For six years, Mark Morris and Scott Pellerin developed players for the Los Angeles Kings, helping them win a Stanley Cup. Pellerin came here two years ago, and the Monarchs won a division title this year.
And right now they’re both out of a job. The Monarchs and Kings announced Morris won’t be back next year after eight years, two division titles and a pretty solid record.
(The way that statement’s worded, it reads as if Lombardi thinks Morris wouldn’t be around long if he were back. So hopefully that means bigger and better to come.)
Morris was only the Monarchs’ third coach in a history that began at the same time as Bridgeport’s. Jim Hughes was the second, for one year. The one before, who had four successful regular seasons but was fired after a lack of playoff success, was one Bruce Boudreau, who won a Calder Cup the following season.
| TEAM | Old | New |
| BPT | Scott Pellerin (5/2) | Brent Thompson (5/2) |
| MCR | Mark Morris (5/7) | — |
Not adding to the chart, Portland coach Ray Edwards will also serve as the team’s general manager.
……
Two second-period goals let St. John’s beat John Gibson (39 more saves) and the Admirals to even that series at 1 going to Virginia. Michael Hutchinson had 32 saves of his own and an assist for the IceCaps.
Edit: Stockton’s on the board. Joel Broda scored first, but the Thunder came back to win big.
The IIHF compiled announced (if not yet official) rosters for the Worlds, so former Bridgeport and New Haven players listed include: USA: Matt Donovan, Brock Nelson, Colin McDonald. SWE: Anders Nilsson. FIN: Mikko Koskinen. SVK: Tomas Marcinko (good to see him back after that nasty Olympics injury). LAT: Herberts Vasiljevs. CAN: Alex Burrows (cough).
A tip of cap to another former Beast of New Haven, Marek Malik, even if his darned shootout tally (and people’s reactions to it, like, um, writing about it nine years later on his retirement) secured that we’d never get rid of that abominable bonus round.
And Fun With Google Translate… though not that kind.