Today, Kyle Dubas, the Penguins President of Hockey Operations and General Manager, announced that Nick Luukko has been appointed as the assistant coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League.

Furthermore, WBS has appointed Matt Mitchell as the new Head Equipment Manager, and Zander Kosmala has been elevated to the position of Head Athletic Therapist.

In addition to assistant coach Sheldon Brookbank, Luukko joins head coach Kirk MacDonald’s staff. Mitchell and Kosmala complete WBS’ support staff, which includes Video Coach Nick Biamonte, Strength & Conditioning Coach Connor Keenan, and the Equipment Staff consisting of Jack Walsh, Henry Augenstein, and Dave Hughes.

Luukko, aged 32, has served as the head coach and director of hockey operations for the Jacksonville Icemen of the ECHL for the past three seasons. During his tenure, the Icemen achieved an impressive record of 126 wins, 73 losses, and 17 ties, resulting in a remarkable win percentage of .623. In the 2022-23 season, under Luukko’s guidance, the team achieved a groundbreaking milestone by securing 44 victories, setting a new record for the club.

Before joining Jacksonville, Luukko served as an assistant coach for the Reading Royals during the 2019-20 season. It was also MacDonald’s third season as the head coach of the Royals during that time.

Luukko had a successful four-year professional playing career, which included seven appearances with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms in the AHL. As a right-handed defenseman, he played in a total of 274 ECHL games exclusively for Reading, where he accumulated 87 points (25 goals and 62 assists).

Luukko, hailing from West Chester, Pennsylvania, attended the University of Vermont where he showcased his hockey skills for four seasons. In the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, he was selected as the 179th overall pick in the sixth round by the Philadelphia Flyers.

Mitchell brings more than three decades of professional experience in the NHL, AHL, and ECHL as he joins the WBS equipment staff. Hailing from Binghamton, New York, he boasts an impressive record of over 2,200 games in the AHL and has spent the last nine seasons as the head equipment manager for the AHL club of the Ottawa Senators organization. Kosmala, on the other hand, transitions into his new role after serving as an athletic trainer with WBS for the past two seasons. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of New England, which he obtained in 2020, and is a licensed athletic trainer.