News release
31 May 2006
Elmira, NY The Elmira Jackals announced today that former Richmond Riverdogs player/coach Kris Waltze will be Head Coach for the 2006-07 season.
At a press conference Wednesday afternoon, General Manager Robbie S. Nichols announced Kris Waltze as the Elmira Jackals Head Coach for the upcoming 2006-2007 UHL season.
Waltze comes to the Jackals with a brief, but successful background in coaching. The Two Hills, Alberta native took his first head coaching position this past year with the Richmond Riverdogs as a mid-season replacement of Nichols, now the Jackals GM. Nichols had led Richmond to a 20-21-4 record before handing over the reigns to Waltze. His young apprentice won in his coaching debut, a 3-2 victory over the Roanoke Valley Vipers, and he never looked back. Under Waltzes guidance, the Riverdogs went 20-9-2, a 0.677 winning percentage, but missed the playoffs by one solitary point, finishing in an 8th place tie with Motor City, yet falling short in the tiebreaker.
Although Waltze is now preparing for his first full season behind the bench, the 28 year-old boasts plenty of playing experience in the game of hockey. In 8 seasons as a professional player, the rugged right-winger accumulated 91 points (48 goals, 43 assists) and a colossal 1,934 Penalty Minutes in 383 games played. In his rookie season, 1998-1999, Waltze went deep in the Western Professional Hockey League (WPHL) playoffs. In 15 playoff games that year he had 5 points (2 goals, 3 assists) and 28 PIMs as he helped the San Angelo Outlaws to the Presidents Cup Finals. Waltze again saw post-season action in 2003-04 with the ECHLs Toldeo Storm, putting up 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) in 4 games played.
Waltze becomes the fourth Head Coach in Jackals franchise history, looking to return Elmira to the post season, after missing out of the playoffs each of the previous two seasons.