Paul Gardner Named Bloomington Blaze Head Coach

Published on September 13, 2011 under Central Hockey League (CHL)
Bloomington Blaze News Release


The Bloomington Blaze presented by Mid-Illini Credit Union today announced that Paul Gardner has been named Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations for the upcoming 2011-12 Central Hockey League season which will get underway on October 22nd.

Fifty-five year old Paul Gardner, a native of Fort Erie, Ontario, brings to Bloomington a thirty-five year career in professional hockey, including playing 447 games in the National Hockey League and serving as an Assistant Coach for five years with the NHL's Nashville Predators.

Paul began a 10 year professional playing career in 1976, after being selected in the first round of the NHL draft by the Colorado Rockies. He would go on to play for five different NHL clubs, Buffalo, Washington, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Colorado, notching 402 points (201 goals & 201 assists). In the American Hockey League, Gardner was named the Baltimore Skipjacks Player of the Year in 1983-84, the AHL Most Valuable Player & Leading Scorer in 1984-85 (with the Binghamton Whalers scoring 51 goals and 79 assists for 130 points in 64 games), and the AHL Most Valuable Player & Leading Scorer in 1985-86 (with the Rochester Americans scoring 61 goals and 51 assists for 112 points in 71 games). Paul was also named The Hockey News Minor League Player of the Year in 85-86. In 1992, he was named to the "All-Time American Hockey League Team."

Paul Gardner began his coaching career as a player/assistant with the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League (Buffalo Sabres affiliate) during the 1985-86 season. The following year, he was named Head Coach / Assistant General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs AHL affiliate in Newmarket, Ontario where he would remain for the next four seasons. Gardner moved on to the Washington Capitals organization where he was the team's head professional scout for two years before being named Assistant Coach for their AHL affiliate in Baltimore.

The club moved to Portland, Maine in 1993 and during his tenure with Portland, the team made two Calder Cup final appearances and won the AHL Championship in 1995-96.

From 1997 through 2003-2004, Paul served as an Assistant Coach and Head Scout for the NHL Nashville Predators. And since 2007, Gardner has been a Head Coach for Yaroslavl Lokomotive in the Russian Super League for two seasons, the Hamburg Freezers in the German Elite League for two seasons, and the Memphis area Mississippi RiverKings in the Central Hockey League last season.

Professional hockey has always been a part of Paul Gardner's life. Paul's father, Cal Gardner, won two Stanley Cup Championships during his 12 NHL seasons with the New York Rangers, Toronto, Chicago, and Boston. Paul's brother, David, also played seven seasons in the NHL for five different teams.

"I want to thank Gary DelBuono and Sandra Hunnewell for the opportunity to coach theirnewBloomingtonBlaze Hockey Team," said Paul Gardner."This isa very exciting time for me and my family and we all look forward to coming totown.I hope to build a competitive team that will work hard every night and bring exciting hockey into the arena. We will be looking for players with lots of heart, players that theBloomingtonfans will be proud of on and off the ice."

"We're very pleased to welcome Paul Gardner as our new coach," said Blaze Owner Sandra Hunnewell. "Paul's extensive hockey resume speaks for itself and both Gary DelBuono and I feel very comfortable with Paul leading the Blaze into the 2011-12 CHL season."

Paul and his wife Sherri have five children.

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