Penguins Fire Goalie Coach Mike Buckley; Replace Him with Andy Chiodo

Some Pittsburgh Penguins fans have quietly, or not so quietly, pointed the finger at Penguins goalie coach Mike Buckley for Matt Murray’s regression and some degradation in Tristan Jarry’s game. On Wednesday, the Penguins relieved Buckley of his duties, according to GM Ron Hextall.

The team named former Penguins goalie and current goaltending development coach Andy Chiodo as the new goalie coach.

“Andy has done a terrific job mentoring our young goaltenders. In addition to on- and off-ice training, he emphasizes the importance of life habits and mental approach to the game,” said Penguins general manager Ron Hextall.  “We know Andy will be a great addition to the coaching staff.  The Penguins are grateful to Mike Buckley for his contributions to the team and wish him and his family the best going forward.”

Chiodo, 38, has spent the last three seasons with the Penguins. In his previous role, he was responsible for working with young goaltending prospects throughout the Penguins organization in Europe, the minor leagues, juniors, and college hockey.

He would have spent time with Jarry and backup Casey DeSmith in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and possible WBS Penguins starting goalie (and third Penguins goalie) Alex D’Orio, too.

Longtime fans and Wheeling Nailers fans may remember Chiodo in uniform, too. He was Pittsburgh Penguins seventh-round pick (199^th overall) in 2003. He played for 14-year in the NHL, AHL, ECHL, and Europe. The goaltender played eight career NHL games, all with Pittsburgh in the 2003-04 season, with a 3-4-1 record.

He played several seasons split between the WBS Penguins and Wheeling. He was teammates with Daniel Carcillo and Paul Bissonnette with the 2005-06 Nailers.

The Toronto, Ontario native played 72 games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins from 2003-06 and went 31-30-5. In the playoffs with WBS, Chiodo went 14-11-0, which includes the team’s run to the 2004 Calder Cup Final, where the team eventually fell to the Milwaukee Admirals. The goaltender led WBS to the 2004 Final while posting a 2.18 goals-against average, .916 save percentage, and three shutouts in the postseason.

Chiodo continued to play professionally, mostly in Europe through the 2016-17 season. In 2007-08, his Finnish team, Karpat, won the league championship.