Tag Archives: Charlie Skjodt

That Heat…

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Just a few minutes ago, I was going through some old notes when I noticed something which happened a year ago today.

What happened was Jason Herter leaving the Fargo Force for Minnesota-Duluth to become an assistant. Herter’s departure opened the door for John Marks, who led the Force to a second-round playoff appearance.

And of course a year to the day, the Indiana Ice hire a new head coach, Ron Gay.

Pretty interesting given what’s gone on in the last year with USHL coaches. Let’s use May 22, 2011 as a starting date. Since then, 12 of the league’s franchises have replaced their head coaches.

No joke. Here’s the proof of what every team has done with its coaching situation.

In the Eastern Conference:

-Green Bay Gamblers: The Gamblers replaced Eric Rud, who left for his alma mater, Colorado College with Denver assistant Derek Lalonde. Lalonde, in his debut season, leads the team to one of the USHL’s greatest ever seasons and a Clark Cup title.

-Indiana Ice: Technically, they’ve gone through three coaches and four coaching changes in the last year. Charlie Skjodt was the team’s head coach when the season ended before he returned to the front office. The Ice hired Yale assistant Kyle Wallack, who was fired shortly before the playoffs. Skjodt returned to the bench and then the team hired Gay.

-Dubuque Fighting Saints: Former Maine great Jim Montgomery remains the team’s head coach. But here’s where it’s really interesting. He just finished his second season and he’s already the third most-tenured coach in the league. Interpret that one however you want.

-Youngstown Phantoms: Curtis Carr left the team late in the summer to become an assistant at Merrimack. Days later the team promoted assistant Anthony Noreen, who led the Phantoms to fourth in Eastern Conference.

-Cedar Rapids RoughRiders: Here’s the second team which hasn’t made a coaching change. It may never look that way either as Carlson has been there for 12 seasons and has a partial stake in the team’s ownership. Carlson, a former Pittsburgh Penguins draft pick, has won everything imaginable from the Clark Cup to the Anderson Cup to the USHL’s Coach of the Year during his time in Cedar Rapids. He also led this year’s team to the playoffs, something he’s done every year he has been in the league.

-NTDP: USA Hockey lost Ron Rolston last season to the Rochester Americans (AHL), which is an affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres. It resulted in the team hiring Don Granato. The NTDP also lost Kurt Kleinendorst and replaced him with Danton Cole. The program made the USHL Playoffs for a second straight season.

-Chicago Steel: The 2010-11 season wasn’t kind to the Steel, as the franchise suffered through a 9-43-8 season, easily one the worst in any realm of junior hockey in the last few years. It’s what led to the dismissal of Jon Waibel and the promotion of Scott McConnell. McConnell was made the team’s full-time head coach last summer. In his first full season, he led the Steel to a 25-31-4 mark and were just three points out of the playoffs.

-Muskegon Lumberjacks: Former Wisconsin assistant Kevin Patrick was among the 2011-12 season’s first coaching casualties. The team hired former NHL toughman Jim McKenzie, who had no previous junior experience. McKenzie and the Lumberjacks, despite improvement, still finished last in the Eastern Conference.

 

In the Western Conference:

-Lincoln Stars: Another weird case of the fluidity of this league. Stars coach Chad Johnson just finished his second year and he’s No. 4 in the league among tenured coaches.

-Omaha Lancers: Omaha got the trend going early in the 2011-12 season when it fired longtime USHL coach Bliss Littler. He was replaced by Mike Aikens, who led the team to a second-place finish during the regular season. Aikens signed an extension during the season.

-Waterloo Black Hawks: Behind Carlson, P.K. O’Handley is No. 2 when it comes to tenured coaches. He just finished this 10th season with the Black Hawks leading them to a Clark Cup Finals appearance. Like Carlson, O’Handley has won virtually every trophy a coach could win and when it comes to wins, ranks in the Top 10 all time.

-Fargo Force: Hiring Marks gave the Force their fourth coach in as many seasons. Marks, who is the sixth-most tenured coach in the league, already said he will stay this season and looks forward to a second year in Fargo.

-Sioux City Musketeers: Larson is technically the man who started the trend. He was hired May 22 by the Musketeers. He was at Minnesota-Duluth as an assistant. His departure resulted in the Bulldogs hiring Herter and the Force hiring Marks.

-Tri-City Storm: The team replaced Drew Schoneck with Josh Hauge during the middle of the year. Hauge led the Storm to a first-round appearance where they lost to eventual Western Conference champs, Waterloo. Even with an early exit, Tri-City returns all but six players and has what could be considered the strongest affiliates list in the USHL.

-Des Moines Buccaneers: Turmoil more or less blanketed the Bucs this season. Off-ice issues coupled with losing is what led to Regg Simon being fired. He was replaced in the off-season by Gamblers assistant Jon Rogger.

-Sioux Falls Stampede: Maybe no team has undergone more changes in the off-season than the Stampede. They fired longtime head coach Kevin Hartzell and in the span of a week, hired former North Dakota assistant Cary Eades. Eades oversaw the team’s Entry Draft and heads into next season with at least 15 returning players from the 2011-12 team.

Summit…

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Even with a 2-0 series lead over the Dubuque Fighting Saints, there are some losses for the Indiana Ice.

The Ice lost forward Cristoval “Boo” Nieves (Michigan) for the remainder of the USHL Playoffs as he returned to school to complete his coursework, his father Rafael said in a text message on Sunday morning.

“It is a simple matter of priority to ensure Boo graduates in the spring so he can be at the U of M (University of Michigan) in the fall,” Rafael Nieves wrote in a text message.

Losing Nieves, who is projected late first-round selection to early-second round choice, is the second loss the Ice have suffered this month. Forward Kirill Lebedev returned to Russia earlier in the month, according to his Twitter account.

Lebedev signed a contract to play with Metallurg Magnitogorsk back in his native Russia.

Lebedev was a big part of Indiana’s offense late in the season scoring 17 points in 23 games forming a strong partnership with fellow Russian Daniil Tarasov, the league’s second-leading scorer.

As for Nieves, the 6-2, 190-pound forward came to the Ice from The Kent School (CT-HS) where he was regarded by scouts as the best high school player in the nation. Nieves scored 39 points (7 goals, 32 assists) in 26 games this season.

Nieves was already a high-profile draft-eligible player watched his stock soar with his strong high school season which was later boosted by what he did in the USHL. He was ranked as the No. 27 top eligible North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s final list.

Nieves, who is from Baldwinsville, N.Y., a Syracuse suburb, was drafted by the Niagara IceDogs in the OHL but his rights were later acquired by the Saginaw Spirit, which do not appear to be an option given his desire to complete his high school coursework.

He played 13 games for the Ice scoring 10 points (2 goals, 8 assists) helping the Ice take the No. 2 seed in the USHL’s Eastern Conference. It gave the Ice a first-round bye giving them a week off to prepare for the second round.

Getting rest appears to have worked with the Ice getting a 6-3 win on Saturday over defending league champions, the Fighting Saints. A win Wednesday would send the Ice back to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since the 2008-09 season when the team won the Clark Cup.

The departure of Nieves and Lebedev comes at a time where changes have been a theme for the Ice.

Head coach and former Yale assistant, Kyle Wallack, was fired two games before the playoffs start and was replaced by former Ice head coach and former NHL veteran Charlie Skjodt.

Weeks later the team announced it would be playing the majority of its home games the next two seasons at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, which is home to the Indiana Pacers. A limited number of games will also be played at Pan Am Plaza, which holds up to 1,000 people. The move comes after the Ice’s home, The Pepsi Coliseum, will be undergoing renovations.

Shake It Up…

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By now we’re all aware the Indiana Ice fired coach Kyle Wallack on Monday, a week before the USHL playoffs start.

As it stands, it appears Indiana will walk into the postseason with the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye. Maybe that gives interim head coach Charlie Skjodt, who coached the team last year, some more time to work with the team.

Coaching turnover has always been considered normal given this is a league used to feed college or in the case of former NTDP coach Ron Rolston, a professional organization.

Eleven of the league’s 16 teams since April 9, 2011 have replaced their coaches due to coaches moving on to another position or because their teams have made firings. The five clubs with no changes are Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Lincoln, Sioux Falls and Waterloo.

Wallack’s dismissal marks the sixth time this season a USHL franchise has fired its coach. Some wonder what affect will this latest move will have on a team which could go far in the post-season.

No one knows but what we do know is how the other moves worked out. Here’s a look back at the team’s that made changes behind the bench and what’s happened so far:

-Omaha Lancers:

Fired: Bliss Littler

Replaced With: Mike Aikens

The Result: Omaha comes into this weekend a point out of first place in the West and are  guaranteed a first-round bye if they win this weekend. It it is a major turnaround compared to how the season started. Omaha had trouble scoring goals relying on a young defense and a rookie goaltender to win games. Thanks to some moves and trades – actually made by Littler – this team appears geared to go the distance in the playoffs.

 

-Tri-City Storm:

Fired: Drew Schoneck

Replaced With: Josh Hauge

The Result: Hauge helped Tri-City make up some ground as they’ve clinched a playoff spot where they will either play Waterloo or Fargo in the first round. Hauge’s wide-open style of hockey has seen the Storm get wins over squads like the Force to name a few. A stronger offensive style accompanied by goaltender Adam Wilcox (Tampa Bay/Minnesota) makes this team a likable option to pull off either a first-round upset or at least a first-round heartattack.

 

-Muskegon Lumberjacks

Fired: Kevin Patrick

Replaced With: Jim McKenzie

The Result: Muskegon still suffered through a tough year but did show some signs of a turnaround. It seems like every time they play the Green Bays of the world, they do not look bad by any means. McKenzie’s real test will come this off-season when he tries to build a team through the drafts.

 

-Des Moines Buccaneers

Fired: Regg Simon

Replaced With: Graham Johnson (interim)

The Result: Simon’s firing came not that long ago so its really hard to say long-term what the impact will be. But for now, a 12-game losing streak isn’t exactly a good thing and considering Omaha and Indiana, which play Des Moines this weekend, have something to prove it could be a while before this streak is snapped.

 

-Indiana Ice

Fired: Kyle Wallack

Replaced With: Charlie Skjodt

The Result: At least with Skjodt, you get someone who is familiar with the inner workings of the franchise, the Eastern Conference and the playoffs. What happens in the playoffs remains to be seen.

Everything In Its Right Place…

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It’s an off-season that won’t stop and on Tuesday the USHL summer claimed it’s latest “victim” in Youngstown Phantoms coach Curtis Carr.

Carr stepped down to take an assistant coaching position at Merrimack giving the USHL seven teams this summer that have had to hire head coaches. Most have the vacancies taken care of while the NTDP becomes the last team to find a new coach with training camps just around the corner.

Here’s a look back at the teams that have had to make a hire this season.

Chicago Steel

Who Left: Jon Waibel

Who Was Hired: Scott McConnell

The skinny: Waibel was fired during the season following what was easily the worst season any USHL team could have had in 2010-11. McConnell was already on staff as an assistant and was later made the team’s interim coach for the rest of the season. The interim tag was removed earlier in the off-season as the Steel look to rebound from a dismal 2010-11 season, which saw them go 9-43-8. The Steel appear to be young again with six returning players, according to the team’s Web site.

 

Fargo Force

Who Left: Jason Herter

Who Was Hired: John Marks

The skinny: Herter was hired as an assistant coach at Minnesota-Duluth resulting in the Force having to hire a coach for the fourth consecutive summer. The Force turned to former North Dakota assistant and two-time ECHL champion coach John Marks to replace him. Marks inherits a team that will have 10 returning players and 11 players with USHL experience.

 

Green Bay Gamblers

Who Left: Eric Rud

Who Was Hired: Derek Lalonde

The skinny: Rud led Green Bay to a 41-15-4 record in his first and what turned out to be only season. Rud, a former St. Cloud State assistant, returned to his alma mater, Colorado College to be an assistant. It resulted in Green Bay having to find another coach for another summer and on Monday hired Denver assistant Derek Lalonde. Lalonde will inherit a team expected to have another good season just a year removed from winning the Clark Cup title.

 

Indiana Ice

Who Left: Charlie Skjodt

Who Was Hired: Kyle Wallack

The skinny: Skjodt returned to the bench in 2010 to replace Jeff Blashill, who went on to become the head coach at Western Michigan and recently took an assistant position with the Detroit Red Wings. Skjodt went back into the front office as the team hired Yale assistant Kyle Wallack. Wallack takes over a team that lost scorers like Brian Ferlin (Cornell/Boston Bruins), league leading scorer and USHL MVP Blake Coleman (Miami (Ohio)/New Jersey Devils) along with Adam Erne, who left the Ice after one season to play in The QMJHL. But he will get players such as forward Daniil Tarasov and goaltender Jon Gilles (Northeastern) to work with for the upcoming season.

 

NTDP

Who Left: Ron Rolston

Who Was Hired: Still Vacant

The skinny: Rolston left the NTDP recently to become the head coach of the Rochester Americans, the Buffalo Sabres’ AHL affiliate. His departure comes weeks after goaltending coach Joe Exter left the team to take the same position at Ohio State. Whoever gets the job will be responsible for molding what’s considered to be America’s best talent. That means playing a USHL schedule combined with international tournaments and facing college teams for exhibitions. This year’s group of notables includes players like Jacob Trouba, Nick Kerlides and goaltender Collin Olson who will play for the U-18 Team.

 

Sioux City Musketeers

Who Left: Luke Strand

Who Was Hired: Brett Larson

The skinny: Strand was fired by the Musketeers, which was later filled by Larson, who was an assistant at Minnesota-Duluth. Larson’s departure oddly enough resulted in another USHL team looking for a new coach when Herter left the Force. Sioux City returns 10 players from last season’s team. The most notable being Jordan Schmaltz (North Dakota), who many are billing to be a first-round pick in the upcoming draft. He’ll be one of four returning defenseman Larson will have in his first season.

 

Youngstown Phantoms

Who Left: Curtis Carr

Who Was Hired: Anthony Noreen

The skinny: Noreen was hired on Wednesday afternoon to take over the team. He was an assistant last season so there is familiarity. That could come in handy with what may be the hidden stat of the summer is the fact the Phantoms have 14 players returning from last season’s team, according to Pointstreak. That’s a group that includes Matthew O’ Connor (Boston University), a 6-6 goalie that can fill the net and win some games. Considering Youngstown had an up and down season, the team only finished two points out of the last playoff spot.