News conference audio:
Introductions - Bryan Murray (file 1), Eugene Melnyk (file 1), Craig Hartsburg (file 1)
Question period - Eugene Melnyk (file 2), Bryan Murray (file 2), Craig Hartsburg (file 2, file 3, file 4)

Ottawa Senators head coach Craig Hartsburg waits for a question during the news conference. Visit Photo Gallery for other photos, or contact the Senators communications department for hi-res images. (Photo: André Ringuette/Freestyle Photography/OSHC)

OTTAWA – Ottawa Senators general manager Bryan Murray announced today the hiring of Craig Hartsburg as the club’s head coach. Hartsburg signed a three-year agreement with the Senators.

Hartsburg, 48, recently completed his fourth consecutive season with the Ontario Hockey League’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds, posting a 44-18-6 regular-season record before falling to the Kitchener Rangers in the OHL Western Conference final.

The 2007-08 season marked Hartsburg’s fifth in the Soo, where he has led the Greyhounds to a 179-111-41 mark and finished  above .500 in four of his five seasons. He had completed his first season in 2001-02 before assuming an assistant coach’s position with the Philadelphia Flyers for two campaigns.

Hartsburg was recognized as both the OHL and Canadian Hockey League coach of the year in 2001-02, marking the second such occasion he captured those honours. He first won the award in 1994-95 as bench boss of the Guelph Storm.

Hartsburg has previously been an NHL coach with both the Chicago Blackhawks (1995-98) and the then Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (1998-2000). His teams qualified for NHL post-season play on three of five occasions. He currently sports a NHL head-coaching record of 184-190-69.

Hartsburg also led Team Canada to gold-medal victories at the 2007 and 2008 world junior hockey championships and won gold as an assistant coach at the 2006 tourney.

The native of Stratford, Ont. was drafted in the first round, sixth overall, by the Minnesota North Stars in the 1979 NHL draft. In 10 NHL seasons, all with Minnesota, he recorded 98 goals and 315 assists for 413 points in 570 career games. Hartsburg represented Canada internationally on six occasions: 1987 Canada Cup (gold), 1981 Canada Cup (silver); 1987, 1983, 1982 IIHF world championships (fourth place, bronze, bronze) and the 1978 world juniors (bronze).

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