Bernard Named GM of Minor League Affiliations

“We are extremely excited to have Mark join the Blackhawks. His experience and hockey knowledge will prove to be great resources for our club, especially the operation of our minor league affiliates,” said Blackhawks General Manager Dale Tallon.

Bernard joins the Blackhawks from the Norfolk Admirals of the American Hockey League (AHL) where he served as Vice President and Assistant General Manager. He joined the Norfolk club in June 2006 as Assistant General Manager and was named Interim Vice President in October of 2006 before his appointment to Vice President one month later. While serving as VP, Bernard orchestrated the organization’s day-to-day business operations and also assisted with hockey operations decisions in his dual role as Assistant General Manager.

Bernard was recently named the winner of the James C. Hendy Memorial Award as the AHL’s most outstanding executive for the 2007-08 season.

Prior to his appointment with the Admirals, Bernard was a goaltender for four seasons with the Hampton Roads Admirals (ECHL), accumulating a record of 62-38-12 with a 3.69 goals against average and a .882 save percentage. He was a member of the 1991 and 1992 teams that claimed back-to-back Riley Cup championships, appearing in all 14 post-season games en route to the ECHL Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award.