Canisius Names Two Assistant Coaches

July 5, 2005

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Canisius College has announced the hiring of Mike Mankowski and Chris Bernard as assistant coaches for the Golden Griffin ice hockey program. Mankowski, a former general manager and head coach of the Toledo IceDiggers of the North American Hockey League, will be responsible for recruiting and assisting the head coach in the day-to-day operations of the hockey program. Bernard, a four-time letterwinner at Clarkson University, will also assist in recruiting and the day-to-day operations of the program.

“We are very excited to have Mike and Chris join the Canisius hockey family,” said head coach Dave Smith. “Mike and Chris have extensive backgrounds in various levels of junior, college and professional hockey. They bring with them professionalism, character and a sense of Jesuit values and principles to our program.”

A 1990 graduate of the University of Toledo, Mankowski has spent the past four seasons as head coach with the IceDiggers. He led Toledo to a Continental Elite Hockey League (CEHL) Championship in 2002 and a runner-up finish in 2003. The team moved to the NAHL in 2004 and finished sixth in the North Division the past two seasons. Mankowski also served as an assistant coach/scout for the Toledo Storm of the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) from 2000-2003 and was the head coach of St. John’s Jesuit High School in Toledo from 1991-2001. Smith and Mankowski have previously worked together with USA Hockey, where Mankowski has spent time since 1989. Mankowski and his wife, Colleen, have three children, Jocelyn (13), Reid (11), and Drew (9).

“I am thrilled to be a part of the Canisius hockey program,” Mankowski said. “Working at an NCAA Division I program has been a long-time personal goal of mine, and my background in the junior hockey circles will aid in my transition to the collegiate coaching ranks.”

Bernard, a 1998 graduate of Clarkson, posted a 13-0-1 record in his senior season for a .964 winning percentage, the fourth-best single-season mark in NCAA history. His career winning percentage of .964 is the NCAA’s all-time mark for goaltenders with a 15-game minimum. While the Brasher Falls, N.Y. native was a member of the Clarkson ice hockey team, the Golden Knights won two ECAC regular-season championships, appeared in four ECAC Tournament semifinals and four NCAA Tournament quarterfinals and posted four 20-win seasons with an overall record of 98-39-10. Since 2002, Bernard has been the president and founder of Goaltender Enhancement Programs, LLC, a developmental program for aspiring young goaltenders. Bernard also served as an assistant coach of the St. Louis Sting of the NAHL in 2001-02. He had stints as a professional hockey player with the Mohawk Valley Prowlers and the Missouri River Otters of the United Hockey League (UHL) and the Fayetteville Force of the Central Hockey League (CHL).

“The opportunity to work along side people with character and class like Dave and Mike made the decision to join the staff at Canisius an easy one,” Bernard said. “I am genuinely excited to get things going for the upcoming season and help bring an Atlantic Hockey championship to the Golden Griffin program.”

Canisius opens the 2005-06 season with an exhibition game against Brock University Oct. 6, and kicks off the regular season on the road at Robert Morris University Oct. 9. The Griffs finished the 2004-05 season with a 16-15-4 overall record and a 14-7-3 second-place finish in Atlantic Hockey.