Rob Zettler, a former NHL player, and now a current NHL coach, has returned to the Lightning organization as part of the Coaching Staff. Zettler’s role will be Assistant Coach, after a recent stint as the Assistant for the San Jose Sharks.
“Rob brings extensive coaching experience to the Lightning organization and is very familiar with a lot of our players and coaches,” BriseBois (Lightning Vice President and GM) said. “We believe our players will benefit from Rob’s wealth of experience, both as a long-time NHL defenseman and as a veteran coach in the NHL.”
Playing Career
Rob Zettler, drafted in 1986, had a lengthy career in the league, spanning 569 games across six NHL teams. However, playing defense, Rob assumed more of an enforcer position in the league, totaling only seventy points in his career. Furthermore, he averaged around 1.62 penalty minutes a game, adding up to 920 penalty minutes in his career. Although he was not a star, Zettler’s 14 season career can help guide the Lightning’s talented roster to another Cup.
Coaching Career
Zettler is an experienced coach, having coached 11 seasons as an Assistant Coach in the NHL. During his prior years as an Assistant in the NHL, he has coached for the San Jose Sharks and Toronto Maple Leafs. But the most important tenure he has had coaching was four years as the Head and Assistant Coach of Tampa Bay’s AHL team, the Syracuse Crunch. In his first year with the Crunch, he coached alongside current Tampa Bay Head Coach Jon Cooper. Throughout Zettler’s time coaching the Syracuse Crunch, he coached the likes of Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat. The list does not stop there as he coached many other players on the Lightning today.
What This Means
Zettler’s experience within the NHL both as a coach and a player, combined with his experience in the Lightning organization, gives Tampa Bay a solid addition to their Coaching Staff.