Why is the Wisconsin Hockey HOF in Eagle River?
September 1, 2010
Why Eagle River? That seems out of the way for the majority of the population, doesn’t it? There’s a good reason… [more]
Lane Lambert is set to embark on his third season as the Admirals Head Coach. The 17th head coach in team history, Lambert was named to the post on July 11, 2007.
In two seasons at the helm of the Admirals ship, Lambert has accumulated a 93-51-3-13 record and 202 points, the second most points by a Milwaukee head coach in his first two years in franchise history. During the 2008-09 regular season he led the Admirals to the West Division Title with a 49-22-3-6 mark and 107 points, which was tied for the most points in the entire league, and the 15 point differential between the Ads and second place Peoria was the most in the AHL since 2003. Last season the Admirals also became the first franchise in American Hockey League history to post six consecutive seasons of 90 or more points and 40 or more wins.
Under Lambert’s tutelage, the Admirals have seen 11 players suit up for both the Admirals and the Predators including Cal O’Reilly, Mike Santorelli, Ryan Jones, Patric Hornqvist, Antti Pihlstrom, Alexander Sulzer, and Jed Ortmeyer last year alone.
Prior to taking over the reigns of the team, the Melfort, SK native spent a season as an Admirals assistant coach. As the team’s top assistant, Lambert was in charge of the Ads’ penalty killing unit that vanquished 86.1 percent of opponent’s power plays, good for third in the AHL, as well as the team’s defense which allowed less than three goals per game. The Admirals finished the year strong, posting a 34-14-2-10 mark in the last 60 games of the season after getting off to a slow start.
Lambert served as an assistant coach with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2005-06 and helped to lead the Sound Tigers to a 38-33-6-3 record and a Calder Cup playoff berth.
Before working with the Sound Tigers, Lambert was the head coach of the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League (WHL) in 2004-05 where the team posted a 26-41-3-2 mark. In 2002-03 he was an assistant for the Moose Jaw Warriors (WHL) and helped the team to a 36-22-11-3 record and a second place finish in the East Division.
Lambert finished a distinguished 18-year playing career with the Houston Aeros in 2000-01. The Detroit Red Wings second pick in the 1983 National Hockey League Draft finished his career with 58 goals and 67 assists for 125 points and 521 penalty minutes in 283 NHL games with the Red Wings, New York Rangers, and Quebec Nordiques. Playing with the Nordiques in 1987-88, Lambert enjoyed his most successful NHL campaign, recording career highs in points (41) and assists (28) in 61 contests.
The 43-year old Lambert also gained significant playing experience in both the American and International Hockey Leagues. He accumulated 107 points (44g-63a) in just 115 games during three years in the AHL with the Adirondack Red Wings, New Haven Nighthawks, and Halifax Citadels. In addition, he notched 131 points (69a-62a) in 302 contests during five seasons with the Cleveland Lumberjacks and Houston in the IHL.
Lambert won a pair of championships during his playing days. The first came via a Calder Cup title with Adirondack in 1985-86 where he posted ten points (5g-5a) as the Wings lost just five games on their way to the AHL crown. The second came during the 1998-99 season when he helped the Aeros claim the IHL’s Turner Cup championship.
Lambert has two kids, Taylor (14) and Samantha (6), and lives in Brookfield, WI with his wife, Andrea.
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