The Philadelphia Flyers today announced that Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen has been named assistant coach of the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms.
Mullen will begin his duties with former teammate and current Phantoms head coach Kjell Samuelsson following the Phantoms’ weekend games.
"Joe is a tremendous addition to our staff," said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. "He is a great teacher and his background speaks volumes to his talents. His offensive expertise will bring great balance to the Phantoms. Knowing that he already has great chemistry with Kjell, his transition to the Phantoms should be seamless."
Born in New York City, Mullen scored 502 goals and totaled 1,063 points in 1,062 career NHL games played from 1981-97. He won Stanley Cup championships in Calgary (1989) and Pittsburgh (1991, 1992), and was a two-time recipient of the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for gentlemanly play.
Mullen, who was a teammate of Samuelsson’s for four seasons in Pittsburgh, remains the top American-born goal scorer in NHL history. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2000, two years after his induction into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.
His coaching resume includes four seasons as an assistant coach in Pittsburgh. He took over the reins of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins after the promotion of Michel Therrien last season and led the AHL club to a 28-16-3-5 mark and the East Division championship. He also coached the PlanetUSA side at the 2006 Rbk Hockey AHL All-Star Classic.
