The San Jose Barracuda took on the Bakersfield Condors tonight, defeating them 2-1. The game winning goal came from Manuel Wiederer, in his first game back after sustaining an injury just two games into the season. The recently reassigned Antoine Bibeau held down the fort, putting up a stellar performance and hanging onto the ‘Cuda’s lead through the final frame.
The ‘W’ is a historic one for the league and for head coach Roy Sommer, who became the first head coach in the American Hockey League to reach 700 regular season victories.
It’s not the first milestone he’s reached with the Sharks organization. In 2009, he became the fourth head coach in AHL history to reach 400 wins, then with the Worcester Sharks. Just last year, he replaced Bun Cook as the most all-time wins as head coach in the AHL, when the Barracuda gave him his 637th win in February.
Originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs 101st overall in 1977, Sommer played two seasons in the AHL with the Maine Mariners. Much of his playing career was spent in the Central Hockey League, where he played 275 games. He played an additional 195 games in the International Hockey League, where he retired in 1987 with the Muskegon Lumberjacks. He played three games with the Edmonton Oilers in 1981, scoring one NHL goal.
After last year’s historic Barracuda season, finishing top of the Pacific Division and making it to the Western Conference Final, Sommer was awarded the Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award for the AHL Coach of the Year. He is currently the longest-tenured AHL coach with the same organization.
Congrats to Coach Sommer and the Barracuda!
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