Jim Playfair Phoenix Coyotes - Associate Coach

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Jim Playfair enters his fourth season as the Coyotes Associate Coach. He joined the organization on June 7, 2011 from Calgary where he spent 11 years as a coach with the Flames organization.

In his first two seasons in Phoenix, Playfair has assisted with the development of defensemen Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Keith Yandle who have emerged as premier NHL defensemen. Under his tutelage, the Coyotes penalty kill unit ranked third on the road (88.2%) and eighth overall (85.5%) among all 30 NHL teams in 2011-12.

On June 5, 2009, Playfair began his second stint as a head coach in the American Hockey League after being named the head coach of the Abbotsford Heat. In his two seasons at the helm, Playfair led the Heat to a 77-61-9-13 record (176 points). In 2009-10, he guided the Heat to the North Division Finals, falling to the Hamilton Bulldogs in six games (4-2).

Playfair was named the 14th head coach of the Calgary Flames on July 12, 2006. In his only season behind the bench (2006-07), Playfair led Calgary to an impressive 43-29-10 record (96 points) in the Northwest Division. Prior to that, he spent three years as an assistant coach with the Flames (2003-06).

He was appointed head coach of the Saint John Flames (AHL) on August 10, 2000. During the 2000-01 season, Playfair led Saint John to its first Calder Cup championship and was named the Minor League Professional Coach of the Year by The Hockey News. Over the course of three seasons (2000-01 to 2002-03) in Saint John, Playfair posted a record of 83-77-22-10.

Before joining the Flames organization, Playfair was the head coach of the Michigan K-Wings of the International Hockey League (IHL). He served as assistant coach with the K-Wings for three seasons before being named head coach on January 25, 2000. His other head coaching experience includes three seasons (1993-96) as bench boss of the Dayton Bombers of the ECHL.

A native of Fort St. James, British Columbia, Playfair played nine seasons of professional hockey including 21 games in the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers and Chicago Blackhawks. He was originally drafted by the Oilers in the first round (20th overall) of the 1982 NHL Entry Draft.

He captained Indianapolis (IHL) to the 1990 Turner Cup championship but was forced to retire due to an eye injury suffered during the 1991-92 campaign. As a junior player, Playfair played two seasons with the Portland Winterhawks (WHL), winning the Memorial Cup in 1983, before finishing his junior career as a member of the Calgary Wranglers (WHL) in 1984.

Jim and his wife Roxanne have three sons: Dylan, Jackson and Austyn.