Calder Cup Champions - 2013 & 2017
AHL Affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings
Hero Image

RAMSAY AND SIMON JOIN GRIFFINS' COACHING STAFF

Jun 29, 2015

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Monday announced the hiring of Bruce Ramsay and Ben Simon as assistant coaches for the Grand Rapids Griffins. In addition, assistant coach Mike Knuble, goaltending coach Jeff Salajko and video coach Bill LeRoy will reprise their coaching roles with Grand Rapids.

Ramsay, 46, has been the head coach of the Tulsa Oilers in the ECHL and Central Hockey League for the past six seasons, compiling a 185-180-35 record in 400 regular season games from 2009-15. Most recently, Ramsay’s Oilers earned a 37-29-3-3 record in their first ECHL season and qualified for the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs, where they fell to the eventual champion Allen Americans in five games during the first round.

A native of Dryden, Ontario, Ramsay previously served as an assistant under Griffins head coach Todd Nelson from 2004-06, when the duo led the UHL’s Muskegon Fury to the Colonial Cup during their first season together and a 51-18-7 regular season record in their subsequent campaign. After Nelson departed for an assistant coaching position with the Chicago Wolves, Ramsay succeeded his colleague as the head coach of the Fury and produced an 84-56-12 regular season record in two seasons (2006-08) behind the bench. In all, Ramsay’s head coaching career spans 12 seasons between stints with the ACHL’s St. Pete/Winstom-Salem Parrots (2002-03), the UHL’s Port Huron Beacons (2002-04), the Fury, the IHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks (2008-09) and the Oilers.

Ramsay and Nelson were both members of the Griffins during the team’s inaugural season in 1996-97, and Ramsay collected nine goals and 14 assists in 175 games over three seasons (1996-99) with the team. Ramsay’s 781 penalty minutes as a Griffin rank second all-time in franchise history, and he’s one of just three Grand Rapids players to ever twice eclipse 300 PIM, producing 306 PIM in 1996-97 and leading the team with 310 PIM in 1997-98. In 12 seasons as a professional player (1991-02, 2004-05), Ramsay amassed 245 points (74-171—245) and 3,432 PIM in 677 games.

Simon, 37, recently concluded the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies and helped lead the team to a 40-27-9-0 regular season record. During the quarterfinals of the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs, the Griffins defeated the Marlies to become the 11th team in AHL history to win a best-of-five series after trailing 0-2.

Simon’s coaching career began in 2010-11 as the head coach of the EIHL’s Sheffield Steelers. He earned a 43-10-0-1 record (0.806) and led the team to the EIHL regular season championship, before spending the following two seasons as an assistant coach with the Rockford IceHogs. The Shaker Heights, Ohio, native then posted a 41-23-4-4 record as the head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones during 2013-14, leading his team to the Kelly Cup Finals and falling to the Alaska Aces in six games.

Including Knuble, Nelson and Ramsay, all four of Grand Rapids’ coaches are former Griffins, as Simon notched nine points (4-5—9) in 21 games with the team in 2006-07. Originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fifth round (110th overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Simon logged 81 NHL games with Atlanta and Columbus during his 11-year playing career.

Ramsay's Coaching Record

Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League Position GP W L T OTL SOL PCT GP W L PCT
1996-97 Thunder Bay CoHL Player-Assistant 74 43 23 -- 8 -- 0.649 11 5 6 0.455
1999-00 Fort Wayne UHL Player-Assistant 74 40 27 -- 7 -- 0.588 13 7 6 0.538
2001-02 Muskegon UHL Player-Assistant 74 48 22 -- 4 -- 0.676 17 11 6 0.647
2002-03 St. Pete/Winston-Salem ACHL Head Coach 37 18 12 7 -- -- 0.581 -- -- -- --
Port Huron UHL Head Coach 23 14 6 -- 3 -- 0.674 3 0 3 0.000
2003-04 Port Huron UHL Head Coach 76 38 31 -- 7 -- 0.546 9 5 4 0.556
2004-05 Muskegon UHL Assistant 80 51 20 -- 9 -- 0.694 17 12 5 0.706
2005-06 Muskegon UHL Assistant 76 51 18 -- 7 -- 0.717 12 6 6 0.500
2006-07 Muskegon UHL Head Coach 76 49 21 -- 6 -- 0.684 11 7 4 0.636
2007-08 Muskegon IHL Head Coach 76 35 35 -- 6 -- 0.500 6 2 4

0.333

2008-09 Muskegon IHL Head Coach 76 43 26 -- 7 -- 0.612 11 5 6 0.455
2009-10 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 64 28 29 -- 7 -- 0.492 -- -- -- --
2010-11 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 66 35 25 -- 6 -- 0.576 10 5 5 0.500
2011-12 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 66 29 29 -- 8 -- 0.500 -- -- -- --
2012-13 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 66 22 39 -- 5 -- 0.371 -- -- -- --
2013-14 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 66 34 29 -- 3 -- 0.538 6 2 4 0.333
2014-15 Tulsa ECHL Head Coach 72 37 29 -- 3 3 0.556 5 1 4 0.200


Ramsay's Playing Record


Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM GP G
A
PTS PIM
1989-90 Vernon BCJHL 53 11 11 22 225 -- -- -- -- --
1990-91 Thunder Bay Senior 44 13 20 33 353 -- -- -- -- --
1991-92 Thunder Bay CoHL 54 7 16 23 313 12 1 2 3 55
1992-93 Thunder Bay CoHL 52 3 16 19 234 -- -- -- -- --
1993-94 Thunder Bay CoHL 63 9 22 31 313 8 1 2 3 45
1994-95 Thunder Bay CoHL 62 14 29 43 462 11 0 3 3 83
Prince Edward Island AHL 2 0 1 1 10 1 0 0 0 2
1995-96 Thunder Bay CoHL 56 6 15 21 400 18 2 3 5 142
Milwaukee IHL 3 0 0 0 5 -- -- -- -- --
1996-97 Grand Rapids IHL 66 3 5 8 306 4 0 0 0 2
Thunder Bay CoHL 9 6 4 10 71 -- -- -- -- --
1997-98 Grand Rapids IHL 62 5 6 11 310 -- -- -- -- --
1998-99 Grand Rapids IHL 47 1 3 4 165 -- -- -- -- --
1999-00 Fort Wayne UHL 65 6 21 27 241 13 1 3 4 67
Michigan IHL 3 0 0 0 7 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Wichita CHL 60 11 24 35 364 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 Muskegon UHL 69 2 9 11 214 17 1 0 1 31
2004-05 Muskegon UHL 4 1 0 1 17 -- -- -- -- --
GRIFFINS TOTALS 175 9 14 23 781 4 0 0 0 2
PRO TOTALS 677 74 171 245 3,432 84 6 13 19 427

Simon's Coaching Record

Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League Position GP W L T OTL SOL PCT GP W L PCT
2010-11 Sheffield EIHL Head Coach 54 43 10 -- 0 1 0.806 3 1 2 0.333
2011-12 Rockford AHL Assistant Coach 76 35 32 -- 2 7 0.520 -- -- -- --
2012-13 Rockford AHL Assistant Coach 76 42 31 -- 2 1 0.572 -- -- -- --
2013-14 Cincinnati ECHL Head Coach 72 41 23 -- 4 4 0.625 24 14 10 0.583
2014-15 Toronto AHL Assistant Coach 76 40 27 -- 9 0 0.586 5 2 3 0.400


Simon's Playing Record

Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PTS PIM
1995-96 Cleveland NAHL 45 38 33 71 134 -- -- -- -- --
1996-97 Notre Dame CCHA 30 4 15 19 79 -- -- -- -- --
1997-98 Notre Dame CCHA 37 9 28 37 91 -- -- -- -- --
1998-99 Notre Dame CCHA 37 18 24 42 65 -- -- -- -- --
1999-00 Notre Dame CCHA 40 13 19 32 53 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Orlando IHL 77 8 12 20 47 16 6 5 11 20
2001-02 Chicago AHL 74 11 23 34 56 25 2 3 5 24
Atlanta NHL 6 0 0 0 6 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Chicago AHL 69 15 17 32 78 9 0 0 0 6
Atlanta NHL 10 0 1 1 9 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Atlanta NHL 52 3 0 3 28 -- -- -- -- --
Milwaukee AHL 18 1 3 4 6 -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 Chicago AHL 53 11 10 21 58 18 1 5 6 44
2005-06 Syracuse AHL 66 13 24 37 93 3 0 1 1 2
Columbus NHL 13 0 0 0 4 -- -- -- -- --
2006-07 Syracuse AHL 56 9 12 21 77 -- -- -- -- --
Grand Rapids AHL 21 4 5 9 28 7 0 0 0 9
2007-08 Springfield AHL 80 12 10 22 88 -- -- -- -- --
2008-09 Iserlohn Germany 51 5 10 15 64 -- -- -- -- --
2009-10 Toronto AHL 44 2 6 8 51 -- -- -- -- --
Kalamazoo ECHL 18 4 9 13 16 3 3 0 3 14
2010-11 Sheffield EIHL 54 21 36 57 62 3 2 0 2 12
NHL TOTALS 81 3 1 4 47 -- -- -- -- --
GRIFFINS TOTALS 21 4 5 9 28 7 0 0 0 9
PRO TOTALS 762 119 178 297 771 84 14 14 28 131

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Detroit Red Wings on Monday announced the hiring of Bruce Ramsay and Ben Simon as assistant coaches for the Grand Rapids Griffins. In addition, assistant coach Mike Knuble, goaltending coach Jeff Salajko and video coach Bill LeRoy will reprise their coaching roles with Grand Rapids.

Ramsay, 46, has been the head coach of the Tulsa Oilers in the ECHL and Central Hockey League for the past six seasons, compiling a 185-180-35 record in 400 regular season games from 2009-15. Most recently, Ramsay’s Oilers earned a 37-29-3-3 record in their first ECHL season and qualified for the 2015 Kelly Cup Playoffs, where they fell to the eventual champion Allen Americans in five games during the first round.

A native of Dryden, Ontario, Ramsay previously served as an assistant under Griffins head coach Todd Nelson from 2004-06, when the duo led the UHL’s Muskegon Fury to the Colonial Cup during their first season together and a 51-18-7 regular season record in their subsequent campaign. After Nelson departed for an assistant coaching position with the Chicago Wolves, Ramsay succeeded his colleague as the head coach of the Fury and produced an 84-56-12 regular season record in two seasons (2006-08) behind the bench. In all, Ramsay’s head coaching career spans 12 seasons between stints with the ACHL’s St. Pete/Winstom-Salem Parrots (2002-03), the UHL’s Port Huron Beacons (2002-04), the Fury, the IHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks (2008-09) and the Oilers.

Ramsay and Nelson were both members of the Griffins during the team’s inaugural season in 1996-97, and Ramsay collected nine goals and 14 assists in 175 games over three seasons (1996-99) with the team. Ramsay’s 781 penalty minutes as a Griffin rank second all-time in franchise history, and he’s one of just three Grand Rapids players to ever twice eclipse 300 PIM, producing 306 PIM in 1996-97 and leading the team with 310 PIM in 1997-98. In 12 seasons as a professional player (1991-02, 2004-05), Ramsay amassed 245 points (74-171—245) and 3,432 PIM in 677 games.

Simon, 37, recently concluded the 2014-15 season as an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies and helped lead the team to a 40-27-9-0 regular season record. During the quarterfinals of the 2015 Calder Cup Playoffs, the Griffins defeated the Marlies to become the 11th team in AHL history to win a best-of-five series after trailing 0-2.

Simon’s coaching career began in 2010-11 as the head coach of the EIHL’s Sheffield Steelers. He earned a 43-10-0-1 record (0.806) and led the team to the EIHL regular season championship, before spending the following two seasons as an assistant coach with the Rockford IceHogs. The Shaker Heights, Ohio, native then posted a 41-23-4-4 record as the head coach of the Cincinnati Cyclones during 2013-14, leading his team to the Kelly Cup Finals and falling to the Alaska Aces in six games.

Including Knuble, Nelson and Ramsay, all four of Grand Rapids’ coaches are former Griffins, as Simon notched nine points (4-5—9) in 21 games with the team in 2006-07. Originally drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in the fifth round (110th overall) of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, Simon logged 81 NHL games with Atlanta and Columbus during his 11-year playing career.

Ramsay's Coaching Record

Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League Position GP W L T OTL SOL PCT GP W L PCT
1996-97 Thunder Bay CoHL Player-Assistant 74 43 23 -- 8 -- 0.649 11 5 6 0.455
1999-00 Fort Wayne UHL Player-Assistant 74 40 27 -- 7 -- 0.588 13 7 6 0.538
2001-02 Muskegon UHL Player-Assistant 74 48 22 -- 4 -- 0.676 17 11 6 0.647
2002-03 St. Pete/Winston-Salem ACHL Head Coach 37 18 12 7 -- -- 0.581 -- -- -- --
Port Huron UHL Head Coach 23 14 6 -- 3 -- 0.674 3 0 3 0.000
2003-04 Port Huron UHL Head Coach 76 38 31 -- 7 -- 0.546 9 5 4 0.556
2004-05 Muskegon UHL Assistant 80 51 20 -- 9 -- 0.694 17 12 5 0.706
2005-06 Muskegon UHL Assistant 76 51 18 -- 7 -- 0.717 12 6 6 0.500
2006-07 Muskegon UHL Head Coach 76 49 21 -- 6 -- 0.684 11 7 4 0.636
2007-08 Muskegon IHL Head Coach 76 35 35 -- 6 -- 0.500 6 2 4

0.333

2008-09 Muskegon IHL Head Coach 76 43 26 -- 7 -- 0.612 11 5 6 0.455
2009-10 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 64 28 29 -- 7 -- 0.492 -- -- -- --
2010-11 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 66 35 25 -- 6 -- 0.576 10 5 5 0.500
2011-12 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 66 29 29 -- 8 -- 0.500 -- -- -- --
2012-13 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 66 22 39 -- 5 -- 0.371 -- -- -- --
2013-14 Tulsa CHL Head Coach 66 34 29 -- 3 -- 0.538 6 2 4 0.333
2014-15 Tulsa ECHL Head Coach 72 37 29 -- 3 3 0.556 5 1 4 0.200


Ramsay's Playing Record


Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM GP G
A
PTS PIM
1989-90 Vernon BCJHL 53 11 11 22 225 -- -- -- -- --
1990-91 Thunder Bay Senior 44 13 20 33 353 -- -- -- -- --
1991-92 Thunder Bay CoHL 54 7 16 23 313 12 1 2 3 55
1992-93 Thunder Bay CoHL 52 3 16 19 234 -- -- -- -- --
1993-94 Thunder Bay CoHL 63 9 22 31 313 8 1 2 3 45
1994-95 Thunder Bay CoHL 62 14 29 43 462 11 0 3 3 83
Prince Edward Island AHL 2 0 1 1 10 1 0 0 0 2
1995-96 Thunder Bay CoHL 56 6 15 21 400 18 2 3 5 142
Milwaukee IHL 3 0 0 0 5 -- -- -- -- --
1996-97 Grand Rapids IHL 66 3 5 8 306 4 0 0 0 2
Thunder Bay CoHL 9 6 4 10 71 -- -- -- -- --
1997-98 Grand Rapids IHL 62 5 6 11 310 -- -- -- -- --
1998-99 Grand Rapids IHL 47 1 3 4 165 -- -- -- -- --
1999-00 Fort Wayne UHL 65 6 21 27 241 13 1 3 4 67
Michigan IHL 3 0 0 0 7 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Wichita CHL 60 11 24 35 364 -- -- -- -- --
2001-02 Muskegon UHL 69 2 9 11 214 17 1 0 1 31
2004-05 Muskegon UHL 4 1 0 1 17 -- -- -- -- --
GRIFFINS TOTALS 175 9 14 23 781 4 0 0 0 2
PRO TOTALS 677 74 171 245 3,432 84 6 13 19 427

Simon's Coaching Record

Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League Position GP W L T OTL SOL PCT GP W L PCT
2010-11 Sheffield EIHL Head Coach 54 43 10 -- 0 1 0.806 3 1 2 0.333
2011-12 Rockford AHL Assistant Coach 76 35 32 -- 2 7 0.520 -- -- -- --
2012-13 Rockford AHL Assistant Coach 76 42 31 -- 2 1 0.572 -- -- -- --
2013-14 Cincinnati ECHL Head Coach 72 41 23 -- 4 4 0.625 24 14 10 0.583
2014-15 Toronto AHL Assistant Coach 76 40 27 -- 9 0 0.586 5 2 3 0.400


Simon's Playing Record

Regular Season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A PTS PIM GP G A PTS PIM
1995-96 Cleveland NAHL 45 38 33 71 134 -- -- -- -- --
1996-97 Notre Dame CCHA 30 4 15 19 79 -- -- -- -- --
1997-98 Notre Dame CCHA 37 9 28 37 91 -- -- -- -- --
1998-99 Notre Dame CCHA 37 18 24 42 65 -- -- -- -- --
1999-00 Notre Dame CCHA 40 13 19 32 53 -- -- -- -- --
2000-01 Orlando IHL 77 8 12 20 47 16 6 5 11 20
2001-02 Chicago AHL 74 11 23 34 56 25 2 3 5 24
Atlanta NHL 6 0 0 0 6 -- -- -- -- --
2002-03 Chicago AHL 69 15 17 32 78 9 0 0 0 6
Atlanta NHL 10 0 1 1 9 -- -- -- -- --
2003-04 Atlanta NHL 52 3 0 3 28 -- -- -- -- --
Milwaukee AHL 18 1 3 4 6 -- -- -- -- --
2004-05 Chicago AHL 53 11 10 21 58 18 1 5 6 44
2005-06 Syracuse AHL 66 13 24 37 93 3 0 1 1 2
Columbus NHL 13 0 0 0 4 -- -- -- -- --
2006-07 Syracuse AHL 56 9 12 21 77 -- -- -- -- --
Grand Rapids AHL 21 4 5 9 28 7 0 0 0 9
2007-08 Springfield AHL 80 12 10 22 88 -- -- -- -- --
2008-09 Iserlohn Germany 51 5 10 15 64 -- -- -- -- --
2009-10 Toronto AHL 44 2 6 8 51 -- -- -- -- --
Kalamazoo ECHL 18 4 9 13 16 3 3 0 3 14
2010-11 Sheffield EIHL 54 21 36 57 62 3 2 0 2 12
NHL TOTALS 81 3 1 4 47 -- -- -- -- --
GRIFFINS TOTALS 21 4 5 9 28 7 0 0 0 9
PRO TOTALS 762 119 178 297 771 84 14 14 28 131