It's not official, but it appears as though we have a coach, which might be the single most important thing that Joe Nieuwendyk does this off-season as it relates to 2011-2012, no matter what happens in free agency, which is expected to be very little, or who buys the team.
It is a little unfortunate that it had to leak on the day the Dallas Mavericks were bringing a championship trophy back to Dallas for the first time ever, because that elation consumed the attentions of nearly every sports fan in the city. I know, some of you don't like the NBA, but this is the Mavericks week, and you wonder if the Stars might wait on an official announcement until after the parade on Thursday.
Either way, it's almost time to get excited. The SCF's will wrap on Wednesday and then the draft will be upon us, the schedule will be released and free agency will happen all in rapid succession. It's a fun hockey month before the awful dullness of late July and August.
- Glutzan spent time in Fresno with the Fresno Falcons (ECHL) and was their career leading scorer, transitioning to player-coach and eventually was picked from there to be General Manager and coach of the Las Vegas Wranglers. [Fresno Bee]
- Hundred Degree Hockey points out that Gulutzan's teams at any level have only failed to make the playoffs once in eight years. [HDH]
- Joe Nieuwendyk's attention is split two ways these days, working on the competition committee that will change the verbiage of the blindside hit to the head, essentially taking the blindside language out of it for next season. [Canadian Press]
- See Mike Heika's coaching profile for Coach Gulutzan for a better look. [DMN]
- RIchard Durrett discusses the hire at ESPN Dallas, why they hired a young guy, and suggests that it could be official by "weeks end", a phrase we've heard often recently. [ESPN Dallas]
- Discussing the Mavericks parade route, Channel 8 says the Stars parade was paid for with private money in 1999 and cost about $300,000. [WFAA]
- USA Today has a vote: Who is the king of Texas Sports now that the Mavs have won a championship and the Cowboys haven't done anything in...you know...forever? You can vote for the Stars. If you want. [USA Today]
- After the jump I'll put up a YouTube video of Glen Gulutzan doing some post game for the Texas Stars. So many people have never seen him or heard him, so take a look if you want to familiarize yourself a little bit...
Coach Glen Gulutzan...