Jack Gordon was a mainstay in the American Hockey League as both a player and a coach, achieving his greatest success with the Cleveland Barons.
Gordon, a Winnipeg native, played 14 AHL seasons, breaking in with the New Haven Ramblers as a 19-year-old in 1947. He led the New Haven club in scoring with 83 points and finished second in the league with 60 assists in 1949-50, and after joining the Cincinnati Mohawks the following season he led that team in scoring for 1950-51.
Gordon was acquired by the Cleveland Barons in 1951 and spent the next 11 years there. In 1953-54 Gordon set career highs with 31 goals, 71 assists and 102 points to finish as the runner-up in the AHL scoring race, and he tied what was then the league record with 18 postseason points as Cleveland captured the Calder Cup championship.
Still producing at a point-per-game pace, Gordon transitioned into the role of player/coach in 1956, succeeding the legendary Bun Cook in running the Barons’ bench. In the first season under Gordon’s guidance, the Barons didn’t skip a beat, roaring to another Calder Cup title as the highly respected Gordon was named the league’s coach of the year.
Gordon played his final game in 1960-61 and continued as Cleveland’s head coach through 1962, qualifying for the playoffs in each of his six campaigns. He remained the Barons’ general manager – winning his fourth Calder Cup in the 1963-64 season – until accepting a position as assistant GM of the New York Rangers in 1965.
Gordon rejoined the Barons as head coach in November 1968 and spent two more seasons on the bench before returning to the NHL, where he would serve in coaching and management capacities for the Minnesota North Stars and Vancouver Canucks.
In 602 games played in the AHL, Gordon totaled 181 goals and 434 assists for 615 points. His career coaching record stands at 267-234-48.