Friday, July 10, 2009

Lambert joins Kelowna's Staff

Press Release

Kelowna, BC: The Kelowna Rockets are pleased to announce that they have hired former Quebec Nordiques player Dan Lambert as their new Assistant Coach.

Dan is a WHL Alumni, having spent four seasons with the Swift Current Broncos from 1986-1990. He compiled 85 goals and 244 assists. While in Swift Current, Dan was selected in the sixth round of the National Hockey League Entry Draft by the Quebec Nordiques in 1989. Dan won a Memorial Cup with the Broncos in 1989.

Dan played 29 games with the Nordiques and spent nine years in North America playing professional hockey. In those 29 games Dan scored six goals and recorded 15 points.
Dan has spent the last 10 years playing professionally overseas in Germany with the Hannover Scorpions and is excited to back in North America. “I am thrilled to be in Kelowna and get this opportunity to work with the Hamilton Family, Ryan Huska and the rest of the coaching staff.”

Rockets President/General Manager Bruce Hamilton stated, “We feel very fortunate that Dan has decided to retire from playing and enter coaching. We caught wind of his retirement through Lorne Frey (Head
Scout) and we are very happy Dan is joining our hockey club. As a player I remember watching him, he’s a smaller defenseman with great heart and is very skilled. I thought it was important to add a defenseman to our coaching staff, following the departure of Jeff Finley. We welcome Dan, his wife Melanie and three daughters to Kelowna and we look forward to seeing him grow as a coach.”

Dan was born in St. Malo, Manitoba and has spent the last number of summers living in Arizona and loves being on the golf course. This will be Dan’s first coaching job, however he has run a number of hockey schools including one in Swift Current that former Rockets’ Captain Ryan Cuthbert attended. Dan is married to Melanie and they have three lovely daughters; Melissa, Julia and Brooke.

Dan’s role is effective immediately as he prepares for Rockets’ Rookie Camp in August.

(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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