Anaheim Ducks bench boss and native Sudburian Randy Carlyle has been named as the head coach of the Western Conference at the NHL All-Star Game Jan. 24 in Dallas.
The head coach of the the top team in each NHL conference as of Jan. 5 is awarded the position. Anaheim currently leads the Western Conference with 62 points, seven points above the second-place team. Lindy Ruff of the Buffalo Sabres has been named head coach of the Eastern Conference.
Carlyle took ove
r the head coaching position in Anaheim after the NHL lock-out
in 2005 and led the Ducks to the Western Conference Finals in
2006 where they lost to the Edmonton Oilers.
Carlyle also played three seasons with the Sudbury Wolves and had his number six jersey retired and hung from the rafters at the Sudbury Community Arena. In 139 games with the Wolves, Carlyle racked up 151 points.
The Toronto Maple Leafs drafted Carlyle in the second round (30th overall) at the1976 NHL Entry Draft. During his 17-year NHL career with the Leafs, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Winnipeg Jets, Carlyle recorded 647 points in 1,055 games and won the James Norris Trophy for best defenceman in 1980/81.
Carlyle spent six seasons as head coach of the Manitoba Moose in the AHL and never had a losing season. He joined the Ducks after a stint as an assistant coach with the Washington Capitals.
