The Jacksonville Icemen have promoted assistant coach Brandon Mashinter to Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations after Nick Luukko took a job as an assistant coach in the AHL with the Scranton Wilkes/Barre Penguins. Mashinter has spent the past three seasons with the Icemen as the team’s assistant before being named the third Head Coach in franchise history. This is a smart move for the Icemen as they have someone who has been around the organization and someone who has been with the team the last three seasons, all of which they have qualified for the Kelly Cup Playoffs.
“First and foremost, I would like to congratulate Nick Luukko on his deserving accomplishment and move up to the AHL,” said Mashinter. “I am excited and honored to continue to build on the foundation and culture that we started to build three years ago. I would like to express thanks to Andy Kaufmann, Scott Einhorn and Joe Ernst for the opportunity to be the next head coach of the Jacksonville Icemen.”
Mashminter on taking the job as Head Coach (Via Jacksonville Icemen’s Press Release)
Prior to stepping behind the Icemen bench, Mashinter spent parts of five seasons in the OHL, putting up 57 goals and 43 assists for 100 points in 242 games, and would win an OHL Championship with the Kitchener Rangers in 2008. The Ontario native spent nine seasons in the AHL, where he played in 535 games, putting up 126 goals and 135 assists for 261 points. He would then spend a year in the ECHL with the Rapid City Rush before spending parts of three seasons overseas in Germany and Slovakia before hanging up his skates.
