Tag Archives: Syracuse Crunch

Ducks add minor-leaguer Trevor Smith.

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Following through on his pledge to bolster the Ducks’ minor-league system, general manager Bob Murray signed center Trevor Smith to a one-year contract Friday. The 25-year-old is likely to start the season as a member of the Syracuse Crunch.

Smith, 25, appeared in a career-high 77 games last year with the AHL’s Bridgeport Sound Tigers. He notched 21 goals and 47 points with a plus-5 rating and 73 penalty minutes last season, ranking second on the team in goals, third in scoring and tied for third in assists. The 6-foot, 195-pound center also added three points and two PIM in five Calder Cup Playoff games. In seven NHL games, all with the New York Islanders, Smith has one goal and no assists.

The Ducks were down one veteran minor-leaguer when they decided not to qualify restricted free-agent forward Shawn Weller.

Ferguson named Syracuse’s assistant GM.

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Bob Ferguson has been named the assistant general manager of the Syracuse Crunch, the Ducks’ new American Hockey League affiliate.

The 55-year-old Ferguson was the assistant GM of the Iowa Chops in 2008-09, before the franchise folded, and spent last season as an amateur and college scout for the Ducks.

Prior to joining the Ducks, Ferguson spent nine years as a head coach in the professional ranks with the Indianapolis Ice of the then-International Hockey League (IHL), as well as the Florida Everblades and Augusta Lynx of the ECHL.

He is a three-time USA Hockey National Champion (Gold Cup), a five-time USHL Coach of the Year, a five-time USHL General Manager of the Year and two-time ECHL Coach of the Year. Before reaching the IHL, Ferguson coached in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for 17 seasons with the Sioux City Musketeers and Des Moines Buccaneers.

The scene in Syracuse.

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The Anaheim connection here is flimsy, but bear with me and you’ll be rewarded with a photo to share with your friends.

On Saturday, Barry Melrose, the Syracuse Crunch mascot (“Al the Ice Gorilla”), someone dressed like a donut and someone else dressed like a cup of coffee appeared at a grand opening of a Dunkin’ Donuts in Lansing, NY. Perhaps the coffee and the donut were actually Cam Fowler and Emerson Etem, I’m not really sure …

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Crunch tab Stapleton as assistant coach.

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Mike Stapleton, a 14-year NHL veteran and an assistant coach in the Ontario Hockey League since 2006, has been named assistant coach of the Syracuse Crunch, the Ducks’ AHL affiliate.

Stapleton spent four seasons as an assistant and associate coach in the OHL with Sault Ste. Marie (2008-10) and Erie (2006-08).The 44-year-old began his professional coaching career as an assistant coach for Traverse City of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) in 2005-06.

Stapleton played in 697 regular-season NHL games with the Blackhawks, Penguins, Oilers, Jets/Coyotes, Thrashers, Islanders and Canucks, collecting 71 goals, 182 points and 342 penalty minutes.

Traditionally AHL teams keep only one assistant coach.

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.”

Report: Ducks will name Holick head coach of Crunch.

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According to a report in the Kamloops (B.C.) Daily News, Mark Holick is set to be named head coach of the Syracuse Crunch, Anahiem’s primary development affiliate in the American Hockey League next season.

The report cited “sources” at the Memorial Cup in Brandon, Manitoba; Holick is head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Kootenay Ice, which missed the tournament and finished fourth in the 12-team Eastern Conference. Writes Daily News sports editor Gregg Drinnan:

When contacted by The Daily News, Holick chose not to comment. Jeff
Chynoweth, the Ice’s owner and general manager, said he would prefer
that an announcement come from Anaheim general manager Bob Murray.

Holick
told Chynoweth of the move on Sunday.

The 41-year-old Holick has been Kootenay’s head coach since 2007. In the 72-game WHL season, the Ice won 42, 35 and 43 games in Holick’s three seasons as head coach – never missing the playoffs but never advancing past the conference semifinal round.

A veteran of three minor-league seasons, Holick also has experience coaching Canada’s Under-18 National Team in the summer of 2009.

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.

In a crunch, Ducks turn to Syracuse.

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After a year of turning their top prospects into minor-league vagabonds, the Ducks have identified an American Hockey League affiliate.

Their multi-year deal with the Syracuse Crunch, announced Thursday, comes less than a week after the Columbus Dispatch first reported that the Blue Jackets and Crunch were in the process of parting ways. It also came as a relief to general manager Bob Murray, who has been anxious to find an AHL affiliate since the Ducks terminated their agreement with the now-defunct Iowa Chops in May, 2009.

“We are thrilled to be affiliating with the Syracuse Crunch in such a great hockey market,” Murray said in a statement. “Syracuse is steeped in hockey tradition and we are excited to partner with an ownership and management team that shares the same commitment to winning and player development as we do.”

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