European coaches and GM's

begbeee

Registered User
Oct 16, 2009
4,158
30
Slovakia
When players who started careers in early 90's during big euro-wave in NHL are retiring now, how big is the chance we will see next euro-coach or first euro-GM of the NHL team?
I mean, it was hardly possible to get a this kind of job with non-NA experiences, but many players earned some huge respect during their careers in NHL.

It's quiet obvious that HOF-calibre NA players get this kind of job time to time.
I.e. Gretzky became a NHL head coach relatively soon, Messier is heading into GM's territory and Yzerman is already there and doing a successful work.

IIRC there were only two head euro-coaches in NHL:
Alpho Suhonen who didnt do well with weak Blackhawks and Ivan Hlinka who had some success with Czechguins. And there was Slavomir Lener as a Panthers assistent coach.

Now we have enough retired euro-players or players who will retire soon, some of them having master degree (but that's not necessary).
I.e. Jarri Kurri is respected person in NHL circles and he's doing a good job as GM of Finland, the same can be said about Peter Bondra. Or we have Sergei Nemchinov there as a coach and GM of CSKA Moscow, Uwe Krupp as a head coach of Germany is doing absolutely amazing stuff.... And there will be soon many others respected and experienced players available: Jagr, Forsberg, Sundin, Alfredsson, Lidstrom, Selanne, Koivu...

I am not saying all of them are interested in this kind of post-retirement career, but some of them sure are... and as we can see some of them have abilities and talent to do these things on highest level.

So will we see euro coaches and GM's soon or we have to wait until the next generation players is going to retire?

//: I dont know if is this in right part of forum, but here is definetly more intelligent debate, than in other parts.
 
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Pajicz

Registered User
Mar 22, 2011
4,012
0
St. Louis Blues almost hired Jarmo Kekäläinen (who was working as their assistant GM at the time) to be their GM after Larry Pleau stepped down, but they went for more experienced option (Doug Armstrong) after all.

Currently Kekäläinen is working as GM of Jokerit, one of the top teams in Finnish SM-Liiga, but maybe he'll be back in North America in future.
 

tony d

Registered User
Jun 23, 2007
76,590
4,550
Behind A Tree
Jarmo Kekalainen was a name I was going to mention. Was a time he was one of the top GM choices out there. I still think he gets to GM a team some day.
 

Franck

eltiT resU motsuC
Jan 5, 2010
9,711
207
Gothenburg
Was some speculation in the Swedish media that Kjell Samuelsson might have been in line for a job as a head coach in the NHL a few years ago during the season when the Flyers sucked. Looks like he's a long way from that now though.

Ulf Samuelsson might find a job somewhere if he does well here in Sweden, seems like he did a very good job as an assistant in Phoenix. I suspect that he might have seen his move back home to Sweden as a permanent one though.

Tommy Albelin is an assistant coach for the Devils at the moment, iirc. Might get a shot at head coach somewhere if he impresses.
 

begbeee

Registered User
Oct 16, 2009
4,158
30
Slovakia
I would say there are many good - especially - coaches who could handle the job of NHL head coach, but there is still a NA bias, so I think if we will see one or two euro coaches in NHL in next ten years, it would be huge step forward.
 

Ohashi_Jouzu*

Registered User
Apr 2, 2007
30,332
11
Halifax
I'm the first one to mention Arno Del Curto? Not a former player, but if you're looking towards Europe for coaches who know what they're doing, he has to be up there. As far as former NHL players are concerned, I'll add another voice to the Uwe Krupp choir. He seems to be making quite an impact on the German style and effectiveness. Nemchinov and Albelin are other obvious candidates.
 

Vodka_Tonic

Registered User
Sep 30, 2006
349
66
Zürich
if you dissect the "arno-del-curto-phenomenon" you understand why it would never work in north america or probably even another team in switzerland.

on the other hand i could see john fust going back to north america as an nhl assistant and maybe someday he earns himself a job as a headcoach.
 

Pear Juice

Registered User
Dec 12, 2007
807
6
Gothenburg, SWE
Peter Forsberg and Markus Näslund currently work in the MoDo organization. Markus Näslund is the General Manager and Forsberg is some kind of Assistant GM.
 

Reds4Life

Registered User
Dec 24, 2007
3,896
223
Jaromir Jagr is GM of Kladno, but I doubt he would be offered a similar job in the NHL.
 

Noldo

Registered User
May 28, 2007
1,664
246
St. Louis Blues almost hired Jarmo Kekäläinen (who was working as their assistant GM at the time) to be their GM after Larry Pleau stepped down, but they went for more experienced option (Doug Armstrong) after all.

Currently Kekäläinen is working as GM of Jokerit, one of the top teams in Finnish SM-Liiga, but maybe he'll be back in North America in future.

Kekäläinen has 5 years contract with Jokerit. As he moved to Finland he stated that his dream is still to be a NHL GM and he intends to demonstrate his skill as GM on the position as GM of Jokerit. It will be interesting to see how his experience and possible achievements in Finland will be seen in North America.
 

FinHockey

Sex Metal Barbie
Nov 10, 2009
15,228
106
Finland
I think that European coaches would do a lot better now than the 70's or 80's since the NA-game has become more European-like.
 

TheDevilMadeMe

Registered User
Aug 28, 2006
52,271
6,980
Brooklyn
The biggest hurdled faced by European coaches in the NHL would be the language barrier. It's what sunk Hlinka in Pittsburgh. Now we are at a time when European-born players who spent 15 years in the NHL (and presumably became fluent in English) are retiring, so I wouldn't be surprised to see an ex-NHL European get a chance.
 

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