Spitfires hire Kris Newbury as assistant coach

Kris Newbury. (Source: Windsor Spitfires)

The Windsor Spitfires have named an assistant coach.

Kris Newbury has been hired for the role. He will join interim head coach Casey Torres, video coach Johnathan Moran, skating coach Kathy McLlwain and culture and high performance coach Brian O’Reilly.

Newbury, 41, enters the organization after a two-year stint as an assistant coach for the Trenton Golden Hawks in the Junior A ranks, and a year as the head coach of the Greater Kingston Gaels U-15 & the Quinte Red Devils U-16 teams.

General manager Bill Bowler spoke on the addition to the Spitfires coaching staff in a news release.

“We welcome Kris to the Spitfires organization; he had a long playing career at all different professional levels which will help him develop as a coach and we believe will translate to our players’ development.” Bowler said. “After his playing career, his commitment to mentor and develop players in minor as well as junior hockey and that was attractive to our organization. Kris will join our club immediately ahead of Thursday’s game in Mississauga.”

Newbury said he’s excited to begin his new position.

“I’m humbled to become a part of a great organization and excited to get started.” Newbury said. “I am looking forward to working with these young men.”

As a player, the native of Brampton, Ont. played five seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Belleville Bulls and the Sarnia Sting. As a member of the Bulls, Newbury won an OHL Championship and was named to the OHL Second All Star Team in 2001-02 and OHL Third All Star Team in 2002-03. Newbury went on to appear in seventeen seasons of professional hockey, after he was selected in the fifth round (139th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the San Jose Sharks.

In total, Newbury skated in 75 career National Hockey League (NHL) contests with the Toronto Maple Leafs (2006-09), Detroit Red Wings (2009-10), New York Rangers (2010-13) and Philadelphia Flyers (2013-14). He is also a veteran of 826 games in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the St. John’s Maple Leafs and Toronto Marlies (2003-09), Grand Rapids Griffins/Hartford Wolf Pack (2009-10), Connecticut Whale (2010-13), Adirondack Phantoms/Hershey Bears (2013-15), Ontario Reign (2015-16), and Bakersfield Condors/ Charlotte Checkers (2016-17). Newbury played one season overseas in Germany for the FischTown Pinguins in 2017-18. He finished his playing career with the Jacksonville Icemen of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) during the 2018-19 season.

The Spitfires play in Mississauga on Dec. 28. Puck drop is scheduled for 7pm. The next home game is New Year’s Eve at 2 p.m. when the Sarnia Sting come to town.