June 15, 2015

by Alan Cross - griffinshockey.com
_________________________________

Jeff Blashill is the 27th head coach of the Detroit Red Wings.

On June 9, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland introduced Blashill as the new bench boss at a press conference inside of Joe Louis Arena’s International Bancard Olympia Club. In attendance were a swath of media members and a handful of Detroit brass including Holland, assistant general manager Ryan Martin, Chris Chelios and Kris Draper; Red Wings legend Ted Lindsay; Blashill’s proud parents, Jim and Rosemary; and his wife Erica and their three children, Teddy, Josie and Owen.

Blashill’s promotion is easily one of the most profound and bittersweet moments in the Griffins franchise’s 19-year history. It’s a big loss for Grand Rapids, which has become a powerhouse in the American Hockey League under Blashill’s charge since his hiring on June 25, 2012. Prior to his arrival, the Griffins were riding three consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance, ranking 26th, 23rd and 24th in the league, respectively, from 2009-12. Blashill quickly turned things around, leading Grand Rapids to its first-ever Calder Cup during his inaugural season.

He now heads to Detroit with a few resume additions, including two Midwest Division titles, a Western Conference title and a Calder Cup. Adding to his laurels, Blashill was the first coach in Griffins history to earn three 90-point seasons and qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs three consecutive times. He was already stocked with accolades before his time in Grand Rapids, having led his 2008-09 USHL Indiana Ice to a Clark Cup championship and turned around the Western Michigan Broncos. Wherever he goes, Blashill does what he does best: win.

An overlooked aspect of his departure is that he was good for business, too. In 2014-15, a total of 307,110 fans – 8,082 per game – attended Griffins home games. That accomplishment marked Grand Rapids’ fifth straight year with an average attendance increase at Van Andel Arena and the eighth increase in the last nine seasons. This season, the Griffins also eclipsed an average of 8,000 for the first time since 2000-01 and had their highest average since 1999-2000.

“The fan base here in Grand Rapids is awesome. I think it’s fever built over the three years we were here. I think they’ve always had a great fan base, but hopefully we earned more and more fans as we moved along here,” said Blashill. “This is a city that I’ll always love. I’ve said before I could live in this city for the rest of my life. Obviously, this opportunity is a great one for me, but we’ll certainly miss West Michigan and miss Grand Rapids specifically.”

Needless to say, Blashill’s successor will have big shoes to fill on the heels of three of the most successful seasons in franchise history. In his short time with the team, Blashill helped rekindle a winning culture everywhere from the locker room, to the front office and even to the stands.

So who takes his place? There are many routes the organization could take, whether it’s hiring from within, hiring from outside or a hybrid of both.

In natural consideration for the head coaching gig is Derek Lalonde, who led the Toledo Walleye to the greatest season-to-season turnaround in ECHL history. Winner of the John Brophy Award as the ECHL Coach of the Year, Lalonde’s Walleye compiled a 50-15-5-2 record en route to securing the Brabham Cup as the league’s regular season champions. If there are any similarities to be drawn, Lalonde’s award came just a year after Blashill received the Louis A.R. Pieri Award as the AHL’s Coach of the Year. Considering that the Walleye are the developmental affiliate for the Griffins, Lalonde has already coached many of Grand Rapids’ prospects, including Martin Frk and Scott Czarnowczan.

Another name that’s been thrown around is about as Grand Rapids as they come. The former head coach of the Oklahoma City Barons and interim head coach of the Edmonton Oilers this past season, Todd Nelson was the first player ever signed to a Griffins contract in 1996. Nelson spent parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids as a defenseman (1996-98, 1999-00, 2001-02) and eventually went on to serve as an assistant coach for the team during the 2002-03 season. Perhaps most famously, Nelson and his Barons pushed the Griffins to an unforgettable Game 7 at Van Andel Arena during the 2013 Western Conference Finals.

Or could they hire internally? Pat Ferschweiler served as an assistant coach behind Blashill’s bench this season and previously worked as an assistant coach with the Broncos from 2010-13, before being promoted to associate head coach for the 2013-14 season. After Jim Paek, the longest-tenured coach in Griffins history, accepted a position as the head coach of the Korean Men’s National Team last summer, Ferschweiler was brought over from WMU and helped lead the Griffins to the Western Conference Finals during Blashill’s swan song.

News regarding both coaching staffs in Grand Rapids and Detroit should begin to break this week, following the Red Wings’ pro scouting meetings. Regardless of who lands the coveted position as head coach of the Griffins, Blashill’s legacy in Grand Rapids is definitely not finished. Fluidity and communication between coaching staffs in Detroit and Grand Rapids have played a huge part for the organization, and that’s sure to continue with Blashill now in Hockeytown.

June 15, 2015

by Alan Cross - griffinshockey.com
_________________________________

Jeff Blashill is the 27th head coach of the Detroit Red Wings.

On June 9, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland introduced Blashill as the new bench boss at a press conference inside of Joe Louis Arena’s International Bancard Olympia Club. In attendance were a swath of media members and a handful of Detroit brass including Holland, assistant general manager Ryan Martin, Chris Chelios and Kris Draper; Red Wings legend Ted Lindsay; Blashill’s proud parents, Jim and Rosemary; and his wife Erica and their three children, Teddy, Josie and Owen.

Blashill’s promotion is easily one of the most profound and bittersweet moments in the Griffins franchise’s 19-year history. It’s a big loss for Grand Rapids, which has become a powerhouse in the American Hockey League under Blashill’s charge since his hiring on June 25, 2012. Prior to his arrival, the Griffins were riding three consecutive seasons without a playoff appearance, ranking 26th, 23rd and 24th in the league, respectively, from 2009-12. Blashill quickly turned things around, leading Grand Rapids to its first-ever Calder Cup during his inaugural season.

He now heads to Detroit with a few resume additions, including two Midwest Division titles, a Western Conference title and a Calder Cup. Adding to his laurels, Blashill was the first coach in Griffins history to earn three 90-point seasons and qualify for the Calder Cup playoffs three consecutive times. He was already stocked with accolades before his time in Grand Rapids, having led his 2008-09 USHL Indiana Ice to a Clark Cup championship and turned around the Western Michigan Broncos. Wherever he goes, Blashill does what he does best: win.

An overlooked aspect of his departure is that he was good for business, too. In 2014-15, a total of 307,110 fans – 8,082 per game – attended Griffins home games. That accomplishment marked Grand Rapids’ fifth straight year with an average attendance increase at Van Andel Arena and the eighth increase in the last nine seasons. This season, the Griffins also eclipsed an average of 8,000 for the first time since 2000-01 and had their highest average since 1999-2000.

“The fan base here in Grand Rapids is awesome. I think it’s fever built over the three years we were here. I think they’ve always had a great fan base, but hopefully we earned more and more fans as we moved along here,” said Blashill. “This is a city that I’ll always love. I’ve said before I could live in this city for the rest of my life. Obviously, this opportunity is a great one for me, but we’ll certainly miss West Michigan and miss Grand Rapids specifically.”

Needless to say, Blashill’s successor will have big shoes to fill on the heels of three of the most successful seasons in franchise history. In his short time with the team, Blashill helped rekindle a winning culture everywhere from the locker room, to the front office and even to the stands.

So who takes his place? There are many routes the organization could take, whether it’s hiring from within, hiring from outside or a hybrid of both.

In natural consideration for the head coaching gig is Derek Lalonde, who led the Toledo Walleye to the greatest season-to-season turnaround in ECHL history. Winner of the John Brophy Award as the ECHL Coach of the Year, Lalonde’s Walleye compiled a 50-15-5-2 record en route to securing the Brabham Cup as the league’s regular season champions. If there are any similarities to be drawn, Lalonde’s award came just a year after Blashill received the Louis A.R. Pieri Award as the AHL’s Coach of the Year. Considering that the Walleye are the developmental affiliate for the Griffins, Lalonde has already coached many of Grand Rapids’ prospects, including Martin Frk and Scott Czarnowczan.

Another name that’s been thrown around is about as Grand Rapids as they come. The former head coach of the Oklahoma City Barons and interim head coach of the Edmonton Oilers this past season, Todd Nelson was the first player ever signed to a Griffins contract in 1996. Nelson spent parts of four seasons with Grand Rapids as a defenseman (1996-98, 1999-00, 2001-02) and eventually went on to serve as an assistant coach for the team during the 2002-03 season. Perhaps most famously, Nelson and his Barons pushed the Griffins to an unforgettable Game 7 at Van Andel Arena during the 2013 Western Conference Finals.

Or could they hire internally? Pat Ferschweiler served as an assistant coach behind Blashill’s bench this season and previously worked as an assistant coach with the Broncos from 2010-13, before being promoted to associate head coach for the 2013-14 season. After Jim Paek, the longest-tenured coach in Griffins history, accepted a position as the head coach of the Korean Men’s National Team last summer, Ferschweiler was brought over from WMU and helped lead the Griffins to the Western Conference Finals during Blashill’s swan song.

News regarding both coaching staffs in Grand Rapids and Detroit should begin to break this week, following the Red Wings’ pro scouting meetings. Regardless of who lands the coveted position as head coach of the Griffins, Blashill’s legacy in Grand Rapids is definitely not finished. Fluidity and communication between coaching staffs in Detroit and Grand Rapids have played a huge part for the organization, and that’s sure to continue with Blashill now in Hockeytown.