Breaking: Penguins add another former star to coaching staff

The Pittsburgh Penguins have announced that they’ve promoted development coach Sergei Gonchar to an assistant coaching position for the 2017-18 season. The former Penguins star will head behind the bench for the first-time since re-joining the franchise in 2015.

Sources throughout the organization point to Gonchar’s development work with the Penguins’ young defense corps over the past two seasons as a major factor in the team’s back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. As a development coach Gonchar worked mainly during practice time and in the team’s off-ice facilities. With this latest move, Gonchar will be able to show the team what he’s made of behind the bench during game action.

Of course, Gonchar is no stranger to the NHL game. The veteran of over 1300 NHL games is considered one of the best offensive defensemen of his era and retired with 220 career goals and 811 career points. He captured a Stanley Cup championship with the Penguins as a player in 2009 and was often credited for being the individual solely responsible for transitioning a young Evgeny Malkin to life in North America.