The Augusta RiverHawks have made the first major addition to their hockey operations staff naming Rick Allain Hockey Operations Advisor. Allain is a former Southern Professional Hockey League Coach of the Year and Peterborough Petes Head Coach. His primary role with the RiverHawks will be help recruit coaches and personnel for the upcoming season.
“Rick’s resume and experience is second-to-none in minor league and hockey,” said RiverHawks Owner Bob Kerzner. “He knows exactly what it takes to be successful in this league. He will be a huge resource for our coach when it comes to finding players who have the characteristics we need to be successful. We’re very excited to have him on the team.”
Allain will perform his duties from his home in Pennsylvania where he’s resided since leading the Jacksonville Barracudas to back-to-back SPHL Finals appearances.
“Rick has been very active in our search for a Head Coach through vetting various candidates and conducting interviews,” said RiverHawks General Manager Gilles Richard. “It helps to have a different perspective and a different set of ears when you’re working through a large number of candidates. Augusta is a very attractive market for prospective Head Coaches, so we’ve had a lot to work through.”
A former Boston Bruins draft pick, Allain enjoyed a successful American Hockey League career before making the early transition into coaching. He got his start in 1993 as an Assistant Coach with the
University of Guelph where he won a OUAA championship in 1995. After three seasons he joined the Guelph Storm of the Ontario Hockey League as an Assistant Coach. The following season he was named Head Coach of the legendary Peterborough Petes of the OHL, one of the most storied Canadian Hockey League franchises. He spent six seasons with the Petes, leading current NHL household names such as Eric Staal, Kurtis Foster, Lukas Krajcek, and Jason Williams. He was also the Assistant Coach of Canada’s 2002 Under-18 team, which won a Gold Medal at the Eight Nations Tournament. There he led a roster of soon-to-be NHL stars such as Mike Green, Dion Phaneuf, Corey Perry, Mike Richards, and Nate Horton. In 2006 he joined the Jacksonville Barracudas of the SPHL, where he led the team to back-to-back Coffey Cup Finals appearances.
The RiverHawks will begin play in the SPHL in October of 2010. Season tickets are on sale now. Information on season tickets and sponsorships are available by visiting www.augustariverhawks.com and clicking on “Augusta Hockey”, or call 706-993-2645
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