Tag Archives: Brian Lebler

Ducks 4, Vancouver 2.

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The Ducks went out winners at the Young Stars tournament in Penticton, B.C., topping the Vancouver Canucks’ rookies 4-2.

After two straight losses in which they were outmuscled for net position and looked lost on special teams, the kids turned it around in a major way. A pair of power-play goals, by Rob Bordson and Cam Fowler, staked the Ducks to a 2-0 lead through two periods.

In the third, Vancouver came back to tie the game at 2 against goaltender Timo Pielmeier, who lost the tournament opener Sunday. But center Maxime Macenauer, who spent all of last season with ECHL affiliate Bakersfield, scored the game-winner with less than three minutes to play. Kyle Palmieri’s empty-net goal provided the final score.

The Ducks led in the shot column, 33-18, and Pielmeier needed only 16 saves for the win. Russian goalie Igor Bobkov was on the bench for the first time in the tournament, but the Ducks’ third-round 2009 draft pick did not appear in the game.

Some of the rookie camp participants will take part in the Ducks’ main camp, which begins Saturday in Anaheim.
Continue reading “Ducks 4, Vancouver 2.” »

Mark Holick confirmed as Syracuse Crunch coach. Update.

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Confirming earlier reports, the Ducks officially named Mark Holick head coach of the Syracuse Crunch, their AHL affiliate for the upcoming season. The contract is a multi-year deal; financial terms were not disclosed.

Holick said that Ducks general manager Bob Murray first encouraged him to apply for the job at the West Coast prospects camp in April.

“I was flattered,” said Holick, who had never interviewed for a professional coaching position before. He formally accepted the position Sunday.

“Being with pro athletes is a bit of a step, but at the same time, hockey’s hockey,” Holick said.

The 41-year-old has an extensive coaching resume.

He spent three seasons as head coach for the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League (WHL) from 2007-10, compiling a 120-75-21 record for 261 points and three consecutive trips to the WHL playoffs. Last season Holick guided the Ice to a 43-25-5 record (91 points) for a second-place finish in the Central Division and fourth in the Eastern Conference. Holick also served as an assistant coach for Team Canada at the 2009 IIHF World U18 Championship in Fargo, North Dakota.

The Saskatoon native served 13 seasons as a head coach and assistant in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) and Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) from 1994-07. Holick began his professional coaching career as an assistant with Penticton (1994-95), Langley (1995-96) and South Surrey (1996-97) of the BCHL before becoming head coach of South Surrey in 1997-98. He also coached in St. Albert and Spruce Grove of the AJHL from 2003-06 prior to returning for his final BCHL season with Vernon in 2006-07.

Murray said in a statement that “With 16 years of coaching experience, Mark Holick has the proven track record we were looking for. He had three great seasons in the WHL, including earning Coach of the Year honors in 2009-10, and is certainly qualified to take the next step.”

Holick said he’s already spoken with Randy Carlyle and will try to install a similar system in Syracuse.

Aside from Brian Lebler, he doesn’t know who his personnel will consist of, but his mission is pretty straightforward: “Our job is to get them ready for the National Hockey League.”

Free-agent forward Lebler signs AHL deal.

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Free-agent forward Brian Lebler became the first Syracuse Crunch player to sign with the AHL club under the affiliation agreement with the Ducks.

The Ducks would like him to become more than just a trivia answer, of course. At 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, he possesses NHL size. A natural checking-liner, Lebler’s offense evolved during a four-year career at the University of Michigan. The Pentincton, B.C. native finished third on the Wolverines with 14 goals as a senior in 2009-10. Lebler also had 10 assists and 59 penalty minutes in 42 games.

In 145 games over four seasons at Michigan  from 2006-10, Lebler compiled 33 goals, 26 assists and 216
penalty minutes. His father, Ed, played hockey at Wisconsin and won an NCAA Championship in
1981.