The Florida Panthers hired Benoit Groulx as the head coach of the Panthers’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Rochester Americans, on August 22, 2008.

The Gatineau, Quebec, native becomes the 27th head coach in the 53-year history of the Rochester franchise. He replaces Randy Cunneyworth who accepted an assistant coaching position with the National Hockey League’s Atlanta Thrashers after spending eight years behind the Amerks bench.

Groulx, 40, has guided the Gatineau Olympiques (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League) to three league titles (2003, 2004 & 2008) in the last six years. This season, Groulx’s team posted a 43-25-2 record and defeated Rouyn-Noranda Huskies to earn the 2008 QMJHL title and advance to the Memorial Cup. He has served as the bench boss for Gatineau since midway through the 2001-02 season.

As a player, Groulx played four seasons (1985-1989) of junior hockey with the Granby Bisons of the QMJHL. In 170 total games with Granby, he recorded 255 points (78+177) and 84 PIM. Groulx also had a two-year stint (1995-1997) with Brest of the French league, scoring 82 points (25+57) while adding 32 PIM in 48 games. Although he was never drafted, Groulx played eight seasons professionally in Europe.

This past June, Hockey Canada selected Groulx to be the head coach of Canada’s national junior team for the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships in Ottawa. Groulx has twice represented Canada in international competition. He served as an assistant coach under Brent Sutter for the 2007 Canada-Russia Super Series, which Canada won, and he was also part of the coaching staff for the 2004 World Junior Team, which also earned Canada a gold medal. Groulx left his recent post with Team Canada to join the Rochester Americans.

Benoit resides in Rochester with his 8-year-old son Benoit. He has a girlfriend, Alexandra, who also has an 8-year-old son, Jerome.

All-Time Coaching Record

*The Jean Rougeau Trophy is awarded annually to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League team that records the most points in the regular season.

Jason Cipolla enters his second season as the assistant coach of the Rochester Americans in 2008-09. Cipolla, who made his coaching debut last season, joins newly appointed Amerks head coach Benoit Groulx behind the bench this season after spending the 2007-08 campaign alongside former bench boss Randy Cunneyworth prior to his promotion to the National Hockey League’s Atlanta Thrashers. The ex-Amerks forward earned a 24-52-4 record in his first stint as professional coach.

The 36 year old brings 12 seasons of playing experience to the job, having appeared in 701 career games between North America and Europe. He won one championship in his career, capturing the 1997 Kelly Cup Championship with the South Carolina Stingrays.

The former Yale University standout spent the majority of his career in the American Hockey League with the St. John’s Maple Leafs, Rochester Americans and Manitoba Moose. Cipolla played in 299 AHL games and registered 62 goals and 102 assists.

Cipolla was a member of the Amerks during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons. In 1999-00, Cipolla helped Rochester reach its last Calder Cup Finals. In 145 games with the Amerks, he recorded 35 goals and 59 assists for 94 points.

Despite leaving Rochester in 2001-02, the former McCulloch Community Service Trophy winner has continued to serve the Rochester community with the founding of youth camps for the Rochester Americans and Knighthawks.

Cipolla spent the last four seasons of his career in Europe (2002-05), which included a stint with Team Canada in the 2003 Swiss Challenge Cup. In 2002-03, Cipolla split his first season with Lukko Rauma of the Finnish Elite League and Iserlohn of the German Elite League (DEL). He spent the entire 2003-04 season with the Iserlohn Roosters before signing with Hannover in 2004-05. Cipolla ended his playing days with the Hannover Scorpions (2004-05 and 2005-06) and recorded 24 goals and 19 assists in 98 games.

Jason resides in Rochester with his wife, Kristin, and daughters, Isabelle and Ava.

Bob Janosz was retained by the Florida Panthers after being hired by the team on September 5, 2008. In addition to maintaining his current positions as the Rochester Americans’ goaltending coach, the Panthers also appointed him Rochester’s video and strength and conditioning coach.

“We are very pleased to have retained both Bob,” said Martin. “He is very familiar with the Rochester organization and have established relationships with several of our players. We look forward to his continued contributions to the Rochester organization.”

Janosz, 32, enters his third season with the Amerks. Before entering the coaching ranks, Janosz had an illustrious four-year collegiate career (1995-1999) manning the pipes for the Canisius College Griffins where he posted a 27-28-9 record and earned 2,013 saves in 70 career games.

The Elma, NY, native made his professional debut with the Muskegon Fury during the 1999-00 season, registering a 13-7-2 record while making 579 saves and earning a career best 3.02 goals-against average and one shutout. He completed his career the following season with the Alaska RiverBlades of the ECHL, going 10-11-6 in 28 games with a team-best .911 save percentage.