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Former Blades coach Fleming gets job as assistant for AHL team
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STORY TOOLS
RELATED STORIES
- Everblades name Malcolm Cameron new head coach
- Editorial: New opportunities await both former Everblades coach and his team
- Coach Fleming leaving after seven seasons with Everblades
More Florida Everblades
- What you need to know for Everblades camp
- Blades alter Monday training camp schedule due to Palin appearance
- NHL: Hurricanes send goalies Peters, Manzato to Albany
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After seven seasons as coach of the Florida Everblades, all Gerry Fleming wanted was to move up to the AHL -- a step below his dream of coaching in the NHL.
Last week, Fleming got his wish.
The 41-year-old was named an assistant coach with the AHL's Springfield (Mass.) Falcons. The team announced his hiring on Monday. Fleming is one of two assistants to head coach Jeff Truitt, who was promoted by the Falcons on June 17.
Truitt was an assistant to Kelly Buchberger last season, but Buchberger was hired as an assistant to the NHL's Edmonton Oilers this summer.
"Other opportunities might come up, but this is the one I know I'm going to be the happiest with," Fleming said. "It's a perfect opportunity ... I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but I'm excited about it. Everything looks so good right now."
The Oilers are Springfield's NHL affiliate, so Fleming's contract is with the Oilers.
"That was what he wanted, to sign with an NHL system," '07-08 Blades captain Ernie Hartlieb said. "(Fleming) is happy ... he's moving up just like a player would move up."
Hartlieb said Fleming called him last week to confirm he'd been hired in Springfield.
"He said he went to the (NHL) draft (on June 20) and was talking to a few teams, and (signing with Edmonton) was a great situation for him ... it was time for him to move on (from the Everblades)," Hartlieb said.
While with the Blades, Fleming compiled a regular season record of 282-162-60, leading the team to Kelly Cup Finals appearances in '03-04 and '04-05. He had more regular-season wins than any other ECHL coach from 2001-08.
Before coming to Florida, Fleming coached the ECHL's now-defunct Tallahassee Tiger Sharks in 2000-01. During that season, he coached a few Edmonton Oilers prospects.
"I think that served me well ... me knowing (the Oilers organization) and them knowing what I did in Tallahassee," he said.
Fleming has been an AHL assistant before, from 1998-00 with the AHL's Fredricton Canadiens and Quebec Citadelles. He also played seven seasons in Fredricton, in 1998 becoming just the second Fredricton player to have his number retired.
He said he's looking forward to working with the Falcons' young prospects and added that his emphasis will be on player development. Fleming will also run the defense and the penalty kill for Springfield.
"There are so many young guys on that team," Fleming said. "To be able to work with them and to work with (Truitt and fellow assistant coach David Bell) played a major influence in my decision ... It's a chance for me to focus on teaching and bring in some of my own ideas."
After seven straight losing seasons, the Falcons were 35-35-10 last season under Buchberger, missing the playoffs by eight points. Their average attendance of about 3,300 was second-to-last in the AHL last season, prompting management to threaten selling the team if 700 new season-ticket packages aren't sold during this offseason.
The Blades' average attendance during the '06-07 season was 6,248.
As of June 17, though, the Falcons had already sold 581 new season-ticket packages.
"You know what, (the Falcons) have been around a long time ... I think (people in Springfield) are excited about the prospects for the same reasons I am," Fleming said. "We have a positive group of people there that have been around in the AHL for a long time."
As for the Blades' future without Fleming, former Texas Wildcatters coach Malcolm Cameron was hired as Florida's new head coach on May 30. The Blades will not have an assistant coach next season.
Cameron is just the third head coach in Blades history. Bob Ferguson was the team's first coach, from 1998-'01.
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