CRANBERRY, Pa. — If a player retires and makes the transition to an NHL front office job, a common starting point is the role of player development coach.
Bill Guerin was a Penguins development coach for three seasons from 2011-14. Mark Recchi also began as a development coach with the Penguins for three seasons from 2014-17. Sergei Gonchar joined the Penguins as a defense development coach after retiring in 2015, and held the position for two seasons.
It's a natural step for players who took on the role of a mentor in their later years as a player.