Dave Barr helped the New Jersey Devils reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2012 (Photo by Tony Kurdzuk/The Star-Ledger)
64-year-old Canadian coach Dave Barr has left the Anaheim Ducks' affiliate team, the AHL San Diego Gulls, to become an assistant coach with Avangard Omsk in the KHL, a well-informed source told RG.
Barr will become an assistant to 53-year-old Guy Boucher, who had previously agreed to head Avangard earlier this week. The Canadian coaches will arrive in Russia by mid-December to head the Omsk club after the break. Their debut game could be as early as an away game against HC Sibir on December 17.
“Barr could have headed a KHL club himself, as Benoit Groulx did at Traktor. But Dave decided to become an assistant to Boucher, with whom he has been friends for a long time,” the source told RG. “Both coaches will be signing contracts until 2026, which Barr likely being tasked with handling strategy and special teams for Avangard."
Barr has been tan assistant coach for the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks' AHL affiliate, since August 2024.
Barr spent 11 seasons as an assistant coach in the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, New Jersey Devils, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks. He also served as an associate coach for the Florida Panthers in 2016-17. He helped the Devils reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2012.
From 2021-23, Barr worked as head coach for the Vienna Capitals of the ICEHL, Austria's top professional league. Barr also helped Team Canada win the 2021 U-18 World Championship as head coach.
During his 13-year NHL career, he played for the Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, Hartford Whalers, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, and Dallas Stars. As a forward, he scored 332 points (128 goals, 204 assists) in 614 games before retiring from the NHL in 1994.
Sergey has been in sports journalism since 2007 as a reporter, editor, and manager. He has covered the Olympic Games, soccer World Cups, the World Cup of Hockey in 2016, the European championships, the Stanley Cup Finals, IOC events, and many others. Sergey interviewed the sport's greatest athletes, coaches, and executives. Since 2016, he has been an Independent Senior Editor of NHL.com/ru.
