Muskegon coach Nelson off to AHL's Wolves

Todd Nelson would have been starting his fourth season behind the Muskegon Fury bench this fall, but instead he'll be beginning his first in the AHL as an assistant coach with the Chicago Wolves.

In his three seasons with the Fury, Nelson guided the team to 149 victories, two consecutive Colonial Cup championships (2004, 2005), one Tarry Cup regular season title as well as one Central Division title. His 29 playoff victories also rank number one in the Fury record book.

Nelson becomes the latest in a distinguished long line of Fury head coaches who have ascended the heights of the pro hockey ladder. He has been preceded by such luminaries as Bruce Boudreau, who guided the AHL's Hershey Bears to the 2006 Calder Cup crown; Steve Ludzik, who later coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and led the IHL's Detroit Vipers to a Turner Cup in 1997; Bill Stewart, who went on to become coach of the New York Islanders; Danton Cole rose to the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins (and also the defunct Motor City Mechanics of the UHL their only two years in the UHL) and Mike Busniuk became assistant coach of the AHL's Binghamton Senators.

An immediate search is being conducted for Nelson's replacement.