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Flint Firebirds re-hire coaches after firing leads to protest
The Ontario Hockey League’s Flint Firebirds will bring back their coaching staff one day after the group was fired, which led to a player protest.
Team owner Rolf Nilsen released a statement via the team’s official Twitter feed calling the decision to fire head coach John Gruden and his staff an “irresponsible mistake.”
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Said Nilsen, “This morning, we took steps to immediately reinstate the coaches. Today, the team’s senior leadership met with the players to apologize and have a very frank discussion about next steps leading to a resolution.”
According to ESPN’s John Buccigross, after the game, players went to the front office, threw their jerseys on the ground, quit and walked out as a showing of solidarity.
The firing reportedly stemmed from Nilsen’s dissatisfaction over the amount of ice-time his son, 17-year-old rookie defenceman Håkon Nilsen, had received from the coaching staff. The move occurred after a Sunday game against Oshawa.
According to OHL Insiders:
There was more than one occasion where GM and owner Rolf Nilsen were coming down pleading with coaches to play him more. They were even asking for PP/PK time. Following today’s post game skate, the coaches told the players of their news. It is then that all players walked up stairs and handed in their jerseys went to the equipment room and packed their bags.
The statement also notes that OHL commissioner David Branch was in Flint on Monday afternoon and the Firebirds are “fully cooperating” with the OHL on its “investigation.”
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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