Friday, August 7, 2009

Hartsburg hires his son

Press Release

Everett Silvertips Vice President / General Manager Doug Soetaert announced Thursday that Chris Hartsburg has been hired as the club’s Assistant Coach. Hartsburg, 29, the son of Silvertips Head Coach Craig Hartsburg, spent the previous five seasons with the Central Hockey League’s Colorado Eagles following his graduation in 2002 from Colorado College.

The Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario native began his coaching career with the Eagles in 2008-09, leading the club to the CHL Finals following a season in which they finished with a league-best 94 points and captured the league’s #1 overall seed by virtue of a 45-15-4 record. Among his responsibilities were orchestrating the team’s power play and defensive systems, coordinating video sessions, and player recruitment.

Prior to his time behind the bench, he enjoyed a four-year playing career with Colorado in which he tallied 120 points in 144 games from 2004-08. He was an All-Star and the Playoff MVP in the 2005 CHL Finals, winning the President’s Cup as CHL Champions in 2005 and 2007. Originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the seventh round of the 1999 NHL Draft, Hartsburg also played two seasons with New Jersey’s affiliate in the American Hockey League, the Albany River Rats. He accumulated 52 points and 198 penalty minutes in his four-year, 148-game career with Colorado College of the WCHA, helping lead the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances.

“Everything I’ve heard is that this is an organization that does things the right way,” Hartsburg said. “Obviously Doug has done a great job of taking the organization from the early stages to where it is right now, a force to be reckoned with out west. I’m extremely excited to have an opportunity to take a big step forward in my coaching career, and work closely with Doug, Jay Varady and my father Craig.”

Hartsburg replaces Mark LeRose, who took a position with an NHL affiliate in the American Hockey League following two seasons as a Silvertips Assistant Coach.

“Chris is an impressive young man who brings with him a successful playing career with many accomplishments and a very impressive start to his coaching career last year in Colorado,” Soetaert said. “He is a very solid addition to our coaching staff and we all look forward to working with him.”

(Nathan also is a writer for Maineiacs Post to Post and the Maine Hockey Journal. He can be reached at fourniern@students.nescom.edu)

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