Earlier this week, the Ducks finalized the coaching staff for their AHL affiliate in San Diego. The team announced that long-time blueliner Dave Manson has been appointed as head coach while Kelly Buchberger and Steve McCarthy will serve as assistants. Manson was an assistant coach for the Gulls last season, his first season with them after a year coaching in the WHL.
He has more than 20 years of coaching experience in his career but this will be his first time as the bench boss. Buchberger has been an assistant in the NHL and AHL before while McCarthy was an assistant with Columbus until they changed up their coaching staff back in January.
Elsewhere in the Pacific:
Still with the Gulls, the Ducks announced that they’ve extended the contract of Rick Paterson, the GM in San Diego. Terms were not disclosed beyond that it’s a multi-year deal. Paterson has worked in various roles with the Ducks since 2005 and has been at the helm of the Gulls for the last two years.
Going back to his time with Tampa Bay, Paterson has been working in a front office role since 1999.
The Canucks announced today that Cammi Granato is stepping back from her position as Assistant GM to now serve as a Senior Amateur Advisor moving forward. Granato has spent the last five years as the AGM in Vancouver after previously working in Seattle’s pro scouting department. Postmedia’s Patrick Johnston observes that Vancouver’s pro scouting department, where Granato partly worked before, is down to just two people, which suggests that there will be some hirings coming on that front in the near future.
After being non-tendered by the Oilers last month, Matvei Petrov is heading back home. The KHL announced that the 23-year-old forward has signed a tryout deal with Spartak. Petrov, a sixth-round pick by Edmonton back in 2021, spent the last three seasons with AHL Bakersfield, tallying 23 goals and 19 assists in 141 games.
That wasn’t enough to secure himself a qualifying offer.