Coyotes Announce 2012-13 Team Award Winners

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, April 26, 2013

GLENDALE, ARIZONA --- The Phoenix Coyotes announced today the winners of the club’s 2012-13 team awards.

Coyotes defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson won the Fry’s Food Stores Team MVP Award while captain Shane Doan captured the Desert Schools Leading Scorer Award. Center Boyd Gordon earned the Arizona Lottery Jukka Nieminen Memorial Trophy given to the player voted by the fans as the team’s hardest working player and goaltender Mike Smith won the Ganem Jewelers Three-Star Award. Forward Paul Bissonnette was selected as the Gila River Casinos Man of the Year Award for dedication to the community.

In his fourth NHL season, Ekman-Larsson has emerged as one of the NHL’s best defenseman. Entering tonight’s game against Colorado, the 6-foot-2, 190 pound Ekman-Larsson leads the Coyotes in time on ice per game (25:03) and ranks fourth in scoring with 3-20-23 to win the Fry’s Food Stores Team MVP Award. The Coyotes broadcast media along with beat writers from the Arizona Republic and Foxsportsarizona.com voted for the award.

Coyotes captain Shane Doan leads all Coyotes players in goals and points with 13-13-26 after 46 games to capture the Desert Schools Leading Scorer Award. The 6-foot-1, 223 pound Doan also leads the team in hits (118) and all Coyotes forwards in shots (127).

Center Boyd Gordon received the Jukka Nieminen Memorial Trophy as the Coyotes’ hardest working player. The 6-foot-0, 200 pound Gordon leads the team in faceoff percentage (58.1%) and all Coyotes forwards in blocked shots (41). Gordon was selected as the winner by fans who voted at PhoenixCoyotes.com.

Entering tonight’s game versus the Colorado Avalanche, Coyotes goaltender Mike Smith has earned 29 star points in 2012-13 to win the Ganem Jewelers Three Star Award. Smith has been selected a first star (7) times and has been chosen as a first star at Jobing.com Arena (4) times this season. The 6-foot-4, 215 pound Smith has posted a record of 15-12-4 this season and is tied for the NHL lead in shutouts with five.

Coyotes forward Paul Bissonnette earned the Gila River Casinos Man of the Year Award for his dedication, commitment and passion for bettering the lives of those in the community during his fourth season as a member of the Coyotes.

Bissonnette was very active in the community this season working with several charities including Central Arizona Shelter Services (CASS) which provides shelter and supportive services to nearly 10,000 of the Valley’s homeless each year. For over 25 years, CASS has been empowering homeless individuals and families to become self-sufficient and effectively end their homelessness.

For the second straight season, Bissonnette brought 100 homeless individuals from the CASS Vista Colina Emergency Family Shelter to a Coyotes game. The Coyotes donated the tickets and Bissonnette paid for the transportation from the shelter in Phoenix and for food vouchers for all in attendance.

View the original article here

Coyotes Sign Klinkhammer to Two-Year Deal

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 16, 2013

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have signed forward Rob Klinkhammer to a two-year contract. As per club policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are very pleased to sign Rob to a multi-year contract,” said Maloney. “Rob is an excellent skater and hard-working forward who has earned a spot on our roster with his strong play last season. We look forward to having him on our team next year.”

The 6-foot-3, 214-pound Klinkhammer appeared in a career-high 22 games with the Coyotes this season recording 5-6-11 and 10 penalty minutes (PIM). He ranked second on the team with a plus-7 rating and established a career-high five-game point streak from March 25 to April 2.

The 26-year-old native of Lethbridge, Alberta has posted 5-8-13 and12 PIM in 38 career NHL games. Klinkhammer originally signed with the Coyotes as a free agent on July 13, 2012.

View the original article here

Coyotes Assign Stone, Bolduc and Conner to AHL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, April 30, 2013

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have assigned defenseman Michael Stone, forward Alexandre Bolduc and forward Chris Conner to the Portland Pirates, the Coyotes American Hockey League affiliate (AHL).

The 6-foot-3, 210-pound Stone appeared in a career-high 40 games with the Coyotes this season recording 5-4-9 and 16 penalty minutes (PIM). The 22-year-old native of Winnipeg, Manitoba also totaled 6-22-28 and 20 PIM in 36 games with the Pirates in 2012-13. Stone was originally drafted by the Coyotes in the third round (69th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.

The 6-foot-2, 208-pound Bolduc has appeared in 14 games with the Coyotes this season. The 27-year-old native of Montreal, Quebec has recorded 24-27-51 and 90 PIM in 56 games with the Pirates in 2012-13 and ranks second on the team in scoring. Bolduc was originally drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the fourth round (127th overall) in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

The 5-foot-8, 190-pound Conner has appeared in 12 games with the Coyotes this season totaling 1-1-2 and a plus-3 rating. The 29-year-old native of Westland, Mich., has registered 13-27-40 and 28 PIM in 60 games with the Pirates this season. Conner signed with the Coyotes as a free agent on July 2, 2012.

View the original article here

Coyotes Assign Brown to AHL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Friday, April 12, 2013

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have assigned forward Chris Brown to the Portland Pirates, the Coyotes American Hockey League affiliate (AHL).

The 6-foot-2, 215-pound Brown has appeared in five games with the Coyotes this season. He has also played in 63 games with the Pirates in 2012-13 collecting 25-15-40 and 94 penalty minutes (PIM).

The 22-year-old native of Flower Mound, Texas was originally drafted by the Coyotes in the second round (36th overall) in the 2009 Entry Draft.

View the original article here

Coyotes to Hold Fan Appreciation Night on April 26

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, April 15, 2013

GLENDALE, ARIZONA --- The Phoenix Coyotes announced today that the team will hold Fan Appreciation Night on Friday, April 26 when the Coyotes host the Colorado Avalanche for their final regular season home game of 2012-13. Game time is 7:00 p.m. at Jobing.com Arena.

Fan Appreciation Night is a long-standing Coyotes tradition which recognizes fans for their loyalty and support throughout the season. Fans in attendance at the game will be treated to giveaways offering a variety of prizes that will be awarded throughout the evening. All fans in attendance will receive a Coyotes rally towel courtesy of Arizona Lottery and a poster that features Coyotes captain Shane Doan, assistant captains Keith Yandle and Martin Hanzal, along with goaltender Mike Smith and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. In addition, five lucky fans will receive autographed player jerseys from Coyotes captain Shane Doan, Keith Yandle, Mike Smith, Mikkel Boedker and Antoine Vermette.

“Fan Appreciation Night is a great opportunity for us to thank our fans for their tremendous support and loyalty throughout the season,” said Coyotes President & COO Mike Nealy. “We are thrilled to dedicate this game to our fans and we hope that they enjoy the great giveaway items that we have lined up for them.”

The Coyotes will also present their annual team awards prior to the game. Honors include the Fry’s Food Stores Most Valuable Player Award; the Desert Schools Leading Scorer Award; the Ganem Jewelers Three Star Trophy; the Gila River Casinos Man of the Year Trophy; and the Arizona Lottery Jukka Nieminen Memorial Trophy which is presented to the team’s hardest working player.

For more information or to purchase tickets call 480-563-PUCK.

View the original article here

Hockey Canada Names Tippett to Coaching Staff for 2013 IIHF World Championship

CALGARY – Hockey Canada, along with executive director Steve Yzerman and the National Men’s Team management group, announced Saturday that Dave Tippett (Moosomin, Sask./ Phoenix Coyotes, NHL) and Barry Trotz (Dauphin, Man./Nashville, NHL) will join the coaching staff for the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Earlier this month, Hockey Canada announced head coach Lindy Ruff (Warburg, Alta.) and assistant coach Doug Shedden (Wallaceburg, Ont./EV Zug, SUI) as members of the staff.

Dave Tippett, 51, has just completed his fourth season as head coach of the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, and ninth year as a head coach in the NHL. The native of Moosomin, Sask., coached the Dallas Stars from 2002-09, winning the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s coach of the year in 2010 after leading the team to 50 wins. Tippett won a silver medal at the 2009 IIHF World Championship, as a member of the coaching staff that also included head coach Ruff and Trotz. As a player, Tippett represented Canada at two Olympic Winter Games (1984, 1992), winning a silver medal in 1992, and serving as team captain in 1984.

Barry Trotz, 50, has been the head coach of the NHL’s Nashville Predators since the franchise’s debut in 1998-99. This will mark his fourth time on a Team Canada coaching staff, having served as an assistant coach at the 2002 and 2003 IIHF World Championships, winning gold in 2003, and winning silver as an associate coach under Ruff, with Tippett, at the 2009 IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. Trotz is the longest tenured coach in the NHL at 1,113 games, and has the second longest active tenure in all four major sports, behind only Gregg Popovich of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.

Hockey Canada’s National Men’s Team management group is comprised of Yzerman (Nepean, Ont./Tampa Bay, NHL), along with Doug Armstrong (Sarnia, Ont./St. Louis, NHL), Ken Holland (Vernon, B.C./Detroit, NHL), Kevin Lowe (Lachute, Que./Edmonton, NHL), Bob Nicholson (Penticton, B.C./Hockey Canada) and Brad Pascall (Coquitlam, B.C./Hockey Canada). Peter Chiarelli (Ottawa, Ont./Boston, NHL) will serve in an advisory capacity.

The management group is overseeing all operations for Canada’s National Men’s Team at the world championship, including staff selection, player identification and selection as well as team operations. Hockey Canada’s senior director of national teams and hockey operations, Scott Salmond, will oversee team logistics, working closely with the management group.

Hockey Canada will be announcing its player roster for the world championship in the coming days.

The 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship runs from May 3-19 in Helsinki, Finland, and Stockholm, Sweden. Canada will be based out of Stockholm for the duration of the event, opening on May 4 against Denmark. All of Canada’s games will be broadcast on TSN/RDS, Hockey Canada’s official broadcaster. Check local listings for game times in your area.

For more information on Hockey Canada and Canada’s National Men’s Team, please visit www.hockeycanada.ca, or follow along via social media at www.facebook.com/hockeycanada, www.twitter.com/hockeycanada and www.twitter.com/hc_men .

View the original article here

Coyotes Recall Nick Johnson & Chad Johnson from AHL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 15, 2013

GLENDALE, ARIZONA – Phoenix Coyotes General Manager Don Maloney announced today that the Coyotes have recalled forward Nick Johnson and goaltender Chad Johnson (emergency basis) from the Portland Pirates, the Coyotes American Hockey League affiliate (AHL).

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound Nick Johnson has appeared in 17 games with the Coyotes this season totaling 4-2-6 and a plus-3 rating. He has also posted 3-6-9 and 13 penalty minutes (PIM) in 14 games with the Pirates in 2012-13.

The 27-year-old native of Calgary, Alberta has recorded 14-23-37 and 52 PIM in 104 career NHL games. Johnson was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the third round (67th overall) in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.

The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Chad Johnson has made three starts for the Coyotes this season posting a 2-0-1 record with a 1.32 goals against average (GAA) and .949 save percentage (SV %). He recorded 21 saves in his first career NHL shutout against Nashville on Jan. 28, 2013.

The 26-year-old native of Calgary, Alberta has also appeared in 34 games with the Pirates this season posting a 16-15-1 record with a 3.00 GAA and .903 SV %. Johnson was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the fifth round (125th overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft.

View the original article here