Jets Beef Up Coaching Staff; Add Perry Pearn

Perry Pearn will return to Winnipeg as an assistant coach for the first time since 1996.
(Photo Courtesy CBC.ca)

Last season, former Montreal Canadians General Manager Pierre Gauthier thought it necessary to relieve defensive coach Perry Pearn of his duties mid way through a dismal season for the storied franchise.

Was is it a wake up call for everyone in the organization - whether coach or player?

Whatever the case, Pearn, 61, a veteran of sixteen seasons as an assistant coach in the NHL, has now found a new home.

Pearn was added to the Winnipeg Jets coaching staff, alongside head coach Claude Noel and assistants Charlie Huddy and Pascal Vincent.

And it's no surprise that Pearn returned to the city and the second version of the team that he had his first NHL experience with during the 1995-96 season.

During the Jets final season in Winnipeg in 95-96, Pearn alongside current Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Randy Carlyle were assistant coaches under head coach Terry Simpson.

Since his inaugural season as an assistant coach in Winnipeg, Pearn spent eight seasons (1996-2004) in Ottawa alongside Jacques Martin and then was with the New York Rangers for four seasons alongside Tom Renney (2005-2009).

Pearn was let go by the Montreal Canadiens mid way through his third season with the Habs, having started in Montreal at the start of the 2009-10 season.

However, it was Pearn's reaction to returning to the place where he started that was most meaningful.

"I didn't want to leave when I left the last time," said Pearn at his hiring press conference.

"I really enjoyed the year I coached there." (TSN.ca, 6/14/2012)

However, the biggest question becomes what will Pearn's role become with the Jets?

In Montreal, Pearn was the Canadiens defensive coach, helping the progress of young PK Subban and Josh Gorges.

However, Huddy currently has the post as the defensive coach showing vast improvements in the games of Zach Bogosian and Dustin Byfuglien last season.

With his wealth of experience and knowledge, Pearn adds to the already knowledgeable Jets staff (Huddy has 13 years experience) as they try to put the proper people in place to make another step towards a playoff spot in 2012-13.

In addition to signing Pearn, the Jets re-upped their other assistant coaches including goalie coach Wade Flaherty, video coach Tony Borgford, and St. John's Ice Caps assistant coach Mark Morrison.

When Football & Hockey Collide

Last night in Philadelphia, the much maligned in the scoring department Winnipeg Jets had no problem scoring goals.

Their problem was they had more troubles keeping it out of their own net.

When everything was said and done, all four goalies were used and one of them was used twice and eventually got the win.

Ondrej Pavelec got to finish what he started in the Jets 9-8 win Thursday night and perhaps it was for the better of his ego.

If his ego could be shot anymore that it was after he allowed

Once again, the Jets found that their defense is young and still has some major flaws - as in blatant giveaways in the high slot and lazy defensive zone coverage around their own net.

And another four goal lead was squandered, however, luckily this time the offense was on board and provided some timely and quick goals to regain leads.

The Jets had leads of 5-1, 6-2, 8-7, and finally 9-8.

Biggest disappointment of the night was letting the Flyers back into the game with a 6-2 lead mid way through the second period.

Both teams answered the other team with five unanswered goals in the game - the Jets did it from 10:01 of the first to 4:39 of the second, while the Flyers did it from 14:11 of the second to 3:02 of the third.

Not only that, both teams combined for five goals in the first 4:31 of the third - the Flyers scoring three, the Jets two.

And wouldn't you know it, the winner comes with 1:06 left as captain Andrew Ladd wins it and ironically scores it against the goalie who said that Winnipeg was a terrible place to play, raise a family, and do anything at all in.

Pretty good night if you like scoring.

Terrible night if you're a goalie coach like Wade Flaherty.

Actually, I thought Pavelec looked alot like Flaherty. And not the Manitoba Moose Flaherty, but the NHL Flaherty who didn't have that much success.

And that is what happens when a hockey game starts and a football game breaks out.

The Blue Bombers got a touchdown, missed the convert but made up with a field goal, while the Eagles had to settle for a field goal and a rogue.

Let's hope that for the last six games of this road trip, the offense is still there and the goaltending can catch up.


Photo Couresty of Yahoo! Sports & Getty Images

Jets Announce Trio of Coaches

Charlie Huddy, Wade Flaherty, and Tony Borgford as coaches.

Huddy will be assistant to Noel on the bench. while Flaherty will be goalie coach and Borgford the video coach.

Huddy was last an assistant in Dallas for two seasons. Before that, he was in Edmonton for a better part of the last decade.






Flaherty has ties to Winnipeg when he played for the Manitoba Moose from 2004-05 to 2006-07. Flaherty had his best season, which included an AHL All-Star appearance during the 2005-06 season when the MTS Centre held the AHL All-Star Classic. Flaherty was 26-17-4 with a 2.40 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.








Borgford has been involved in the Atlanta Thrashers organization from day one and will continue as video coach.

Ex-Moose Wade Flaherty Next Coach Rumour

Another coaching possibility as a goalie development coach for the Jets has come up in the form of Wade Flaherty.