Everett Silvertips extend contracts of coaching staff

Press Release

Everett, WA -- Everett Silvertips Vice President / General Manager Doug Soetaert announced Wednesday that the contracts of Head Coach Craig Hartsburg, Associate Head Coach Jay Varady, and Assistant Coach Chris Hartsburg have been extended through the 2012-13 season. In 2009-10, the Silvertips posted the second-best regular season in franchise history by finishing 46-21-3-2 for 97 points, tying the Tri-City Americans for the most points in the Western Conference while allowing a WHL-low 175 goals.

Craig Hartsburg was announced as the Silvertips’ Head Coach on June 23, 2009, following 491 games coached at the NHL level with the Chicago Blackhawks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Ottawa Senators, in addition to 570 games played and three All-Star appearances in the NHL over 10 seasons with the Minnesota North Stars. He has now coached 469 games at the Major Junior level, posting a record of 272-146-28-23 (W-L-OTL-T) with the Guelph Storm, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Everett Silvertips, with whom he was nominated for the 2009-10 Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the WHL’s Coach of the Year. Hartsburg piloted Hockey Canada’s gold medal-winning teams at the 2007 and 2008 IIHF World Junior Championships.

Jay Varadyenters his eighth year in the Silvertips organization and fourth year as the club’s Associate Head Coach. Under his guidance, the Silvertips have posted a Western Conference Championship and three U.S. Division titles while making the playoffs in each of his seven seasons with the club. The Cahokia, IL native won a gold medal at the 2010 IIHF World Junior Championships with USA Hockey, serving as the team’s Video Coordinator after working as a coach at USA Hockey’s World Junior Evaluation Camp in 2008.

Chris Hartsburg joined the Silvertips in August, 2009, after serving as an Assistant Coach with the CHL’s Colorado Eagles in 2008-09. A 2002 graduate of Colorado College who led the Tigers to three NCAA Tournament appearances, Hartsburg was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the seventh round of the 1999 NHL Draft. After two seasons with Albany, New Jersey’s affiliate in the American Hockey League, Hartsburg joined the Eagles as a player, leading the club to the President’s Cup as CHL champions in 2005, a season in which he was named an All-Star and the Playoff MVP, and 2007.

“It was one of our priorities this off-season to secure Craig and his assistants through 2013,” Soetaert said. “We felt they did an outstanding job last season, producing 97 points while forming a good foundation for this coming season. I’m looking forward to working with Craig, Jay, and Chris for the next three years.”


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