Paul Jerrard

Paul C. Jerrard (April 20, 1965 – February 15, 2023) was a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman who played five games in the National Hockey League for the Minnesota North Stars.

Paul Jerrard
Jerrard in 2014
Born	(1965-04-20)April 20, 1965 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Died	February 15, 2023(2023-02-15) (aged 57) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	195 lb (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb)
Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Played for	NHL Minnesota North Stars IHL Colorado Rangers Denver Rangers Kalamazoo Wings Albany Choppers Milwaukee Admirals Fort Wayne Komets AHL Hershey Bears
NHL draft	173rd Overall, 1983 New York Rangers
Playing career	1987–1997
Coaching career
Biographical details
Alma mater	Lake Superior State
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1997–1998	Lake Superior State (asst)
1998–1999	Lowell Lock Monsters (asst)
1999–2002	Lake Superior State (asst)
2002–2003	Colorado Avalanche (asst)
2003–2005	Hershey Bears (asst)
2005–2008	Iowa Stars (asst)
2008–2009	Iowa Chops (asst)
2009–2011	Texas Stars (asst)
2011–2013	Dallas Stars (asst)
2013–2016	Utica Comets (asst)
2016–2018	Calgary Flames (asst)
2018–2023	Omaha Mavericks (asst)

Jerrard was an assistant coach for the Omaha Mavericks of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC). He was previously a coach for the Stars AHL affiliate, the Texas Stars. He served as assistant coach for the Utica Comets of the American Hockey League, and then, an assistant coach for the Calgary Flames.

Playing career

Jerrard was drafted in the 9th round of the 1983 NHL Draft by the New York Rangers from Athol Murray College of Notre Dame in Saskatchewan, a famous hockey school in Canada. After being drafted by the New York Rangers, he left Canada to play college hockey at Lake Superior State University, where he played all four seasons for the Lakers.

After graduating from LSSU, he joined the Colorado Rangers of the IHL. He would be traded to the Minnesota North Stars in 1988, where he played five games for in the 1988–89 NHL season. After this brief stint on the NHL, he would remain in the minors for the rest of his career, ending it with the Hershey Bears in 1997.

Coaching career

Jerrard began his coaching career with the Lowell Lock Monsters of the AHL in 1998.^[1] After coaching one season, he joined the staff of his alma mater, the Lake Superior State University hockey team. He spent four seasons with the Lakers before joining the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach. He left the next year for the Hershey Bears, where he stayed for 2 years before returning to the former Minnesota North Stars organization.

Jerrard remained with the Iowa Stars as an assistant coach before leaving in 2008. He rejoined the Dallas Stars organization in 2009 for the newly created Texas Stars, where he coached under Glen Gulutzan. When Gulutzan was promoted to become the coach of the Dallas Stars, he brought Jerrard with him. On May 14, 2013, Gulutzan and Jerrard were fired.^[2]

On August 12, 2013, Jerrard was hired by the Vancouver Canucks to be assistant coach of their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets.

On July 6, 2016, Jerrard was hired by the Calgary Flames as an assistant coach, who focused on developing Calgary's defence corps and improving their penalty kill.^[3] He was fired on April 17, 2018, along with assistant coach Dave Cameron and head coach Glen Gulutzan.^[4]

Jerrard then took an assistant coach job with the Omaha Mavericks of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) on May 25, 2018.^[5]

Personal life and death

Jerrard was biracial, with a white Canadian father and Jamaican mother.^[6] He died from cancer on February 15, 2023, at a hospital in Omaha, Nebraska, at the age of 57. Jerrard was survived by his wife and two daughters.^[7][8][9]

Career statistics

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1982–83	Notre Dame Hounds	SMAAAHL		60	34	37	71	150		—	—	—	—	—
1983–84	Lake Superior State University	NCAA		40	8	18	26	48		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Lake Superior State University	NCAA		43	9	25	34	61		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Lake Superior State University	NCAA		38	13	11	24	34		—	—	—	—	—
1986–87	Lake Superior State University	NCAA		35	10	19	29	56		—	—	—	—	—
1987–88	Colorado Rangers	IHL		77	20	28	48	182		11	2	4	6	40
1988–89	Denver Rangers	IHL		2	1	1	2	21		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Minnesota North Stars	NHL		5	0	0	0	4		—	—	—	—	—
1988–89	Kalamazoo Wings	IHL		68	15	25	40	195		6	2	1	3	37
1989–90	Kalamazoo Wings	IHL		60	9	18	27	134		7	1	1	2	11
1990–91	Kalamazoo Wings	IHL		62	10	23	33	111		7	0	0	0	13
1990–91	Albany Choppers	IHL		7	0	3	3	30		—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	Kalamazoo Wings	IHL		76	4	24	28	123		12	1	7	8	31
1992–93	Kalamazoo Wings	IHL		80	8	11	19	187		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Kalamazoo Wings	IHL		24	0	2	2	60		—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Milwaukee Admirals	IHL		28	6	3	9	58		2	0	0	0	8
1994–95	Hershey Bears	AHL		66	17	11	28	118		6	0	1	1	19
1995–96	Hershey Bears	AHL		25	1	7	8	63		—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Fort Wayne Komets	IHL		19	0	1	1	43		4	0	0	0	2
1996–97	Hershey Bears	AHL		62	3	13	16	144		22	1	5	6	24
NHL totals				5	0	0	0	4		—	—	—	—	—
AHL totals				153	21	31	52	325		28	1	6	7	43
IHL totals				503	73	139	212	1,144		49	6	13	19	142