OBSERVER-DISPATCH

Recently named Utica Comets head coach Trent Cull has a new addition to his coaching staff.

The Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday announced personnel moves for their American Hockey League franchise.

Gary Agnew will be Culls associate coach. The 57-year-old Agnew has a coaching career that dates back to the mid-1980s and includes a six-season head coaching stint in the AHL with the Syracuse Crunch. He also has been an associate or assistant with the NHLs Columbus Blue Jackets, St. Louis Blues and most recently with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

He also spent more than a decade working in the Ontario Hockey League, where he was twice named Coach of the Year.

The Canucks also announced that Ryan Johnson will be the Comets general manager. Johnson, who was named the Canucks' player development consultant in 2013, also retains the director of player development role he began in 2016. Johnson will continue to work closely with Vancouver prospects. Johnson, who totaled 122 points in 210 games with the Canucks during a 701-game NHL career, will also continue to work with Comets' Director of Hockey Operations Pat Conacher, who has been with Utica since the 2013-14 season.

Brett Henning was named director of professional scouting. He has spent the last seven seasons on the Canucks scouting staff.

The Comets open the regular season with a franchise-most seven-game road trip that begins Saturday, Oct. 7, at Toronto. Their first home game will be Wednesday, Nov. 1, when they host the Rochester Americans at 7 p.m.

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Utica Comets get GM, associate coach - Utica Observer Dispatch