Kevin Constantine
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Kevin Constantine (b. December 27, 1958) has coached hockey teams in the NHL, IHL, and numerous major junior hockey leagues. He is currently coach of the Houston Aeros in the AHL.
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[edit] Playing career
Born in International Falls, Minnesota, Constantine was drafted as goaltender by the Montreal Canadiens in the 1978 NHL Draft, and played six games of collegiate hockey for at RPI in Troy, York. He left RPI as a junior and finished his degree at the University of Nevada-Reno.
[edit] Coaching career
Born in International Falls, Minnesota, Constantine made a name for himself as a head coach in the late 1980s and early 1990s by guiding the Rochester Mustangs of the USHL and the Kansas City Blades of the IHL to winning records, as well as coaching the 1991 U.S. National Junior team to its (then) best-ever record at the World Junior Championships. Having found success at lower levels, he was hired as head coach of the San Jose Sharks for the 1993-1994 season: under his guidance, the team set an NHL record for largest improvement by finishing 58 points higher in the standings than it had the previous season. Between 1993 and 2002, Constantine would coach the Sharks, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the New Jersey Devils, earning a record of 159–153–66. He is the only coach in NHL history to take two eighth-seeded teams to first-round Stanley Cup playoff upsets (San Jose over the Detroit Red Wings in 1994 and Pittsburgh over New Jersey in 1999).
In 2001, he founded the Pittsburgh Forge, a new entry in the NAHL. In two seasons as the team's general manager and co-coach, Constantine amassed a record of 80–24–8 -- the Forge won the NAHL regular season championship in 2002. After the 2002-2003 season, Constantine left Pittsburgh to be hired by the WHL expansion team, the Everett Silvertips. In their first year, the Silvertips broke the record for best season ever by a first-year team in the major junior hockey leagues (the WHL, OHL and QMJHL), winning the U.S. Division Championship -- they continued to set records, winning three straight playoff rounds to claim the Western Conference Championship and advance to the WHL Final against the Medicine Hat Tigers, where they lost 4–0.
On May 29, 2007, Constantine was named the head coach of the AHL's Houston Aeros.
[edit] Coaching records
| Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | Type | W | L | T | PTS. | PCT. | W | L | PTS. | PCT. | |||
| 1985–86 | North Iowa Huskies | USHL | Head Coach | 17 | 24 | 4 | 38 | .354 | -?- | -?- | -?- | -?- | |||
| 1987–88 | Rochester Mustangs | USHL | Head Coach | 39 | 7 | 2 | 80 | .833 | -?- | -?- | -?- | -?- | |||
| 1991–92 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | Head Coach | 56 | 22 | 4 | 116 | .683 | -?- | -?- | -?- | -?- | |||
| 1992–93 | Kansas City Blades | IHL | Head Coach | 46 | 26 | 10 | 102 | .561 | -?- | -?- | -?- | -?- | |||
| 1993–94 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | Head Coach | 33 | 35 | 16 | 82 | .488 | 7 | 7 | 14 | .500 | |||
| 1994–95 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | Head Coach | 19 | 25 | 4 | 42 | .438 | 4 | 7 | 8 | .364 | |||
| 1995–96 | San Jose Sharks | NHL | Head Coach+ | 3 | 18 | 4 | 10 | .200 | - | - | - | - | |||
| 1997–98 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | Head Coach | 40 | 24 | 18 | 98 | .598 | 2 | 4 | 4 | .333 | |||
| 1998–99 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | Head Coach | 38 | 30 | 14 | 90 | .549 | 6 | 7 | 12 | .462 | |||
| 1999–00 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | Head Coach+ | 6 | 13 | 7 | 19 | .365 | - | - | - | - | |||
| 2001–02 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | Head Coach++ | 20 | 8 | 2 | 42 | .694 | 2 | 4 | 4 | .333 | |||
+ = Fired midseason ++ Midseason replacement
[edit] Awards
Constantine has been the recipient of USA Hockey's Distinguished Achievement Award: USA Hockey is the governing body for amateur ice hockey in the United States, and the award recognizes a U.S. citizen who has made a major contribution to hockey in the United States.
He won the 1991–1992 Commissioner's Trophy.
Constantine also was awarded the Coach of the Year award by the WHL in 2004.
Constantine was given the highly coveted Houdini Award by his high school baseball team.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by George Kingston |
Head Coach of the San Jose Sharks 1993–1995 |
Succeeded by Jim Wiley |
| Preceded by Eddie Johnston |
Head Coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins 1997–2000 |
Succeeded by Herb Brooks |
| Preceded by Larry Robinson |
Head Coach of the New Jersey Devils 2001–2002 |
Succeeded by Pat Burns |
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