Hamilton’s head coach has only one goal in mind
John Gruden is the proud owner of one NHL goal. Did he keep the puck?
“Are you kidding me?” the Hamilton Bulldogs head coach responds with a laugh. “The Hall of Fame doesn’t want it.”
Gruden chased after a big-league goal much longer than most players who eventually light the lamp in the NHL do.
He was 33 when, on Oct. 9, 2003, he scored for the Washington Capitals against the visiting New York Islanders.
“Someone asked me, ‘Who was it on?’” Gruden says. “I go, ‘Really? You think I don’t know? It was Garth Snow. I scored one goal!’ “I hit a lot of posts …”
Not to mention a lot of mileposts while travelling a long and winding road along the hockey trail — a path that has eventually led him to the 2018 Memorial Cup in Regina.
After spending four seasons at Ferris State University, Gruden — who hails from Virginia, Minn. — played 11 seasons of pro hockey that included 92 games in the NHL.
After spending the better part of three seasons in the minor leagues with the Grand Rapids Griffins, Gruden signed with the German league’s Berlin Polar Bears for the 2002-03 season.
He then returned to North America for 2003-04, playing in 11 games and recording one point — the aforementioned goal — for Washington before suffering a concussion that ended his playing career.
Gruden began his major-junior coaching career in the OHL with the Flint Firebirds — who certainly embraced the first syllable of their nickname.
Just under two months into the 2015-16 season, Firebirds owner Rolf Nilsen dismissed Gruden. The owner was reportedly dissatisfied with the amount of ice time his son, Hakon, was receiving.
The move prompted a protest from the players, including Hakon Nilsen, and Gruden was re-instated — with a three-year contract extension, to boot.
Nonetheless, Gruden was fired once again, in February of 2016. That move prompted the OHL to take over the Flint franchise and suspend Rolf Nilsen for five years.
Hamilton president and general manager Steve Staios hired Gruden, a former NHL teammate, to coach the Bulldogs in June of 2016.
“Things happen for a reason,” Gruden says, “but I’m just fortunate enough that Steve gave me a second opportunity.”
The wisdom of Staios’ decision was underlined during the 2017-18 season.
Gruden guided the Bulldogs to an upset victory over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds — whose 55 regular-season victories led the Canadian Hockey League — and a berth in the Memorial Cup. Hamilton finished the tournament’s preliminary round with a 2-1 record.
After the Flint fiasco, were the hockey gods evening the score in Gruden’s favour?
“I don’t think anybody owes you anything,” Gruden says. “People do their due diligence and talk and they do research, and sometimes you’ve got to go with your gut.
“Being a coach and a player is so different. You’ve got to work so hard and you’ve got to grind. You’re managing a lot of young men and everyone’s a little different. I think I’m really transparent.
“I think because of the fact that I played in all the leagues and in a lot of different places, I took the coaches that I had and just made everything my own. But it’s a lot of work, and you don’t get paid a whole heck of a lot to do it. When I coached my son’s team, I never took a dime. I just did it because I loved it, and really found my passion.
“So I’m really fortunate to be in this great tournament, representing a great city and a great league, in the Ontario Hockey League.”
Although Gruden has become prominent in junior hockey circles, his namesake is also mentioned from time to time.
That would be Oakland Raiders head coach Jon Gruden — a.k.a. Chucky.
“It comes up a lot, but it is what it is,” the Bulldogs’ Gruden says. “They called me Chucky, joking.
“I’ll take his contract, though. Add two zeros and I’m all set.”