Gades set to hire Dineen

Gades set to hire Dineen May 20, 2002

New coach NHL defenseman for 13 years

BY JERRY LINDQUIST
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

The Richmond Renegades will name former NHL defenseman Gord Dineen as their new coach, sources told The Times-Dispatch yesterday.

The announcement is expected to come this week, possibly as early as tomorrow.

Renegades General Manager Paul Gamsby wasn't available for comment, but Dineen, 39, has been the object of ongoing rumors involving the East Coast Hockey League team's search to replace Mark Kaufman (fired) for some time.

Gamsby previously acknowledged he had narrowed a list of 37 applicants to three finalists, saying he preferred not to identify them. Dineen, who made his head coaching debut this season with the ECHL's Macon (Ga.) Whoopee, reportedly was among the leading candidates for the new American Hockey League franchise in San Antonio that will begin play next year.

From Toronto, Dineen was a second-round draft choice of the New York Islanders in the 1981 NHL entry draft. Thirteen of his 18 pro seasons were spent in the NHL with the Islanders, Minnesota North Stars, Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators. In all, he appeared in 568 NHL games, including playoffs. Dineen also played in the American, International and Central hockey leagues. His last active season was 1999-2000 with the then-IHL Utah Grizzlies.

From a well-known hockey family, Dineen began coaching full time (2000-01) as an assistant with the AHL Louisville Panthers. In Macon's first ECHL campaign after the franchise was moved from Tallahassee, Fla., Dineen had the Whoopee near the top of the Southeast Division before a late slide. In its last 17 games, Macon was 1-12-4, finishing 29-31-12 and out of the playoffs.

The Whoopee got a late start, opened training camp without a goaltender and still got off to a fast start. It was 4-0-1, 12-5-3 and a season's-best 28-19-8 near the trading deadline when the wheels started to come off. Losing best player Mike Green (27 goals, 62 points, plus-22 in 54 games) to a call-up didn't help.

"Gord did a heck of a job, getting the most out of this team," defenseman Rick Emmett told the Macon Telegraph at season's end.

Like the Renegades (32-30-10), who didn't make the playoffs, the Whoopee had a hard time scoring goals. Goaltender Chris Madden was the team's only representative to the all-star game. He finished with 20 wins but second overall in losses (24). The only Macon player to finish high in a statistical category was tough guy Kris Waltze, who was second in major penalties with 30.

Owned by Dave Elmore, who operated the Renegades for one season (1993-94), the Whoopee wound up 26th in league attendance (2,791 per game). Sources say Macon will not operate next season.

Dineen will become the sixth coach since the Renegades joined the ECHL in 1990-91. Kaufman was let go despite a four-year record of 151-109-24. His first team reached the Kelly Cup finals. His last team failed to make post-season play for the first time under his watch.

Dineen's father Bill played six years in the NHL and was a member of two Stanley Cup-champion teams in Detroit. Now a scout with the St. Louis Blues, Bill Dineen also coached the Philadelphia Flyers (1991-93) and won two World Hockey Association titles with the New England Whalers. Gord Dineen is one of five brothers to play professional hockey.

Kevin Dineen, now with Columbus, has been in the NHL for 18 years. Peter, who played briefly in the NHL, scouts for Columbus. Shawn is a scout for Vancouver. Jerry, who played two seasons in the ECHL, is a videographer for the New York Rangers.