Kerry Huffman Named Interim Head Coach for Remainder of 2018-19
December 27, 2018 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Lehigh Valley Phantoms News Release
Lehigh Valley, Pa - The Lehigh Valley Phantoms have announced today that Kerry Huffman has been named Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the 2018-19 season. In addition, Terry Murray has been named an Assistant Coach for the remainder of the 2018-19 season.
"Kerry Huffman has the full support of the entire staff and everybody in the locker room." said Phantoms Owner, Jim Brooks, "and Terry is a great guy and was our first coach here in Lehigh Valley. He brings a ton of experience and we feel this is an awesome opportunity for Kerry and to have Terry Murray back with us to help out and provide his coaching knowledge will be great for us."
Huffman took over as the Phantoms Head Coach on December 17, 2018 when Scott Gordon was named the Interim Head Coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. The Phantoms have gone 3-0-0-1 under Huffman so far this season with his fist win coming in his head coaching debut in a 5-0 victory over the Belleville Senators on December 19. Huffman is in his third season as a coach with Lehigh Valley and previously served as an Assistant Coach with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights of the NAHL.
Huffman, 50, produced 37 goals, 108 assists, 145 points and 361 penalty minutes across 401 career NHL games during time with the Philadelphia Flyers, Quebec Nordiques and Ottawa Senators. A first-round selection (#20 overall) by Philadelphia in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, he tallied 23 goals, 61 assists, 84 points and 124 penalty minutes in 207 career games with the Flyers.
Terry Murray returns to the Phantoms organization after serving as an Assistant Coach with the Buffalo Sabres. Prior to that, Murray was the Head Coach of the Adirondack and Lehigh Valley Phantoms for three seasons from 2012-2015. Murray served as the Phantoms honorary captain when the 2017 AHL All-Star game was held at PPL Center.
Murray, 68, has over 30 years of professional coaching experience including serving as the Head Coach of the Washington Capitals from 1989-1993, the Philadelphia Flyers from 1994-1996, the Florida Panthers from 1998-2001, and the Los Angeles Kings from 2009-2011. Murray has also served as an assistant coach for the Washington Capitals from 1983-1988, the Philadelphia Flyers from 2003-2008 and the Buffalo Sabres from 2015-17.
A native of Shawville, Quebec, Murray played 302 career NHL games, spending time with the California Golden Seals, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, and Washington Capitals. Murray also won the Eddie Shore Award two consecutive years as the AHL's best defenseman in 1997-78 and 1778-79.
The Phantoms will celebrate their 5th year anniversary in Lehigh Valley with two weekend games at PPL Center on Friday against the Providence Bruins and Saturday against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The team will wear their specialty 5th year logo jerseys and pay tribute to the first five years at PPL Center.
Season tickets offering a wide range of benefits as well as 20-Game and 12-Game plans are available by calling the Phantoms at 610-224-GOAL (4625).
And for the latest Phantoms news, visit www.phantomshockey.com or follow the team on Facebook, Twitter (@lvphantoms) and Instagram (@lehighvalleyphantoms).
The Phantoms are coming off an incredibly successful fourth campaign in the Lehigh Valley playing at the state-of-the-art PPL Center in which the team claimed the Atlantic Division Championship and finished with the AHL's second-most wins (47) along with the league's second-highest standings points total (104) while advancing to the third round of the Calder Cup Playoffs for just the fourth time in franchise history.
American Hockey League Stories from December 27, 2018
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- Wolf Pack Edged by Bridgeport, 3-2 - Hartford Wolf Pack
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- Wolves Insider: Streaking to the Top - Chicago Wolves
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- San Diego Gulls Sign Steve McParland to Professional Tryout - San Diego Gulls
- Derek Hulak Signed to Standard Player's Contract - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Sommer Earns All-Star Coaching Bid with San Jose's 3-1 Win - San Jose Barracuda
- San Jose Scores Three Unanswered to Defeat Eagles, 3-1 - Colorado Eagles
- Star Wars Night Presented by JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort and Spa Highlights Roadrunners Holiday Weekend Series against Stockton - Tucson Roadrunners
- Second "Hockey Day SoCal" to Take Place Saturday, December 29 - San Diego Gulls
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- Hogs Return Home Friday for Youth Jersey Giveaway & Lottery Cup Series - Rockford IceHogs
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- Bears Weekly #12: Hershey Looks to Regroup Following Holiday Break - Hershey Bears
- Defenseman Graves Earns First NHL Call-Up - Colorado Eagles
- Hogberg Recalled by Ottawa - Belleville Senators
- Sound Tigers Look for League-Best 12th Home Win Tonight - Bridgeport Islanders
- Monsters and IceHogs Await Griffins Following Holiday Break - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Kerry Huffman Named Interim Head Coach for Remainder of 2018-19 - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Game Day Build-Up: Senators vs. Rocket, December 27 - Belleville Senators
- Defender Tyler Lewington Returns to Capitals - Hershey Bears
- Glotov Earns Recall to Rochester - Rochester Americans
- Phantoms Rally in Third Period at Wilkes-Barre - Lehigh Valley Phantoms
- Admirals Driven Back by Wolves - Milwaukee Admirals
- Wolves Seize Sole Possession of First - Chicago Wolves
- Iowa Shuts out Rockford 4-0 - Iowa Wild
- Penguins Fall to Phantoms, 5-3 - Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins
- Amerks End Skid with 4-0 Shutout Win over Monsters - Rochester Americans
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