7 Facts: Lane Lambert

Lane Lambert was named the newest Head Coach of the New York Islanders on Monday. The Melfort, SK, native earned the promotion after being the Islanders Associate Coach for the past four seasons.
Get to know the newest Islanders Head Coach in the latest edition of 7 Facts:
1. Extensive Experience as NHL Assistant Coach
Lambert served as an Associate or Assistant Coach in the NHL since the 2011-12 season. He was an Assistant Coach in Nashville from 2011-14, an Assistant Coach in Washington from 2014-18 and an Associate Coach with the Islanders from 2018-22.

In 11 years, Lambert has gained a tremendous amount of experience and has been a candidate for several NHL head coaching jobs around the league. As of Monday, he officially takes the next step.

2. He was a Successful AHL Head Coach
Lambert served as the Head Coach of the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) from 2007-11 and helped the Admirals capture a pair of West Division titles (2008-09 and 2010-11). Lambert served as Admirals Assistant Coach in 2006-07.
As Admirals Head Coach, Lambert posted a 178-103-15-24 (W-L-OTL-SOL), cracking the 100-point plateau twice.

3. He Served as Isles Interim Head Coach
Lambert coached three games for the Islanders during the 2021-22 season, posting a 2-1-0 record. The Islanders scored a 3-2 OT win over Edmonton on Jan. 1, a 3-2 win over New Jersey on Jan. 13 and a 2-0 loss to the Washington Capitals on Jan. 15.

4. He's Won Championships
Lambert has some hardware in his trophy case. He won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals as an Associate Coach in 2018. As a player, Lambert won a Calder Cup in 1986 with the Adirondack Red Wings and a Turner Cup (the IHL championship) with the Houston Aeros in 1999.
5. Connection to Bridgeport
Lambert's first AHL job was as an assistant with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers in 2005-06. Bridgeport went 33-33-5-9 (W-L-OTW-OTL) that season, losing in the quarterfinals.

6. Long Professional Playing Career
Prior to coaching, Lambert was a longtime pro, playing professionally from 1983 until 2001. Lambert played 283 NHL games with the Detroit Red Wings, Quebec Nordiques and New York Rangers, recording 124 total points (58G, 66A). Lambert played 115 games in the AHL with the Adirondack Red Wings, New Haven Nighthawks and. Halifax Citadels recording 107 points (44G, 63A). He played 302 games in the IHL with the Cleveland Lumberjacks and Houston Aeros and spent seven seasons in Europe, playing six years in Switzerland, as well as a year in Germany.
7. Standout Junior Career
Going way back, Lambert was a standout for the WHL's Saskatoon Blades in junior hockey. Lambert recorded 114 points in the 1981-82 season and 119 points in the 1982-83 season, accounting for two the top-13 highest scoring seasons in team history.
As a result, Lambert was drafted in the second round (25th overall) in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft by Detroit.