Zemgus Girgensons must be feeling like he’s back home in his native Lavtia.
The 20 year old power center will now be coached and mentored by some familiar faces that he has played for in the Latvian ice hockey program. What’s more, he’ll be able to pick the brain of a seven time Stanley Cup champion.
On Monday, Ted Nolan revealed the names of his four lieutenants for the 2014-15 season. Bryan Trottier, Danny Flynn, Tom Coolen and Arturs Irbe are now coaches and confidantes on Nolan’s bench. Nolan sold his GM Tim Murray on hiring coaches who thrive at teaching the game to young players.
Trottier, Flynn and Coolen will serve as assistants and Irbe will serve as goaltending coach.
In June, the Sabres cut ties with former assistants Joe Saco, Teppo Numinen, and Jerry Forton who were hired by Darcy Regier and Ron Rolston.
Goalie coach Jim Corsi’s contract wasn’t renewed and he was snapped up immediately by the St. Louis Blues. Once Nolan signed his long term contract extension, he began the process of interviewing his own assistant coaches.
In a released by the team statement, Nolan said that raved about the collective brain power and experience of his four new coaches.
“I’m very happy with the group of talented hockey minds we were able to assemble for our coaching staff,… Nolan said. “Each one of these coaches brings an extensive and different background from the hockey world and I’m confident they will help get our team to where it needs to go this season.…
The Sabres will be one of the youngest teams in the NHL this season and Nolan is going to need to trust the patience and positivity of Trottier, Flynn, Coolen, and Irbe.
Girgensons, Reinhart, Stewart, Ennis, Foligno, Hodgson, Stafford, Grigorenko, Myers, Weber, Ristolainen, Pysyk, Neuvirth, et al will be taught to play Ted Nolan hockey by guys coaches who can finish Nolan’s sentences. They know Nolan. Nolan knows them. One staff. One voice. Continuity and consistency will help the Sabres develop confidence while exercising good habits in practices and games.
It’s a match made in hockey heaven.
Trottier, a 1997 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee and seven-time Stanley Cup champion, brings with him nine years of NHL coaching experience. He served as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins for four seasons (1993-94 to 1996-97) and then with the Colorado Avalanche (1998-99 to 2001-02), where he won the Stanley Cup in 2001. He also served as head coach of the New York Rangers in 2002-03 and compiled a 21-26-7 overall record.
Prior to his coaching stints, Trottier played in the NHL for 18 seasons. An integral part of the dominant Islanders teams that won four consecutive Stanley Cup Championships from 1980 to 1983, he set several franchise records and earned numerous NHL accolades including the Hart Memorial Trophy (1979), the Art Ross Memorial Trophy (1979), the Conn Smythe Trophy (1980) and the Calder Memorial Trophy (1976). After his time with the Islanders, Trottier played three seasons for the Pittsburgh Penguins, winning two Stanley Cups with the team in 1991 and 1992, and retired having amassed 1,425 points (524+901) in 1,279 career NHL games played. His jersey, number 19, was officially retired by the Islanders in 2001.
Flynn, embarking on his second stint coaching alongside Nolan, previously worked as Nolan’s assistant coach in 2006-07 with the New York Islanders. He joins the Sabres after serving as head coach of the Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL) for six seasons, from 2007-2013. The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia native ended his Moncton tenure with a record of 222-141-47 and also guided the club to a QMJHL President’s Cup championship win in 2010. Flynn was the recipient of the Ron Lapointe Trophy as QMJHL Coach of the Year for the 2008-09 season.
Coolen comes to Buffalo from the Latvian national team, where he served as an assistant coach on Ted Nolan’s staff over the past two seasons (2012-2014) including the Olympic Games in Sochi. He spent eight years of his 20-year coaching career at Acadia University (1987-1995), a period that included winning the program’s first national championship in 1993. Coolen is also a former head coach of the University of New Brunswick (1998-2000) and the QMJHL's Moncton Wilcats (2000-2002). He has coaching experience around the world, including the Elite leagues of Germany, Switzerland, and Finland.
Irbe enjoyed a 13-year, 568-game NHL career as a goaltender for the San Jose Sharks, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks and Carolina Hurricanes. Selected to two NHL All-Star Games (1994 and 1999), Irbe helped lead the Hurricanes to a berth in the 2002 Stanley Cup Final and represented Latvia at two Winter Olympic Games (2002 and 2006). Following his playing career, the Riga, Latvia native served as the goaltending coach for his hometown Dinamo Riga during the 2008-09 season, before joining the Washington Capitals organization to serve in the same capacity from 2009-11. Most recently, Irbe worked alongside Nolan as an assistant coach for Team Latvia at the 2013 IIHF World Championship in Helsinki, Finland
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Tim Murray announced big, bold moves of his own in the Buffalo front office. Murray has hired a few of his confidantes that he has worked with.
Rob Murphy and Greg Royce have been added to the team’s hockey department in the roles of director of scouting and director of amateur scouting, respectively. The team also announced that Mark Jakubowski has been named assistant general manager, serving under club general manager Tim Murray.
Kevin Devine had been assistant GM. Devine also oversaw Buffalo's amateur scouting efforts. According to a report, Jon Christiano, the former director of pro scouting and Devine are still involved in the Sabres' front office.
Jakubowski, entering his 10th year with the Sabres, spent the past six years as the assistant to the general manager and also served as director of hockey administration for one year. His responsibilities include salary cap analysis, contract research relating to player negotiations and arbitrations, managing player transfers, team roster administration, and all matters relating to compliance with the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement and other NHL agreements. Jakubowski also assists with the American Hockey League hockey operations of the team’s minor league affiliate, the Rochester Americans.
Murphy joins the Sabres as director of scouting after four years as a pro scout for the Ottawa Senators and three years as a scout for the Phoenix Coyotes.
Royce joins the Sabres as the director of amateur scouting and begins his 18th year as a member of an NHL scouting staff after spending the last six seasons as an amateur scout with the Ottawa Senators. Prior to his time with the Senators, Royce served as an amateur scout for three seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes and worked eight seasons with the Nashville Predators, including three as the Predators’ assistant director of amateur scouting
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What up Samson?
2nd overall pick in the last @NHL draft, @BuffaloSabres prospect Sam Reinhart is looking sharp and focused. #WJC2015 pic.twitter.com/JpJ0In7zSM
— 2015 World Juniors (@HC_WJC) August 4, 2014**