Saturday, September 13, 2008

JERRARD NAMED ASSISTANT COACH WITH IOWA CHOPS

Former Hershey Bears Assistant Coach Paul Jerrard has been hired as an Assistant Coach by the Anaheim Ducks’ top farm team, the Iowa Chops.

The 43-year-old Jerrard, a member of the 1997 Calder Cup Champion Hershey Bears, served as Assistant Coach for the Iowa Stars, the Dallas Stars’ top farm team for the previous three seasons.

During Jerrard’s two-year tenure behind the Hershey bench with Head Coach Paul Fixter, Hershey compiled a record of 72-71-10-7, failing to reach the Calder Cup Playoffs each season.

A trailblazer of sorts, Jerrard is one of only three black coaches in professional hockey, joining Grant Fuhr and Graeme Townshend.

Fuhr, who backstopped the Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers to five Stanley Cups, is entering his fourth season as the goaltending coach with the Gretzky-coached Phoenix Coyotes.

Townshend, a native of Kingston, Jamaica, is entering his first season as skating coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs, after serving in the same capacity the past four seasons with the San Jose Sharks. Toronto’s new bench boss, former Washington Capitals head coach Ron Wilson, was the head coach in San Jose during Townshend’s four-year tenure in the Silicon Valley.

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