The Portland Pirates are starting 2016 with a change in their coaching staff, the team announced Friday.
Head coach Tom Rowe will become associate general manager of the Florida Panthers, the Pirates’ NHL affiliate. Pirates assistant coach Scott Allen has been promoted to head coach.
Rowe, 59, had been head coach of the Pirates since the start of the season, the first of Portland’s affiliation with the Panthers. Previously, he was head coach of the Panthers’ AHL affiliate in San Antonio. Under Rowe, the Pirates had a 16-12-1-0 record.
Allen, 49, came to Portland with Rowe after serving as his assistant in San Antonio. Twice he has filled in as an AHL interim head coach, compiling a 28-45-2-8 record in parts of two seasons.
Pirates goalie coach Pierre Groulx will serve as Allen’s assistant until the team hires a full-time assistant coach.
The moves are a result of the Panthers announcing Friday that General Manager Dale Tallon signed a contract extension. A person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press it was a three-year agreement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of team policy not to publicly release specifics of such deals.
Tallon was in the final year of his contract and a new deal has been expected for some time, especially with the Panthers opening 2016 atop the Atlantic Division and contending to claim what would be only the second postseason appearance for the franchise in its last 15 seasons.
“I’m excited for what the future holds for our team with an exciting nucleus of young players along with our mix of veterans,” Tallon said.
Rowe assumes the associate general manager position, which had been vacant since March 2014. Tallon said he and Rowe will work “tirelessly” to build a champion.
“Tom and I have known each other for decades and have worked together closely since he first joined our organization,” Tallon said. “He possesses a thorough understanding of our club, having coached many of the young players on our current NHL roster, and worked with our prospects at development and training camps.”
Tallon was a finalist for the NHL’s Executive of the Year award in 2012 after putting together a roster that won the franchise’s first division title. Then last season, the team went from a 66-point team the year before to a 91-point club that challenged for a playoff spot until the season’s final days.
He’s blended younger and older players, drafting two Calder Trophy winners in Jonathan Huberdeau and Aaron Ekblad and merging them with an established star like Jaromir Jagr, whom Tallon landed in a trade late last season.
The Panthers went 11-3-0 in December to post the third-best month in terms of winning percentage in franchise history.
“Dale and Tom bring a wealth of leadership, credibility and hockey experience that will enrich our organization for years to come,” Panthers owner Vinnie Viola said. “We have benefited tremendously from their expertise already.”
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