Get to know Rikard Gronborg - like it or not

[MODO Hockey]

Like it or not as stated, most of you dont know Rikard Gronborg and u dont even care enough to research him and i totally understand that, with all due respect.
And if you dont care to take 10 mins to read, then dont.

But here it is and this is my take of Rikard Gronborg

Rikard Gronborg

52 years old, married to Terra dawn and they have a daughter named Chloe.
He has been living in the us for about 20 years, has both us citizen and swedish membership.

Rikard Gronborg was not much as a player, he played as a defender and when you look at his career as player it is not impressive at all, 
we could compare Rikard with Phil H, but in the end we all know that what u did as a player dont really affect the way you coach (lol in silence @ phil) 

The coaching careeer of Rikard Gronborg really took the next step when he became assistance coach for Swedish juniors, he managed to affect everyone so much with his furious and instinctive and precise coaching that there was no other outcome that he would be the next big coach in Sweden, we all could see it over here and eventually he took over and in his first year as head coach he won it all. 

 

These are the players he coached that won world juniors 2012, and i believe u know some of them pretty well yea?

 

Many players in this tourney is in the top of NHL today.

 

After this Rikard went on coaching juniors for another 2 years before heading for the big game as head coach for the swedish national team.

His first year as head coach he won it all, and then he repated that the year after. 2017 and 2018. 
Obviously the name Rikard Gronborg became very respectful and the reason for why he was on the table as head coach for Buffalo Sabres, same time as Ralph Kreuger.
Unfortunatly Rikard Gronborgs ultimate dream got dismantled by Sabres choosing Ralph K. We all know what happened with that.

Rikard Gronborg instead accepted a 2 year offer from Zürich lions, and he took them to playoff 2 years in a row and now he is once again as stated in another thread one of the ones been interviewed by Sabres. 

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Here some quotes from Rikard Gronborg,

Rikard Gronborg:

" To me, it’s the ride itself that’s fun,” Gronborg said, reflecting on his coaching career. “It’s a journey that I’m really enjoying. No matter what level you’re at, just being able to support myself coaching hockey, which is a privilege itself, and then you are always trying for new challenges and stuff. It’s just kind of a situation where, am I lucky to do this? Yeah. But luck is also you prepare for the opportunity and the opportunity presented itself and I feel pretty prepared for doing this, and part of the preparation has gone through Great Falls. "

Rikard Gronborg:

" I’ve been in the US for quite some time, I’m a US citizen. I came over and played college hockey at St. Cloud State University. Probably the best time in my life with everything, obviously doing school work at the same time as playing hockey is a pretty amazing thing to do.

After I was done I had three years of eligibility there, I moved back to Sweden, back to Stockholm and finished off my career there for a couple years. And when I got back to the US I went back to school and finished my degree at St. Cloud, and they asked me to become an assistant and that was my first year of dipping my toe into the coaching profession.

That was almost 20 years ago and I’ve been coaching since then. The last 10 years I’ve been with the Swedish national team. I worked my way up from being a coach with the U18, up to U20, and now I’m the head coach for the national team. To make a long story short there, that’s kind of my career of coaching. I’ve coached in different levels in the US and Canada. I coached in different junior leagues in the US and I coached in the CHL one year with the Spokane Chiefs. "

Rikard Gronborg take on why he maybe would fit in NHL, 

" That’s a great question. I consider myself more of a hybrid to be perfectly honest with you. I’ve coached against some great coaches in North America and I’ve coached against some great coaches in Europe. There are greats minds of hockey in both places. I think it’s just a matter of making a decision or going outside the box a bit for the decision makers and maybe having an interest in European coaches.

The game is so small right now when it comes to knowing what each other is doing. It’s so universal, the similar things that you bring up, and I think we are all stealing from each other and the same thing with North Americans. I think it’s just a matter of time, I think it’s just a matter of the people who are making those decisions.

There are not many jobs, first of all, I mean there are only 31 teams. I think it’s a two-way street of European coaches making more available and the decision-makers in North America to have more interest in European coaches. "

Do you think NHL GM’s are too afraid because of the perceived differences in styles of play? The NA game vs the European game as it’s said.

Rikard Gronborg: 
 

" I don’t think it is anymore. I think it’s pretty universal. Like I said, there is always certain things… with the Russian national team, or the Finns that’s kind of their DNA, or the core of their coaching, and the way they’re playing.

At the same time, I think it’s very universal because when you get to those big tournaments, I’m talking the Olympics with NHL players or the World Cups or even the World Championships, with NHL players coming back to the national teams. They’re used to playing in North American rinks, against North American players, in a North American environment.

And those are the type of players I’ve been coaching for the last few years, so it’d be kind of stupid of me to play the same way the Swedes did in 1995 and expect to have success that way. I think the game right now is so universal, I don’t think there’s a big difference. There is a tactical difference when it comes to a larger or smaller rink, but other than that the way you work on your players, the way you prepare your players before the game I feel is pretty universal. "

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Another thing that i've mentioned more than once is that he is so utterly good to get beneath the skin of the other teams coaching staff. 
He has done this with perfection many times, he is a ***** beast and he loves it. 


2014 vs Russia, he got under the skin of the russian coach so much that he wanted Rikard Gronborg to meet him outside.
Sweden then won this game with 2-1 and went to the finals.
 

 

2 months ago in the playoffs two swedish coaches met and this was the outcome, he did the same here with Dan Tangenas, which ranted more than once that he thought Rikard Gronborg is a f-cking re-ard, and as i mentioned earlier in another thread when it cooled down they had a coup of coffee together. 
 

 

With all this said, 

Look i know im right about Rikard Gronborg, what i wish but cannot do is foresee the future about Rikard Gronborg and Buffalo Sabres, 
All i can say is that he is not some random "euro" coach that some of you might believe he is, he is a very very good coach and im sure he would do great in NHL, how good is for the future to tell but hey, it is what it is right now. 10 seasons without playoffs, this org need someone like Rikard Gronborg and if he get hired as HC, i will be here stating "i told you so" when we reach the playoffs. 

Atleast that would feel awesome, a feeling we all love when we are right with our opinions. Sure gonna suck horse D if im wrong, but im not.

So spit on that boys, 

[inkman]

Fjord the beard 

[Norcal]

I watched the video you posted a while back. He comes across as a knowledgeable and experienced coach.

I like him, I'd be fine with him as the Sabres coach if they finish the interview process and decide to hire him. 

[Doohicksie]

34 minutes ago, MODO Hockey said:

" To me, it’s the ride itself that’s fun,” Gronborg said, reflecting on his coaching career. “It’s a journey that I’m really enjoying. No matter what level you’re at, just being able to support myself coaching hockey, which is a privilege itself,

Based on that quote, he's a Swedish Donnie Granato.  We already have a Donnie Granato, I'm not sure why we need to swap him out with another one.

[MODO Hockey]

Just now, Doohickie said:

Based on that quote, he's a Swedish Donnie Granato.  We already have a Donnie Granato, I'm not sure why we need to swap him out with another one.

As i said in the interview thread, 

Why not put them together?

[Doohicksie]

Egos.

Who's HC and who's Associate HC?

[MODO Hockey]

4 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Egos.

Who's HC and who's Associate HC?

Two HC? 


 

[In The Buff]

54 minutes ago, MODO Hockey said:

Rikard Gronborg:

I just caught that youtube streamer behind the channel Top Shelf Hockey, & he opened up the video by saying we're interviewing Gronborg again. Came on to the site here & see your lovely thread here. He's always been an intriguing candidate to me & many others. Also has that Swedish connection, which could be beneficial in more ways than one.

I'm glad he's a name on the list. We need to look at everyone imo

[North Buffalo]

Fire like Linde Ruff, man I miss the run em boys during Ottawa series... could Gronberg bring this much passion--- looks like it... me likey

 

[MODO Hockey]

7 minutes ago, North Buffalo said:

Fire like Linde Ruff, man I miss the run em boys during Ottawa series... could Gronberg bring this much passion--- looks like it... me likey

 

That is some legit sh1t right there. Fair enough.

[PerreaultForever]

Well I read it and watched it and I appreciate your effort, but I'm not convinced. There's still too many Ralph similarities in the sales pitch imo and he's simply not proven in the NHL. I want a sure thing, a coach I can be sure knows how to win in the NHL so that if they still lose it's all on the players and we don't go through this yet again in a few years while contemplating what the disconnect between Dahlin and the Sabres is..................

As for Granato with him that'll never work. Cannot imagine Granato being okay with being an assistant to a new HC that has similarities to himself after being the interim. I'm sure the man has too much pride for that. Recipe for dysfunction imo. 

[Taro T]

@MODO Hockey

@North Buffalo beat me to the comment, but when I read this:

"Another thing that i've mentioned more than once is that he is so utterly good to get beneath the skin of the other teams coaching staff. 

He has done this with perfection many times, he is a ***** beast and he loves it."

Thought immediately of how thoroughly Ruff got under the skin of opponents & their coaches in the playoffs.  He got so far into their heads that Brind'Amour was STILL whining about Ruff right after he'd won the Stanley Cup.

Might be fun to get thatshow back.

[North Buffalo]

If you want to watch and reminisce about those days...

  

 

 

[MODO Hockey]

18 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well I read it and watched it and I appreciate your effort, but I'm not convinced. There's still too many Ralph similarities in the sales pitch imo and he's simply not proven in the NHL. I want a sure thing, a coach I can be sure knows how to win in the NHL so that if they still lose it's all on the players and we don't go through this yet again in a few years while contemplating what the disconnect between Dahlin and the Sabres is..................

As for Granato with him that'll never work. Cannot imagine Granato being okay with being an assistant to a new HC that has similarities to himself after being the interim. I'm sure the man has too much pride for that. Recipe for dysfunction imo. 

And still you were one of the guys that were ALL IN on Ralph, you personally bought into his bullsh1t 110%.

" 

Posted October 13, 2019

I'm all in now. 

I don't know if we will be good enough to make the playoffs this year, but I firmly believe from what I've seen this year that there is a huge change taking place and the train is finally on the right track. Now it's simply a question of injuries, luck, goaltending streaks (ours and the opposition's) and how fast the prospects like Cozens and Asplund etc develop.  "

That is just one of your belowed quotes of your thoughts when it comes to Ralph. You literally loved him when he was hired.

We disagree you and i when it comes to Rikard Gronborg, just as we did when it came to our knowledge Sabres was hireing Ralph. 
I cannot convice you, i really cant, so let's just leave it as it is now and see what the outcome is, no matter what we have 10 seasons in a row without playoffs, no matter what the sabres have tried they have failed and yet once again here we are. 

Rikard Gronborg is in my opinion the best choice this trash organisation could make. 

[nfreeman]

20 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Well I read it and watched it and I appreciate your effort, but I'm not convinced. There's still too many Ralph similarities in the sales pitch imo and he's simply not proven in the NHL. I want a sure thing, a coach I can be sure knows how to win in the NHL so that if they still lose it's all on the players and we don't go through this yet again in a few years while contemplating what the disconnect between Dahlin and the Sabres is..................

As for Granato with him that'll never work. Cannot imagine Granato being okay with being an assistant to a new HC that has similarities to himself after being the interim. I'm sure the man has too much pride for that. Recipe for dysfunction imo. 

I respect Modo's opinion, even if he gets a bit grouchy sometimes, and I find Gronborg's beard highly compelling, but ultimately this is where I am as well.

I also think it's important to note, as I posted in the other coaching thread, that Gronborg has coached the Swedish national team and a team in the Swiss league, but he has not coached in a high-level "everyday" league. 

I wonder if Gronborg would come on board as an assistant as others have suggested?

[MODO Hockey]

2 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I respect Modo's opinion, even if he gets a bit grouchy sometimes, and I find Gronborg's beard highly compelling, but ultimately this is where I am as well.

I also think it's important to note, as I posted in the other coaching thread, that Gronborg has coached the Swedish national team and a team in the Swiss league, but he has not coached in a high-level "everyday" league. 

I wonder if Gronborg would come on board as an assistant as others have suggested?

I might even make you a phat panny one day.

And yes, im pretty sure Rikard would accept a assistant position if the terms is right.

[Zamboni]

Hell, I’m open to Oscar the grouch if it means he gets the players on board to be their best and go thru a wall for each other. If RG wins out and gets picked, so be it. And just like every single coach before him, (since lindy) there will be a short window to prove he has what it takes.
If it looks bad early on, About 10% of the fans will turn on him in 2-3 months. You know who the posters are. The next 80% will turn on him in month 3 thru 12. And the remaining 10% will hold out hope until he’s fired 😂

 

[StuckinFL]

I don't know why, but I like him. I wanted him 2 years ago too. It's not based on anything other than I can mentally see him coaching an inspired team in the playoffs. He just has that inspiring badass vibe. He does remind me of a more relatable Lindy Ruff. I can see him getting a group of underachievers to run through a wall but with a decent uncomplicated system. But my view is not evidence based. Just a feeling. 

[North Buffalo]

Keep Adam Mair on bench, didnt realize he called that shift.  

[PerreaultForever]

36 minutes ago, MODO Hockey said:

And still you were one of the guys that were ALL IN on Ralph, you personally bought into his bullsh1t 110%.

" 

Posted October 13, 2019

I'm all in now. 

I don't know if we will be good enough to make the playoffs this year, but I firmly believe from what I've seen this year that there is a huge change taking place and the train is finally on the right track. Now it's simply a question of injuries, luck, goaltending streaks (ours and the opposition's) and how fast the prospects like Cozens and Asplund etc develop.  "

That is just one of your belowed quotes of your thoughts when it comes to Ralph. You literally loved him when he was hired.

We disagree you and i when it comes to Rikard Gronborg, just as we did when it came to our knowledge Sabres was hireing Ralph. 
I cannot convice you, i really cant, so let's just leave it as it is now and see what the outcome is, no matter what we have 10 seasons in a row without playoffs, no matter what the sabres have tried they have failed and yet once again here we are. 

Rikard Gronborg is in my opinion the best choice this trash organisation could make. 

Two things on this quote.

1. I was accused a few times of being too negative on the team so I really tried to buy in and be optimistic and I chose to believe that the wild card off the path coach signing would work. I WANTED to believe so I tried. Big mistake.

2. Fool me once ............ the definition of insanity doing the same thing again and hoping for a different result and all that stuff. 

We won't resolve our difference of opinion here and that's fair. If we hire him and we win feel free to laud it over me for all the years he's here. I will gladly suck that up in exchange for this team winning cause that's all I want. I'm quite happy to be wrong, but I'm not going to buy in and blindly hope ever again. I feel real change is required and anything less will need to prove itself to me or I truly am out after all these years. 

I used to live near Buffalo and grew up with them and it stuck. I occasionally crossed the border and saw a game live while marvelling at how much snow you get there (lol) . It's been hard to stay  a fan moving to southern BC but I have for now. The Kraken however, do provide me with an exit strategy and I just might be forced into it. 

 

[PerreaultForever]

45 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I wonder if Gronborg would come on board as an assistant as others have suggested?

If they're stuck on the direction they are in philosophically this idea makes more sense to me than Granato staying on with Gronborg as HC. They hire Granato full time and add Gronborg to the staff. If Granato is failing there's your new interim to try out. 

Not my preferred option, but makes more sense to me than giving the job to Gronborg. 

[ubkev]

***** it! Go for it. What's the he worst that can happen? Were we the first team ever to finish 31st? Maybe we won't be the first team ever to finish 32nd. My money is on we will be, but I'm still hoping against it. Maybe he can help.

[etiennep99]

Can someone explain to me how the assistant coach to Kruger comes in and totally changes things.  What the freak did Donato do when

he was an assistant coach?  Why didn't he have more of an influence then?  Was Kruger just shutting out every other voice?  Why do I

seem to be the only person asking this question?  Am I really that clueless on how NHL coaching staffs work? [Yes, I know that is an

invitation for others to slam me. Whatever.]

[Zamboni]

3 minutes ago, etiennep99 said:

Can someone explain to me how the assistant coach to Kruger comes in and totally changes things.  What the freak did Donato do when

he was an assistant coach?  Why didn't he have more of an influence then?  Was Kruger just shutting out every other voice?  Why do I

seem to be the only person asking this question?  Am I really that clueless on how NHL coaching staffs work? [Yes, I know that is an

invitation for others to slam me. Whatever.]

No it’s a legit question. Donny Meatballs owns some of the stink during the RK tenure. But RK was calling the overall shots. And I think Don and the other assistants under RK were just trying to work within what RK wanted to do. Once Don had “full control” the assistants to him were trying to work within what Don wants to do. That’s being a team player. You wouldn’t last long as an assistant if you were arguing and fighting against what the HC wanted to do. Heck you wouldn’t last long if (in most jobs) if you went against what your immediate boss wanted to do as far as performing a job.

[Andrew Amerk]

This is the guy I wanted for HC a couple years ago. Didn’t seem to be much board support back then for it.

Not shocked that people are even further soured on the idea now. 

 

Edited June 5, 2021 by Andrew Amerk