The Buffalo Sabres are searching far and wide for their next head coach, bringing in candidates from all over the hockey world. That includes, according to Darren Dreger of TSN, Rikard Gronborg of the Zurich Lions. Gronborg has already interviewed for the position according to Dreger.
This is not the first time that Gronborg’s name has been connected to an NHL coaching search, but to this point, the 52-year-old has remained overseas. Serving as a staff member for the Swedish national team for more than a decade, Gronborg has almost countless international medals including Olympic silver as an assistant in 2014. He won the World Championship gold as head coach in 2017 and 2018 and has been leading the powerhouse Zurich team for the last three seasons.
In NHL history there have been only two European-born and trained head coaches, meaning Gronborg would be breaking new ground should he land the gig in Buffalo. It would certainly be an outside-the-box move for an organization desperate for answers, but he wouldn’t be coming in completely blind. Remember, Sabres franchise defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is very familiar with Gronborg from his time with the national program for Sweden, including time together at the 2018 Olympics.
Still, with so much pressure on Buffalo to turn things around, going with a rookie head coach may not be the best idea. The team has not been able to find any sort of stability or consistency over the last several years, switching coaches and managers as quickly as players. Gronborg is just one of many candidates considered for the role, including interim head coach Don Granato.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Show of hands here. Who thinks The Fightin’ Pegulas will get this one right? DG is right there, and even with a small sample size has shown he can get it done. Rikard Gronberg wouldn’t necessarily be a bad choice either, but DG should be the front-runner.
Pegulas took some time learning the NFL but the Bills are the envy of a lot of franchises. I think eventually they will get the right people in the right places
In my opinion, football is a business for the pegulas and they leave the mama tent of that business to the football people. Hockey is a passion so they’ve inserted themselves over their hockey people.
They need to get the next coach right. And they need to putting hockey management people in place and listen to them.
That should say management. Not mama tent
@Mac – I agree. DG got players like Mittlestat to actually play up to their potential finally. That should count for something.
Mama tent works too.
@debo382 – I second that motion!
The Sabres are on thin ice. They are probably going to fire their star player and all time great announcer. They have a smiling neophyte as general manager whose marching orders are to cut costs. Until there is competent management, this team is an embarrassment
They are getting rid of the guy who looks kinda like Rodney Dangerfield?
@forwhomjoshbelltolled – That would, of course, be one Rick Jeanneret, The Hall-Of-Famer and Sabres’ broadcasting legend. After experiencing several health scares in recent years, retirement may not be such a bad idea. He would be sorely missed by the fans.
The idea that they are hiring anything but the most experienced and accomplished coach they can find shows they have no clue what they are doing.
Sure, roll the dice and keep foundering for another half-decade when it doesn’t work out.
Kevyn Adams did what to earn that job?
@forwhomjoshbelltolled – I think he replied to a Pegula query “Yeah, I’m free now, how can I help?” He should’ve asked “what was the full question, again?”
And the winner of the coaching position of the Buffalo Sabres is…Air Bud! The dog that plays sports arguably as well as hoomans!
@backhandinbaptist – Arf! :)
Tortorella seems like the perfect guy to whip that franchise into shape.
Eff it go with Tocchett.
No way DG is the right choice! By you saying DG is like us Buffalonians going to Dollar General to get cheap stuff to take the place of something we need! We’ve had enough of the “cheap” generic versions of coaches here! Time to right the ship and bring in a veteran coach with an ACTUAL track record of winning like Boudreau! Just my 2 cents! Tired of DG