Mark French was named coach of the Calgary Hitmen on Thursday. (Calgary Hitmen photo.)
The Calgary Hitmen named Mark French as their new head coach on Thursday.
Tim Hunter and Steve Hamilton, who are said to be the top two candidates for the vacant bench boss spot with the Vancouver Giants, were reportedly in the running in Calgary as well. Hunter, the former NHL tough guy and assistant coach, played nine-plus seasons for the Calgary Flames. Hamilton has been an assistant with the Edmonton Oil Kings the past four seasons.
There were no reports of French being in the mix with Vancouver, who are looking to replace Don Hay. Hay, the Giants’ coach the past 10 seasons, was let out of the last year of his contract to take over running the Kamloops Blazers’ bench.
Bob Woods, who was recently named coach and GM of the Saskatoon Blades, was never mentioned as a possibility in Vancouver, either. French, oddly enough, had worked under Woods as an assistant with the AHL’s Hershey Bears.
French, 43, has coached at a variety of levels. Last season, he was in the KHL, guiding Medvescak Zagreb. Prior to that, he had a highly successful four-year stint running the Bears. He’s also a former head coach of the CHL’s Wichita THunder and the OHL’s North Bay Centennials. And, yes, he spent 2004-05 as an assistant with the ECHL’s Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies.
French replaces Mike Williamson, who was fired after the Hitmen were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Kootenay Ice. Williamson was subsequently hired by the Tri-City Americans after they fired Jim Hiller.
