Don Lever to coach the Bulldogs

[Yeti]

Press conference this afternoon in Hamilton.

Lever was the AHL coach of the year in 1990-91 and was an assistant coach with the Blues before the lock-out. He also played more than 1000 games in the NHL.

Bulldogs de Hamilton

Don Lever remplacerait Doug Jarvis

Presse Canadienne

Hamilton

Les Bulldogs de Hamilton, club école du Canadien de Montréal dans la Ligue américaine de hockey, annonceront jeudi que Don Lever sera l'entraîneur-chef de l'équipe en vue de la prochaine saison, selon le Hamilton Spectator.


La nouvelle serait annoncée jeudi après-midi en conférence de presse au Copps Coliseum.

Lever, un Ontarien de 52 ans originaire de South Porcupine, a été proclamé entraîneur de l'année dans la LAH à l'issue de la saison 1990-91. Il avait aidé les Americans de Rochester à présenter une fiche de 45-26-9 et à se rendre jusqu'en finale de la Coupe Calder.

Choix de premier tour des Canucks de Vancouver en 1972, Lever a disputé 1020 matchs dans la LNH avec les Canucks, les Flames d'Atlanta et de Calgary, les Rockies du Colorado, les Devils du New Jersey et les Sabres de Buffalo.

Il a marqué 313 buts et récolté 367 mentions d'aide, en plus d'amasser 593 minutes de pénalités. Il a pris sa retraite après la saison 1986-87.

Après deux années à titre d'entraîneur adjoint à Buffalo, Lever est devenu entraîneur-chef du club école des Sabres à Rochester.

Il est revenu à Buffalo pour un autre séjour, de huit ans celui-là. Il a ensuite occupé le poste d'adjoint avec les Blues de Saint Louis lors des deux saisons précédant le lock-out.

Lever remplacera Doug Jarvis, qui a quitté les Bulldogs après deux saisons afin de seconder Claude Julien chez le Canadien.

www.cyberpresse.ca/sports/article/article_complet.php?

[Doc Holliday]

wooooo... That came out of left field ! I really thought they were gonna use Wilson...

[M. Beaux-Eaux]

Left-winger Don Lever was strong at both ends of the ice during a career that lasted 1,020 games. He was useful killing penalties and working the power play and registered nine 20-goal seasons.

Born in South Porcupine, Ontario Lever accumulated 197 points in two years with the Niagara Falls Flyers of the OHA. He was selected third overall by the Vancouver Canucks at the 1972 Amateur Draft and went on to be a stalwart on the club for nearly eight full seasons. He was also named to the OHA first all-star team in 1972.

The talented forward hit the 20-goal mark six times in Vancouver and played for Canada at the 1978 World Championships. His best season was 1974-75 when he scored 38 goals playing on a line with Andre Boudrias and Dennis Ververgaert. That year, he was a key factor behind the club's first place finish in the Smythe Division with 86 points. The likeable veteran was also the club's captain from 1977 to 1979.

After years of missing the playoffs or accomplishing very little when they qualified, the Canucks started making changes in 1979-80. The experienced forward was sent to the Atlanta Flames in the deal that also involved Ivan Boldirev and Darcy Rota. Lever was on hand when the Flames transferred to Calgary and reached the semi-finals in 1981. The next year, he was traded to the Colorado Rockies and went through a second franchise shift when the club became the New Jersey Devils in 1982-83. Before leaving Denver, he made his only appearance at the NHL All-Star Game as the Rockie's representative. Lever was a solid two-way worker on the weak Devils for three years and served briefly as team captain beginning in 1982. He later joined the Buffalo Sabres as a part-time player before retiring in 1987.

- www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=13385

*

St. Louis, MO, June 25, 2002 - Executive Vice President and General Manager Larry Pleau announced today that the club has named Don Lever assistant coach.

"We are excited to have added a coach with Don's experience and professionalism," said Pleau. "Don was a true competitor as a player and is highly respected for his vast hockey knowledge."

Lever, 50, has spent 12 seasons on the Buffalo Sabres coaching staff, including his fifth straight as the club's associate coach. His tenure behind the Sabres bench was the second longest of any assistant coach in the National Hockey League, second only to Dallas' Doug Jarvis.

Lever began his coaching career as a Sabres assistant during the 1987-88 season. He then served as head coach of the Rochester Americans from 1990-92, before returning to Buffalo in 1992-93. In Lever's first season with the Americans he was named the American Hockey League's Coach of the Year, guiding the club to a 45-26-9 record and a Calder Cup appearance.

Don began his NHL career after being drafted by Vancouver in 1972 and played for six NHL clubs during his 15-year NHL career. During his playing career Lever amassed 680 points (313 goals, 367 assists) in 1,020 contests.

- www.stlouisblues.com/news/0102/020625.html

[Habit]

DON LEVER NAMED BULLDOGS NEW HEAD COACH

FORMER AHL COACH OF THE YEAR BECOMES SIXTH BULLDOGS BENCH BOSS

Thu, July 28, 2005

Montreal Canadiens General Manager, Bob Gainey, announced today, the appointment of Don Lever as Head Coach of the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Lever, who succeeds now Canadiens’ Assistant Coach Doug Jarvis, becomes the sixth head coach in Bulldogs’ history.

“We are pleased to introduce Don Lever as the new head coach of our AHL club in Hamilton,” said Bob Gainey. “Don brings a wealth of experience in coaching at the NHL and AHL levels. The Montreal Canadiens organization feels he will be a strong participant in the development of our young prospects in Hamilton.”

Lever, a 52-year-old native of South Porcupine, Ontario, was the St. Louis Blues’ assistant coach for the past two NHL seasons (2002-04). While Lever was in St. Louis, the Blues earned a record of 80 wins, 54 losses, 22 ties, and 8 overtime losses (.579).

“I am looking forward to the challenge of developing the young players and being behind the bench once again,” said Lever. “It is a great honour to become a part of such successful organizations as the Montreal Canadiens and Hamilton Bulldogs.”

Prior to joining St. Louis in 2002, Lever spent 12 seasons in the Buffalo Sabres organization. Lever began his coaching career as a Sabres assistant in the 1987-88 season. He then served as head coach of the Rochester Americans from 1990-92, before returning to Buffalo as an assistant for the 1992-93 season. In 1990-91, Lever’s first season as coach of the Amerks, he won the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award, as AHL Coach of the Year, after Rochester went to the Calder Cup Finals following a league best 45-26-9 regular season. Lever also played for Rochester in 1985-86 and 1986-87, winning the Calder Cup in the role of player-coach in his final pro season.

Lever played his junior hockey for the Niagara Falls Flyers (OHA). After scoring 126 points in 63 games for the Flyers, he was selected third overall by the Vancouver Canucks in the 1972 NHL Amateur Draft. Lever was traded to Atlanta in February 1980 after eight seasons with the Canucks, and moved with the Flames to Calgary that summer. He was dealt to Colorado in 1981, and again was a part of a franchise shift, as the Rockies became the New Jersey Devils in 1982. The Sabres acquired his rights from the Devils on September 9, 1985 and he spent two seasons as a player in Buffalo’s organization. In 1,020 NHL games, he accumulated 313 goals, 367 assists, 680 points, and 593 PIM.

Don and his wife Karen live in Amherst, New York, and have three children: Michael, Sarah, and Caitlin.

[NWTHabsFan]

14 years coaching experience in both the NHL and AHL in the capacity of both head and assistant coach. Ex-AHL coach of the year (like someguy named CJ in Montreal). A solid addition, but I really expected either Ron Wilson or some ex-Hab that Gainey was able to lure over. Seems like a solid choice with good credentials, guess we will see what Don can do with a fairly solid team of Hab/Edmonton prospects this season.