BY: Jordan Kuhn. Greenville Swamp Rabbits
GREENVILLE, S.C. — The Greenville Swamp Rabbits are proud to announce the addition of Phillip Barski as the team’s assistant coach. Barski, 41, joins the Swamp Rabbits organization after serving as head coach of Podhale Nowy Targ in the Polska Hokej Liga, the top hockey league in Poland. Under his direction, the team finished third in the league with 87 standings points, qualified for the Polish Cup, and had a +87 goal differential.
“We are very happy to bring Phillip in as our assistant coach and I know he will have a big impact on our organization,” said head coach Andrew Lord. “There were many great candidates who we interviewed, but Phillip stood out for a number of reasons. He brings a wealth of experience having coached for a number of years, including four seasons of professional hockey.”
Barski joins the Swamp Rabbits with ten seasons of coaching experience. He served as an assistant coach for one season with the Pickering Panthers of the OJHL, two seasons as an assistant at York University in Toronto, one season as the video coach with the Brampton Beast of the ECHL, two seasons as an assistant coach with HC Bolzano in Italy, and lastly, head coach of Podhale Nowy Targ this past season.
“Phillip gained valuable head coaching experience this past season in Poland. He also won a championship with Bolzano in the top hockey league in Austria. He has tremendous character, work ethic, and passion for the game, and we are already working very well together,” Lord continued. “Phillip’s dedication to his craft and desire to improve daily is impressive and he will fit in great with our culture.”
Barski also worked with the Toronto Marlboros, the Don Mills Flyers, the Mississauga Rebels, and the Hillcrest Canadiens throughout his coaching career, and has run skills and development camps in the Greater Toronto Area.
“This opportunity means the world to me. I had a good amount of success over in Europe where I learned my craft and now I’m excited to be joining an organization with great leadership from Todd Mackin, to Andrew Lord, and the rest of the Spire team,” Barski said. “It’s a great opportunity for myself and my wife to establish ourselves in North America. I couldn’t be more humbled and honored to join the Greenville Swamp Rabbits.”
A native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, a suburb outside Toronto, Barski played four seasons in the OPJHL, which has rebranded into the OJHL, followed by three seasons of college hockey. His freshman year was spent at Bowling Green State University, and then he transferred to the University of Calgary for two more seasons before ultimately retiring as a player.
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