Amanda Kessel Special Assistant to the President of Hockey Operations and GM | Pittsburgh Penguins
Amanda Kessel Special Assistant to the President of Hockey Operations and GM | Pittsburgh Penguins
Nick Luukko has been named assistant coach of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, it was announced today by Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Kyle Dubas.
Additionally, Matt Mitchell has been named Head Equipment Manager, and Zander Kosmala has been promoted to Head Athletic Therapist of WBS.
Luukko joins fellow assistant coach Sheldon Brookbank on head coach Kirk MacDonald’s staff. Mitchell and Kosmala round out WBS’ support staff, which includes Video Coach Nick Biamonte, Strength & Conditioning Coach Connor Keenan, and the Equipment Staff comprised of Jack Walsh, Henry Augenstein, and Dave Hughes.
Luukko, 32, spent the past three seasons as the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL. In those three seasons, the Icemen went 126-73-17 (.623). Luukko shepherded his team to a 44-win season in 2022-23, establishing a new club record.
Prior to his tenure with Jacksonville, Luukko spent the 2019-20 season as an assistant coach of the Reading Royals. MacDonald was in his third season as Royals head coach at that time as well.
Luukko enjoyed a four-year professional playing career, including seven AHL games with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The right-handed defenseman suited up in 274 ECHL games—all with Reading—amassing 87 points (25G-62A).
A native of West Chester, Pennsylvania, Luukko played four seasons of college hockey at the University of Vermont and was a sixth-round draft pick (179th overall) by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.
Mitchell joins the WBS equipment staff with over 30 years of professional experience across the NHL, AHL, and ECHL. The Binghamton, New York native has over 2,200 games of AHL experience and most recently spent nine seasons with the Ottawa Senators organization as head equipment manager for their AHL club. Kosmala begins his new role after spending two seasons with WBS as an athletic trainer. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of New England in 2020 and is a licensed athletic trainer.
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