The Philadelphia Flyers announced today that five-time Calder Cup champion John Paddock has been named assistant general manager.
“In addition to helping with the day to day operation of our team, John will oversee the Phantoms in Glens Falls, interacting with the coaching staff there and following the development of our young players,” said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren in making the announcement.
“I’m excited to have John, he is a very good hockey man,” added Holmgren. “He has been a general manager and a head coach in the NHL, and has done a lot of things in the League. His experience and expertise is going to bring a lot to the table for the Flyers.”
Paddock, 55, spent the 2008-09 season as head coach of the Flyers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Philadelphia Phantoms, where he led the team to a 43-30-2-5 record and their 10th berth in the Calder Cup playoffs in their 13-year history.
Prior to joining the Phantoms, Paddock compiled a 36-23-6 record as the head coach of the Ottawa Senators in 2007-08. Over parts of five NHL seasons as head coach of the Winnipeg Jets (1991-92 to 1994-95) and Ottawa (2007-08), Paddock has registered a 142-161-43 record.
In addition to his NHL head coaching experience, Paddock has served as a head coach in the AHL for six different teams (Maine Mariners – 1981-82, 1983-84 and 1984-85, Hershey Bears – 1985-86 through 1988-89, Binghamton Rangers – 1990-91, Hartford Wolf Pack – 1999-2000 through 2001-02, Binghamton Senators – 2002-03 through 2004-05 and Phantoms – 2008-09) over 15 seasons.
Paddock has led the Flyers’ AHL affiliate to two Calder Cup championships (with Maine in 1984 and Hershey in 1988). He is the only coach to lead three different franchises to Calder Cup championships (Maine in 1984, Hershey in 1988 and Hartford in 2000). He won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award as the outstanding head coach in the AHL with Hershey in the 1987-88 season. He has compiled a 585-424-98 career record and his 585 wins and 1,107 games coached rank third all-time in AHL history, while his 82 Calder Cup Playoff victories and 149 playoff games coached make him the AHL’s all-time leader in Calder Cup Playoff history.
"I am obviously thrilled about this,” said Paddock. “This was not something that I imagined, just like last summer when I didn’t imagine Paul would call me in August and offer me the Phantoms coaching job. The organization has been great to me. This is where I first cut my teeth into professional hockey many years ago and I’m very excited to do it."
In addition to his head coaching experience, he also served as assistant general manager of the Flyers during the 1989-90 season and of the Jets for two seasons (1995-96 and 1996-97), and as a scout for the New York Rangers for two seasons (1997-98 and 1998-99).
Paddock appeared in 87 career NHL regular season games over the parts of five seasons with the Washington Capitals (1975-76), Flyers (1976-77, 1979-80 and 1982-83) and Quebec Nordiques (1980-81), recording eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points and 86 penalty minutes. He registered five goals and eight assists for 13 points and 49 penalty minutes in 47 games for the Flyers. As a player, he was a member of two Calder Cup champions, with Maine in 1978 and 1979. He was originally drafted by Washington in the third round (37th overall) of the 1974 NHL Entry Draft.
