Hartford Wolf Pack's Ulf Samuelsson hired by Phoenix Coyotes
June 5, 2006 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Connecticut Whale News Release
GLENDALE, ARIZONA (Monday, June 5, 2006)--- Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) General Manager Michael Barnett announced today that the Coyotes have signed Hartford Wolf Pack assistant coach and former NHL defenseman Ulf Samuelsson to a multi-year contract to serve as an assistant coach for head coach Wayne Gretzky's staff. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
"We have a strong group of good young defensemen and felt it would be very beneficial to have them learn the game and be coached by a former NHL blueliner," said Barnett.
Samuelsson, 42, joins the Coyotes organization from the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL), the New York Rangers' top minor league affiliate, where he served as an assistant coach in 2005-06. Samuelsson, who was responsible for handling Hartford's blueline, helped lead the team to the Atlantic Division Finals with a 48-24-2-6 record. The Wolf Pack finished the regular season with 104 points, ranking them second in the Atlantic Division, third in the Eastern Conference and sixth overall in the league.
"Ulf was a top defenseman in the NHL for 17 years, and won two Stanley Cups," said Gretzky. "He was a punishing hitter and a fierce competitor. As a former teammate, I know firsthand how he played the game with intelligence and passion. We look forward to him working with our young defensemen and helping them develop into better players. He will be a valuable addition to our coaching staff."
"I would like to thank Ulf for his service and dedication to the Hartford Wolf Pack organization this past season," said Jim Schoenfeld, Hartford Wolf Pack General Manager and Head Coach. "We are thrilled and proud of Ulf and we wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors."
Regarded by many in the NHL as one of the hardest hitters the league has ever seen and a consistent, hard working defenseman, Samuelsson was drafted by the Hartford Whalers (4th choice, 67th overall) in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft. He went on to play 17 NHL seasons and 1,080 career NHL games with the Hartford Whalers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers, registering 57 goals and 275 assists for 332 points, along with 2,453 penalty minutes. He was a member of the 1991 and 1992 Stanley Cup Championship teams in Pittsburgh and also was a member of the NHL All-Star team for Rendez-Vous '87 that competed against the Soviet Union. Samuelsson retired from the NHL in 1999-2000 after playing 49 games with the Philadelphia Flyers.
A native of Fargesta, Sweden, Samuelsson represented his country in several international competitions, including three World Junior Championships in 1982, 1983 and 1984; two World Championships in 1985 and 1990 as well as the 1991 Canada Cup. In 1998, Samuelsson was chosen to represent Sweden at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan. Prior to joining the National Hockey League, he played three seasons with Leksand of the Swedish Elite League.
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