Senators hire Paddock as new head coach

Jul 6, 2007, 15:20 GMT

Ottawa, ON - The Ottawa Senators hired John Paddock as their new head coach on Friday.

Paddock replaces Bryan Murray, who left his position behind the bench to become the team's general manager in June.

Paddock joined the Senators in July 2002 as the head coach of the team's AHL affiliate in Binghamton. He was named an assistant under Murray two years later and during the lockout, he served as co-coach with Dave Cameron for Binghamton.

The 53-year-old Paddock has NHL head coaching experience with the Winnipeg Jets (1991-95). In four seasons, he compiled 106 wins, 138 losses and 37 ties in regular-season games.

Paddock, however, is known more for his 14 successful seasons as a head coach on the AHL level, having lead three different franchises to Calder Cup wins (Maine in 1984, Hershey in 1988 and Hartford in 2000).

A third-round pick of the Capitals in 1974, Paddock appeared in 87 NHL games between 1975 and 1983 and 445 AHL contests from 1974-1984. He played in the 1980 Stanley Cup final as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Senators fired general manager John Muckler on June 18th and Murray said he didn't want to assume a dual role with the organization when he took over the position.

Murray also announced on Friday that assistant coach Greg Carvel, strength and conditioning coach Randy Lee, and video coach Tim Pattyson would remain with the Eastern Conference champion Senators.

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