SAN JOSE BARRACUDA ANNOUNCE ASSISTANT COACHING STAFF
Jul 18, 2022
San Jose, CA – The San Jose Barracuda (@SJBarracuda), proud American Hockey League (@TheAHL) affiliate of the San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks), and General Manager Joe Will announced today the hiring of Louis Mass (@louis_mass) and Kyle Hagel (@KyleHagel) as the team’s assistant coaches, joining Head Coach John McCarthy’s staff.
“Louis and Kyle come from the WHL as highly respected coaches,” said Will. “They both possess excellent communication skills and the aptitude to teach the game. We think they will both be great additions to John’s staff, and we’re excited for them to join the organization.”
“Through their experiences as both coaches and as a players, Louis and Kyle bring varying styles and backgrounds to our organization that will be of great benefit to our prospects,” said McCarthy. “They have proven their prowess as teachers and developers of young players, and we’re excited to have them join our team.”
Mass, 45, has 12 years of coaching experience between the ECHL, NCAA and WHL. The Anchorage, Alaska native spent the last four seasons with the Everett Silvertips, where he served last year as an associate coach and the three prior years as an assistant. While in Everett, Mass, who worked predominantly with the defense corps, helped the Silvertips become one of the stingiest teams in the entire Canadian Hockey League. Before his time in Everett, he coached four seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Alaska-Anchorage and the five campaigns before that as an assistant coach with the ECHL’s Alaska Aces.
Mass, who was a defenseman as a player, skated four years in the USHL between the Rochester Mustangs and Lincoln Stars, winning a Clark Cup with Lincoln in 1997. After the USHL, he played four seasons at Bowling Green State University before turning pro. His pro career spanned five years in the ECHL with the Pensacola Ice Pilots, Pee Dee Pride, Louisiana IceGators and Alaska, winning a Kelly Cup in 2006 with the Aces. In 312 ECHL games, he notched 51 points (nine goals, 42 assists), 452 penalty minutes and a plus-17 rating.
Hagel, 37, spent the last five seasons as an assistant coach with the Seattle Thunderbirds of the WHL after a nine-year pro playing career between the ECHL and AHL. Hagel, who played mostly left-wing as a player, spent four years at Princeton before beginning his pro career. During his nine seasons as a professional, he spent time with the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs, Peoria Rivermen, Hamilton Bulldogs, Portland Pirates, and Charlotte Checkers, amassing 43 points (15 goals, 28 assists) and 1,001 penalty minutes in 373 games. In the ECHL, he skated in 80 games between the Fresno Falcons, Reading Royals and Las Vegas Wranglers, totaling 28 points (14 goals, 14 goals).
The native of Hamilton, Ontario, won the 2015 Yanick Dupre Memorial Award, which is given out annually to the AHL’s man of the year for service to his local community.
About the Barracuda
In 2022-23, the Barracuda will enter their eighth season playing in San Jose, following the American Hockey League’s creation of a Pacific Division of the AHL, now consisting of 10 teams – all of whom serve as the primary development affiliations for the National Hockey League teams: San Jose (Sharks), Abbotsford (Vancouver Canucks), Bakersfield (Edmonton Oilers), Calgary (Flames), Coachella Valley (Seattle Kraken), Colorado (Colorado Avalanche), Ontario (Los Angeles Kings), San Diego (Anaheim Ducks), and Tucson (Arizona Coyotes).
The Barracuda’s 2022-23 home opener is set for Oct. 22 at the brand-new Tech CU Arena. To become a season ticket holder, click here.
About Tech CU Arena
Tech CU Arena is a state-of-the-art, 4,200-seat arena located in San Jose. It is the home of San Jose Barracuda. Tech CU Arena is a partnership between Sharks Sports & Entertainment and Technology Credit Union, a full-service, federally insured not-for-profit credit union headquartered in the heart of San Jose. With more than 155,000 members, Tech CU provides a wide array of financial products and services, including personal banking, financial management, private banking, commercial lending, and business banking. Learn more at www.techcu.com.
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