-2000. He had a career season in 1996-97 with Huntington, as he put together 36 goals and 27 assists for 63 points. Egeland is third on the all-time scoring list for the now-defunct Huntington Blizzard with 162 points and ranks third on the all-time Huntington goal list with 89 in the three years he played in Huntington. He endured two call-ups to the AAA-level, while in Huntington. One resulted in a 26-game stay with the Fort Wayne Komets, who were an IHL franchise serving a dual affiliation with the Florida Panthers and the New York Rangers during the 1998-99 season.

In his final season in the ECHL (99/00), Egeland played with three organizations, where he combined 19 goals, 29 assists, 48 points, and 185 penalty minutes in 66 games. He began the season in Charlotte and then was involved in a four-player deal sending him to Greensboro. Egeland remained in Greensboro until a multi-player trade sent him to Jackson to close the season.

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