National Hockey League

New Avalanche coach Bednar gets first chance in NHL

Published Aug. 31, 2016 6:47 p.m. ET

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DENVER (AP) Jared Bednar never got a shot in the NHL as a player but he's getting one now as a coach.

The Colorado Avalanche hired Bednar two weeks ago to replace Patrick Roy, who unexpectedly resigned as head coach and vice president of hockey operations on Aug. 11.

That gave the 44-year-old Bednar his first chance in the NHL after spending his playing career in the minor leagues. He played nine years, ascending as high as the American Hockey League before becoming an assistant coach.

His first job as a head coach came in 2007 with the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. He led the Stingrays to the Kelly Cup in his second year.

His four-year coaching career in the AHL culminated with winning the 2016 Calder Cup with the Lake Erie Monsters, the affiliate for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

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