Chuck Weber, Brad Tapper joining Amerks coaching staff
Rochester Americans coach Dan Lambert has hired Chuck Weber and Brad Tapper as his assistant coaches, and their résumés say they know a little about what it takes to win.
"I wanted to make sure that it was people I could work with and that it was people I thought, as an organization, could help us accomplish our goals," Lambert said.
Weber returns to the Amerks bench, though this time he will be an assistant. He was the head coach during the final season of the affiliation with the Florida Panthers, going 31-39-5-5 with a roster wasn't exactly stacked with top-end talent. From that team, only rookie goalie Jacob Markstrom became an full-time NHLer.
Weber coached Coventry of the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) in the United Kingdom the past year and a half. After being relieved of coaching duties for Zagreb Medvescak of the Kontinental Hockey League at the start of 2014-15, he jumped to Coventry and guided the Blaze to the playoff championship that spring.
Weber, a 42-year-old native of the Buffalo suburb of Lockport, also won Kelly Cup championships with the ECHL's Cincinnati Cyclones in 2007-08 and '09-10. He was head coach of the AHL's San Antonio Rampage for the Panthers in '11-12 and '12-13, and their associate coach the next season.
Lambert has no connection to Weber but was impressed each time they talked. Weber will work primarily with the defense and Tapper, who played on the wing during his nine professional seasons, will work with the forwards.
"You look at Chuck's background, he has been a head coach in the American League, he's gone to the KHL, I know in England he did a great job to develop a program," Lambert said. "I know he can help our staff and team get to where we want to be."
Tapper, 38, spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL's Chicago Wolves under John Anderson. The staff was not retained after the season, when the Wolves missed the playoffs.
He was an assistant coach the previous three seasons in the ECHL, first with the Florida Everblades in '11-12 and '12-13, and the Orlando Solar Bears the next season. The Everblades won the Kelly Cup in '11-12.
Tapper, a native of Scarborough, Ontario, played three seasons at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute before turning pro. He won championship as a rookie with the International Hockey League's Orlando Solar Bears in 2000-01, and a Calder Cup with the Wolves in '01-02.
He played 71 NHL games at forward for the Atlanta Thrashers and was Lambert's teammate with Hannover of the German league in '05-06 and '06-07. Their paths had not crossed for years, however.
"I couldn't find anyone to say a bad word about him," Lambert said. "His work ethic, tactics, ability to teach young players. The more I talked to people, it was almost like, 'My, gosh, I have to hire him.' "
Lambert and the parent Buffalo Sabres opted not to retain bench assistant coaches Chris Taylor and Paul Fixter. Goalie coach Bob Janosz will return.
KEVINO@gannett.com