Gene Ubriaco

Gene Ubriaco (b. December 26,1937 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) is a retired professional ice hockey forward who played three NHL seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Oakland Seals, and Chicago Blackhawks.

NHL Career

Ubriaco had played nine minor league seasons before the 1967 NHL Expansion gave him the chance to play pro with the newly formed Pittsburgh Penguins. He retired two seasons later in 1970 following 177 NHL games. Ubriaco recorded 39 goals and 35 assists for 74 career points.

Coaching

Ubriaco turned to coaching and was in charge of the Lake Superior state hockey program by 1972-1973. After coaching in a number of leagues, Ubriaco was named Pittsburgh Penguins coach in 1988, replacing Pierre Creamer. Ubriaco's 1988-1989 Penguins, lead by Mario Lemieux's 85 goals and 199 points, as well as Rob Brown's 115 points, finished second in the Patrick Division and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons. In the 1989 playoffs, the Penguins swept the New York Rangers before losing to the Philadelphia Flyers in 7 games in the Patrick Division Finals. Ubriaco's Penguins then got off to a slow start in the 1989-1990 season. Ubriaco as well as the man who hired him, Penguins General Manager Tony Esposito, were both fired and replaced by Craig Patrick in December 1989.

Ubriaco coached the Italian Olympic ice hockey team during the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France. His coaching career then brought him to the then IHL's Chicago Wolves, where he coached their inaugural 1994-1995 team. He currently holds the positions of Assistant General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations with the Wolves, now in the AHL.

External Links

• Chicago Wolves official website
• Gene Ubriaco biography at Legends of Hockey (archived)