Robbie Ftorek

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Robbie Brian Ftorek (born January 2, 1952 in Needham, Massachusetts) is a former NHL player and coach. He is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

1 Playing Career
2 Coaching Career
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Playing Career

As a player, he was a member of the 1972 United States Olympic Hockey team. Originally drafted by the New England Whalers of the World Hockey Association in 1972, he signed with the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. However, having spent most of his time with the AHL's Virginia Wings, Ftorek decided to move over to the WHA in 1974, and it was at this time the Whalers traded his rights to the Phoenix Roadrunners. After playing parts of three seasons in Phoenix and when the Roadrunners franchise folded, Ftorek signed with the Cincinnati Stingers. After the WHA folded following the 1978-79 season, he signed with the Quebec Nordiques. He was traded to the New York Rangers in during the 1981-82 NHL season, where he played through the 1984-85 NHL season and finished his NHL career. He played several seasons with the New Haven Nighthawks before retiring from professional play. Ftorek completed his NHL career with 77 goals, 150 assists, 227 points, and 262 penalty minutes in 334 games. In his WHA career, Ftorek tallied 216 goals, 307 assists, 523 points, and 365 penalty minutes in 373 games, making him 6th on the WHA's all-time points list, and 9th in both the WHA's all-time career goal and assist leaders.

[edit] Coaching Career

He began his professional coaching career with the AHL's New Haven Nighthawks in 1985. He remained with then until the 1987-88 season when he moved up to the NHL as the Los Angeles Kings head coach until 1989. Following this, Ftorek was an assistant coach for the Quebec Nordiques and New Jersey Devils in the NHL. In 1992, he was named head coach of the AHL's Utica Devils and remained as head coach when the team became the Albany River Rats. In 1995, the same year the River Rats' parent club, the New Jersey Devils, won the Stanley Cup, Ftorek led the River Rats to the Calder Cup in the AHL. In 1996, Ftorek began his second stint as a New Jersey Devils assistant coach, then took the head coach's position in 1998. In 2000, he led the Devils back into the playoffs but was fired by Lamoriello with 9 games remaining in the regular season. Larry Robinson replaced him and the Devils went on to win their 2nd Stanley Cup. Ftorek joined the Boston Bruins as head coach in 2001. However, after two years of poor efforts by his teams, Ftorek was fired late in the 2002-2003 season with only 9 games remaining in the season. Mike O'Connell took over as coach for the rest of the season. In 2003, Ftorek rejoined the Devils as head coach of their AHL affiliate in Albany. The team moved to Lowell, Massachusetts to become the Lowell Devils. Devils CEO/President/GM Lou Lamoriello stated that Ftorek would not be retained as head coach of the team.

[edit] See also

List of NHL head coaches

Preceded by: Marc Tardif	Quebec Nordiques captains 1981-82 Andre Dupont	Succeeded by: Mario Marois

Preceded by: Rogie Vachon	Head Coaches of the Los Angeles Kings 1988–1989	Succeeded by: Tom Webster
Preceded by: Jacques Lemaire	Head Coaches of the New Jersey Devils 1998–2000	Succeeded by: Larry Robinson
Preceded by: Mike Keenan	Head Coaches of the Boston Bruins 2001–2003	Succeeded by: Mike O'Connell

Los Angeles Kings Head Coaches
Kelly • Laycoe • Wilson • Regan • Glover • Pulford • Stewart • Berry • MacDonald • Perry • Vachon • Neilson • Quinn • Murphy • Ftorek • Webster • Melrose • Robinson • Murray • Torchetti • Crawford

New Jersey Devils Head Coaches
MacMillan • McVie • Carpenter • Schoenfeld • Cunniff • Brooks • Lemaire • Ftorek • Robinson • Constantine • Burns • Lamoriello • Julien

Boston Bruins Head Coaches
Ross • Denneny • F. Patrick • Weiland • Clapper • Boucher • L. Patrick • Schmidt • Watson • Sinden • Johnson • Guidolin • Cherry • Creighton • Cheevers • Goring • O'Reilly • Milbury • Bowness • Sutter • Kasper • Burns • Keenan • Ftorek • O'Connell • Sullivan • Lewis