Bob Hartley, the second head coach in the Atlanta Thrashers franchise history, had used his experience as a Stanley Cup champion to develop the young talent in the organization. In 2006-2007, he led the Thrashers to their first ever playoff appearance. Hartley joined the Thrashers on Jan. 14, 2003 and has posted a 136-123-32 record in 291 games. He has registered an impressive 330-261-61 NHL coaching record and .560 winning percentage, while becoming the seventh-fastest coach in NHL history to reach 200 wins with a 4-2 win at New Jersey on Feb. 7, 2003, in his 369th game.

In 2003-04, Hartley helped the team overcome the tragic loss of Dan Snyder and led the club to its best record (33-37-8-4) and a franchise-high 78 points. He coached his 400th game in a 4-3 win at Washington on Oct. 11, 2003 and was named "2004 Coach of the Year" by Hockey Digest. In addition, he was ranked 86th by The Hockey News in the fifth annual edition of hockey's "Top 100 People of Power and Influence."

Bob has entrenched himself in the Atlanta hockey community, spending countless hours helping to develop the game, providing on-ice instruction for players at all levels, including those in the Junior Thrashers Program. In addition, he hosted clinics for ice and in-line coaches, and participated in USA Hockey's 2005 National Hockey Coaches Symposium and Hockey Canada's Advanced II Level National Coaching Certification Program. Bob also established the international youth hockey tournament called the Friendship Cup, and played a key role in developing and running the April 2005 event that featured teams from Atlanta, Florida, Canada and Russia, as well as and a visit by the Stanley Cup.

Prior to joining the Thrashers, Bob guided the Colorado Avalanche to the 2001 Stanley Cup Championship, a 49-31 record in 80 post-season games for a .613 winning percentage and a 193-118-48 record in 359 regular-season games for a .605 winning percentage in over four seasons as the team's head coach from 1998-2002. He is one of four head coaches to lead teams to Stanley Cup and Calder Cup championships.

In the 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Bob became the first NHL coach since 1967 (Billy Reay) to lead his team to the Conference Finals in his first four seasons with the same team. In 16 seasons as a head coach at the amateur and professional levels, Hartley's teams have qualified for the playoffs 14 times while capturing five league championships and have been a part of winning at least 40 games eight times and 30 or more contests on 14 occasions. His Avalanche teams won at least 42 games in four consecutive seasons from 1998-2002, including a 45-29-8 mark in 2001-02.

Bob Hartley became the second head coach of the Avalanche and the 11th in franchise history when he was named to the position on June 30, 1998, serving until Dec. 18, 2002. The Hawkesbury, Ontario, native is Colorado's all-time coaching victory leader (193), having guided the Avalanche to four consecutive Northwest Division titles and four straight trips to the Western Conference Finals from 1998-2002.

He guided the 2000-01 Avalanche to its most successful season in franchise history. Colorado established team records for points (118), wins (52), home wins (28), goals against (192), and tied the franchise road win mark with 24. The Avalanche began the season unbeaten in its first 11 games, the best start to a season in franchise history. Colorado carried that momentum through the rest of the season, reaching the 40-point (seventh-fastest in NHL history), 40-win and 100-point (sixth fastest in the NHL since 1980-81) marks in team-record pace. His memorable season behind the Colorado bench included acting as assistant coach for the North American squad at the 2001 NHL All-Star Game in Denver.

Bob's second season behind the Avalanche bench in 1999-2000 culminated in the club's sixth-consecutive division title. In the playoffs, the Avalanche advanced past the Phoenix Coyotes, four-games-to-one, and the Detroit Red Wings, four-games-to-one, reaching the Western Conference Finals for the second year in a row and fourth time in five years while coming within one game of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.

During his inaugural season with Colorado in 1998-99, the Avalanche finished with a record of 44-28-10 and earned their fifth-consecutive division title. The club established franchise records for the longest winning streak (12), longest road winning streak (seven), longest unbeaten streak (12) and longest road unbeaten streak (10). It marked the first time a club had started the season winless in its first five games to emerge in the NHL's top five clubs since the Washington Capitals in 1983-84 and the Chicago Blackhawks in 1969-70.

Prior to joining Colorado, Bob coached four seasons in the American Hockey League from 1994-98, posting a 151-136-33 regular-season record and a 29-23 post-season mark in four consecutive trips to the playoffs with Hershey (1996-98) and Cornwall (1994-96). He guided Hershey to the 1997 Calder Cup Championship and led the team to a 43-27-10 regular-season record. Bob joined former Hershey coaches Bryan Murray and John Paddock as the only coaches to lead the Bears to 100 or more points in one season. Staving off elimination five times and becoming only the ninth team in AHL playoff history to rally from a three-games-to-one deficit to win a series, the Bears went on to defeat the Hamilton Bulldogs four games to one in the finals and win the Calder Cup Championship.

After serving as an assistant coach for Cornwall in 1993-94, he guided the Aces to the Southern Division title in 1994-95, and a trip to the Southern Division finals again in 1995-96. The Aces upset the Regular Season Champion Albany River Rats in the first round of the 1996 Calder Cup Playoffs. Albany finished the regular season 35 points ahead of Cornwall. Bob led Laval to the Quebec Major Junior League Championship in 1993 while compiling an 81-52-7 record in two seasons with Laval from 1991-93.

From 1987-1991, Bob served as head coach for Hawkesbury of the Central Junior Hockey League. After enduring an 18 point season his rookie term behind the Hawks' bench, he went on to lead his team to an impressive 117-45-5 mark over the next three seasons, including CJHL championships in 1990 and 1991. His teams dropped just three post-season games from 1990-91, going 24-3 in that span. Overall, his teams in Hawkesbury advanced to the playoffs four consecutive seasons and finished 31-13 in the postseason during that span.

Throughout his coaching career, Bob has shared a strong sense of dedication with his community. He was honored in his hometown of Hawkesbury, where the local ice arena was renamed Complex Bob Hartley in August 1998 in recognition of his service to the community where he grew up and coached. Every summer the Bob Hartley Charity Golf Tournament is held in Hawkesbury to raise funds for scholarships for local students. He holds the annual Bob Hartley High Intensity Camp in his hometown of Hawkesbury, and has developed similar camps in Pennsylvania, and Colorado.

Bob and his wife, Micheline, have a daughter, Kristine, and a son, Steve.