Milwaukee's Noel wins AHL's Pieri Award
April 6, 2004 - American Hockey League (AHL) News Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. ... The American Hockey League announced today that Claude Noel of the Milwaukee Admirals has been named the winner of the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's outstanding head coach for the 2003-04 season, as voted by members of the media in each of the league's 28 cities.
In his first season as a head coach in the American Hockey League, Noel has guided the Admirals to a record of 44-22-7-3 through 76 games, good for 98 points and a league-leading .645 points percentage heading into the final week of the season. Noel has Milwaukee, which finished 15th in the overall AHL standings a year ago, on top of the West Division and chasing the franchise's first division title since 1996.
As the top development team for the NHL's Nashville Predators, Noel's Admirals have seen 15 players recalled to the NHL during the 2003-04 season, including Mathieu Darche, Simon Gamache, Scottie Upshall, Libor Pivko and AHL All-Stars Andrew Hutchinson and Timofei Shishkanov.
A 48-year-old native of Kirkland Lake, Ont., Noel had been both a player (1987-88) and assistant coach (1998-2002) in Milwaukee before returning to the Admirals this season. He coached Nashville's ECHL affiliate in Toledo to that league's best regular-season record in 2002-03 and was named ECHL Coach of the Year. Noel's playing career included five AHL seasons with the Hershey Bears (1976-81), during which time he recorded 284 points in 353 games and was the leading scorer on the Bears' 1980 Calder Cup championship team.
The Louis A.R. Pieri Award, which was first presented in 1968, honors 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) in Providence.
Previous winners of the award include Frank Mathers (1969), Fred Shero (1970), Al MacNeil (1972, '77), Don Cherry (1974), John Muckler (1975), Jacques Demers (1983), Larry Pleau (1987), Mike Milbury (1988), John Paddock (1988), Marc Crawford (1993), Barry Trotz (1994), Peter Laviolette (1999), Glen Hanlon (2000), Bruce Cassidy (2002) and Claude Julien (2003).
As it concludes its 68th regular season on Apr. 11, the AHL continues to serve as the top development league for all 30 National Hockey League teams. More than 80 percent of all players to compete in the NHL this season have been AHL graduates, and over 400 players have taken the ice in both leagues in 2003-04. The Calder Cup 2004 Playoffs get underway next week, with 20 teams vying for the honor of capturing the league's coveted championship trophy.
American Hockey League Stories from April 6, 2004
- Andy Hilbert recalled by Boston Bruins - Providence Bruins
- Noel Named Coach of the Year - Milwaukee Admirals
- On Sale Date For IceCats Playoff Tickets - Worcester IceCats
- River Rats renew affiliation with Devils - Albany River Rats
- P-Bruins look to clinch playoff spot Wednesday - Providence Bruins
- Moose Sign Zelenewich to PTO - Manitoba Moose
- Canucks Recall Auld - Manitoba Moose
- Falcons announce 2004-05 season package and individual game ticket prices - Springfield Falcons
- Capitals Reassign Three To Pirates - Portland Pirates
- Ling Reassigned to Syracuse - Syracuse Crunch
- Milwaukee's Noel wins AHL's Pieri Award - AHL
- Milwaukee battling for AHL's top spot - Milwaukee Admirals
- Grizzlies Hold Annual Awards Banquet - Utah Grizzlies
- Trio returned from Minnesota - Houston Aeros
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