NHL Hockey: Gwozdecky Ready to make Leap to NHL Coaching

Here’s the press release from the Tampa Bay Lightning site for George Gwozdecky being hired by the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant coach. Former Denver defenseman Matt Carle seems happy to have George as his coach again and isn't worried about him not having any NHL experience. “I don’t think it matters that he doesn’t have a lot of NHL coaching experience, because it’s all about how you deal with people,” said Carle.

Tampa Bay Lightning -- The Tampa Bay Lightning have named George Gwozdecky (gwahz-DECK-ee) as assistant coach on Jon Cooper’s staff today, vice president and general manager Steve Yzerman announced. Gwozdecky most recently served as head coach for the University of Denver Pioneers men’s hockey team.

“I am excited to be joining the Tampa Bay Lightning coaching staff and am really looking forward to working with outstanding coaches like Jon (Cooper), Steve (Thomas) and Rick (Bowness),” Gwozdecky said. “The opportunity to coach in an organization with such highly-respected ownership and excellent front office leadership, as well as a talented mix of veteran and young players in a great community like Tampa Bay is the chance of a lifetime.”

"We are pleased to add George to the coaching staff," Yzerman said. "He brings a wealth of experience to the bench and we feel he will be a valuable addition to the organization."

Gwozdecky, 60, spent 19 seasons at Denver as head coach, posting a 443-267-64 record in 774 games. He led the Pioneers to back-to-back NCAA National Championships in 2004 and 2005 and earned National Coach of the Year honors in 1993 and 2005. In addition he was named the WCHA Coach of the Year in 1995, 2002, 2005 and 2010. With Gwozdecky behind the bench, Denver became a perennial Top 10 program that, in addition to two national championships, also won three WCHA regular season and four WCHA playoff titles. They are the only team in NCAA hockey to have recorded at least 20 wins in each of the previous 12 seasons. During his tenure with the Pioneers, Gwozdecky helped the team to 15 20-win seasons, nine with 25 or more and a pair of campaigns with at least 30.

A native of Thunder Bay, Ontario, Gwozdecky ranks 11th all-time in NCAA men’s hockey for wins with 593. Prior to joining Denver, Gwozdecky was head coach for the Miami (Ohio) University Red Hawks. He served there for five seasons, winning the school’s first CCHA title and earning its first NCAA tournament bid. While at Miami he won the Spencer Penrose Award as National Coach of the Year as well as a pair of CCHA coach of the year honors. He was added to the Miami University “Cradle of Coaches” Hall of Fame in 2006. Before joining the Red Hawks he served as an assistant for the Michigan State Spartans following a stint as the bench boss at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

Gwozdecky was a four-year letterman at the University of Wisconsin and graduated in 1978 with a degree in physical education. The forward was a member of the Badgers’ 1977 National Championship team. Gwozdecky was inducted into the Wisconsin Hockey Hall of Fame in 1994.

Married with a daughter, Gwozdecky was the only coach in NCAA hockey history to win a Division I National Championship as a player (Wisconsin, 1977), assistant coach (Michigan State, 1986) and as a head coach (Denver, 2004 and 2005).

NHL Owners can't claim they're poor - not after the latest free agent signings

I touched on this in the last blog post... The battle lines are being drawn up. The good news is, the two sides are talking to attempt to avoid another lock out. I doubt either the players or the NHL owners want another repeat of the lockout that cost the NHL the entire 2004-05 season.

Scott Burnside, ESPN.com --- Never mind the spreadsheets and the pie graphs breaking down the NHL's revenue streams, all union head Donald Fehr needs to do when the NHL and its players sit down to try to hammer out a new labor deal is to bring the clippings from the first four days of free agency.

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter combining for $196 million over the next 13 seasons.

Forty-year-olds Ray Whitney and Jaromir Jagr combining to bring in a hair more than $9 million next season.

Matt Carle, 20th among NHL defensemen in point production last season, was lured back to Tampa by a six-year deal that will pay him an average of $5.5 million annually.

Jiri Hudler struck it rich with a four-year, $16 million contract after a career-best 25-goal campaign in Detroit.

Brandon Prust -- seriously -- got $10 million over four years to bring toughness to the Montreal lineup.

Every time a new contract was added to the list of bloated contracts that came before, commissioner Gary Bettman must have given a grim shake of his head.

When the NHL announced that they had a record breaking $3.3 billion in revenue this past season and then they turned around and said that the NHL owners we're hurting is going to fall upon deaf ears. I don’t believe it and I am sure most of the fans don’t as well.

Seriously! The NHL Owners are going to have a hard time convincing most sane people that the NHL owners are suffering financially. Sure, there is no doubt that certain teams are not as well off as financially as others – that’s life.

I also don’t doubt that are probably a half dozen NHL teams that would fold tomorrow if there is another lockout, but the owners made this bed for themselves. I don’t blame the players in this mess, the owners are the ones that signed free agents for astronomically high contracts and then turn around and say we want to reel in player contracts and that we’re broke.

The players and owners get to work and try avoid a work stoppage.

Summer dreaming

It's 90 degrees today and I am wondering like many other hockey fans - where is Zach Parise going to sign and for how much? Zach's decision on where he is going to sign, isn't going to happen today, according to Michael Russo.  Also, it sounds like the Penguins are Zach's front-runner, I suppose none of us should be shocked with that because they cleared a bunch of cap space. If you're a Wild fan I am sure you're hoping that Parise changes his mind.

 Sounds like free agent players like Jason Garrison, Florida and  Matt Carle, Philadelphia are also going to wait and see where Ryan Suter, Nashville goes before they make their decisions as well.
 

Link around on Thursday

CBS Boston

This weekend the free agent signing period will kick off on Sunday July first. There are some big name former WCHA players out there on the market looking to sign new deals. With all of the negative news stories making up today’s news cycle I thought I would focus on the positive, NHL Hockey.

SCSU forward Drew LeBlanc has been invited and will attend the Minnesota Wild’s Development Camp. [St Cloud Times]

Apparently, former Fighting Sioux forward Jonathan Toews is trying to get Phoenix Coyotes forward Shane Doan to sign with the Blackhawks. [Rant Sports]

According to Darren Dreger of TSN – Penguins star forward Sidney Crosby Penguins will sign a new long-term contract extension worth than $9 million and a total value over $100 million. [ESPN.COM]

According to NESN, the Boston Bruins are close to re-signing Tuuka Rask. [NESN.COM]

While I am not a fan of Montreal Canadians defenseman P.K. Subban or his bush league antics – I am quickly becoming a big fan of his little brother Malcolm Subban, who was drafted in the first round by the Boston Bruins. Get those recorders rolling – Bruins first-round pick Malcolm Subban is already on record as saying that he hates the Montreal Canadians. [CBS Boston]

According to Michael Russo - the oft injured power forward - Guillaume Latendresse's playing days with the Minnesota Wild are now over - Latendresse will test the free agency market starting on July first.

From the Same article Russo says that, "The Wild's contract offer to Parise on Sunday will be, let's just say, absolutely colossal." As a Wild fan this makes me happy.

According to the AP - A judge has upheld the Glendale City Council's vote on an arena lease agreement with a prospective owner of the Phoenix Coyotes.

Former Fighting Sioux defenseman Brian Lee has been resigned by the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lee’s contract is a two year deal, and also a one-way contract.

Former Fighting Sioux All-American Forward Zach Parise is listed as one of the top dozen free agents [NHL.COM]

Also, from that same article linked above – former WCHA alumni Ryan Suter (UW), Nashville, Jason Garrison (UMD), Florida, Justin Schultz (UW), Anaheim and Matt Carle (DU), Philadelphia – are also included in that dozen. Impressive fact is that five out of the top 12 available free agents that also have ties to the WCHA. That speaks volumes on what kind of league the WCHA is. [NHL.COM]

Justin Schultz has given his list of teams that he will sign with, they are as follows the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators and Edmonton Oilers. [TSN.CA]

Former Boston College Eagle goalie Cory Schneider doesn't seem all that worried about not having a new contract as of yet. [TSN.CA]

Here is the latest from the CBA front - Donald Fehr, ‘says season could start on time even without agreement.’

WCHA well represented in NHL free agency

s/t to Brad Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald... According to the Globe and Mail four out of the top 10 free agent defensemen are former players from the WCHA. That's pretty impressive in my opinion. Also, former Fighting Sioux forward and current New Jersey Devil Zach Parise will probably land in the top three as well.