Norfolk names coaching staff, GM

This isn't a surprise since Darren Rumble talked about it last week, but Rumble was officially introduced as Norfolk's coach and Alan May as his assistant. Mike Butters also was named general manager.

Here is the announcement from the team:

"Mike Butters is a lifetime hockey man with extended experience as a player, manager and owner," Lightning vice president of hockey operations Brian Lawton said. "He is a meticulous evaluator of talent and his knowledge of the game will prove to be a valuable asset for the Admirals as we try to return them to the top of the standings. Darren Rumble has done an excellent job as an assistant the previous three seasons. His coaching responsibilities have increased during that time and we feel he is ready to take the next step. His ability to communicate with players and his experience behind the bench make him an ideal coach in Norfolk.

"May brings an extensive knowledge of the game of hockey as a player and coach. He will be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of our top prospects and hone their skills to prepare them for the NHL. Alan's coaching style is such that we feel confident in his abilities to develop our minor league talent."

A native of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Butters has spent over 16 years in the pro and junior hockey ranks as a player, coach, general manager and owner. Butters has served as president, co-owner and associate coach of the Helena Bighorns junior A team for the past eight years. In the past four seasons as members of the Northern Pacific Hockey League, Butters led the Bighorns to three Cascade Cup Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2008. During his tenure in Helena, Butters has promoted over 60 players to the NCAA level as well as several others to major junior and the professional ranks.

In the mid 1990s, Butters was instrumental in the formation of the West Coast Hockey League (WCHL), whose teams joined the East Coast Hockey League following the 2002-03 season to form the new ECHL. Butters was the general manager of the WCHL's Bakersfield Fog during their inaugural season in 1995-96.

Butters played eight years of professional hockey, signing contracts with the Detroit Red Wings, Québec Nordiques and Montréal Canadiens and playing for their minor league affiliates. In 21 career AHL games with Adirondack, Halifax and New Haven, Butters posted two goals, three assists and 76 penalty minutes. In 65 career IHL games with Fort Wayne, he recorded six goals and six assists with 216 penalty minutes. Butters also played professional roller hockey in the RHI and Pro Beach Hockey. He captained Team Canada in roller hockey for two years, playing in over 40 international games.

Butters, a defenseman/right wing, is familiar with the Admirals from his time with the ECHL's Greensboro Monarchs during the 1989-90 and 1991-92 seasons. He won the Riley Cup with the Monarchs in 1990. Butters was also a member of Greensboro during the 1992 playoffs when the Monarchs fell to the Admirals three games to one in the East Division Finals. In 77 ECHL regular season games, Butters scored 14 goals and added 27 assists with 368 penalty minutes. He added five goals and five assists with 173 penalty minutes in 21 playoff games.

The 2008-09 season will mark the twentieth year of involvement in professional hockey for Darren Rumble. The Barrie, Ontario native spent last season as assistant coach of the Admirals. It was his third full season as assistant coach of the Lightning's AHL affiliate. Rumble began his coaching career as assistant coach of the Springfield Falcons in December 2004 immediately upon retiring from a 15-year professional playing career. He remained in Springfield until the Lightning moved its AHL affiliate to Norfolk last season.

A defenseman, Rumble appeared in 184 NHL games with Tampa Bay, Philadelphia, Ottawa and St. Louis, recording ten goals and 26 assists with 216 penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by the Flyers in the first round, 20 th overall, of the 1987 NHL Entry Draft. He was a member of the 2004 Lightning Stanley Cup Championship team.

Rumble also appeared in 614 career American Hockey League contests, scoring 77 goals and 317 assists with 612 penalty minutes between Hershey, New Haven, Prince Edward Island, Philadelphia, Worcester and Springfield. At the time of his retirement, his 394 career AHL points ranked him second among active AHL defensemen. In 1994-95, Rumble led the AHL with a +45 rating and was named to the league's Second All-Star Team. In 1996-97, he was a First All-Star Team selection and won the Eddie Shore Award as the AHL's outstanding defenseman.

May, a native of Barrhead, Alberta, spent a total of 12 seasons playing professional hockey including stops in the NHL, AHL, IHL and the WPHL. The left wing was a veteran of 393 NHL games with Boston, Edmonton, Washington, Dallas and Calgary. He recorded 31 career goals, 76 points and 1,348 penalty minutes. May also played in 40 Stanley Cup Playoff games with a goal and three points. His 339 penalty minutes during the 1989-90 season remains a Washington franchise record.

In 139 career AHL games with Springfield, Nova Scotia, Maine and Cape Breton, May posted 32 goals and 35 assists with 735 penalty minutes. He also added six goals, three assists and 156 penalty minutes in 20 Calder Cup Playoff games, making it to the Calder Cup Finals with New Haven in 1989. May also tallied 22 goals, 28 assists and 438 penalty minutes in 156 career IHL games between Orlando, Detroit, Utah and Houston. He won the 1996 Turner Cup as a member of the Utah Grizzlies.

May retired following the 1996-97 season to become head coach of the 1997-98 Fayetteville Force in the CHL, leading them to a 25-42-3 record. After briefly returning to the ice in 1998-99 for the WPHL's Abilene Aviators, May once again got behind the bench with the Aviators in 1999-00 and posted a 42-24-4 record in one season as head coach.

May has been running youth hockey clinics in the Dallas, Texas area since 1998. He was instrumental in the founding of the Texas Aces hockey club, which is the largest traveling youth hockey program in Texas. May also served as a radio pre and post-game show analyst for the Dallas Stars in 2006-07 and served as an analyst for the NHL Network last season.

Comments

[Steve R]

Badbud,

Dude, you don't think the Bolts rolling three scoring lines will take some pressure off of their D? They're not a one trick pony this year. I don't see them taking the SE (yea, I know, I'm biased) this year, but to say the team isn't improved makes no sense.

[Don in St. Pete]

I'm noting all the intentional mis-spelling Bud, though mot sure I get it. We have questions for sure, and not all will be answered by the start of the season, but I like where we're at right now better than where we started last season.

[Badbud]

Tinklebulge.

Better on Paper:0

Let me know when the finals of the Paper Stanley Cup is be held.

Yeah they have a shot right now,Too bad 29 other teams do also.

Think I will wait to see if they are "Bettor" or just Differant.

Still a HUGHE ??? in Net,to be answered.

They will score goals,but that is only 1/2 of it,they scored alright last season,But they gave up way to many to win.

[Twinebulge]

Badbud seems to have been sold some :)

Reminds me of "Netminder", some kid on the defunct sunshine network message board...same commmunication style if you can call it that. Maybe it is him - is that you Netminder? It is, isn't it. Thought so. We're not better, with Stamkos, Malone, Kolzig, Recchi, Vrbata? That statement reflects a knowledge of hockey that rivals the demonstrated business acumen. (Need to look up acumen - try under A)

When is there Change You Can Believe In - when it's something besides a completely meaningless jingle aimed at the easily programmed Kool-Aid generation who find vapid bumpersticker slogans, groupthink and "belief" to be a convenient substitute for actual critical thought? We have three lines instead of one, a second megastar center in the starting gate, a real NHL-level 2nd-line power forward finally to replace Modin, plus an actual playoff caliber goalie, and we're STILL coming in 30th in 09? Dang. Glad that got straightened out there before we got too excited or hopeful. After all, if we have hope, hopes get dashed, and then our feewings get hurt. Awwww.

I'm surprised anyone would put down even HALF of a $200M stack if they could finance more. I'd have expected Koules to put down no more than 10 or 20%, if only his French bank hadn't turned out to be infested with embezzling maggots and gone belly up

Koules is smart enough to know the magic secret that isn't a secret or magic - Leverage OPM whenever possible

[Don in St. Pete]

Bud, I acknowledge that the season and in fact training camp have not yet begun, so yes you are right, they are better in theory only. One thing I do have to say though, last year we were so bad that almost anything different has to be better, unless of course Feaster were still in charge and PS&E still the owners in which case we would undoubtedly be hands down favorites in the Tavares sweepstakes.

[Badbud]

Hey Don, I know you think they are "Better" on Paper.

Let me me know when they give out the "Paper Stanley Cup"

They are not Better on the Ice,as they have NOT,(key word,dude) Not been on the Ice yet.

Differant is Not Better.

[Don in St. Pete]

Olin, Ughh! That's even worse! Badbud, I'm not going to argue with you because it doesn't make any sense. Everyone except you in the whole world has said we're better today than we were at the end of last season. Are we perfect? No, but we won't be coming in 30th and will likely challenge for the SE title.

[olin storahund]

...Don in St.Pete- update for mathieu darche- he's signed with buffalo, and not going to salzburg.

[Badbud]

the only thing they have DONE is made team Differant,not Better yet.

They are are still LAST PLACE TEAM, till they prove otherwise.

Despite, what all you Koule-Aid drinkers think. or try to spin it.

nothing has changed yet,Nobody, Nobody,not even the most deep seated Koule-Aider like Don can say anything else.

Differant is Not Better

[Don in St. Pete]

Badbud, Maybe you should have bought the team and paid cash since you seem to know everything and to read your post's the new owners have done nothing right.

[bingo]

Yo, Badbud - did you buy your house with cash? What did you put down? Or, did you even put anything down? To pay cash for the team would be an ignorant business deal and you do know about ignorance.
This is a business and to put up 100 mil cash and then finance the other 50% is smart. I don't care who the holder of the mortgage is that is not material. Go spin the junk on some other blog.

Bingo

[Badbud]

All those dollar bills and he still had to get PS&E to tote the mote.

You do know that the companies and the actors get the lions share of all those dollar bill's, Right?

[Twinebulge]

"Butters has served as president, co-owner and associate coach of the Helena Bighorns junior A team for the past eight years. In the past four seasons as members of the Northern Pacific Hockey League, Butters led the Bighorns to three Cascade Cup Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2008."

It will surprise no one to learn that the Helena Bighorns is owned by......Oren Koules

Who knew Koules did John Q with Denzel W - that movie did OK. The #1 sitcom on TV is his too. Saw V comes out soon, VI in 09....dollar bills in abundance

[Twinebulge]

"Butters has served as president, co-owner and associate coach of the Helena Bighorns junior A team for the past eight years. In the past four seasons as members of the Northern Pacific Hockey League, Butters led the Bighorns to three Cascade Cup Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2008."

It will surprise no one to learn that the Helena Bighorns is owned by......Oren Koules

Who knew Koules did John Q with Denzel W - that movie did OK. The #1 sitcom on TV is his too. Saw V comes out soon, VI in 09....dollar bills in abundance

[kk]

Butters is from Winnipeg! How can they miss?

[Badbud]

Dang it ,man 2 years in a row Norfolk,will miss the play-offs.

Lightning has not been very good in minors at all.

[Tris Wykes]

Link below takes you to a more in-depth account.

http://www.dailypress2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17694&page=4