User Rating: / 1
PoorBest 

Monday, 26 December 2011 11:13

Written by Seth Rorabaugh

Penguins

-It's funny how no one is complaining about how the Penguins draft so many defensemen like Simon Despres (right) these days.

-Happy 74th birthday to former Penguins forward and coach Gene Ubriaco. Acquired from Hershey of the AHL in the 1967 offseason in exchange for Jeannot Gilbert, Ubriaco, the first player in franchise history to wear No. 11, spent parts of two seasons with the Penguins as a player. During the franchise's inaugural season of 1967-68, Ubriaco appeared in 65 games and scored 33 points. After 49 games and 26 points in 198-69, Ubriaco was traded to the Oakland Seals along with Earl Ingarfield and Dick Mattiussi in exchange for Bryan Watson, George Swarbrick and Tracy Pratt. In 114 regular season games, he scored 59 points. Ubriaco returned to Pittsburgh when he was hired as coach in the 1988 offseason. He managed to lead the 1988-89 club to a 40-33-7 record as the Penguins returned to the postseason for the first time in seven years. After sweeping the Rangers, 4-0, in the Patrick Division semifinal, the Penguins fell to the rival Flyers, 4-3, in the division final. After 26 games and a 10-14-2 record in 1989-90, Ubriaco was fired and replaced by Craig Patrick. In 106 regular season games as the Penguins' coach, Ubriaco had a record of 50-47-9. One of four men to both play for and coach the Penguins (Rick Kehoe, Ed Olczyk and Ken Schinkel are the others), Ubriaco currently serves as senior advisor/director of hockey operations for the Chicago Wolves of the AHL.

Northeast Division

-The Maple Leafs gave head coach Ron Wilson a contract extensions. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Central Division

-Predators forward Jordin Tootoo is celebrating one year of sobriety.

IIHF World Junior Championships

-The World Junior Championships begin today. Click here for a schedule.

(Photo: Paul Bereswill/Getty Images)

Comments (1)

Subscribe to this comment's feed

...
written by D Sanchez, December 26, 2011 - 01:47 PM

No mention of Ubriaco is complete without noting him saying that coaching Lemieux was like trying to teach a shark table manners, or something to that effect.

Lemieux is in the HOF, and Ubriaco never coached again.

• 
• +0
• 
•