Kelly Buchberger


Kelly Michael Buchberger is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He was the assistant coach for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League and is the head coach of the Tri City Americans of the Western Hockey League.

Playing career

Buchberger has played for the Edmonton Oilers, Atlanta Thrashers, Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. He also played minor hockey with the Western Hockey League Moose Jaw Warriors and pro hockey with the American Hockey League Nova Scotia Oilers.
He was drafted in the ninth round by the Edmonton Oilers in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, making him the 188th overall pick. He made his NHL debut in 1987 Stanley Cup finals. During his playing career, he was known best for his gritty play and leadership, having captained the Oilers for four years as the team's 9th leader in franchise history. He won two Stanley Cups with Edmonton, in 1987 and 1990.
Buchberger was the last remaining active member of the Oilers' roster to have been on one of their five Stanley Cup winning teams, along with Marty McSorley. He remained with the Oilers until 1999, when he was selected by the Atlanta Thrashers in the 1999 NHL Expansion Draft.

Coaching career

After retiring, Buchberger was an assistant coach with the AHL Edmonton Road Runners team in 2004–05. He then joined the Oilers management as a development coach. On August 3, 2007, he was named head coach of the Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Falcons, and guided the team to a 35–35–10 record, the team's first.500 season since 1998–99. Buchberger then was promoted to the Edmonton Oilers during the 2008 offseason, becoming an assistant coach with them. On June 10, 2014, he was reassigned to the role of player personnel and replaced as assistant coach by Craig Ramsay.
On July 11, 2017, Buchberger was hired as the assistant coach by the New York Islanders. In 2018, he was named the head coach of the Tri-City Americans in the Western Hockey League.

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Coaching record

Awards and honours