Rumor: Custance: Rangers interested in Rikard Grönborg?

[Ola]

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.

Hehe, maybe Gorts wants a mix and they go for an extreme CHL guy, like Kelly McCrimmon...

Nah I think Ruff is a good option.

However the Brooks comment on Quinn “surely needing at least one pal behind the bench” is kind of interesting. A bit odd, was it placed? Does Quinn want Sacco? Is Quinn holding of the signing unless he gets his say on the assistants?

 

[Irishguy42]

Hehe, maybe Gorts wants a mix and they go for an extreme CHL guy, like Kelly McCrimmon...

Nah I think Ruff is a good option.

However the Brooks comment on Quinn “surely needing at least one pal behind the bench” is kind of interesting. A bit odd, was it placed? Does Quinn want Sacco? Is Quinn holding of the signing unless he gets his say on the assistants?

There's logic behind waiting to announce his hiring until he has his assistants, and then announce them all at once.

I don't think it's the best thing to do, but I can see the logic behind it.

 

[LaffyTaffy]

Thanks @Ola for your response, I appreciate the info. And in terms of @BBKers sources, I think the only reason that it isn't a done deal is that Quinn will have to confirm that he wants to work with him. Once both deals are in place I think we will be good to go.

 

[CasusBelli]

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.

Very good points. And let’s not forget: Sweden has a tiny population compared to that of the US and Canada combined (even separately). You’d expect underrepresentation. Here’s to a new era — of a diverse, competent staff and the new generation of Rangers that they’ll mentor and guide!

 

[nyr2k2]

I feel like the wait on the official announcement here is unrelated to any other staffing matter. It's probably something mundane, like a logistical issue making Quinn or Gorton unavailable for a press conference until then. Something like that.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I feel like the wait on the official announcement here is unrelated to any other staffing matter. It's probably something mundane, like a logistical issue making Quinn or Gorton unavailable for a press conference until then. Something like that.

JG probably sleeping off a hangover after getting drunk on the flight back.

 

[Irishguy42]

As long as he keeps that amazing beard, I'm good with it.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

As long as he keeps that amazing beard, I'm good with it.

This, because he looks, uh... unfortunate, without it.

 

[Kovalev27]

I’d rather this be the coach than Quinn. For the money he’s getting Quinn should keep his mouth shut and let us hire who we want. Doubt he cares anyway. 12.5 mil guaranteed

 

[GregSirico]

I'd LOVE this.

 

[Kovalev27]

I can see Ruff staying on to Babysit this circus. Need an NHL guy. We’re going to have this college mercenary and a Swede with zero nhl experience who I actually like, we’re going to need a grownup in there

 

[FireGerardGallant]

I can see Ruff staying on to Babysit this circus. Need an NHL guy. We’re going to have this college mercenary and a Swede with zero nhl experience who I actually like, we’re going to need a grownup in there

Thats fine bringing in a vet NHL coach for experience but can we bring in an actually good coach instead of Ruff?

 

[Irishguy42]

I can see Ruff staying on to Babysit this circus. Need an NHL guy. We’re going to have this college mercenary and a Swede with zero nhl experience who I actually like, we’re going to need a grownup in there

Yeah, I can see that happening. And that's fine for now.

Ruff's fate was going to be left up to the new HC anyway

 

[Mac n Gs]

The trolling is obvious, but sure, bring in a dude like Scott Gordon to coach the defense while Ronborg works with the offense.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Are K27 and NYR the same person?

 

[SnowblindNYR]

I can see Ruff staying on to Babysit this circus. Need an NHL guy. We’re going to have this college mercenary and a Swede with zero nhl experience who I actually like, we’re going to need a grownup in there

College mercenary? What a joke.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

The next time one of these posters that think that every coach should only care about loving the franchise as much as they do, choose a job in part because of location and/or money I hope they post it on HF so that I can call them a mercenary.

 

[Ola]

Grönborg is represented by the coach agency PBISports. They seem to represent Sullivan, Torts, Housley and a few others. Into a lot about personal branding, prepping interviews etc.

Do we have anything on them?

 

[TheTakedown]

There we're some mentions made about the rangers sweetening the deal for quinn. Brooks says that Quinn wants a pal behind the bench. I wonder if quinn was permitted to pick 1-2 assistants while Gorton keeps ruff either as another assistance / associate coach, or moves him to more of a front office position. Team seems to be happy with him, kind of like him myself.

 

[Ola]

More interest in RG:

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Lidstrom thinks he would fit in the NHL



He actually coached in college and juniors in NA in the mid-90s

 

[RangerBoy]

The Rangers didn't announce Quinn because the Islanders announced the Lamoriello move yesterday.

Gorton was part of the American team advisory board at the World Championships. He helped picked the coaching staff and players along with 4 other guys besides Bill Zito who was the GM. The tournament is a three week tournament and Gorton showed for the last week.

Usually management picks an assistant coach. Samuelsson,Buekeboom and Ruff were management picks on AV's staff.

 

[Kovalev27]

College mercenary? What a joke.

College coach that is only coming because we had to overpay him.
Is that not accurate?

Exactly what part of that is a joke?

 

[RangerBoy]

Sweden’s coach, native Rikard Gronborg, also is a U.S. citizen — he played, started his coaching career and lived in the U.S. for about 20 years. Along the way, he graduated from UW-Stout with a master’s degree and served as an assistant coach for the Blue Devils’ hockey team from 1996 to 1998.

After playing as a defenseman at Division I St. Cloud State from 1989 to 1992 and then serving as an assistant coach, Gronborg wanted to continue coaching and go to graduate school. He called Watkins, wondering if he knew of any college that needed an assistant coach.

“I said, ‘Yes. We do,’” Watkins recalled. UW-Stout’s men’s hockey team was re-starting in 1996 as a school sport after a period as a club sport.

Gronborg served under Watkins with the Division III Blue Devils for two seasons and helped coach women’s soccer. In the meantime, he earned a Master of Science degree in management technology from UW-Stout’s Graduate School, receiving the Chancellor’s Award for academic achievement. He finished most of his coursework by 1998 and received the degree in 2001.

In 1998, Watkins helped Gronborg get his first head coaching job, with the Great Falls (Mont.) Americans in the North American Hockey League, from 1998 to 2001.

Gronborg then coached lower-level professional teams in Texas and the state of Washington, and he scouted for the Swedish hockey federation for several years.

Ex-Blue Devil assistant, alum is Sweden’s Olympic men’s hockey coach | University of Wisconsin - Stout

Do Quinn and Gronberg know each other? College hockey backgrounds. Minor league coaching. International coaching.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

College coach that is only coming because we had to overpay him.
Is that not accurate?

Exactly what part of that is a joke?

How exactly did we overpay if he's earning league average?