Rumor: Custance: Rangers interested in Rikard Grönborg?

[CasusBelli]

I think the NHL is a Good Old Boys club, like most of North American professional sports. I think you break into the coaching and front office ranks through your relationships, and given that there are exponentially more relationships involving North American players (since they make up the bulk of the players in the NHL), most of those spots go to Canadian and American guys. And there's also probably an inherent bias towards Canadian and America candidates as well.

That’s reasonable, albeit unfortunate, considering Swedes are fluent in English and (as noted above) have some excellent hockey minds and talents.

 

[BBKers]

There are wings to this rumor. I heard it today. From 2 people. Why was Gorton in Denmark?

 

[Levitate]

There are wings to this rumor. I heard it today. From 2 people. Why was Gorton in Denmark?

I mean...probably for this and probably to scout. Little bit of both.

 

[BBKers]

I mean...probably for this and probably to scout. Little bit of both.

One of the people I know very well said it was almost a done deal. But there is a meeting in NYC yet to be held with The Big Brass. Interesting. Obviously not as HC

 

[Levitate]

Watch for the old switcheroo, Quinn stays at BU, Gronborg is the next head coach of the NYR

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Gronborg has coached all of the Swedish players on our roster.

Gorton is part of the Team USA Management Team, so thats part of why he was at the World Championships. Obviously there to scout, as well.

 

[Ola]

I would be more interested in Pesan than Gronborg, I don't know much about him other than the fact that he misused Lias for the entire tournament but that's probably because he's a kid and its a mens tourney. I'm biased, but I'm sure our Swedish guys have more insight.

For an assistant role I would definitely have much less concerns than if he was a HC candidate. Gronberg have had tremendously well coached teams for Sweden — but he has a boat load of silvers in junior hockey and his teams have often peaked early and lacked when it matters the most. I think his omission of Kovac is a classic example, he didn’t go with the player who risked disturbing things in the room of rock the boat. Everything started really well, but nobody broke the pattern when it mattered.

I think he can do really well in an assistant role though, he isn’t in charge in that sense.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

After how he treated Chytil?

You mean call him up for the Worlds and have him experience a major tournament while playing a few games?

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

It's time we hire some European coaches in the NHL. With the amount of European players and the different styles they bring into the league, European coaches can do the same. The NHL is an intercontinental league now more than ever.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

You mean call him up for the Worlds and have him experience a major tournament while playing a few games?

At the WJC.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

It's time we hire some European coaches in the NHL. With the amount of European players and the different styles they bring into the league, European coaches can do the same. The NHL is an intercontinental league now more than ever.

If I was GM, Sam Hallam would've been our next Head Coach. What he's done in Vaxjo is worthy of an NHL job, and I'm not really sure why NHL teams only look within NA for coaching candidates. Its not like English is an obstacle for a Swede.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

At the WJC.

What did he do to Chytil that was so awful?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

What did he do to Chytil that was so awful?

Gave him bad line mates and then publicly called him out for not playing well enough, despite the bad line mates and playing injured at the tournament.

 

[DDRhockey]

It's time we hire some European coaches in the NHL. With the amount of European players and the different styles they bring into the league, European coaches can do the same. The NHL is an intercontinental league now more than ever.

I have always wondered why NHL recycle the same coaches over and over again.

 

[Ola]

That’s reasonable, albeit unfortunate, considering Swedes are fluent in English and (as noted above) have some excellent hockey minds and talents.

Yeah, but for the sake of completeness, it’s very far from all about that. Just many more guys in the running in NA, and it’s a bit of an adjustment to go from Europe as of today to coach in the NHL. But while there are plenty of euros with NHL experience, much fewer are into coaching in the NA (because most move) but also in Europe. Remember that they can be kind of strangers in their home country too. What does someone like Thomas Holmstrom know about Swedish hockey when he moves back to Sweden? Right, he hasn’t played here since like 1995... So the top jobs aren’t jumping at them in Europe either. Have to go the long way here too.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I have always wondered why NHL recycle the same coaches over and over again.

Management wants coaches who have NHL experience and have been around the block, esp coaches who have had NHL success.

 

[DDRhockey]

Management wants coaches who have NHL experience and have been around the block

that's not always a positive thing. Most of the coaches are still in the league since I became a NHL fan in the 90s.

 

[n8]

One of the people I know very well said it was almost a done deal. But there is a meeting in NYC yet to be held with The Big Brass. Interesting. Obviously not as HC

You've got to imagine that Quinn will have a say in who's on his staff

 

[Ola]

One of the people I know very well said it was almost a done deal. But there is a meeting in NYC yet to be held with The Big Brass. Interesting. Obviously not as HC

Thanks! Interesting.

If this is to happen, I wonder if Ruff is kept on? They need someone with experience. In a sense I would have liked MSL. But when you are new you shouldn’t underrate the practicle aspects. It takes energy to, for example, have no clue where to enter arena, where the coaches room is and so forth and so forth and so forth.

 

[Irishguy42]

I wonder if this is why they are delaying announcing Quinn. Kill two birds with one stone and announce them together.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

If we can get Grönborg as one of our assistants, that would be amazing.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

You presume Quinn has some say in this right?

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I would imagine ruff stays on unless the Rangers want to go HAM with the lack of experience or there is a better “experienced” guy out there to serve as an assistant.

The best fit for that is the guy we just fired.

 

[Irishguy42]

You presume Quinn has some say in this right?

Probably.

 

[Mac n Gs]

I’d be thrilled with hiring Gronborg. Can’t argue with his resume and track record for developing talent.

This seems like a move to try to get ahead of the curve in the NHL. Tactics from Europe always get integrated a few years later in NA, so sign me up for ingenuity and creative thinking