Phantoms hire assistant coaches
Upton, Potter join staff as assistants
Staff report
YOUNGSTOWN
The Youngstown Phantoms have added two coaches with North American Hockey League experience to their staff.
Tom Upton coached for the Minnesota Magicians while Jeff Potter was with the Lone Star Brahmas. They will assist Brad Patterson in his first season as Phantoms head coach.
“We are excited to add Tom and Jeff to our staff,” Phantoms General Manager Jason Koehler said Wednesday. “Both Coach Patterson and myself have worked with Tom and Jeff in the past and know that their playing experience and former junior hockey coaching experience will immediately add to the team dynamic and development of our players.
Upton is a New York native who played four years as a defenseman at University of Wisconsin Stevens Point, where he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Strength and Conditioning and a Master’s in Education of Athletes.
His college career was preceded by four seasons in the NAHL, including time in Youngstown, with the Mahoning Valley Phantoms.
Upton spent the first three years of his coaching career as the assistant coach and strength and conditioning coach at his alma mater, followed by the same position with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders (USHL).
“I am thrilled to be back and coaching in the USHL,” Upton said. “I’m excited and eager for myself and my family to return to this great community.”
Potter is a native of Pittsburgh and was a defenseman who started his career in junior hockey with the USHL Green Bay Gamblers and the Fargo-Moorehead Bears. Potter played at Colgate University where he graduated with a degree in economics.
Potter played three seasons at the minor pro level in the East Coast Hockey League and the Central Hockey League. His coaching career began shortly after his playing days ended with the Pittsburgh Hornets/Penguins Elite AAA program. “I’m excited to be expanding my coaching experience at the USHL level,” Potter said.
The Phantoms will to kick off the 2016-17 season on Sept. 15 at the USHL Fall Classic at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry, Pa. All nine of the USHL Eastern Conference teams will be in attendance.
“Tom and Jeff have helped coach, recruit, and build successful programs at different levels, and you’ll see an immediate impact both on and off the ice,” Patterson said. “We look forward to meeting our fans and showcasing our returning and new players at the USHL Fall Classic next month.”