Senators Coaching News: B-Sens coach would be Murray's assistant with Senators
June 22, 2004

Posted by: Bob Howard
Credit: Scott Lauber of Press Connects.com

B-Sens coach would be Murray's assistant with Senators

BY SCOTT LAUBER

Press & Sun-Bulletin

BINGHAMTON -- John Paddock has emerged as a frontrunner for one of two vacant positions on the Ottawa Senators' coaching staff and may well get the job by this weekend.

Paddock, who has coached the Senators' AHL affiliate in Binghamton for the past two seasons, admitted Monday that he spoke recently with general manager John Muckler and new coach Bryan Murray about becoming an assistant in Ottawa. Paddock and Murray are scheduled to talk again Wednesday night in Raleigh, N.C., site of this weekend's NHL draft.

"You have to be foolish not to be interested," Paddock said. "To me, the biggest plusses are the potential to win a Stanley Cup and to work for a progressive organization that you think you can offer something to."

Paddock, 50, ranks third on the AHL list for all-time coaching victories with 497 and is the only coach to win three Calder Cups with three franchises (Maine in 1984, Hershey in '88 and Hartford in 2000).

After piloting Binghamton to a 43-28-9 mark and a first-place finish in 2002-03, he presided over a 34-37-9 club last season, busting his streak of nine straight seasons with 40 or more victories.

Paddock has one season left on his contract with the Senators and said the increasing chance of an NHL work stoppage in September has not prompted any reservations about taking a job in Ottawa.

"You know there's going to be (NHL) hockey again; you just don't know when or how long it'll take," Paddock said. "The Ottawa franchise is pretty stable, so it's not really a concern of mine."

Paddock is concerned, however, about being an assistant coach after spending the previous 18 of the last 21 seasons as a head coach or GM. It was as general manager of the Winnipeg Jets in 1993-94 that Paddock dealt goalie Bob Essensa to Murray's Detroit Red Wings for goalie Tim Cheveldae.

"It would be a different challenge, a different set of responsibilities," Paddock said. "You have to have a different approach."

Murray said last week that he would like to have his assistants in place by the end of June.

If Paddock gets the job, Ottawa would need a new bench boss for its AHL club. Mike Busniuk, Paddock's longtime assistant in Hartford and Binghamton, has been a minor league head coach just once before, leading the United Hockey League's Muskegon Fury to a 38-29-9 record two seasons ago.