Published: June 18, 2007 11:38 pm      

Ian’s in: Former NHL player looking to lead the Chiefs in a new direction

When asked if he had ever watched the Paul Newman movie “Slap Shot,” Ian Herbers chuckled.

Like most hockey players and coaches, Herbers has seen the motion picture that was filmed in Johnstown and made the city, its former hockey team and Cambria County War Memorial Arena famous.

“The punch line that first came to my mind is, ‘There’s a whole new attitude here,’ ” Herbers said, borrowing a “Slap Shot” theme after he was introduced as the eighth coach in Johnstown Chiefs’ history on Monday morning at the War Memorial.

Herbers, 39, replaced Frank Anzalone, who coached the Chiefs to the playoffs the past two seasons but lost his job when the ECHL team and its NHL affiliate, the Tampa Bay Lightning, parted ways in April.

The Jasper, Alberta, native has a diverse hockey resume as a player and coach, dating to 1984-85. Herbers was associate coach of the Saginaw Spirit in the Ontario Hockey League for the past two junior hockey seasons. He assisted former Chiefs coach Scott Allen with the AHL’s San Antonio Rampage in 2003-04.

As a player, Herbers played defense in the NHL with Edmonton (1993-94), Tampa Bay (1999-00) and the New York Islanders (1999-00) during a 12-year professional career. He also spent four seasons at the University of Alberta and four years in the junior Western Hockey League.

“We’re going to be competitive every night,” Herbers said. “We’re going to have that work ethic. We’re going to play a physical style of game. We’re going to pressure the puck all over the ice. I like a system that is high pressure, where you pursue the other team. We want that puck back and when we get it back, it’s going to be quick transition.

“Our guys need to be in great shape and better be able to skate.”

Herbers said he will recruit heavily at the junior hockey level and the college ranks. His connections extend to the amateur and pro levels in North America and Europe, where he played two seasons in Britain.

“The Ontario Hockey League, I’ve been coaching there the past two seasons and I know all those players and what they can do,” Herbers said. “I played Canadian college and I still know quite a few coaches there. In the Western League, a lot of the coaches out there are ex-teammates of mine. I also know some of the general managers and coaches in the Quebec League. Major junior would be a big one (recruiting area).”

The Chiefs’ next big move will be finding a NHL affiliate to replace Tampa Bay. Both owner Jim Weber and Herbers said the team is close to completing a deal, though neither set a deadline.

“We are looking into other affiliations,” said Herbers, noting serious discussions with one team continue. “We want to make sure it’s the right affiliation for Johnstown. We don’t want to just get into an affiliation just for the sake of an affiliation. We want to make sure it’s the right fit for Johnstown.

“My main responsibility is to develop these players whether they are free agents or affiliated players. I want them to have an opportunity to move up to the AHL or NHL. But the bottom line is we want to win here in Johnstown.”