Hiring of Huddy rounds out coaching staff

Tuesday, August 04, 2009-8:34:pm
/Andrew's Dallas Stars Page                            

The Dallas Stars rounded out their coaching staff Tuesday, naming Charlie Huddy assistant coach. Huddy, who had been with the Edmonton Oilers, will focus primarily on defense.

"We are extremely pleased to name Charlie Huddy to our coaching staff," Stars GM Joe Nieuwendyk said in a news release. "He has a wealth of experience at the highest levels of hockey, and we know he’ll be a great fit with our young defensive corps. With his name on the Stanley Cup five times, plus three other trips to the Cup Final under his belt, he will certainly play an integral role in helping this team reach our goals."

Huddy spent nine years with the Oilers organization as an assistant coach. That stint include a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006.

Before that he was an assistant with the New York Rangers (1998-2000). He also served as head coach and director of hockey operations for the Huntington Blizzard of the ECHL in 1997-98 and was player/coach for the Rochester Americans of the AHL in 1996-97.

As a player he appeared in 1,107 career games over a 17-year NHL career with Edmonton, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Buffalo. He won five Stanley Cups with the Oilers and made one other Stanley Cup Final appearance the Oilers and another with the Los Angeles Kings.

Huddy joins head coach Marc Crawford, assistant coach Stu Barnes and goaltending consultant Andy Moog on the Stars' coaching staff.

“We were looking for two major qualities. One was experience in the league and second was expertise with defensemen. Charlie was obviously very well qualified in both of those areas,” Crawford said. “After that you have to look at how he fits with the group. He knows Andy, having played with Andy before in Edmonton. His temperament and his personality are a nice mix with Andy and Stu.

"I think he is a nice fit for me most of all. He’s a very calm guy behind the bench and a very thoughtful guy, where my strengths are a little more towards the passion side and the communication side. I liked that fit. I think it just comes down to a gut feel that you have. There were a lot of good candidates, good people that we interviewed but he was the strongest of them all and I know he is excited to be here.”

Huddy will be in charge of a group of Stars defensemen that features a lot of young players. It's something that Huddy handled well in Edmonton where he was in charge of a group of young blueliners that currently features Ladislav Smid, Tom Gilbert, Denis Grebeshkov and prospect Theo Peckham. 

"You look even before that and Charlie has done a real good job in getting all of these young defensemen to get a little bit better," Crawford said. "It's one thing to be a decent coach and be able to run a video or break down a game tape, but if you can sit there and have the experience that he has, I just know that there is a huge advantage to the stature that he's got. They look at him and see a guy that's been to the Finals eight times and won five Stanley Cups. He knows a thing or two."

The Stars coaching staff is holding meetings this week and the organization's minor league coaches will be attending as well.

Coaching staff notes

• Here's how Stars coach Marc Crawford see's the coaching staff's responsibilities breaking down:
  
  "Everybody is involved in all the aspects of our coaching staff, but there's an area of expertise for each. Charlie and Andy will be more on the defensive side and Stu will be more on the offensive side," Crawford said. "When it comes to special teams, defensemen will be Charlie's, the goaltender will be Andy's and the forwards will be Stu's. We haven't decided completely on how we'll divvy up the special teams (power play and penalty kill), but we'll all have input on that."
   
• Crawford said Moog will take on a bigger role with the staff this season and be more than just the goaltending consultant.
  
  "He's going to do a lot of practice preparation and a lot of coaching of the position players as well," Crawford said.
   
• As for who is on the bench, Crawford said he and Huddy will always be there and that Barnes and Moog will alternate between being on the bench and watching from up high.
  
  "I think there's a real value seeing the game from up top. Maybe that's just my broadcasting experience," Crawford said. "It's a different perspective. I think it's wise to get that on a semi-continual basis."
  
  Crawford said he wasn't sure yet if it Barnes and Moog will switch out every other game or in five-game stints.

Offseason coaching changes