Defenseman Mark Borowiecki is now Coach Borowiecki.
Borowiecki, who announced his retirement after last season, has been hired by the Nashville Predators as a pro development coach, the team announced Sunday. He will work with players in Nashville and with the team’s AHL affiliate Milwaukee Admirals. He also will serve as an off-ice mentor.
The hiring comes as no surprise. General manager Barry Trotz said after the season he’d love to have Borowiecki aboard in some capacity.
“Mark’s presence and positive impact on our entire franchise was felt from the moment he chose to sign with us back in October 2020, and we are more than happy to welcome him back to the Predators in this capacity,” Trotz said in a statement. “During his time with us as a player, Mark had all the respect in the world from his teammates and was a mentor and role model on and off the ice, especially to our younger prospects. We’re grateful that Mark and his family wanted to remain part of our organization following his retirement.”
Borowiecki’s mentorship include forward Cody Glass, who told The Tennessean in February that Borowiecki has been a source of encouragement while he dealt with mental health issues. Former Predators goalie Connor Ingram also credited Borowiecki with helping him with severe OCD issues.
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Borowiecki, 33, has been outspoken about his own struggles with mental health.
He played 458 games with the Ottawa Senators and Predators. He led Predators defensemen in hits (196) and was fifth on the team in blocked shots (79). He was picked by the Senators in the fifth round of the 2008 NHL Draft.
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This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Predators hire Mark Borowiecki as pro development coach, mentor
