Roy Sommer
{{Short description|American ice hockey player (born 1957)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox ice hockey player
| image = Roy Sommer.jpg
| image_size = 230 px
| caption = Sommer in 2004
| position = Center
| shoots = Left
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lb = 180
| played_for = Edmonton Oilers (NHL)
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1957|04|05}}
| birth_place = Oakland, California, U.S.
| career_start = 1977
| career_end = 1987
| draft = 101st overall
| draft_year = 1977
| draft_team = Toronto Maple Leafs
| career_start_coach = 1987
| career_end_coach =
}}
Roy A. Sommer (born April 5, 1957) is an American ice hockey coach and a former professional ice hockey player, who currently serves as the head coach for the Wenatchee Wild of the Western Hockey League. Sommer played three games for the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League during the 1980–81 season, before spending the rest of his playing career, which lasted from 1977 to 1987, in the minor leagues. He was the head coach of the American Hockey League's San Jose Barracuda from 1998 to 2019 and from 2020 to 2022. The Barracuda, the AHL affiliate of the San Jose Sharks, has also been known as the Kentucky Thoroughblades, Cleveland Barons, Worcester Sharks throughout his tenure. He was the longest-tenured head coach with the same organization in the AHL and has the most AHL wins as head coach.
Sommer grew up in the San Francisco area where he played youth hockey for Skyline High School before moving to Calgary at age 17.{{cite web|url=http://www.hockeydraftcentral.com/1977/77101.html|title=1977 NHL Amateur Draft -- Roy Sommer|website=Hockeydraftcentral.com|accessdate=21 December 2017}} He was the first product of California hockey to reach the NHL.{{cite web | url=https://icingonthepond.wordpress.com/2012/01/27/roy-sommer-a-california-original/ | title=Roy Sommer, a California original | date=27 January 2012 }}
Coaching career
On November 1, 2009, while with the Worcester Sharks, Sommer became just the fourth head coach in AHL history to reach 400 wins.{{cite web|url=http://www.sharksahl.com/story.asp?story_id=1827|title=Worcester Sharks Head Coach Roy Sommer Collects 400th Win|work=Worcester Sharks|date=November 1, 2009|accessdate=June 19, 2015|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005190018/http://www.sharksahl.com/story.asp?story_id=1827|archivedate=October 5, 2011}}
On February 10, 2016, while with the San Jose Barracuda, Sommer became the winningest head coach in AHL history when he reached 637 wins. He surpassed Bun Cook, who spent 19 seasons as a head coach in the AHL.{{cite web |url=http://theahl.com/sommer-sets-career-wins-record-with-no-637-p201277 |title=Sommer sets career wins record with No. 637 |work=American Hockey League |date=February 11, 2016 }} He won the Louis A. R. Pieri Memorial Award as the AHL's coach of the year in 2017 after leading the Barracuda to the best regular season finish in the AHL's Pacific Division.{{cite web |url=http://theahl.com/sommer-named-ahl-coach-of-the-year |title=SOMMER NAMED AHL COACH OF THE YEAR |publisher=American Hockey League |date=April 12, 2017}}
On December 11, 2019, after the NHL San Jose Sharks fired head coach Peter DeBoer and his staff, Sommer left the San Jose Barracuda to serve as the Sharks associate coach under interim head coach Bob Boughner.{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/sharks/news/sharks-announce-changes-to-coaching-staff/c-312467368?sf114096857|title=Sharks Announce Changes to Coaching Staff|work=San Jose Sharks|date=December 11, 2019|accessdate=December 11, 2019}} After working the final 37 games of the 2019–20 NHL season with the Sharks, Sommer returned to the Barracuda on September 22, 2020.{{cite news|url=https://www.nhl.com/sharks/news/san-jose-sharks-announce-organizational-coaching-staff/c-319046178?sf129073916|title=San Jose Sharks Announce Organizational Coaching Staff|work=San Jose Sharks|publisher=National Hockey League|date=September 22, 2020|accessdate=September 22, 2020}}
Sommer won his 800th game as a head coach on January 8, 2022, against the Henderson Silver Knights. On May 18, he transitioned to a senior advisory role within the team as assistant John McCarthy was named his successor. In 24 seasons with the Sharks organization, he recorded 808 wins against 721 losses, 48 ties, and 159 overtime defeats.{{cite news|url=https://www.sjbarracuda.com/news/detail/san-jose-barracuda-announce-changes-to-coaching-staff-1|title=San Jose Barracuda announce changes to coaching staff|work=San Jose Barracuda|date=May 18, 2022|access-date=May 18, 2022}}
On July 12, 2022, shortly after Mike Grier was hired to replace Doug Wilson as the Sharks GM, Sommer was named head coach of the San Diego Gulls.{{cite news|url=https://www.sandiegogulls.com/news/detail/anaheim-ducks-name-roy-summer-san-diego-gulls-head-coach|date=July 12, 2022|title=Anaheim Ducks Name Roy Sommer San Diego Gulls Head Coach}}{{cite news|url=https://www.sandiegogulls.com/news/detail/roy-sommer-rob-dimaio-press-conference-july-12-2022|date=July 12, 2022|title=Roy Sommer, Rob Dimaio Press Conference}}
On April 15, 2023, Roy Sommer announced his intention to retire on the day of the Gulls' final game of the season against the Colorado Eagles.{{cite news|url=https://www.sandiegogulls.com/news/detail/roy-sommer-announces-his-intention-to-retire|date=April 15, 2023|title=Roy Sommer announces his intention to retire}}
Personal life
Sommer and his wife, Melissa, have three children together: son Marley, who has Down syndrome,{{cite web|url=http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/roy-sommer-is-a-record-setting-ahl-coach-but-his-team-would-be-lost-without-son-marley/|title=Roy Sommer is a record-setting AHL coach, but his team would be lost without son Marley|work=The Hockey News|date=March 26, 2014|accessdate=June 19, 2015}} son Castan, who coaches men’s ice hockey at College of the Holy Cross, and daughter Kira.
Career statistics
=Regular season and playoffs=
| border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em" | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Regular season ! rowspan="100" bgcolor="#ffffff"| ! colspan="5"|Playoffs | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! Season ! Team ! League ! GP !! G !! A !! Pts !! PIM | ||||||||
| 1974–75
| WCHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1974–75 | AJHL | 53 | 16 | 19 | 35 | 185
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1975–76
| WCHL | 70 | 13 | 24 | 37 | 155
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1976–77 | Calgary Centennials | WCHL | 50 | 16 | 22 | 38 | 111
| 9 | 5 | 9 | 14 | 8 |
| 1977–78
| IHL | 12 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1977–78 | IHL | 45 | 20 | 18 | 38 | 67
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1978–79
| PHL | 45 | 19 | 30 | 49 | 196
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1979–80 | Grand Rapids Owls | IHL | 9 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 32
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979–80
| CHL | 69 | 24 | 31 | 55 | 246
| 6 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1980–81 | CHL | 57 | 13 | 22 | 35 | 212
| 14 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 61 |
| 1980–81
| NHL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 7
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1981–82 | Wichita Wind | CHL | 76 | 17 | 28 | 45 | 193
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1982–83
| Wichita Wind | CHL | 73 | 22 | 39 | 61 | 130
| — | — | — | — | — |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1983–84 | AHL | 67 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 202
| 14 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 24 |
| 1984–85
| Maine Mariners | AHL | 80 | 12 | 13 | 25 | 175
| 11 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 27 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1985–86 | IHL | 37 | 9 | 10 | 19 | 118
| — | — | — | — | — |
| 1985–86
| IHL | 27 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 109
| 12 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 92 |
| bgcolor="#f0f0f0"
| 1986–87 | Muskegon Lumberjacks | IHL | 65 | 14 | 13 | 27 | 219
| 15 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 44 |
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | CHL totals ! 275 !! 76 !! 120 !! 196 !! 781 ! 20 !! 5 !! 4 !! 9 !! 69 | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | IHL totals ! 195 !! 51 !! 56 !! 107 !! 547 ! 27 !! 5 !! 7 !! 12 !! 136 | ||||||||
| bgcolor="#e0e0e0"
! colspan="3" | NHL totals ! 3 !! 1 !! 0 !! 1 !! 7 ! — !! — !! — !! — !! — |
=International=
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{icehockeystats}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sommer, Roy}}
Category:American men's ice hockey left wingers
Category:Calgary Centennials players
Category:Edmonton Oil Kings (WCHL) players
Category:Edmonton Oilers players
Category:Grand Rapids Owls players
Category:Houston Apollos players
Category:Ice hockey people from California
Category:Ice hockey players from California
Category:Indianapolis Checkers players
Category:Maine Mariners (AHL) players
Category:Muskegon Lumberjacks players
Category:Saginaw Gears players
Category:San Jose Sharks coaches
Category:Spokane Flyers (PHL) players
Category:Sportspeople from Oakland, California
Category:Spruce Grove Mets players