What Does the Gwozdecky Firing Mean for the Pioneers?

Last week we saw one of the best coaches in college hockey, George Gwozdecky, relieved of his coaching duties.  Some people like this guy, some don’t.  Some get sick of his antics and some, like me, love the comic relief he often brings to a game (storming across the ice, doing the dasher dance).  Personal feelings about Gwozdecky aside, not many will attempt to make the argument that he was ineffective as the head coach of the Denver Pioneers.  That’s why many were stunned by the firing, forced resignation (or whatever spin the Denver administration wants to put on it).  Heading into a new conference next season, finding a replacement head coach of Gwoz’s ability over the summer is not a task most schools would like to attempt.  So let’s take a look at what has happened since the announcement.

·         Scott Mayfield (Sophomore Defenseman) signed a contract with the New York Islanders

·         Juho Olkinuora (Sophomore Goalie) signed a contract with the Winnipeg Jets

·         Highly anticipated recruit Gage Ausmus (NTDP) withdrew his commitment

Mayfield hurts.  He is a fantastic stay-at-home defenseman that compliments Joey Laleggia’s offensive mentality perfectly.  I’m going to go out on a limb (or maybe not so much) and say Laleggia may not be far behind.  I wouldn’t be surprised one bit if he decided to sign over the offseason as well.  The Olkinuora signing is unexpected and could be crippling to the program.  Not only was he a 2-time All-WCHA selection, but this leaves Denver with one goalie for next season.  Zach Hope is graduating and Denver doesn’t have a goalie committed for next season.  They better hope they can find someone fast and/or Sam Brittain can play a full season in the challenging NCHC league.  To make matters worse, who is going to go find a new goalie when they currently don’t have a Head Coach?!

Unfortunately for Denver, I don’t think these three will be the last to leave.  Like I said before, I could see Laleggia panicking with the Olkinuora and Mayfield signings and the uncertainty of a new coach.  If he decides to sign, the defensive corp could really be hurting come October.  I could also see Nick Shore signing.  If he does, I don’t think his little brother Quentin will be far behind.  There were rumors of Quentin bolting for the WHL this year. If his older brother and coach are gone, I don’t see him sticking around.

No one on the outside really knows what happened, or why Coach Gwozdecky was let go.  All we really know is it seems to have caused a little bit of panic among the current and future Pioneer players.  Time will tell how it will all play out, but this could end up being one of the biggest mistakes the Denver administration has ever made.