DENVER – The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today the organization has hired Zack Stortini as the head coach of the franchise's ECHL affiliate, the New Mexico Goatheads.
Stortini, 40, spent the last four seasons as an assistant with the American Hockey League's (AHL) Tucson Roadrunners, the affiliate of the Utah Mammoth. From the 2022-23 to 2025-26 seasons, the Roadrunners amassed a 141-116-26-5 regular-season record.Â
A right wing in his playing days, Stortini helped lead the Tucson squad to a team record three-straight Calder Cup Playoff appearances from 2022-23 to 2024-25. The 2025-26 team finished just one point outside of a playoff position. The 2023-24 campaign also saw the team collect 43 wins, the most in team history, and post a .639 points percentage. Individually under Stortini's coaching in the 2022-23 campaign, Michael Carcone was the leading scorer in the AHL with 85 points (31g/54a) in 65 games and finished the season with more multi-point games (26) than zero-count games (20). In 2023-24, Josh Doan was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team with 46 points (26g/20a) in 62 games played with the club, leading all AHL rookies in goals. Stortini also served as Assistant Coach (2019-21) and Associate Coach (2021-22) for the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).
“We're happy to welcome Zack to the Avalanche and Goatheads organizations,â€Â Avalanche Scout Mike Battaglia, who oversees ECHL operations for the Avs. “Over his first seven years coaching in the AHL and OHL, Zack has established himself as a rising coach, and we feel he's a great fit for the Goatheads as we embark on their inaugural season.â€
“I am grateful to the organization for the opportunity to be the first head coach of the Goatheads, and am really looking forward to leading the new ECHL club,†said Stortini. “I'd like to thank REV Entertainment, Jared Johnson and Mike Battaglia for their trust in me, as well as extend a big thank you to the whole Goatheads organization and the Rio Rancho community. I am excited to get started this season.â€
Drafted in the third round (94th overall) by the Edmonton Oilers in 2003, Stortini went on to play parts of 15 years of professional hockey that spanned 860 games. 257 of those were in the NHL with Edmonton and the Nashville Predators, and 603 were in the AHL with the Charlotte Checkers, San Jose Barracuda, Binghamton Senators, Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Norfolk Admirals, Milwaukee Admirals, Oklahoma City Barons, Springfield Falcons, Hamilton Bulldogs, Iowa Stars and Toronto Roadrunners. Through his 257 appearances in the NHL, Stortini tallied 41 points (14g/27a), and in his 603 AHL contests he picked up 109 points (55g/54a) and totaled 1,825 career penalty minutes. Stortini won the Calder Cup as a player in 2007 with Hamilton where he recorded 3g/0a across 22 playoff contests.
The Elliot Lake, Ontario, native served as alternate captain (2016-17) and captain (2015-16) for Binghamton, alternate captain of Norfolk (2013-14), and captain for Sudbury (2002-05). He was also a three-time nominee for the AHL's Yanick Dupre Memorial Award during his playing career, recognizing his commitment to community service and charitable work. The forward was nominated in Lehigh Valley (2014-15), Binghamton (2015-16) and Charlotte (2018-19).Â
The Goatheads are owned and operated by REV Entertainment and will be based in Rio Rancho, playing home games at the Rio Rancho Events Center. The organization named Jared Johnson as General Manager of the Goatheads, bringing experience in professional business and hockey operations. Johnson joins the organization from the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL), where he has served as Vice President since 2021. In that role, he oversaw business operations and ticketing for Huntsville and led the franchise to four straight single-season league attendance records.
