Condors coaching staff in place

The Edmonton Oilers have named Gerry Fleming head coach and Jean-Francois Houle and Tony Borgford assistant coaches of their American Hockey League affiliate, the Bakersfield Condors.

Oilers assistant general manager Bill Scott will serve as the Condors’ general manager. Other members of the hockey operations staff announced were head athletic trainer Josh Bennett, head equipment manager Al Oman, and head strength and conditioning coach Patrick Love.

"We are thrilled to announce our hockey operations staff, led by head coach Gerry Fleming, who will be a tremendous leader in Bakersfield," said Scott. "Gerry’s attention to detail and ability to develop our young players made him a natural fit to return as head coach, By adding JF Houle as assistant coach and with the return of assistant coach Tony Borgford, we believe we have a tremendous coaching staff ready to take the Condors to the next level."

Fleming, 48, replaced Todd Nelson as head coach in Oklahoma City on Dec. 15, 2014, and led the Barons to a 26-21-3-1 record and their fifth consecutive trip to the Calder Cup Playoffs, where they lost to Utica in seven games in the second round.

Fleming joined the Oilers organization in 2008, serving as an assistant coach in Springfield (2008-10) and Oklahoma City (2010-14). He began his coaching career as an assistant with the Montreal Canadiens’ AHL affiliates in Fredericton (1998-99) and Quebec (1999-2000). The Montreal native then spent eight seasons as a head coach in the ECHL with Tallahassee and Florida, making appearances in the Kelly Cup Finals in 2004 and 2005.

Fleming spent most of his seven-year professional playing career in the AHL, playing 271 games with the Fredericton Canadiens from 1991-98. He was a member of the Canadiens team that reached the Calder Cup Finals in 1995, and appeared in 11 NHL games with Montreal as well.

Houle, 40, spent the 2014-15 season as head coach of the Condors in the ECHL, guiding the club to a 26-38-3-5 record. Before that, Houle served as head coach of Lewiston and Blainville-Boisbriand in the QMJHL, compiling at least 40 wins in each of his four full seasons.

Houle, who was an assistant coach at his alma mater Clarkson University from 2003-10, played five pro seasons from 1997-2002, including 72 games in the AHL with Fredericton and Cincinnati.

Borgford, 40, joined the Oilers organization last season as an assistant coach in Oklahoma City. He worked previously as a video coordinator with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets organization for 11 seasons.

Borgford played four years of NCAA hockey for Mercyhurst College from 1995-99.