By Jamie Neugebauer
The North York Rangers have hired David Mooney to the position of assistant coach, the club announced Friday.
A Toronto native, Mooney spent parts of three seasons with the Rangers as a player, posting 39 points over 90 games between 2005 and 2008.
For him, it is definitely a homecoming.
“It’s one of those opportunities that caught me off guard a bit, but one that I was really honoured to receive,” Mooney said.
“Coaching is definitely a passion of mine and I am really excited for this opportunity. It’s something I want to take one year at a time, but I have a ton of respect for [NYR head coach Mark Joslin], and I have worked with him a couple of times already, so it’s a great situation.”
Mooney played two seasons in Canadian Interuniversity Sport with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues from 2008 to 2011.
He joins the staff from the Hill Academy, where he had been working as the Prep squad’s assistant coach for the past two seasons.
Mooney expects that his demeanour behind the bench will be a good counterpoint to Joslin’s.
“I think I am going to bring a lot of positive energy,” he said.
“I am not the most vocal guy, but I want to keep spirits up and I think the two most important things for teams to excel in hockey is work ethic and confidence. I really know Jossy will do a lot to take care of the work ethic side of things, but I think with this being a young group I know I can help this club stay positive and up beat and help Mark make sure they are working hard for team goals.”
Mooney is slated to help right away with North York’s Main Training Camp, set to begin Aug. 18.
