Sergei Gonchar has joined the Pittsburgh Penguins’ coaching staff as defensemen development coach, it was announced today by executive vice president and general manager Jim Rutherford.
In his new role, Gonchar will work with Pittsburgh’s defensemen at the NHL level and throughout the Penguins’ system. He will also scout European tournaments on behalf of the team.
Gonchar, 41, enjoyed a stellar 20-year NHL career that saw him record 811 regular-season points (220G-591A), the most among Russian-born blueliners in NHL history.
The Chelyabinsk, Russia native spent some of his best seasons in Pittsburgh from 2005-10, helping lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup championship in 2009 and a Cup Final appearance in ’08.