The Chicago Wolves have named Bill Bentley assistant general manager, and announced that Gene Ubriaco will assume the role of senior advisor while continuing to serve as director of hockey operations.
“It is a pleasure to watch these two continue to advance within the organization,” said Wolves general manager Wendell Young. “Bill has been an intricate part of this franchise for years, working behind the scenes handling aspects of hockey operations that people don’t often see, and he certainly deserves this advancement. Gene is a valuable wealth of knowledge and I have total respect for his opinion. Elevating him to senior advisor will create a bigger umbrella for him to work under so that we can take full advantage of his experience and insight.”
Ubriaco began his tenure with the Wolves during the inaugural season in 1994 as the team’s first head coach. He led the club to a 62-61-20 record over a three-year span, before assuming the role of assistant general manger and director of hockey operations prior to the 1997-98 campaign.
The Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., native has been involved in professional hockey for 50 seasons, which includes a 10-year professional playing career and 26 seasons as a professional coach. He began his coaching career at Lake Superior State University in 1972, before taking the helm of the International Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals and the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins. During his first season in Pittsburgh, the Penguins shattered several team records and advanced to the Stanley Cup playoffs after a seven-year absence.
The 71-year-old also served as head coach of the Italian Olympic team during the 1992 Winter Games in Albertville, France, and has been named Coach of the Year in the United States Hockey League (1973-74), Eastern Hockey League (1979-80), Central Hockey League (1982-83) and American Hockey League (1983-84).
Bentley has been a member of the Wolves staff since the team’s inception, joining the club as a statistician in 1994, before moving up the ranks to serve as the director of hockey administration for the last 12 seasons. The Chicago native handles team travel, immigration forms and accounting for the hockey operations department, and will continue to do so under his new title.
A graduate of Quincy College, Bentley previously served as the director of media relations for the Chicago Cheetahs of Roller Hockey International during the 1993-94 season.
