The Barry Trotz-coached teams were perennial Cup contenders. The teams stood out on the ice. Yet, the coaching staff he had ended up having success throughout the hockey world. There’s a good argument that Trotz is one of the most influential coaches in hockey, with Jim Hiller, Lane Lambert, and John Gruden being assistants under him and now leading teams throughout the game.
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Gruden is the interesting name in that group. He was groomed to become a head coach, yet his foot in the door was with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL). The AHL is a league where the only thing that stays the same is change, and turnover at the coaching position is commonplace. Gruden enters his third season with the Marlies, a make-or-break year for him, and is still looking to make his mark and prove he can be a great coach at any level.
The Marlies have been an average team in his tenure, and this season is no different. It’s early in the season, and Gruden is looking for his breakthrough. His background and hockey experience will enable him to get the most out of the Marlies, either serving as a great sendoff for a successful coaching career or allowing him to make one final case for an NHL job.
Gruden’s Influences: Trotz, Montgomery & His Own Identity
Before coaching, Gruden was already on track to become a coach. He was a journeyman defenseman who spent time in the AHL and the NHL, who, like many coaches, played above his weight and had to outsmart the opposition to succeed.
When he was an assistant with the Islanders, Gruden saw how Trotz ran his bench and the culture it built for a team that was a punchline before he arrived. “What Barry is good at, he’s such a good guy, he’s so prepared, he’s never a sore loser. He doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and he’s mindful that they are human beings,” Gruden mentioned following the Nov. 5 comeback win. Coaching is about the X’s and O’s but also the “Jimmys and Joes,” and Trotz could connect with his players to get the most out of them.
Interestingly, Todd Nelson noted the same thing about Trotz, whom he played under in the 1990s with the Portland Pirates. It’s the calm demeanor behind the bench but also being a “fair and firm” and, Nelson noted. It’s something that Lane Lambert and Jim Hiller also took from Trotz to have success in the NHL. For Gruden, it’s about remaining calm but also being a patient coach, which is key for the AHL, a league where young players are prone to mistakes.
If Trotz influenced Gruden’s culture, then Jim Mongermery molded his technical background. Gruden spent one season behind Montgomery’s bench with the Boston Bruins, and the attention to detail and ability to master play in every zone made an impact on him. That one season with the Bruins was the one they won the Presidents’ Trophy and put together a historic regular season. “The people I worked with, Barry Trotz, Jim Montgomery, maybe Hall of Fame coaches. You get to learn their systems when you get to work and see how they work.”
The adjustment to the AHL is always difficult. The players change all the time with call-ups to the NHL and recalls to the ECHL. It’s why the coaches who succeed in this league are often the most successful in the NHL. Gruden found a balance in his third season, with his time as an assistant paying off. He’s used the past influences, and at the same time, “You got to put your own spin on it with culture and holding guys accountable,” Gruden added.
What Gruden Wants to See in The Marlies (& His Teams Overall)
The added layer of difficulty in the AHL is coaching with the NHL team in mind. The NHL team wants its prospects to play a certain way and system before getting called up, and often has a strong say in how the team runs.
In the AHL, there are three types of teams. Those that are focused on winning first while developing in the process (The Hershey Bears and Rochester Americans come to mind). The teams that care about development but winning is a bonus (this is where most teams fall). Then there are the teams solely focused on development (they are the ones that finish in last place year in and year out). The Toronto Maple Leafs are hyper-focused on development but the Marlies want to win, putting their head coach in a tough spot. He wants to put his stamp on a team where the Maple Leafs are hovering over him.
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The good news is that Gruden’s style goes hand in hand with Craig Berube’s and the Maple Leafs. “We do mimic, especially the neutral zone forechecks and defensive zone coverage. The last thing you want is for players to get called up and have no idea what they’re doing,” He mentioned, and it’s reflected in how the Marlies play. They defend first and score second while playing a physical game. They play a playoff brand of hockey all season long. “Any team that wins knows how to forecheck and close in the defensive zone. We always try to say, the less time we spend in the D-zone, the more time we get to spend in the fun zone.”
Gruden has a handful of prospects looking to make an impact on a team that sees itself as a Cup or bust group. Those prospects must score and defend but also play a complete 200-foot game. It’s something Gruden has his team doing, even if the early-season results aren’t there.
Yet, Gruden’s Searching For An Identity
The Marlies are 6-5-1 to start this season and have been a sliver over .500 since he took over. They play above their weight yet don’t overwhelm anyone. This is Gruden’s third season with the team, and one where they should take a big leap. They haven’t been early on. “We still haven’t quite found our true identity yet,” Gruden noted after a win where they were forced to adapt to come from behind. That comeback win ignited something in the Marlies.
After trailing 3-0 to the Penguins, the Marlies pushed the pace. They started playing fast and pressuring the opposition, and it worked. They beat the Penguins, then beat the Bears 5-2 in a track meet game. The Marlies have four forward lines that come at teams, and they did for two wins in a row.
The question is whether this style is sustainable. The Marlies played the Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Nov. 8 and tried to play fast but looked tired. It’s possible the third game in four days played a part in it. However, the pace they played also had the Marlies looking drained by the endof the first period. It’s why Gruden is seeing the progress, something he noted after the win over the Bears, but knows there is work to do.
Gruden finally got his foot in the door with the Marlies. At 55, he’s one of the older coaches in the AHL, along with Derek King, who ironically, he faced on Friday night. It makes this season his last chance to make an audition for an NHL team, and similarly, he can put his stamp on a successful coaching career. The Marlies aren’t built to win but he can get them into the Calder Cup conversation and have them overachieve. With the team concluding an early-season Pennsylvania road trip, they are starting to find their identity. The question is whether it’s the one that will get them to the top of the standings.
