Valor Christian has hired George Gwozdecky as its next hockey coach. (Ray Chen/ArrayPhoto.com)
Valor Christian made a big splash in the hockey world on Friday morning, hiring former University of Denver and NHL assistant coach George Gwozdecky to head the school’s hockey program.
Eagles athletic director Jamie Heiner confirmed the hire to CHSAANow on Thursday, and also sent a press release with more details. Mike Chambers of The Denver Post first reported the news.
Gwozdecky, who spent the last two seasons as an assistant with the Tampa Bay Lightning, told Heiner that he wanted to get into coaching at the high school level so that he could return to mentoring kids.
“He said, ‘As an NHL coach, I don’t mentor those guys. … All I do is coach. I don’t know their lives outside of hockey at all,'” Heiner said. “That’s what he missed.”
“We’re very excited about having him here at Valor, it’s a huge deal for Colorado, and it’s just a blessing that he wants to be here,” Heiner added later. “He lives just a few minutes for Valor — he’s lived here for 20 something years — so he’s watched it rise up out of the ground and have success.
“He compared it to some of the things he did at DU and how quickly he turned that program around. I don’t know if he just saw some similarities, and wanted to leave a mark and a legacy.”
In a statement, Gwozdecky said he was “sold” on Valor’s vision.
“My story of coming to Valor is truly amazing,” Gwozdecky said. “I was serving as a reference to a friend and an associate on a coaching position at Valor and the more I learned of the school, the more intrigued I became personally. That friend took a different role so I called Jamie to learn more.
“After speaking with the administration and learning more about the vision of the school and the desire they have to pour into the lives of young people for their greater good in life beyond the sport, I was sold.
“I am truly excited to apply what I have learned in this great sport, and the lessons of a lifetime of coaching to the Valor student athletes I will have the privilege of working with. I’m anxious to get started.”
Heiner had been on vacation recently, and had a voicemail upon returning: It was George Gwozdecky.
“He was like, ‘Hey, I’m interested to hear about your hockey program. I’m just intrigued, I want to know more,'” Heiner said.
Gwozdecky came to Valor the next week, and the two talked for more than two hours.
“It was funny,” Heiner said. “He kind of interviewed me. He asked, ‘Why are you here, Jamie? What brings you here? What’s up with Valor?’ … He just kind of asked what our heart was, what are we trying to do, what’s the goal of just Valor, not hockey or anything.”
Gwozdecky asked to come back the next day, and he and Heiner met again. “He just wanted to know more,” Heiner said.
Then, this week, Heiner said, “He called and said, ‘Hey I want to lead the program. This is my next career step. I want to invest in these young men.'”
Gwozdecky has an incredibly impressive resume, and is a well-known figure around the sport. He was DU’s coach from the 1994-95 season through 2012-13, and lead the Pioneers to national championships in 2004 and 2005. At DU, his team’s were 443-267-64.
He also won an NCAA title as a player at Wisconsin (1977), and an assistant coach at Michigan State (1986).
“George’s tenure in hockey and his accomplishments as a player, coach and program builder, are so significant; but what has impressed us most is the care and concern he has for young people to nurture and help them grow into competent, caring leaders,” Heiner said in a statement. “He is truly about something bigger than the sport and we are absolutely thrilled to have him join our team.”
Gwozdecky also was the head coach at Miami of Ohio from 1989-90 through 1993-94, as well as at Wisconsin–River Falls (1981-82 through 1983-84), where his team won an NAIA title in 1982-83. His overall record as a head coach in college was 592-390-85, and Gwozdecky was twice named national coach of the year (1993 and 2005).
For the past two seasons, he was an assistant for the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning made the Stanley Cup Finals this past spring.
Valor Christian was 3-15-0 last season. The Eagles were 2-16-0 in 2013-14, but went 14-4-0 the year before that. That season, 2012-13, was the last time Valor has made the playoffs — a loss in the first round.
The program started play in 2008-09.
Gwozdecky, who takes over for Sam Shooster, will meet his new team on Aug. 17.