Binghamton Senators co-coach John Paddock tonight became just the third man in American Hockey League history to earn 500 career victories as the Senators posted a 4-3 shootout win over the Hamilton Bulldogs at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, Ont.
Jason Spezza and Denis Hamel scored during the shootout to help the Senators end a five-game winless streak. Billy Thompson made 27 saves on the night.
The 50-year-old Paddock, a native of Oak River, Man., owns a record of 500-372-87 (.567) in 959 career contests since making his debut behind the bench with the Maine Mariners on Mar. 20, 1982. He is the only man in AHL history to lead three different teams (Maine, Hershey, Hartford) to Calder Cup championships, and his nine straight 40-win seasons are also an AHL best. Paddock has led his teams to five division titles, was the co-winner of the Louis A.R. Pieri Award as the AHL’s top coach in 1988 and ran the Canadian team bench at the 2001 AHL All-Star Game.
In 2004, Paddock was named an assistant coach for the Ottawa Senators, but has returned to Binghamton during the NHL lockout to work alongside rookie bench boss Dave Cameron.
A rugged winger in his playing days, Paddock also won a pair of Calder Cups with Maine in 1978 and 1979, and reached the Stanley Cup Finals with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1980.
Paddock trails only Hockey Hall of Famers Fred “Bun” Cook (636) and Frank Mathers (610) on the AHL’s all-time wins list.
Milestone wins:
1 – Mar. 24, 1982 vs. Nova Scotia
100 – Mar. 1, 1986 vs. Moncton
200 – Mar. 20, 1988 vs. Binghamton
300 – Dec. 3, 1999 at St. John’s
400 – Feb. 2, 2002 at Manitoba
500 – Nov. 12, 2004 at Hamilton
