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Roy Sommer

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Roy Sommer
Sommer in 2004
Born (1957-04-05) April 5, 1957 (age 67)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg; 12 st 12 lb)
Position Center
Shot Left
Played for Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
NHL draft 101st overall, 1977
Toronto Maple Leafs
Playing career 1977–1987
Coaching career 1987–present

Roy A. Sommer (born April 5, 1957) is an American ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey player, who currently serves as the head coach for the Wenatchee Wild of the Western Hockey League. Sommer played three games for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League during the 1980–81 season, before spending the rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1977 to 1987, in the minor leagues. He was the head coach of the American Hockey League's San Jose Barracuda from 1998 to 2019 and from 2020 to 2022. The Barracuda, the AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, has also been known as the Kentucky Thoroughblades, Cleveland Barons, Worcester Sharks throughout his tenure. He was the longest-tenured head coach with the same organization in the AHL and has the most AHL wins as head coach.

Sommer grew up in the San Francisco area where he played youth hockey for Skyline High School before moving to Calgary at age 17.[1] He was the first product of California hockey to reach the NHL.[2]

Coaching career

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On November 1, 2009, while with the Worcester Sharks, Sommer became just the fourth head coach in AHL history to reach 400 wins.[3]

On February 10, 2016, while with the San Jose Barracuda, Sommer became the winningest head coach in AHL history when he reached 637 wins. He surpassed Bun Cook, who spent 19 seasons as a head coach in the AHL.[4] He won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's coach of the year in 2017 after leading the Barracuda to the best regular season finish in the AHL's Pacific Division.[5]

On December 11, 2019, after the NHL San Jose Sharks fired head coach Peter DeBoer and his staff, Sommer left the San Jose Barracuda to serve as the Sharks associate coach under interim head coach Bob Boughner.[6] After working the final 37 games of the 2019–20 NHL season with the Sharks, Sommer returned to the Barracuda on September 22, 2020.[7]

Sommer won his 800th game as a head coach on January 8, 2022, against the Henderson Silver Knights. On May 18, he transitioned to a senior advisory role within the team as assistant John McCarthy was named his successor. In 24 seasons with the Sharks organization, he recorded 808 wins against 721 losses, 48 ties, and 159 overtime defeats.[8]

On July 12, 2022, shortly after Mike Grier was hired to replace Doug Wilson as the Sharks GM, Sommer was named head coach of the San Diego Gulls.[9][10]

On April 15, 2023, Roy Sommer announced his intention to retire on the day of the Gulls' final game of the season against the Colorado Eagles.[11]

Personal life

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Sommer and his wife, Melissa, have three children together: son Marley, who has Down syndrome,[12] son Castan, who coaches men’s ice hockey at College of the Holy Cross, and daughter Kira.

Career statistics

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Regular season and playoffs

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Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
1974–75 Edmonton Oil Kings WCHL 1 0 0 0 5 — — — — —
1974–75 Spruce Grove Mets AJHL 53 16 19 35 185 — — — — —
1975–76 Calgary Centennials WCHL 70 13 24 37 155 — — — — —
1976–77 Calgary Centennials WCHL 50 16 22 38 111 9 5 9 14 8
1977–78 Saginaw Gears IHL 12 2 3 5 2 — — — — —
1977–78 Grand Rapids Owls IHL 45 20 18 38 67 — — — — —
1978–79 Spokane Flyers PHL 45 19 30 49 196 — — — — —
1979–80 Grand Rapids Owls IHL 9 1 4 5 32 — — — — —
1979–80 Houston Apollos CHL 69 24 31 55 246 6 2 2 4 8
1980–81 Wichita Wind CHL 57 13 22 35 212 14 3 2 5 61
1980–81 Edmonton Oilers NHL 3 1 0 1 7 — — — — —
1981–82 Wichita Wind CHL 76 17 28 45 193 — — — — —
1982–83 Wichita Wind CHL 73 22 39 61 130 — — — — —
1983–84 Maine Mariners AHL 67 7 10 17 202 14 6 1 7 24
1984–85 Maine Mariners AHL 80 12 13 25 175 11 4 2 6 27
1985–86 Indianapolis Checkers IHL 37 9 10 19 118 — — — — —
1985–86 Muskegon Lumberjacks IHL 27 5 8 13 109 12 2 4 6 92
1986–87 Muskegon Lumberjacks IHL 65 14 13 27 219 15 3 3 6 44
CHL totals 275 76 120 196 781 20 5 4 9 69
IHL totals 195 51 56 107 547 27 5 7 12 136
NHL totals 3 1 0 1 7 — — — — —

International

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Year Team Event GP G A Pts PIM
1977 United States WJC 7 3 1 4 0
Junior totals 7 3 1 4 0

References

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  1. ^ "1977 NHL Amateur Draft -- Roy Sommer". Hockeydraftcentral.com. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  2. ^ "Roy Sommer, a California original". 27 January 2012.
  3. ^ "Worcester Sharks Head Coach Roy Sommer Collects 400th Win". Worcester Sharks. November 1, 2009. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
  4. ^ "Sommer sets career wins record with No. 637". American Hockey League. February 11, 2016.
  5. ^ "SOMMER NAMED AHL COACH OF THE YEAR". American Hockey League. April 12, 2017.
  6. ^ "Sharks Announce Changes to Coaching Staff". San Jose Sharks. December 11, 2019. Retrieved December 11, 2019.
  7. ^ "San Jose Sharks Announce Organizational Coaching Staff". San Jose Sharks. National Hockey League. September 22, 2020. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  8. ^ "San Jose Barracuda announce changes to coaching staff". San Jose Barracuda. May 18, 2022. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  9. ^ "Anaheim Ducks Name Roy Sommer San Diego Gulls Head Coach". July 12, 2022.
  10. ^ "Roy Sommer, Rob Dimaio Press Conference". July 12, 2022.
  11. ^ "Roy Sommer announces his intention to retire". April 15, 2023.
  12. ^ "Roy Sommer is a record-setting AHL coach, but his team would be lost without son Marley". The Hockey News. March 26, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2015.
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