Coyotes Hire Lamb as Head Coach of Tucson Roadrunners
Arizona Coyotes MEDIA RELEASE
GLENDALE, ARIZONA – Arizona Coyotes General Manager John Chayka announced today that Mark Lamb has been hired as the Head Coach of the Tucson Roadrunners, the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate. The team also announced that Mark Hardy has been named as Tucson’s Assistant Coach. As per Club policy, terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
“We are very pleased to add Mark Lamb as our head coach for the Tucson Roadrunners,” said Chayka. “Mark is an experienced NHL coach who did an excellent job developing young players in Swift Current for many years. He previously worked with Dave Tippett in Dallas and we are confident that this will be a great fit for our organization.”
Prior to joining the Coyotes organization, the 51-year-old Lamb was the General Manager and Head Coach of the Swift Current Broncos (WHL) for seven seasons. He was the longest tenured coach in the WHL after taking over the role in July 2009. Lamb guided Swift Current to postseason appearances in four of his seven seasons with the team.
Lamb previously spent seven years as an Assistant Coach in the NHL including six seasons with the Dallas Stars and one with the Edmonton Oilers. The veteran coach served on current Coyotes Head Coach Dave Tippett’s staff with the Stars from 2002-09. The Stars won two Pacific Division titles (2002-03 and 2005-06), made the playoffs in five of six seasons and advanced to the 2008 Western Conference Final. On the international stage, Lamb was an Assistant Coach with Team Canada at the 2011 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.
A native of Cadillac, Saskatchewan, Lamb recorded 46-100-146 in 403 career NHL games with the Calgary Flames, Detroit Red Wings, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers and Montreal Canadiens. The former center was originally drafted by the Flames in the fourth round (72nd overall) in the 1982 Entry Draft.
Mark Hardy
The 57-year-old Hardy joins the Coyotes with 10 years of NHL coaching experience after serving on the staffs of the Los Angeles Kings (1999-2006, 2008-10) and the Chicago Blackhawks (2006-08). The 15-year NHL defenseman served as an assistant coach and defensive specialist, including overseeing the third-best penalty killing unit in Kings history in 2001-02 (86.6%). Hardy and Tippett were both assistant coaches with Los Angeles from 1999 to 2002. He most recently served on the Chicago Wolves’ (AHL) coaching staff since 2014 after spending three seasons as an assistant coach with the Ontario Reign (ECHL).
The Samedan, Switzerland native began his coaching career as a player/coach and an assistant coach in the International Hockey League for five seasons with the Detroit Vipers (1994-95) and Long Beach Ice Dogs (1995-99). Hardy was originally drafted by the Kings in the second round (30th overall) in the 1979 Entry Draft and recorded 62-306-368 and 1,293 penalty minutes (PIM) in 915 career NHL games with the Kings, Minnesota North Stars and N.Y. Rangers.