SPRINGFIELD, Mass. … Head coach Scott Gordon and assistant coach Rob Murray of the Providence Bruins have been named the coaches of the PlanetUSA AHL All-Star team for the 2008 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Reebok, to take place Jan. 27-28 in Binghamton, N.Y.
Gordon and Murray earned the honor as the Bruins are guaranteed to have the best record in the AHL as of the pre-determined deadline, the end of play on Sunday, Jan. 13.
Through Friday’s action, the Bruins are 29-6-2-1 (.803), good for 61 points atop the Atlantic Division. Forward Pascal Pelletier (Canada), defenseman Matt Lashoff (PlanetUSA) and goaltender Tuukka Rask (PlanetUSA) were named earlier this week to represent Providence on the ice at the event.
Gordon, 44, is in his eighth season coaching in Providence and his fifth full year as the Bruins’ head coach. Since taking over late in the 2002-03 season, Gordon has compiled a record of 195-142-30 (.572) in 367 regular-season games, and has guided the B’s to the Calder Cup Playoffs each year, including a trip to the conference finals in 2005. The native of Brockton, Mass., also played eight professional seasons as a goaltender, including 23 NHL games with the Quebec Nordiques.
Murray, 40, is in his fifth season as Providence’s assistant coach since retiring at the end of the 2002-03 season after a long AHL playing career. Murray ranks sixth in league history with 1,018 games played over 15 seasons, and he served as captain of the Canadian team at the 1997 AHL All-Star Classic in Saint John, N.B. The Toronto native also skated in 107 career NHL contests with Phoenix, Winnipeg and Washington.
By virtue of leading Hamilton to the 2007 Calder Cup championship, Bulldogs head coach Don Lever and assistant Ron Wilson will lead the Canadian AHL All-Stars in Binghamton.
The 2008 AHL All-Star Classic presented by Reebok will feature the top young talent in the American Hockey League competing in the 2008 CCM AHL All-Star Skills Competition on Sunday, January 27 (7:00 ET), and the 2008 AHL All-Star Game on Monday, January 28 (7:00 ET). The event will be televised nationally in the United States and Canada.
Of the 427 players to take part in the AHL All-Star Classic since 1995, more than 93 percent have competed in the National Hockey League, including Patrice Bergeron, Brad Boyes, Daniel Briere, Zdeno Chara, Jonathan Cheechoo, Pavol Demitra, Rick DiPietro, Patrik Elias, Ray Emery, Jiri Hudler, Miikka Kiprusoff, Kari Lehtonen, Ryan Miller, Martin St. Louis, Jason Spezza, Eric Staal and Steve Sullivan.
