Johnstown Chiefs coach Ian Herbers won’t be a stranger to the Columbus Blue Jackets as the two organizations embark on a new affiliation.
Third-year Blue Jackets coach Ken Hitchcock, who won a Stanley Cup in Dallas, once coached Herbers at the midgets youth hockey level.
Columbus General Manager Scott Howson was Herbers’ GM when he played with the AHL’s Cape Breton Oilers. Blue Jackets Director of Player Development Tyler Wright was Herbers’ teammate with the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers.
The Blue Jackets are also affiliated with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch.
Crunch assistant Trent Cull was a rival coach of Herbers when they both were in the Ontario Hockey League, and they faced each other when they each played in the former International Hockey League.
“It made for a natural fit for us,” Herbers said Thursday during a telephone interview from Saginaw, Mich. “With Syracuse being just up the road and Columbus being in the other direction, it will be a good chance for Tyler Wright to come over and watch our players developing.”
Earlier this week the Chiefs renewed their affiliation with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and AHL’s Lake Erie Monsters. That working agreement resulted in 11 players being assigned to Johnstown last season. Among those were former second-round draft pick Codey Burki, J.D. Corbin and Robbie Drummond, as well as a rehabilitation start by former No. 1 pick goalie Jason Bacashihua.
“We’re excited to have Colorado back as well. Last year they sent a lot of players, quality players who had character off the ice and were active in the community,” Herbers said. “We’re expecting the same thing this year. Up in Cleveland (Lake Erie) It’s nice to work with (GM) Dave Oliver, another teammate of mine from the Oilers days.”
The Chiefs have had some previous ties to the Blue Jackets.
Two former Johnstown standouts advanced to Syracuse and eventually made their NHL debuts with Columbus.
Defenseman Derrick Walser led Syracuse in scoring in 2000-01 and played 91 NHL games with the Jackets. Forward Jody Shelley was a fan favorite both in Syracuse (where he had 522 penalty minutes) and Columbus (1,025 penalty minutes).
“We are extremely happy to be working with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Syracuse Crunch because, as an organization, they believe in developing their prospects the right way, and that’s what we strive for here,” Herbers said. “One thing also makes it an attractive partnership is the two ECHL teams that Columbus and Syracuse worked with last had great success. Elmira finished second in the division last year and was one game away from the division finals, and the year before that Dayton made it to the Kelly Cup Finals. Our fans should be thrilled to be getting these guys into Chiefs jerseys because they are proven winners.”
Elmira signed a working agreement with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators on Aug. 15. The Chiefs also had been affiliated last season with the NHL’s Boston Bruins and their affiliate in Providence, R.I. That arrangement will not continue.
“We are very excited to be partnering with the Chiefs this year,” Blue Jackets Assistant General Manager Chris MacFarland said in a statement. “Developing players is crucial to the long-term success of any team, and we feel Johnstown will be a positive place for our young players to learn the game and gain professional experience.”
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