Photo Courtesy of the ECHL
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Sep 1, 2000/vol. 53, issue 41
ECHL teams play musical benches with coaches
BY Rob Mueller
The dizzying summer-long ride known as the East Coast League coaching carousel is over.
The league’s final two coaching vacancies were filled Aug. 2 with the Trenton Titans signing former Pittsburgh Penguins assistant Troy Ward and the Louisiana IceGators hiring former NHL defenseman and veteran minor pro coach Dave Farrish. The Tallahassee Tiger Sharks named former NHL winger and coach Wayne Cashman to their post in July.
Since the 1999-2000 season ended, 12 of the ECHL’s 25 active teams have changed coaches.
Ward, 38, was an assistant with the Penguins for two-plus seasons under Kevin Constantine. He previously coached Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Dubuque of the United States League.
Ward replaces Bruce Cassidy, who moved to the International League’s Grand Rapids Griffins.
I’m excited about the opportunity, Ward said. They run a first-class organization.
Farrish, 44, previously coached Springfield and Moncton in the American League and Salt Lake and Fort Wayne in the IHL.
He was an NHL defenseman for seven seasons and also served as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils in 1992-93.
Farrish replaces Don Murdoch, who stepped down after one season with the IceGators, citing philosophical differences with team management.
IceGators’ management especially likes Farrish’s knack for developing physical teams, which has been lacking during the team’s failed championship runs.
Louisiana advanced to the Kelly Cup final in May, but fell to the Peoria Rivermen in six games.
“He has the most NHL playing experience and the most coaching experience that we have ever had in a coach,” said Louisiana GM Jady Regard.
RANDY SUCCEEDS ANDY
The ECHL promoted Randy Hall to senior vice-president of hockey operations. Hall replaces Andy Van Hellemond, the Hall of Fame referee who was named the NHL’s director of officiating in July.
Hall, a Toronto native, served as the ECHL’s director of operations last season. He will continue to handle the league’s day-to-day hockey operations as well as supervise game officials.
SONS OF THE BEACH
A group of Myrtle Beach investors recently announced plans to build a 10,000-seat arena with the hopes of securing an ECHL team as its main tenant.
The arena is part of a planned $70-million complex, which will include a 368-room hotel. South Carolina now has four ECHL franchises, including the expansion Columbia Inferno, which is set to begin play in 2001-02.
NOTEBOOK
Former ECHL linesman Norm Eberle was named CEO of the Central League’s Fayetteville Force in July…Scott Gordon, who led Roanoke to two Northeast Division titles, was hired as an assistant with the AHL’s Providence Bruins…The Reading, Pa., expansion team, which is set to begin play in 2001-02, hired former Shreveport Mudbugs’ (Western Pro League) GM Ray Delia as its GM.