Todd Nelson Named Head Coach of Grand Rapids Griffins

On Friday, the Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, announced Todd Nelson as the new coach of the club.

BREAKING: The @DetroitRedWings named Todd Nelson the new head coach of the #Griffins. #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/TjxqDtsDSN

— GrandRapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) June 19, 2015https://thehockeywriters.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=184724&action=edit#

Nelson fills the vacancy left by the promotion of former Griffins’ coach Jeff Blashill to the Detroit bench boss position. Nelson spent the last portion of the 2014-15 season coaching the Edmonton Oilers following the dismissal of Dallas Eakins.

Winging It In Motown mentioned on Twitter that Detroit attempted to gain Edmonton’s permission to discuss the position with Nelson, but were denied because Edmonton was attempting to retain Nelson.

Nelson will take over the AHL end of the vaunted Detroit development system as the team enters the post-Mike Babcock era. But it’s not the first time Nelson has been in Grand Rapids, he served as an assistant coach for the Griffins in the 2002-03 season. He only lasted one year in the position, returning to coach the Muskegon Fury in the UHL, the team he was coaching before accepting a position with Grand Rapids.

He has also previously served as an assistant coach for the Atlanta Thrashers and head coach of the Oklahoma City Barons, AHL affiliate of the Edmonton Oilers.

Grand Rapids GM Ryan Martin on Todd Nelson: "He's very good at building relationships, but he also has great technical skills (X's and O's)"

— Ryan Kennedy (@THNRyanKennedy) June 19, 2015