Niagara hires Brian Gionta as director of player development

Jan. 12—The Niagara University men's hockey program announced the hiring of former NHL player Brian Gionta as its director of player development Thursday morning.

The Rochester native played in 1,026 games and 16 seasons with the New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and Boston Bruins, where he tallied 291 goals and 304 assists for 595 points.

A former captain of the Canadiens and the Sabres, Gionta also represented Team USA in the Olympics twice, first in Turin, Italy in 2006 and then again in 2018, where he served as team captain for the PyeongChang Olympics.

"I am excited to join a great staff led by Jason Lammers and pass on my experiences and aid the development of current and future Purple Eagles," said Gionta in a written statement.

Prior to being selected as the 82nd overall pick by New Jersey in the 1998 NHL Draft, Gionta spent four seasons at Boston College. With the Eagles, Gionta scored 123 goals and 232 points in 164 games.

"Brian's commitment to developing players and helping them reach their full potential is his priority," said Lammers in a written statement. "Brian's strong leadership skills and passion for the game are uncommon and will bring a new level of development for our student-athletes both on and off the ice to the program.

"Brian's commitment to developing players and helping them reach their full potential is his priority. Brian's strong leadership skills and passion for the game are Uncommon and will bring a new level of development for our student-athletes both on and off the ice to the program."

Niagara continues its season versus Bentley in Atlantic Hockey play at 5:05 p.m. today at Dwyer Arena.