Julien and Ward Named AHL's Outstanding Coaches
Published on April 8, 2003 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hamilton Bulldogs News Release
The American Hockey League announced today that for their efforts with the Hamilton Bulldogs this season, Claude Julien and Geoff Ward have been named the joint winners of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding head coach for the 2002-03 season, as voted by members of the media in each of the league's 28 member cities.
The Bulldogs rolled to the best record in the American Hockey League in 2002-03 while serving as the top development team for both the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers. Hamilton posted a mark of 33-6-3-3 in 45 games under Julien before he was promoted head coach of the Canadiens on Jan. 17; assistant Ward took over in Hamilton and guided the Bulldogs to a 49-19-8-4 finish, capturing the franchise's first-ever Macgregor Kilpatrick Trophy as the AHL's regular season points champion. Less than three weeks into his first AHL coaching stint, Ward served as a coach for the PlanetUSA team at the 2003 Dodge AHL All-Star Classic.
Under Julien and Ward the Bulldogs set numerous franchise records including: most points in a season (110), most wins (49), and highest winning percentage (.688). Hamilton's unbeaten streak of 18 games (Dec. 6 - Jan. 10) doubled the club's previous record of nine games without a loss.
The Bulldogs lost several players to long-term recalls during the season, including Marcel Hossa, Fernando Pisani, Mike Komisarek and Mathieu Garon, and saw captain and then-leading scorer Benoit Gratton miss three months with an injury.
The Louis A.R. Pieri Award, which was first presented in 1968, honours the late Mr. Pieri, a long-time contributor to the AHL as the owner of the Providence Reds. Pieri also served as the general manager of three Calder Cup champions (1938, 1940, 1949).
American Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2003
- Royal Review - Manchester Monarchs
- AHL playoff series previews - AHL
- Julien and Ward Named AHL's Outstanding Coaches - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Julien, Ward share Coach of the Year - AHL
- Curtis Murphy Recalled by Minnesota - Houston Aeros
- Aeros End Season with 104 Points - Houston Aeros
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
