PAUL MARA NEW WOLF PACK ASSISTANT COACH
By: Gerry Cantlon, Howlings
HARTFORD, CT – The New York Rangers reassigned goaltender Olof Lindbom to the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL) from the Cincinnati Cyclones (ECHL) for the second time this year.
Lindbom, 23, has appeared in eight games with the Cyclones this season, posting a 5-3-0 record, a save percentage of .890, and a 3.24 goals-against-average. Last season, Lindbom was a member of the Rangers’ then-ECHL affiliates, the Jacksonville Icemen, and over 28 games had a 17-10-1 record with a 3.01 GAA and a .890 save percentage.
Lindbom has a career record of 22-13-1.
He has made one start with the Wolf Pack this season, making 17 saves in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Providence Bruins on November 11th. He also lost to Syracuse last season, surrendering two goals and posting a 3.51 GAA and a .818 save percentage.
Lindbom was the Rangers’ second-round draft pick (39th overall) in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
PAUL MARA
In other Wolf Pack news, the Rangers have added an Assistant Coach to interim Head Coach Steve Smith’s staff, signing former NHL defenseman and three-year Ranger Paul Mara. According to the New York Post, he will take charge of the Wolf Pack defense. The change comes in the wake of Kris Knoblauch being elevated to head coach in the NHL, taking over the top job with the Edmonton Oilers.
Mara, 44, was once the seventh overall selection of the 1997 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Mara joined the Rangers’ coaching staff on August 25th, 2023, as a Player Development Assistant Coach. He will continue to serve the organization in that role while adding to his workload with the Wolf Pack as part of the coaching staff, including fellow assistant coach Jamie Tardif, skills coach Colin Downey, and goalie coach Jeff Malcolm.
The 6’4, 44-year-old was the head coach for the Boston Pride of the National Premier Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) and the PHF for five seasons, winning the Isobel Cup with back-to-back championships in 2021 and 2022.
Mara was an assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2018 Winter Olympics with their head coach, former Wolf Pack, and New Haven Nighthawk Robb Stauber’s staff. That team won the gold medal. It was Team USA’s second gold medal. The first was in 1998 at the Winter Games in Nagano, Japan.
Before coaching, Mara played in 734 career NHL games throughout 12 seasons with the Montréal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Rangers, Boston Bruins, Phoenix Coyotes, and Tampa Bay Lightning. He scored 253 career points, amassing 64 goals and 189 assists.
In addition, Mara dressed in 36 career AHL games with the Houston Aeros during the 2012-13 season, tallying 11 points, a goal, and ten assists.
Mara is one of the few tri-state players to play for the Rangers, born in Ridgewood, NJ.
