Gene Ubriaco
| Born |
December 26, 1937 Sault Ste. Marie, ON, CAN |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (173 cm) | ||
| Weight | 175 lb (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) | ||
| Position | Left Wing | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for |
Chicago Black Hawks Oakland Seals Providence Reds (AHL) Pittsburgh Penguins Baltimore Clippers (AHL) Hershey Bears (AHL) Rochester Americans (AHL) Pittsburgh Hornets (AHL) New Westminster Royals (WHL) |
||
| Playing career | 1958–1970 | ||
Eugene Stephen Ubriaco (born December 26, 1937) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He is currently the Director of Hockey Operations for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL). As a player, Ubriaco played three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Oakland Seals, and Chicago Black Hawks in the National Hockey League. In 1970, he returned to school to become a coach, which led to his returning to the NHL as the coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1988. He later moved to the Chicago Wolves as coach in 1994 and has remained with the organization ever since.
Ubriaco was born in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Ubriaco and his wife Nella were married in 1962. They have a daughter Francine and a son Gene and live in the Chicago area. Ubriaco is a part-owner of Ubriaco's Take Home Italian Eatery and Ubriaco's Eatery and Pizzeria in Sault Ste. Marie with his daughter Francine and her husband Chuck Gassi.
Ubriaco played juvenile hockey in Sault Ste. Marie, and was a member of the 1953–54 Doran's team which won Sault, Northern Ontario and All-Ontario titles. Ubriaco signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs and moved to Toronto to play for their junior affiliate Toronto St. Michael's Majors.
In 1958, Ubriaco started his professional career with the New Westminster Royals and later played for Leafs' affiliates Rochester Americans and Pittsburgh Hornets. By 1962, Ubriaco wished to settle down with a team and start a family and asked for a trade from the Leafs. The Leafs accommodated his wish and he was traded to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. Ubriaco was very successful with the Bears, with a personal-best season of 38 goals and 86 points in the 1965–66 season. When the 1967 NHL Expansion came, and a potential chance to play in the NHL came, the Bears were not NHL-affiliated and this meant that Ubriaco was not eligible for the 1967 NHL Expansion Draft. Working for a broadcaster at the time, and covering the draft, Ubriaco learned that his only path to playing in the NHL was to hold out from the Bears. Ubriaco held out and was traded to the newly formed Pittsburgh Penguins. Ubriaco played parts of two seasons before being traded to the Oakland Seals. He was traded again, one season later, to the Chicago Black Hawks. He retired after the 1969–70 season after having played 177 NHL games. Ubriaco recorded 39 goals and 35 assists for 74 career points.
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