BOB WOODS Woods, 44, also served as an assistant coach under Boudreau with the Washington Capitals, joining the NHL club on June 22, 2009. Boudreau and Woods helped the Capitals earn the top seed in the Eastern Conference in both 2010 and 2011, including the Presidents’ Trophy as the top NHL club for the 2009-10 regular season with a 54-15-13 record (121 points). Prior to 2009-10, Woods coached Washington’s AHL affiliate from 2007-09, taking over as head coach of the Hershey Bears when Boudreau was hired by the Capitals on Nov. 22, 2007. In 2008-09, Woods guided Hershey to a Calder Cup championship, defeating the Manitoba Moose in six games. In his two seasons as an AHL head coach (145 games), Woods compiled an 83-47-15 record in the regular season and a 17-10 postseason record. In addition, Woods assisted Boudreau in 2006 when Hershey captured the Calder Cup championship. He became the only player in Hershey’s 71-year history to win a Calder Cup as a player (1997), assistant coach (2006) and head coach (2009). A native of Leroy, Saskatchewan, Woods retired from professional hockey in 2001 and became Head Coach of the Mississippi Sea Wolves of the ECHL. From 2001-05, he compiled a 169-94-25 regular-season record with the Sea Wolves, a span that included four trips to the playoffs and two conference final appearances. On Jan. 18, 2012, Woods was inducted into the ECHL’s Hall-of-Fame for both his achievements as a player and a coach. Selected by New Jersey in the 10th round (201st overall) of the 1988 NHL Entry Draft, Woods played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including 10 in the ECHL and was a player/assistant coach with Mississippi from 1998-2001. He was a member of the 1999 Kelly Cup championship team that was coached by Boudreau. Bob and his wife, Mary Sue, have two sons, Brendan (20) and Colin (17). Brendan, who was selected by Carolina in the fifth round (129th overall) of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, will enter his sophomore season as a member of the University of Wisconsin’s hockey club in 2012-13. Colin also plays hockey, set to appear with the AAA midget OC Blades in 2012-13. |
