Jim Schoenfeld

James Grant Schoenfeld (born September 4, 1952) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He most recently was the assistant general manager with the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL), as well as an interim assistant coach. He was previously a player and a head coach in the NHL for several teams.
==Biography==
===Playing career===
After a junior career with the London Knights, Hamilton Red Wings, and Niagara Falls Flyers, he was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres and would play eleven seasons with that team, including spending time as the team's captain. He also played for the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins. He retired as an NHL player in 1985.
===Coaching/general management career===
Since retirement, he has served as the head coach of several NHL teams, including the Sabres, New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, and Phoenix Coyotes. As an NHL head coach, Schoenfeld has compiled a record of 256–246–78 (.509). In 2007, he was promoted from the head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League to assistant general manager of the New York Rangers, the Wolf Pack's NHL affiliate. At the time, he was also assigned to be the general manager of the Wolf Pack until he was relieved of those duties in 2017.
Schoenfeld is remembered for an altercation with NHL referee Don Koharski after game 3 of the 1988 Wales Conference Finals after his New Jersey Devils lost 6–1 to the Boston Bruins. During the argument Koharski fell down and falsely accused Schoenfeld of pushing him. As people yelled at Schoenfeld, at least one saying "you're done", believing that he'd pushed Koharski, Schoenfeld continued arguing with Koharski who said he hoped that the entire exchange was on videotape. Schoenfeld yelled back, "Good, 'cause you fell, you fat pig! Have another doughnut! Have another doughnut!" as Koharski and the other officials headed to their dressing room. Schoenfeld was suspended by League disciplinarian Brian O'Neill for the following game, but the Devils sought a court order to overturn the suspension. About 40 minutes before the start of the game, New Jersey Superior Court Judge James F. Madden issued a restraining order allowing Schoenfeld to coach, subsequently triggering a walkout by the scheduled game 4 officials: referee Dave Newell and linesmen Gord Broseker and Ray Scapinello. After more than an hour's delay, three local off-ice officials – Paul McInnis, Jim Sullivan, and Vin Godleski – were tracked down to work the game. The Devils went on to win the game by a score of 3–1, but Schoenfeld was later suspended for game 5, fined $1,000, his team was fined $10,000, and the officials returned to work.
This incident was parodied later in the movie Wayne's World, when a rather large and apathetic police officer named Officer Koharski hung out at the counter of Stan Mikita's Doughnut Shop. The movie used Stan Mikita's as the name of a doughnut shop, as a parody reference to the chain Tim Hortons. Coincidentally, during the final part of his career, Tim Horton himself teamed on defense with a young Jim Schoenfeld with the Buffalo Sabres. Later, Schoenfeld often paired with Jerry Korab.
On July 23, 2007, Schoenfeld was named New York Rangers assistant general manager to Glen Sather, replacing Don Maloney (who had become general manager of the Phoenix Coyotes franchise). Ken Gernander took over the head coach position in Hartford, while Schoenfeld retained his position of general manager for the farm team. On April 26, 2009, while serving as interim assistant coach for the Rangers under head coach John Tortorella, Schoenfeld stepped in to act as head coach for game 6 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against the Washington Capitals following Tortorella's one-game suspension for inappropriate fan contact in game 5 of the series. He stepped down from his positions of senior vice president and assistant general manager on May 16, 2019.
===Broadcasting career===
In the fall 1992, he joined ESPN as color commentator for regular season games with play-by-play man Gary Thorne. However, starting in the 1993 playoffs until January 28, 1994, he worked as the studio analyst with hockey writer Al Morganti and host John Saunders.
=== Musical career ===
Schoenfeld also recorded two albums during his time in Buffalo, both of which were recorded in collaboration with Buffalo Music Hall of Fame singer and producer John Valby (before Valby's turn toward more ribald material). The first, Schony, was released in 1973 and credited solely to Schoenfeld; the album consisted mostly of cover versions of a broad variety of songs (often radically rearranged from the originals), with two originals: the Valby-penned bluegrass tune "Barbecue in Heaven" and Schoenfeld's own "Before." He recorded a second album in 1974 entitled The Key Is Love; this album, which was credited to both Schoenfeld and Valby, consisted of all original songs.
==Career statistics==
  	  	  	 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	 	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs	Playoffs
Season 	Team 	League 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM 	 	GP 	G 	A 	Pts 	PIM
1969–70 	London Knights 	OHA-Jr. 	 	16 	1 	4 	5 	81 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1969–70 	Hamilton Red Wings 	OHA-Jr. 	 	32 	2 	12 	14 	54 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1970–71 	Hamilton Red Wings 	OHA-Jr. 	 	25 	3 	19 	22 	120 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1970–71 	Niagara Falls Flyers	OHA-Jr. 	 	30 	3 	9 	12 	85 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1971–72 	Niagara Falls Flyers	OHA-Jr. 	 	40 	6 	46 	52 	215 	 	6 	0 	0 	0 	32
1972–73 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	66 	4 	15 	19 	178 	 	6 	2 	1 	3 	4
1973–74 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	28 	1 	8 	9 	56 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1973–74 	Cincinnati Swords 	AHL 	 	2 	0 	2 	2 	4 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1974–75 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	68 	1 	19 	20 	184 	 	17 	1 	4 	5 	38
1975–76 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	56 	2 	22 	24 	114 	 	8 	0 	3 	3 	33
1976–77 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	65 	7 	25 	32 	97 	 	6 	0 	0 	0 	12
1977–78 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	60 	2 	20 	22 	89 	 	8 	0 	1 	1 	28
1978–79 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	46 	8 	17 	25 	67 	 	3 	0 	1 	1 	0
1979–80 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	77 	9 	27 	36 	72 	 	14 	0 	3 	3 	18
1980–81 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	71 	8 	25 	33 	110 	 	8 	0 	0 	0 	14
1981–82 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	13 	3 	2 	5 	30 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1981–82 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	39 	5 	9 	14 	69 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1982–83 	Detroit Red Wings 	NHL 	 	57 	1 	10 	11 	18 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1983–84 	Boston Bruins 	NHL 	 	39 	0 	2 	2 	20 	 	— 	— 	— 	— 	—
1984–85 	Buffalo Sabres 	NHL 	 	34 	0 	3 	3 	28 	 	5 	0 	0 	0 	4
NHL totals	NHL totals 	NHL totals	 	719 	51 	204 	255 	1,132 	 	75 	3 	13 	16 	151
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	
==Coaching record==
Team 	Year 	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season	Regular season 	Postseason
Team 	Year 	G 	W 	L 	T 	Pts 	Division rank 	Result
BUF 	1985–86	43 	19 	19 	5 	(43) 	(fired) 	—
NJD 	1987–88	30 	17 	12 	1 	(35) 	4th in Patrick 	Lost in Conference Finals (BOS)
NJD 	1988–89	80 	27 	41 	12 	66 	5th in Patrick 	Missed playoffs
NJD 	1989–90	14 	6 	6 	2 	(14) 	(fired) 	—
WSH 	1993–94	37 	19 	12 	6 	(44) 	3rd in Atlantic	Lost in Conference Semifinals (PIT)
WSH 	1994–95	48 	22 	18 	8 	52 	3rd in Atlantic	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (PIT)
WSH 	1995–96	82 	39 	32 	11 	89 	4th in Atlantic	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (PIT)
WSH 	1996–97	82 	33 	40 	9 	75 	5th in Atlantic	Missed playoffs
PHX 	1997–98	82 	35 	35 	12 	82 	4th in Central 	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (DET)
PHX 	1998–99	82 	39 	31 	12 	90 	2nd in Pacific 	Lost in Conference Quarterfinals (STL)
Total	Total 	580 	256 	246 	78 	  	  	6 playoff appearances
==References==
==External links==
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Category:1952 births
Category:Living people
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