The Florida Panthers announced Monday that Tom Rowe will return as head coach of the San Antonio Rampage for the 2014-15 season. Additionally, former Rampage coach Scott Allen has been named the club’s assistant coach.
“We are pleased to have Tom and Scott behind the bench leading our prospects in San Antonio next season,” said Panthers executive vice president and general manager Dale Tallon. “Both Tom and Scott have worked together before, and we are confident that they will create a winning and positive culture for our prospects to grow and develop.”
Rowe was named San Antonio’s head coach on Nov. 8, 2013, after Peter Horachek was named head coach in Florida. The Rampage went 26-31-3-5 under Rowe, including the best Rodeo Road Trip record in franchise history, going 7-2-0-1.
Prior to joining the Rampage, Rowe, 58, served as head coach of Yaroslavl Lokomotiv in the Kontinental Hockey League, where he led the club to a 34-18-0 mark in 2012-13. He served as an assistant coach with the Carolina Hurricanes from 2008-11 and helped the team advance to the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals.
Rowe began his coaching career in the American Hockey League, serving as an assistant coach for three seasons (2001-04) with the Lowell Lock Monsters before being promoted to head coach (2004-06). He also coached the Albany River Rats from 2006-08, and owns a career record of 182-178-25 as an AHL bench boss.
The Lynn, Mass., native played in 357 National Hockey League games for Washington and Hartford, registering 185 points (85 goals, 100 assists) and 615 penalty minutes. Rowe was the first American-born player to score 30 or more goals in an NHL season, accomplishing the feat in 1978–79.
Allen, 48, returns to the San Antonio bench where he spent time as both an assistant and head coach from 2002-04.
“We are very fortunate to have been able to hire Scott Allen,” said Rowe. “Scott is an NHL-caliber coach and possesses excellent teaching skills. His integrity and character is second to none, and he is a tremendous addition to our San Antonio staff.”
Allen began his coaching career as an assistant for the ECHL’s Johnstown Chiefs in 1996 before being promoted to head coach midway through the 1997-98 season. He owned a 144-150-28 record with the Chiefs from 1997-02.
A New Bedford, Mass. native, Allen began both the 2002-03 and 2003-04 seasons as San Antonio’s assistant coach before taking over from John Torchetti and Steve Ludzik, respectively. He served as an assistant on Rowe’s staff in Lowell in 2004-05, and has also been assistant in the AHL with Omaha (2005-07), Quad City (2007-09), Peoria (2012-13) and Chicago (2013-14). He also served as assistant coach for the New York Islanders from 2009-12.
The Rampage also announced that Steve Ruhmel will join the staff as the club’s athletic trainer, while equipment manager Steve Passineau and strength coach Eddie Reyes will return to the staff.
