What is different about this firing?


By
February 18, 2016

Two days ago, the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League fired head coach Greg Gilbert and replaced him with Moe Mantha.

The firing of Gilbert came with the Spirit in a losing skid but still in possession of the eighth-and-final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

One day ago, the Flint Firebirds, who are in ninth place in the Western Conference and in the midst of yet-another losing streak, fired head coach John Gruden and replaced him with Sergei Kharin.

The firing of Gilbert in Saginaw did not warrant comment or action from OHL commissioner David Branch.

But the firing of Gruden in Flint caused Branch to not only indefinitely suspend Kharin but Firebirds owner Rolf Nilsen as well.

Huh? What is going on here?

Why the double standard?

Coaches are hired to be fired in the OHL at an alarming rate. It’s referred to as a hazard of the business and seemingly accepted by all factions involved, including Branch.

Let’s remember that in Flint, Gruden was fired by Nilsen earlier this season only to be reinstated by the owner when Branch intervened.

A few months later, Nilsen decides he’s had enough and fires Gruden again.

Is is not Nilsen’s right as the owner of an OHL team to hire and fire a coach?

Is it not the same right the owner in Saginaw exercised two days ago when he signed off on the firing of his coach?

I do not pretend to know what Branch as commissioner seems to know.

But I just don’t see how he can suspend the Flint owner and his choice as interim coach while he conducts an investigation into a firing.

I guess I am just missing something.

But it sure seems to me the way Branch is dealing with Nilsen that the commissioner is making this personal.

Even the wording of Branch’s statement regarding the suspension suggests wrongdoing by the owner.

I am thinking that when all is said and done that lawyers will have become involved in this.

By all accounts, Branch is a very shrewd man.

But the same can be said for Nilsen.


What you think about “What is different about this firing?”

  1. Dave Branch had to know that the Nilson had a son who was going to play for the Team when he and the OHL approved the sale of the team to Nilson.
    Whether Branch is within his legal rights to do what he did is a big question here. It is never a dull moment in the OHL that is for sure. Saginaw fires their Coach despite being in a playoff position and Sarnia changes Coach’s almost year or so it seems like it.

  2. Not sure if Branch jumped the gun on this or not – it does seem kind of strange that he can suspend an Owner and an Interim Coach and appoint League personel to help out with the team in Flint. On the other hand I am sure that Branch consulted with his legal team before taking such strong action.

  3. All of the written accounts of the Flint situation indicate that there is much more going on than simply firing a coach for lack of on-ice results. This story has received a great deal of attention from not only the sports media, but other non-sports sources as well. It was widely reported that the first firing occurred because the coach was not giving the owner’s son the ice time he (the owner) thought he deserved., and the coach refused to comply with the owner’s wishes.

    Reports of the second firing indicate that not much has changed since the fall, and there are internal power struggles going on within the management staff of the team. At the very least, this situation has created a PR nightmare for the Firebirds, as they are not Representing the team, the community, or the OHL in a positive manner. This, I would guess, is why David Branch is involved here. Whatever the truth may be, Flint’s ability to attract players in the future has been severely comprised unless some drastic changes are made before next season.

  4. There must be something very serious for players to not report for practice, threaten to quit, etc. These are not NHL prima-donnas here, they are Junior players hoping to advance their hockey careers! The true story will surface before long I’m sure. You’re right that it doesn’t reflect at all well upon the team or the league. I have a feeling Mr. Branch is acting out of necessity here.

  5. to Randy Russon:
    My view is that like him or not Commissionor Branch did the right thing by suspending the Owner who from what I am told broke an agreement that he had with Mr. Branch with regards to hiring and firing of hockey operations with the Flint Firebirds Hockey Club.

    P.S. This is a great Website btw. Your writing skills and intresting topics of conversation have made me a regular visitor since I heard about this site about a few months ago. Keep up the good work.

  6. I think this is well said! I think every team owner has the right of firing their coaches after winning only 4 of their last 30 games. We see coaches getting fired in the NHL and OHL all the time. Everyone just chooses to see the wrong perspective about this situation because the owners son is on the team. “they say that he fired the coaches because of lack of playing time of his son” That is the most pathetic excuse people can make up for this situation , I would have fired the coaches a long time ago, they have won 4 out of last 30 games, there is perfect and true reason behind the firing of these coaches, and it’s because they simply couldn’t get the job done and get their team to win. That’s what the OHL needs to think about, all the owner is trying to do is to get a better coach for his team so they can be successful. At the end of the day that is what matters getting a coach that can get the players to improve and play up to their best potentials, and Gruden and Karpa couldn’t do that and that is why they got fired.

  7. The Won-Loss record of Gruden speaks volumes!
    Come on people: research this rather than jump on the Bandwagon and attack the Owner just cause every one else is.

    1. I disagree, the players seem to love the coaches. And he doesn’t have a strong team given to him, especially after all of the trades (before he was appointed GM, too). The Firebirds have been gearing for the future all season, it doesn’t help that our first round pick from last summer refused to report here. I truly believe the problem is the owner.

  8. So an owner comes to one of the hardest hit cities in the United States, implements a team, becomes an asset to the community, spends an enormous amount of money upgrading a facility, Spurs economic development, etc.
    He fires the coaches after a 4-30 streak and now he is the bad guy ?!

    Thank you Rolf Nilsen for bringing some prosperity to a much needed community. Keep up the good fight – it’s your money.

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