Lake Erie Monsters name Sacco new coach

The Lake Erie Monsters hockey team has a coaching staff.

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that Joe Sacco has been named head coach and Sylvain Lefebvre has been named as an assistant coach. The Monsters, who will play in the American Hockey League, will launch their inaugural season in Cleveland in the fall. The Avalanche will independently run the team.

Sacco, 38, will start his third season with the Avalanche organization. He was an assistant coach with each of the team's last two AHL-affiliate clubs in Lowell, Mass., and Albany, N.Y. It will be his first professional head coaching appointment after playing in 738 NHL games with Toronto, Anaheim, NY Islanders, Washington and Philadelphia.

"Joe has been a key part of this organization's development efforts over the last two seasons as an assistant coach in the American league which has prepared him for this new challenge," said Avalanche Executive Vice President and General Manager Francois Giguere. "He'll play a vital role in implementing our vision and executing our plan of developing our young prospects within our system in Cleveland."

"I definitely feel ready for the challenge," said Sacco. "The Avalanche organization has built a winning tradition in Denver and I want to thank them for their support and trust in my capabilities. I look forward to moving to Cleveland and working with a dynamic organization."

Lefebvre will be making his coaching debut after spending last season in the Avalanche Player Development Department. Lefebvre, 39, appeared in 945 NHL contests over 14 seasons with Montreal, Toronto, Quebec, Colorado and NY Rangers organizations. He was part of the Avalanche defensive corps for four seasons from 1995-1999, including the club's Stanley Cup Championship campaign of 1995-96.