John Gruden named assistant coach of New York Islanders

By @MichaelCaples –

John Gruden is moving to Long Island.

The New York Islanders announced today that Gruden – a Ferris State, Detroit Vipers and Grand Rapids Griffins alum and former coach of both the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and the Flint Firebirds – is the team’s new assistant coach.

Gruden, 48, guided the Hamilton Bulldogs to a OHL championship in 2017-18, his second season with the club.

His son, Jonathan, was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 2018 NHL Draft after concluding his own NTDP experience.

The elder Gruden, originally a native of Virginia, Minn., ended up playing a total of nine seasons in the state of Michigan. He suited up for the Ferris State hockey program from 1990-94, recording a total of 104 points over four seasons.

He played in two seasons with the Vipers of the IHL, recording 93 points in 135 games.

From the 1999-00 season through 2002, he played in three seasons with the Griffins, first for the IHL version and then for the team’s first year in the AHL in 2001-02.

Outside of his Michigan-based playing days, he appeared in 92 NHL contests with Boston (the team that drafted him in 1990), Ottawa and Washington. He also played one year with the Berlin Polar Bears of the DEL.

His coaching career began with the NTDP in 2011; he left in 2015 to be the first head coach of the Flint Firebirds. He moved on to Hamilton in 2016-17, and guided the Bulldogs to a 43-18-7 record in 2017-18 en route to a OHL title.