Horachek gets promoted to Associate Coach and ‘wants to be here’

The Nashville Predators have promoted Assistant Coach Peter Horachek to Associate Coach.

Horachek, who has been with the team since the 2003-04 season, was in the running for the head coaching positions in both Minnesota and Dallas but was passed over.

“I don’t look at it as a negative and I’m not disappointed to the point that I think I’m upset. Yeah, we all want to be a head coach, that’s why we do this game as coaches. We want to get to the point where you are the head coach of a National Hockey League team. That’s obviously expected, but going through the process, getting the recognition, getting people calling you is a real positive situation,” Horachek said about the attention received from other clubs looking for a new coach.

Predators General Manager, David Poile, said that Horachek has been key to the Predators success. “Peter has brought great energy, passion and knowledge to our coaching staff for the last seven seasons. He has played a significant role in our overall success, including the development of so many homegrown players. He is very deserving of this promotion.”

Before becoming the Predators assistant coach, Horachek was the head coach of the Milwaukee Admirals.

“If I’m not a head coach, I want to be here.” Horachek said as he explained that the Predators organization is family-like and is staffed with quality people. “I’m coming back to a staff that I’m very familiar with, that I’m very happy working with, he said.”

Just as Horachek was promoted from the AHL, Nashville’s newest Assistant Coach Lane Lambert also comes from Milwaukee. Horachek says the relationship between Lambert and the Predators coaching staff had already been established. “Lane isn’t going to miss a beat. He is going to fit right in. He’s a quality guy. He is also passionate. He knows his game. He’s been with us at camps–conditioning camps, development camps, training camps. He’s been there with us. We talk to him daily. We have a relationship and he won’t miss a beat,” he said.

Lambert was hired when Brent Peterson officially stepped down from on-ice duties with the team after the Predators were eliminated from the post-season by the Vancouver Canucks.

 

Photo credit: Nashville Predators