YOUNGSTOWN, OH – The Youngstown Phantoms are proud to announce the hiring of
Nathan Paetsch as the seventh head coach in team history.
Paetsch brings an extensive professional hockey background to Youngstown, pairing high-level coaching and player-development experience with a 17-year playing career that spanned the National Hockey League (NHL), the American Hockey League (AHL) and Germany's Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL).
Paetsch spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the AHL's Rochester Americans, where he focused heavily on player development while helping prepare players for the next level. Prior to his time with the Amerks, Paetsch worked three seasons as a player-development coach with the Buffalo Sabres, closely monitoring the organization's prospects throughout their progression.
"We are extremely excited to welcome Nathan and his family to Youngstown. Nathan has spent his entire career around high-performance environments and understands what it takes to develop players for the next level. His experience in the NHL, AHL and Europe, combined with his player-development work in Buffalo and his time behind the bench in Rochester, gives him a unique perspective that will be extremely valuable to our players and our organization."
— Jason Deskins, President of Hockey Operations and Co-General Manager, Youngstown Phantoms
Before beginning his coaching career, Paetsch enjoyed a lengthy and successful run as a professional defenseman. He appeared in over 150 NHL games with the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets and played extensively in the AHL, including significant time with the Rochester Americans and Grand Rapids Griffins. He was a member of two Calder Cup championship teams in Grand Rapids and spent a single season playing professionally in Germany's DEL.
Paetsch's experience as both a player and a coach at the professional level will be an important part of the Phantoms' continued commitment to preparing players for college hockey and beyond.
"I'd like to thank Murry Gunty and Bruce Zoldan for entrusting me with this opportunity. It is an honor to become the head coach of the Youngstown Phantoms. This organization has built a winning tradition and a reputation for developing outstanding young players. I look forward to working with our staff to build on that success and
helping our players grow both on and off the ice."
— Nathan Paetsch, Head Coach, Youngstown Phantoms
Paetsch takes over a Phantoms program that has established itself among the USHL's most successful organizations in recent seasons while continuing to produce players for NCAA Division I hockey and the professional ranks. The Phantoms are proud to welcome Nathan, his wife Jaclyn, and their children Kellen and Mira to the Mahoning Valley.
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ABOUT THE YOUNGSTOWN PHANTOMS
The Youngstown Phantoms are a United States Hockey League (USHL) member club based in Youngstown, Ohio, and a proud member of the Black Bear Sports Group family of organizations. Rooted in the Mahoning Valley, the Phantoms are committed to competing for championships while developing student-athletes for NCAA Division I hockey and the professional ranks, on and off the ice.
Season and single-game tickets are available by calling the Phantoms box office at 330-747-PUCK (7825).
