Global Courant
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TORONTO — The Toronto Marlies turned to the NHL’s assistant coaching ranks on Tuesday to fill a vacant position on their bench, appointing John Gruden as their new head coach.
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Gruden, who was an assistant with the Boston Bruins last season, will become the eighth head coach in the history of the American Hockey League club.
The Marlies, the top affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, announced last May that head coach Greg Moore and assistants AJ MacLean and John Snowden would not renew their contracts.
“We are very pleased to name John as head coach of the Toronto Marlies,” said Ryan Hardy, the Leafs assistant GM in charge of minor league operations. “John has supported the development and performance of his players throughout his coaching career while delivering team success at every level.
“His resume from the US National Team Development Program to the OHL and eventually the NHL has armed him with a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be invaluable to players and staff alike.”
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The Marlies were swept in the first round of the AHL playoffs after finishing first in the North Division standings with a 42-24-4-2 record.
Gruden, a 53-year-old resident of Virginia, Minn., served as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders from 2018-22.
He posted a score of 76-45-8-7 over two seasons with the Hamilton Bulldogs and led the team to the OHL Championship in 2018. Gruden also served as head coach for the OHL’s Flint Firebirds in 2015-16.
Gruden began his coaching career as an assistant coach with the US NTDP Juniors (USHL) from 2011-15. He led the U.S. team to gold medals at the 2012 and 2014 U18 World Championships.
As a player, Gruden was selected in the eighth round (No. 168 overall) of the 1990 NHL Draft. He had nine points (1-8) over 92 career games with the Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals.
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on July 4, 2023.
