John Gruden

{{about||the American football coach|Jon Gruden|the ice hockey player|Jonathan Gruden}}

{{Infobox ice hockey player

| name = John Gruden

| image = {{CSS image crop |Image=C20A9891 (40542723571).jpg |bSize=1380 |cWidth=210 |cHeight=310 |oTop=125 |oLeft=935 |Location=center}}

| image_size = 230px

| caption = Gruden in 2002

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1970|6|4|mf=y}}

| birth_place = Virginia, Minnesota, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 1

| weight_lb = 195

| position = Defense

| shoots = Left

| played_for = Boston Bruins
Ottawa Senators
Eisbären Berlin
Washington Capitals

| league_coach = AHL

| team_coach = Toronto Marlies

| coached_for =

| career_start_coach = 2005

| career_end_coach =

| ntl_team = USA

| draft = 168th overall

| draft_year = 1990

| draft_team = Boston Bruins

| career_start = 1994

| career_end = 2004

}}

John Daniel Gruden (born June 4, 1970) is an American professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is head coach for the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. Prior to Toronto, he served as an assistant coach for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League during the 2022–23 season. He also served as an assistant coach for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 2018 to 2022. He previously served as the head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs and inaugural head coach of the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL).

Playing career

Gruden played high school hockey in Hastings, Minnesota in the late 1980s. Drafted 168th overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Boston Bruins, Gruden played for the Bruins, Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals, playing a total of 92 regular season games, scoring one goal and eight assists for nine points and collecting 46 penalty minutes. He also had a spell in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany for the Eisbären Berlin.

Coaching career

Gruden has worked as an assistant coach for the Detroit Little Caesars AAA hockey club, coaching for their Squirt 2000 squad. He coached for a short stint for the storied Brother Rice JV prep squad (1–16). He also spends time doing work on behalf of the Red Wings Alumni Association. Gruden coached the Stoney Creek High School Cougars hockey team in Rochester, Michigan along with fellow NHL alumnus Greg Johnson.

More recently, Gruden served as an assistant coach for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program, helping lead the United States to a gold medal at the 2014 IIHF World U18 Championships.{{cite web | url = http://ontariohockeyleague.com/article/flint-firebirds-name-hockey-staff/166112 | title = Flint Firebirds name hockey staff | publisher = Ontario Hockey League | date = March 26, 2015 | accessdate = March 26, 2015}}

On March 26, 2015, it was announced that Gruden would serve as the inaugural head coach for the Flint Firebirds of the Ontario Hockey League during the 2015–16 season. In a highly publicized incident, he was fired a month into the season. Reports claim the firing was due to refusing to increase the playing time of defenseman Håkon Nilsen, the team owner's son, however team president Costa Papista denied the reports.{{cite web | url = http://sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/how-flint-firebirds-firestorm-came-about/ | title = How Flint Firebirds firestorm came about | publisher = Sportsnet | first = Gare | last = Joyce | date = November 9, 2015 | accessdate = November 9, 2015}}{{cite web | url = http://www.freep.com/story/sports/2015/11/09/flint-firebirds-quit/75443996/ | title = Flint Firebirds re-hire coaches after players protest | newspaper = Detroit Free Press | first = George | last = Sipple | date = November 9, 2015 | accessdate = November 9, 2015}} Following a successful player walkout, Gruden was reinstated as the Firebirds head coach and given a three-year contract extension.{{cite web | url = https://www.tsn.ca/mondaymustread-flint-firebirds-re-hire-coaches-after-player-protest-1.390508| title = Flint Firebirds re-hire coaches after player protest | publisher = TSN | work = TSN.ca | first = Frank | last = Seravalli | date = November 9, 2015 | accessdate = November 9, 2015}}{{cite web | url = http://www.mlive.com/sports/flint/index.ssf/2015/11/report_flint_firebirds_players.html | title = Report: Flint Firebirds players walk out after coach is fired | publisher = MLive | first = Eric | last = Woodyard | date = November 9, 2015 | accessdate = November 9, 2015}} On February 17, 2016, Gruden was again fired by the Firebirds.{{cite web | url = http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/02/17/flint-firebirds-fire-coaches/80516462/ | title = Flint Firebirds fire coaches for second time this season | newspaper = Detroit Free Press | first = George | last = Sipple | date = February 17, 2016 | accessdate = February 17, 2016}} On June 3, 2016, Gruden was named head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs.{{cite web| url = http://hamiltonbulldogs.com/article/bulldogs-name-john-gruden-new-head-coach | title = Bulldogs name John Gruden new head coach | publisher = Hamilton Bulldogs | date = June 3, 2016 | accessdate = June 3, 2016}} Following the 2017–18 regular season, he led the Bulldogs as the OHL playoff champions.

On July 18, 2018, the New York Islanders hired Gruden as an assistant coach.{{cite news |url=https://www.thespec.com/sports-story/8750070-hamilton-bulldogs-head-coach-becomes-islanders-assistant-coach/ |title=Hamilton Bulldogs head coach becomes Islanders assistant coach |newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator |date=July 18, 2018|last1=Radley |first1=Scott }} On June 9, 2022, Gruden was relieved from his duties.{{cite web |title=Gruden and Hiller Relieved of Assistant Coach Duties |url=https://www.nhl.com/islanders/news/gruden-and-hiller-relieved-of-assistant-coach-duties/c-334555564 |website=NHL.com |access-date=June 9, 2022 |date=June 9, 2022}}

On July 20, 2022, the Boston Bruins hired Gruden as an assistant coach. Following the {{NHL Year|2022}} season, helping the Bruins to the most successful regular season in league history,

On July 4, 2023, the Toronto Marlies hired Gruden as head coach.

Career statistics

=Regular season and playoffs=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="text-align:center; width:60em"
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! colspan="3" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Regular season ! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" \| ! colspan="5" \| Playoffs
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" ! Season ! Team ! League ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM ! GP ! G ! A ! Pts ! PIM
1989–90	Waterloo Black Hawks	USHL	47	7	39	46	35	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1990–91	Ferris State University	CCHA	39	4	11	15	29	—	—	—	—	—
1991–92	Ferris State University	CCHA	37	9	14	23	24	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1992–93	Ferris State University	CCHA	41	16	14	30	58	—	—	—	—	—
1993–94	Ferris State University	CCHA	38	11	25	36	52	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1993–94	Boston Bruins	NHL	7	0	1	1	2	—	—	—	—	—
1994–95	Providence Bruins	AHL	1	0	1	1	0	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1994–95	Boston Bruins	NHL	38	0	6	6	22	—	—	—	—	—
1995–96	Providence Bruins	AHL	39	5	19	24	29	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1995–96	Boston Bruins	NHL	14	0	0	0	4	3	0	1	1	0
1996–97	Providence Bruins	AHL	78	18	27	45	52	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1997–98	Detroit Vipers	IHL	76	13	42	55	74	23	1	8	9	16
1998–99	Ottawa Senators	NHL	13	0	1	1	8	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1998–99	Detroit Vipers	IHL	59	10	28	38	52	10	0	1	1	6
1999–00	Ottawa Senators	NHL	9	0	0	0	4	—	—	—	—	—
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 1999–00	Grand Rapids Griffins	IHL	50	5	17	22	24	12	1	4	5	8
2000–01	Grand Rapids Griffins	IHL	34	2	6	8	18	10	1	4	5	8
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2001–02	Grand Rapids Griffins	AHL	57	3	14	17	48	5	1	0	1	2
2002–03	Eisbären Berlin	DEL	38	6	25	31	34	9	2	6	8	4
style="background:#f0f0f0;" \| 2003–04	Washington Capitals	NHL	11	1	0	1	6	—	—	—	—	—
bgcolor="#e0e0e0" !colspan= "3"\| NHL totals ! 92 ! 1 ! 8 ! 9 ! 46 ! 3 ! 0 ! 1 ! 1 ! 0

=International=

border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" ID="Table3" style="text-align:center; width:40em"

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! Year

! Team

! Event

! Result

! rowspan="99" bgcolor="#ffffff" |

! GP

! G

! A

! Pts

! PIM

2003

| United States

| WC

| 13th

| 6

| 0

| 1

| 4

bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

! colspan="4" | Senior totals

! 6

! 0

! 1

! 4

Awards and honors

class="wikitable"

! Award

! Year

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | USHL

Defenseman of the Year

| 1990

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | College

All-CCHA First Team

| 1994

AHCA West First-Team All-American

| 1994

CCHA Best Offensive Defenseman

| 1994

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | IHL

Second All-Star Team

| 1998

ALIGN="center" bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

| colspan="3" | AHL

All-Star Game

| 2002

| {{cite web| url = https://theahl.com/stats/game-summary/1005939 | title = Canadian All-Stars 13, Planet USA All-Stars 11 | publisher = American Hockey League | date = February 14, 2002 | accessdate = February 1, 2019}}

First All-Star Team

| 2002