Former NHLer and assistant coach Ryan Clowe is downgrading leagues, but he’s about to be given a little more power from behind the bench.
According to multiple reports, the 35-year-old will become the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL’s first head coach. The Growlers were recently introduced as the Toronto Maple Leaf’s newest affiliate from the league.
Clowe, a veteran of 10 NHL seasons, was forced to retire in the 2014-15 calender year due to lingering effects he suffered from multiple concussions throughout his career. The former sixth round pick spent the past two seasons with the Devils as an assistant and recently helped the team reach its first postseason appearance since its Stanley Cup Final run in 2012.
The new position marks a homecoming for Clowe, who is a native of St. John’s. He spent three seasons in the QMJHL before ultimately playing for the San Jose Sharks, Devils, and New York Rangers throughout his career. The upcoming season will mark his first in the ECHL.
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The pressure's now on Clowe to prove himself in his first season with the new club. If everything goes well, we could see his name getting tossed around in a higher league in the not-so-distant future.
(H/T pensionplanpuppets)
