From the Canadian Press...
The Western Hockey League expansion Chilliwack Bruins have named Jim Hiller the team's first head coach.
The Bruins will become the WHL's 21st team in 2006-07 and the league is conducting an expansion draft Friday.
The Chilliwack franchise is partially owned by Anaheim Mighty Ducks general manager Brian Burke and New York Rangers GM Glen Sather. Chilliwack, B.C., is located 65 kilometres east of Vancouver.
Hiller, 37, was head coach of his hometown Alberni Valley Bulldogs the past two seasons with a record of 75-33-12 and prior to that was an assistant coach of the WHL's Tri-City Americans.
"We feel it is essential in our initial stages that we have a coach who is able to bring the most out of his players, someone who is a solid teacher who player's will respect and be willing to play hard for," Bruins GM Darrell May said Tuesday in a statement.
Hiller was a 10th-round pick of the Los Angeles Kings in 1989 while playing for the Melville Millionaires of the Saskatchewan junior hockey league and then spent three seasons with Northern Michigan University.
He turned pro in 1992 and had eight goals, 12 assists and 116 penalty minutes in 63 games for the Kings, the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Rangers.
Hiller spent a season with the Canadian national team program before playing for three seasons with the Star Bulls Rosenheim in the German Elite League.
He ended his playing career in 2000-01 playing for Milan in the Italian league.
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