Former NHLer Bickel lands AHL coaching job

Former NHL and minor league journeyman blue liner Stu Bickel has been hired as an assistant coach by the AHL's Coachella Valley Firebirds. The 35 year old Bickel will work under head coach Dan Bylsma.

“We are excited to add Stu to our coaching staff,” Firebirds head coach Dan Bylsma stated in a press release on the team's official website. “Stu brings a wealth of knowledge and playing experience to the Valley. He will play a key role in developing our team’s defensive game."

Stu Bickel, not to be confused with former NHL forward Bryan Bickell, joins the Firebirds coaching staff after serving as the assistant coach for the AHL’s Springfield Thunderbirds for the 2021-2022 season. Bickel previously served as head coach and assistant manager for the Minnesota Magicians in the North American Hockey League. A native of Minnesota, Bickel also worked as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Minnesota from 2018-2020. As a player, Bickel skated in 76 NHL games from 2011-2015 for the New York Rangers and Minnesota Wild. The defenseman/winger completed over 10 AHL seasons with several different teams scoring 12 goals, 42 assists, and racked up 919 penalty minutes in 310 games.