Flint Firebirds re-hire coaches after players protest

Flint Firebirds coach John Gruden and assistant coach Dave Karpa have been re-hired less than a day after they were fired by first-year owner Rolf Nilsen.

Firebirds president Costa Papista told the Free Press in a phone interview tonight that both coaches have three-year contracts and clarity on some issues that he wouldn’t divulge. Papista said Gruden originally had a three-year deal, while Karpa was on a one-year contract.

The Firebirds are in their first season of play in the Ontario Hockey League. Nilsen bought the Plymouth Whalers from Peter Karmanos Jr. and relocated the team to Flint.

Papista said the players marched up three flights of stairs Sunday after learning of the firings and every player dropped their jersey on the floor as a show of solidarity to the front office, including Hakon Nilsen, the owner’s son.

Rolf Nilsen released a statement tonight admitting he made a mistake.

“Last night, after our emotional shoot-out game against the Oshawa Generals, I made a decision with regards to our coaching staff, which was an irresponsible mistake,” Nilsen said in the statement. “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.”

The statement went on to say that OHL commissioner David Branch was in Flint to meet with all parties involved.

“We are fully cooperating with this OHL investigation and we will look to their leadership to help us continue to grow as a team,” Nilsen said. “The Flint Firebirds’ management remains committed to providing the best hockey experience for our players, our fans and the Flint and Genesee County community.”

Papista said the decision to reinstate the coaches was already made before Branch’s arrival.

There have been some reports that the firings were due to a disagreement over playing time for Hakon Nilsen but Papista said that wasn’t true.

The Firebirds came back to win the game Sunday, so it’s unclear why Nilsen was frustrated with the coaches. His son has no points in five games, having recently returned from a lower-body injury.

“I actually would have to kind of defer to Rolf at some point to comment exactly on that,” Papista said. “What I would say is probably more of an emotional period of time. It wasn’t just the Oshawa Generals game on Sunday. I would say more of an emotional period.”

Asked if Hakon Nilsen will remain with the Firebirds for the rest of the season, Papista said: “I would expect so. Hakon has been part of the team, one of the eight defensemen. Since he’s come back from his injury he’s been playing well. The coaches have been satisfied with his development.”

Gruden came to the Firebirds after spending the past four seasons as an assistant coach for the U.S. National Team Development Program. Gruden was previously the coach at Birmingham Brother Rice (2005-07) and Stoney Creek (2007-10), and the director of player personnel for the Oakland Jr. Grizzlies (2010-11).

Asked why he would want to continue coaching the team, Gruden told the Free Press in a phone interview that it was “100% because of the players.”

“Coach Karpa and myself, we work hard for them and we care about them,” Gruden said. “And we believe this for the right reasons. ... They could possibly jeopardize their playing career because they didn’t know how it was going to go. They’re a really good group of kids and we as a coaching staff have had a lot of fun with them. Still a lot more fun to be had and a lot more growth for them as a unit.”

Under Karmanos, who will be inducted as a builder into the Hockey Hall of Fame tonight, the Whalers were known as one of the model franchises in the OHL over their 25-year existence.

Now the Firebirds have to try to rebuild trust within their community after the events of the past day.

“It is overshadowing a lot of positive things about the organization,” Papista said.

Also among the players who walked out in support of Gruden was 18-year-old defenseman Vili Saarijärvi, a third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

“I don’t know anything about it, I was traveling and didn’t get home last night until a little bit after 11,” Red Wings assistant general manager Ryan Martin told the Free Press this morning. “I contacted Vili’s agent, so I don’t know much about it.”

Martin said he’s never heard of an entire team walking out after a coach was fired, but wanted to talk to the agent and player to get more information.

Martin said he and Wings general manager Ken Holland recently saw Saarijärvi play against the Saginaw Spirit. Saarijärvi has scored 17 points in 17 games.

“His offense is certainly been very evident, he’s been one of the leading point producers for that team as a defenseman,” Martin said. “His defensive game is coming along."

Saarijärvi was scheduled to play for Karpat Oulu in his native Finland this season, after he played for the Green Bay Gamblers in the U.S. Hockey League last season.

The Wings preferred that he stay in North America to play. Because Saarijärvi had played in the USHL last season and not in Finland, the Finnish team has no longer retained contractual rights to Saarijärvi after the Wings drafted him.