Sabres Hire Goaltending Coach

The Buffalo Sabres have announced the hiring of Andrew Allen as the team’s new goaltending coach.

Allen, who takes over for the recently released Arturs Irbe, has spent the last four seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks organization as the goaltending development coach for the Rockford IceHogs of the AHL.

Allen also spent three seasons as the goaltending coach for St. Lawrence University.

His hiring likely rounds out new head coach Dan Bylsma’s coaching staff that includes Terry Murray, Dave Barr and Dan Lambert as assistant coaches.

Allen played professional hockey for five seasons, mostly at the AHL level with the Utah Grizzlies, Hershey Bears, Binghampton Senators and Providence Bruins. He his a graduate of the University of Vermont where he spent four years as the team’s top goaltending.

Allen is credited with helping the development of Scott Darling and Antti Raanta for the Blackhawks. His pursuit of Raanta also helped Chicago land the highly-touted prospect.

With the coaching staff fully in place, the Sabres are set to head into full gear when it comes to turning the organization around and back into a playoff team.

Allen is expected to join the team once training camp opens up in September at First Niagara Center in Buffalo.