While the Red Wings aren’t expected to be making any changes to their NHL coaching staff, they will be shaking things up at the minor league level. Their affiliate in Grand Rapids announced that they will not be renewing the contracts of head coach Ben Simon, assistant coaches Matt Macdonald and Todd Krygier, and goaltending development coach Brian Mahoney-Wilson.
Simon had been with Grand Rapids since 2015 when he joined the team as an assistant before being promoted to the top job in 2018. In his five seasons behind the bench, the Griffins posted a 144-137-38 record but made only one postseason appearance in that stretch, that coming back in 2019.
As for the now-former assistants, Macdonald and Krygier had been working under Simon for five and four years, respectively, while Mahoney-Wilson had been working with Grand Rapids’ goaltenders since the 2016-17 campaign.
This season, Grand Rapids finished last in the Central Division which played a big role in the decision to make a change; Detroit GM Steve Yzerman emphasized in his season-ending press conference on Friday that he felt that a winning environment was crucial for player development. He and Grand Rapids GM Shawn Horcoff will now be tasked with finding the right staff to make that happen.
They should have dumped Sean Horcoff. Total clown. Ben Simon was a good coach and good guy.
Donny?
He’s being heavily linked with the vacant Head Coach position at Fort Wayne in the ECHL. You think he would be a good fit? Both he and MacDonald are ex-ECHL HCs with Cincinnati.