The
Johnstown Chiefs were an American professional ice hockey team based in
Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They played in the East Coast Hockey League (eventually shortened to ECHL). The franchise was originally established in January 1988 as a member of the
All-American Hockey League. In June 1988, the franchise would become one of the five new franchises of the ECHL. Since their foundation in 1988, the Chiefs have played their home games at the Cambria County War Memorial Arena. The Chiefs were last owned by former New York Rangers general manager
Neil Smith. Although the Chiefs franchise was moved to Greenville, the name, records, logos and all names identifying the Johnstown history have been retained by a non-profit organization.
Coaching History
There have been 10 head coaches for the Chiefs franchise. The franchise's first head coach was
Joe Selenski
Joe Selenski (born 1955) is a former minor league ice hockey, hockey coach and general manager.
Atlantic Coast Hockey League
Selenski got his start as a coach and general manager with the Troy Slapshots of the Atlantic Coast Hockey League. The S ...
, who held the position while the team was a member of the AAHL. Former NHL player
Steve Carlson - also famous for his role in the movie
Slap Shot (movie) as one of the Hanson brothers - was the only coach who took the Chiefs to the then-
Riley Cup
The Patrick J. Kelly Cup goes to the playoff champion of the ECHL. The Kelly Cup has been awarded to teams since 1997. Prior to 1997, the playoff winner was awarded the Riley Cup, named after former American Hockey League president Jack Riley. Th ...
Finals, losing four games to three to the
Carolina Thunderbirds. Ed Johnstone coached the Chiefs to three consecutive thirty-win seasons, but only advanced past the first round of the playoffs once. Former NHL enforcer
Nick Fotiu
Nicholas Evlampios Fotiu (born May 25, 1952) is an American former professional ice hockey forward. He played in the World Hockey Association and National Hockey League between 1974 and 1988.
Playing career
Fotiu's father was of Greek descent, ...
coached the Chiefs from 1995 to 1997, managing 47 wins in his first two seasons. He started the 1997-98 ECHL season with six wins in his first thirty games, and eventually was replaced by assistant coach
Scott Allen. Allen experienced the longest and most successful runs of all the previous Chiefs coaches, having coached the team for 324 regular season games, and taking the team to the second round of the playoffs three of his four full seasons as head coach. Former Chiefs goaltender
Toby O'Brien
Edward Donough "Toby" O'Brien (21 November 1909 – 9 January 1979) was a British journalist and propaganda expert, involved in espionage, who spearheaded Britain's efforts to counter Nazi Germany propaganda during World War II.
Early life an ...
would assume the role of coach in 2003. Despite missing the postseason two of his three years, O'Brien would also lead the Chiefs to the best record in their 22-year history, going 45-20-7. During the final five years, the Chiefs would go through three more coaches (
Frank Anzalone,
Ian Herbers
Ian Herbers (born July 18, 1967) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman, and former assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League.
Draft
Herbers was drafted in the tenth round, 190th overall, by the Buffa ...
, and
Jeff Flanagan
Jeff is a masculine name, often a short form (hypocorism) of the English given name Jefferson or Jeffrey, which comes from a medieval variant of Geoffrey.
Music
* DJ Jazzy Jeff, American DJ/turntablist record producer Jeffrey Allen Townes
* ...
) before owner Neil Smith stepped down to the bench for the final thirty seven games in Chiefs history.
Key
Coaches
References
{{reflist
Johnstown Chiefs coaches