Rob Cookson (born January 25, 1961, in Lacombe, Alberta) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach.
Cookson, who did not play professional ice hockey, [1] worked for Hockey Canada as manager of video production beginning in 1991, attending several international tournaments as a member of Team Canada's coaching staff, including the 1994 and 1998 Olympic Games, Men's and Junior World Championships. [2] As an assistant coach, he helped Team Canada win silver at the Olympic Games in Lillehammer, and gold at the 1997 and 2003 World Championships as well as at the 1995, 1996, 1997 and 2004 Junior World Championships. His responsibilities included video preparation, analysis and video pre-scouting. [3]
In March 1998, he was named video coordinator of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL). [4] He lasted three years in that job and then was signed by the Calgary Flames as an assistant coach in 2001. He parted ways with the Flames at the end of the 2010-11 season. [5]
In the 2011-12 season, Cookson served as assistant coach of the University of Calgary men's ice hockey team. [6]
Cookson was assistant coach of the ZSC Lions of the Swiss top-flight National League A (NLA) from 2012 to 2016, serving under head Marc Crawford. [7] Under their guidance, the Lions won the Swiss national championship in 2014, the Swiss cup competition in 2016 and three NLA regular season championships (2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16). [8]
In December 2015, he was named to the coaching staff of Team Canada for the Spengler Cup, serving as an assistant. [9] Canada ended up winning the prestigious tournament. [10]
On June 15, 2016, he was named as an assistant coach of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League (NHL), serving under head coach Guy Boucher and reuniting with associate coach Marc Crawford. [11] On December 21, 2019, Cookson was named assistant coach at HC Lugano (Switzerland). [12]
In November 2021 he was named an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks. [13]
Marc Joseph John Crawford is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is currently the head coach of the ZSC Lions of the National League (NL). He played as a forward for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL). Crawford won the Stanley Cup in 1996 as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL. He has also been the head coach of the Quebec Nordiques, Vancouver Canucks, Los Angeles Kings, Dallas Stars, and interim head coach of the Ottawa Senators. He has also coached at the international level, as head coach of Team Canada at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Crawford has won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as coach of the year in the American Hockey League and the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in the NHL.
Serge D. Aubin is a Canadian ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey centre who played 374 games in the National Hockey League for the Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Atlanta Thrashers. He is currently serving as head coach of Eisbären Berlin in the German DEL.
Robert "Bob" Hartley is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach. He most recently served as the head coach of Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He has additionally coached the Latvia men's national ice hockey team. He coached the Colorado Avalanche from 1998–2002 and won the Stanley Cup in 2001. He also coached the Atlanta Thrashers from the 2003–04 season up until the beginning of the 2007–08 season, when he was fired after the Thrashers got off to an 0–6 start. Hartley was an ice hockey analyst for the French-language RDS television channel until 2011, when he became the head coach of the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League A. From 2012 to 2016, Hartley was the head coach of the Calgary Flames.
The Zürcher Schlittschuh Club Lions are a professional ice hockey team located in Zürich, Switzerland, playing in the National League (NL). Their home arena is the 12,000-seat Swiss Life Arena. The team was founded in 1930 and played at the Dolder-Kunsteisbahn from its establishment until 1950. Between 1950 and 2022 they played at the Hallenstadion.
Steve McCarthy is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. McCarthy played in the National Hockey League with the Chicago Blackhawks, Vancouver Canucks and the Atlanta Thrashers.
Larry Robert Huras, is a Canadian ice hockey coach and a former player. He played 2 games in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers during the 1976–77 season. The rest of his career, which lasted from 1975 to 1994, was mainly spent in the French league. After his playing career Huras turned to coaching, and spent several years in the Nationalliga A, the top league in Switzerland.
Daniel J. Fritsche is a Swiss-American former professional ice hockey forward. He played for Genève-Servette HC, HC Lugano and the ZSC Lions in the National League (NL) and in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Columbus Blue Jackets, the New York Rangers and the Minnesota Wild.
Douglas Arthur Shedden is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He played in the National Hockey League between 1981 and 1991. After his playing career he became a coach, and worked in the minor leagues for several years. He coached Team Finland to a bronze medal in 2008 World Championships. Shedden is currently coaching HC '05 Banská Bystrica in the Slovak Tipos extraliga.
Domenico Pittis is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre. He is currently an assistant coach with the Calgary Wranglers in the American Hockey League (AHL).
Patrick Fischer is a Swiss ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey forward who played briefly in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Arizona Coyotes. He predominantly played in his native country in the National League A. He is currently the head coach of the Swiss national team.
Sean Simpson is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. He last served as head coach of Adler Mannheim in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in Germany.
Reto Berra is a Swiss professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently playing for HC Fribourg-Gottéron of the National League (NL). Berra played seven seasons in Switzerland's National League A, spending time with the GCK Lions, HC Davos and SCL Tigers before joining EHC Biel in 2009 where he was the team's starting goaltender for four years. He was an NHL draft pick of the St. Louis Blues, selected in the fourth round of the 2006 NHL Entry Draft and was traded to the Calgary Flames, with whom he made his NHL debut in 2013–14. Internationally, Berra has played with the Swiss National Team on several occasions; he has appeared in two World Championships. At the 2013 tournament, he shared goaltending duties with Martin Gerber and helped lead Switzerland to a silver medal, the nation's first medal in 60 years.
Andres Ambühl is a Swiss professional ice hockey forward and captain of HC Davos of the National League (NL). He has won six Swiss top league championships, two Spengler Cups, and a silver medal with Switzerland at the 2013 World Championship. Ambühl also represented Switzerland at Winter Olympics in 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022. He holds the records for the most top-division appearances (18) and top-division games played (131) in World Championship history.
Maxim Noreau is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for SC Rapperswil-Jona Lakers of the National League (NL). He has formerly played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Minnesota Wild.
Drew Shore is an American former professional ice hockey center who played in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was a second round selection, 44th overall, of the Florida Panthers at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft and played parts of two seasons with Florida prior to being traded to Calgary. Internationally, Shore has represented the United States at both the junior and senior levels; He was a member of the American entry at the 2014 IIHF World Championship.
Patrick Curcio is a Canadian-Italian professional ice hockey coach, executive and former professional ice hockey player. Pat is now a Partner with Optima World Sports
Colin Muller is a Canadian-born Swiss professional ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey player. Colin played ice hockey in the Swiss A league from 1983 to 2000 and has been coaching in Switzerland since 2000. He is currently serving as the head coach of the Swiss women's national team.
Harold Kreis is a German-Canadian ice hockey coach and a former professional player. He is a member of the German ice hockey hall of fame.
Chris McSorley is a Canadian ice hockey coach and executive. He is the brother of former NHL player Marty McSorley.
Hans Kossmann is a Canadian-Swiss professional ice hockey coach.