The Anaheim Ducks announced Friday they hired Rich Clune as an assistant coach.
The 37-year-old joins the Ducks after two seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs in various coaching roles, including a spell as a player development coach in 2022, then joining their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, as an assistant coach last season.
The Marlies power play improved under Clune, going from 13 percent to 21.9 percent during his 55 games with the club.
Clune had a 16-year professional career as a player, with parts of five seasons spent in the NHL with the Maple Leafs, Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings. Through 139 career NHL games, Clune scored seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points, as well as 327 penalty minutes.
Drafted by the Dallas Stars in the third round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, Clune carved out a long career in the AHL, scoring 57 goals and 94 assists for 151 points and 1,616 penalty minutes in 593 career games with the Marlies, Milwaukee Admirals, Manchester Monarchs and Iowa Stars.
His most productive season in the minors was in 2015-16, where in just 49 games, Clune scored eight goals and 16 assists for 24 points and 146 penalty minutes. Two seasons later, he helped the Marlies win their first Calder Cup championship in franchise history.
In March 2021, he would be named Marlies captain, a title he would hold for the final two seasons of his professional career.
The Ducks went 27-50-5 with 59 points in 2023-24, seventh in the Pacific Division and the third-worst record in the league. Anaheim has the No. 3 overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Entry Draft, which will be held in Las Vegas, Nev. on June 29.
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