Jeff Daniels (ice hockey)

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = Jeff Daniels

| image = Jeff Daniels 2013.jpg

| image_size = 230px

| caption=Daniels in 2013

| played_for = Pittsburgh Penguins
Florida Panthers
Hartford Whalers
Carolina Hurricanes
Nashville Predators

| position = Left wing

| shoots = Left

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 200

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1968|6|24}}

| birth_place = Oshawa, Ontario, Canada

| draft = 109th overall

| draft_year = 1986

| draft_team = Pittsburgh Penguins

| career_start = 1988

| career_end = 2003

}}

Jeffrey Dwayne Daniels (born June 24, 1968) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and current assistant coach to the Carolina Hurricanes.{{cite web|last1=Williams|first1=Terrell|url=https://www.nhl.com/hurricanes/news/canes-name-jeff-daniels-assistant-coach/c-299019944|title=Canes Name Jeff Daniels as Assistant Coach|website=NHL.com|date=June 11, 2018|access-date=June 11, 2018}} He was the former head coach and general manager of the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. In 2010–11, Daniels led the Charlotte Checkers to 44 wins and 94 points during the regular-season, the best totals for a Carolina affiliate since 2004–05. Daniels then guided the Checkers to the Eastern Conference Final, the deepest Calder Cup playoff run for Carolina’s AHL team since the 1996–97 Springfield Falcons.

Prior to being appointed to his current post, Daniels spent four seasons with the Hurricanes as an assistant coach. He helped guide the Hurricanes to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship, marking the second time he captured the Stanley Cup in his hockey career, as he also has his name inscribed on the Cup as a player with the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Playing career

As a youth, he played in the 1981 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Oshawa.{{cite web|url=https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|title=Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA|year=2018|website=Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament|access-date=2019-01-17|archive-date=2019-03-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190306085544/https://www.publicationsports.com/ressources/files/439/Joueurs_Pro.pdf|url-status=dead}} He later played junior ice hockey with his hometown Oshawa Generals.{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=1249|title=Jeff Daniels|website=hockeydb.com|access-date=2019-01-17}}

Daniels was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the sixth round, 109th overall in the 1986 NHL Entry Draft. He has two Stanley Cup rings with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1991, and 1992. Daniels' name was engraved on the Cup in 1992, even though he only played two games, and did not qualify to be on the Stanley Cup.http://www.nhl.com/news/2006/06/274118.html {{dead link|date=January 2012}} In his 15-year professional playing career as a forward, Daniels spent time with the Pittsburgh, Florida, Nashville and Carolina organizations. He played in 425 NHL regular-season games, scoring 17 goals and 26 assists (43 points), and 41 Stanley Cup Playoff games, where he totalled three goals and five assists (8 points). He played in the Hurricanes organization for six seasons, tallying eight goals and 12 assists (20 points) in 272 regular season games, and three assists in 29 playoff games, while making a trip to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2002.{{cite web |url=http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=45356 |title = Jeff Daniels Bio - Carolina Hurricanes - Team}}

Coaching career

Daniels retired as a player on November 17, 2003.{{cite web |last1=Williams |first1=Terrell |title=HURRICANES WINGER JEFF DANIELS ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT |url=http://carolinahurricanes.com:80/news/news.asp?articleid=1134 |website=Carolina Hurricanes |access-date=November 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031204203226/http://carolinahurricanes.com:80/news/news.asp?articleid=1134 |archive-date=December 4, 2003 |date=November 17, 2003}} On June 9, 2008, Daniels was named the head coach and general manager for the Albany River Rats. In 2010–11, Daniels led the Charlotte Checkers to 44 wins and 94 points during the regular-season, the best totals for a Carolina affiliate since 2004–05. Daniels then guided the Checkers to the Eastern Conference Final, the deepest Calder Cup playoff run for Carolina’s AHL team since the 1996–97 Springfield Falcons.

Daniels coached the Hurricanes' AHL affiliates the River Rats and the Checkers from 2008 to 2015, with a record of 268-225-51. At the time the Hurricanes announced his position as assistant coach, he was a director of pro scouting for the team.{{cite news|url=https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/article212957574.html|title=Hurricanes name Jeff Daniels assistant coach|last=Alexander|first=Chip|work=News and Observer|date=June 11, 2018|accessdate=June 12, 2021}}

Prior to being appointed to his current post, Daniels spent four seasons with the Hurricanes as an assistant coach. He helped guide the Hurricanes to the 2006 Stanley Cup championship, marking the second time he captured the Stanley Cup in his hockey career, as he also has his name inscribed on the Cup as a player with the 1992 Pittsburgh Penguins.