Brian Burke, president and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced Friday that Gord Dineen and Derek King have been named assistant coaches of the Maple Leafs’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. Dineen and King will work under recently appointed Marlies head coach Dallas Eakins.
Dineen, a 46-year-old Toronto native, was the head coach of the Iowa Chops, Anaheim’s AHL affiliate in 2008-09. This past season under Dineen’s guidance, Iowa earned a record of 33 wins, 33 losses and 14 shootout/overtime losses. He has worked as both a head coach and an assistant coach in professional hockey since the 1999-00 season. As a defenseman, Dineen competed in 18 seasons of professional hockey (1982 – 2000). In 528 career NHL games with the New York Islanders, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and Ottawa, he registered 106 points on 16 goals and 90 assists with 695 penalty minutes. He was selected 42nd overall in the 1981 Entry Draft by the Islanders.
King, 42, returns to the organization after playing 161 games for the Maple Leafs from 1997 to 2000 during which he scored 45 goals and 53 assists for 98 points. He played 14 seasons (1986 – 2000) in the NHL with the New York Islanders, Hartford, Toronto and St. Louis. In 830 games, he compiled 612 points on 261 goals and 351 assists, while adding 417 penalty minutes. The Hamilton native registered three 30-goal seasons, including one 40-goal season during his NHL career. He was also a player-assistant coach with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins for two seasons from 2002-03 to 2003-04. In the 1985 Entry Draft he was selected 13th overall by the Islanders.
