Zac Bierk

Template:Short description Template:Use Canadian English Template:Infobox ice hockey player Zachary Bierk (born September 17, 1976) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played in 47 NHL games with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Minnesota Wild, and Phoenix Coyotes between 1997 and 2004. He most recently was the goaltending coach with the Ottawa Senators, and is now the Goaltending Advisor for the Senators

Junior career

Bierk was born in Peterborough, Ontario. He spent four years with the Peterborough Petes of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) from 1993–94 to 1996–97. In the 1995–96 season, Bierk led the Petes to the Memorial Cup final, where they were defeated by the Granby Prédateurs 4–0 in the final. The following season, Bierk won the OHL goaltender of the year award, the Leo Lalonde trophy as the best over-age player in the league and was named to the OHL All-Star First Team and Canadian Hockey League All-Star Second Team.<ref name="hockeygoalies.org">Template:Cite web</ref>

Professional career

Bierk was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League (NHL) in the 1995 NHL Entry Draft as their ninth-round pick, 212th overall, from the Peterborough Petes, although he originally expected to be drafted in the fourth or fifth round, and left the draft after he had not been selected by the end of the sixth round.<ref name="OldArticle">Template:Cite web</ref> His first victory came on March 30, 1998 in only his second career start, a 3–1 win in New York against the Rangers.<ref name="hockeygoalies.org"/>

On January 8, 2003, while playing for the Phoenix Coyotes Bierk and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Michael Leighton both earned their first NHL shutouts in a 0–0 tie. It was the first time in league history that two goalies had both earned their first career shutouts in the same game.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

His final NHL appearance came on November 9, 2003, in a 2–1 overtime loss to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim.<ref name="hockeygoalies.org"/> Bierk finished his career with 47 game appearances, a 9–20–5 record, a 3.18 GAA and a 0.901 save percentage with 1 shutout. Bierk also had one assist and six penalty minutes.<ref name="hockeygoalies.org"/>

Post-playing career

After retiring, Bierk served as one of the instructors at the goaltending school, Team Shutout. Bierk joined the Oshawa Generals of the OHL in June 2013 as their goalie consultant, replacing Michael Lawrence.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bierk won a Memorial Cup with the Generals in 2015.<ref name="senators">Template:Cite web</ref>

Bierk returned to the Coyotes organization in 2018 as the team's goaltending development coach,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> also serving as the goalie coach of their AHL farm club, the Tucson Roadrunners.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On April 6, 2021, Bierk was hired as the goaltending coach for the Ottawa Senators. Bierk had many connections to the Senators prior to joining the organization. He and Senators' head coach D. J. Smith were both coaches with the Generals during their 2015 Memorial Cup win.<ref name="senators"/> Furthermore, with the Coyotes Bierk worked under Brian Daccord, the father of then-Senators' goaltender Joey Daccord.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In January 2024, Bierk was replaced as goaltending coach by Justin Peters and assigned scouting duties.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Bierk also co-owns and runs a high-level goaltending school in the Greater Toronto Area, known as Armour Goaltending.<ref name="brassard">Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Bierk is the son of David Bierk, an artist whose paintings are still displayed at the Nancy Hoffman Gallery in New York City.<ref name="OldArticle"/> One of eight children, he is the brother of musician and actor Sebastian Bach.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career statistics

Regular season and playoffs

				Regular season										Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	W	L	T	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%		GP	W	L	MIN	GA	SO	GAA	SV%
1993–94	Peterborough Bees	OPJHL		4	—	—	—	205	17	0	4.98	—		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Peterborough Petes	OHL		9	0	4	2	423	37	0	5.22	.870		1	0	0	33	7	0	12.70	—
1994–95	Peterborough Petes	OHL		35	11	15	5	1779	117	0	3.95	—		6	2	3	301	24	0	4.78	—
1995–96	Peterborough Petes	OHL		58	31	16	6	3292	174	2	3.17	.910		22	14	7	1383	83	0	3.60	—
1995–96	Peterborough Petes	M-Cup		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—		5	3	2	303	14	0	2.77	.929
1996–97	Peterborough Petes	OHL		49	28	16	0	2744	151	2	3.30	.916		11	6	5	666	35	0	3.15	—
1997–98	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		13	1	4	1	433	30	0	4.16	.857		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1997–98	Adirondack Red Wings	AHL		12	1	6	1	557	36	0	3.87	.891		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		1	0	1	0	59	2	0	2.04	.905		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1998–99	Cleveland Lumberjacks	IHL		27	11	12	4	1556	79	0	3.05	.914		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Tampa Bay Lightning	NHL		12	4	4	1	509	31	0	3.66	.899		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
1999–00	Detroit Vipers	IHL		15	4	8	2	846	46	1	3.26	.914		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Minnesota Wild	NHL		1	0	1	0	60	6	0	6.00	.778		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2000–01	Cleveland Lumberjacks	IHL		49	24	18	5	2785	134	6	2.89	.909		4	0	3	182	10	0	3.29	.903
2001–02	Augusta Lynx	ECHL		30	16	9	3	1748	68	1	2.33	.925		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2001–02	Springfield Falcons	AHL		1	0	1	0	20	4	0	12.00	.778		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		16	4	9	1	884	32	1	2.17	.932		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2002–03	Springfield Falcons	AHL		13	6	4	1	685	33	0	2.89	.915		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Phoenix Coyotes	NHL		4	0	1	2	190	12	0	3.79	.889		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
2003–04	Springfield Falcons	AHL		2	0	1	1	106	6	0	3.38	.903		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
NHL totals				47	9	20	5	2135	113	1	3.18	.901		—	—	—	—	—	—	—	—

External links

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