5 First-Time Head Coaching Candidates New Jersey Devils Should Consider

The New Jersey Devils biggest mistake would be taking a chance on the wrong coach. However, sometimes it’s the best thing a team can do by giving a head coach a chance. Look at the Colorado Avalanche, who was hired in 2016 after winning championships in the IHL and the AHL. The Carolina Hurricanes hired Rod Brind’Amour after he spent a few seasons as an assistant on the staff. In 2013, the Tampa Bay Lightning hired Jon Cooper after he showed his greatness with their AHL affiliates. Heck, look what the Washington Capitals got from Spencer Carberry. A first-time head coach might be just what the Devils need to take this team to the next level. 

There are always a ton of prospective coaches who deserve a chance. They are champions in the AHL. They are dominant in the NCAA. These coaches could be superstars behind the bench in Europe or the KHL. However, they are just waiting for that chance on the biggest stage in hockey. The NHL is special, and the Devils could be special. This is an opportunity a new head coach would salivate to take on. 

1. Ryan Warsofsky
Current Job: San Jose Sharks Assistant

Nobody expected a San Jose Sharks assistant from this team to turn their job into a head coaching gig, but Ryan Warsofsky is a great head coach. He’s a former Calder Cup champion, winning the AHL title in 2022. It was the second championship out of the pandemic. Warsofsky could have theoretically won the championship in 2021, as well. 

Warsofsky was dominant with the Hurricanes AHL affiliate. He went on to join David Quinn’s staff in San Jose, finding himself in the middle of a rebuild. He actually interviewed for the head coaching position, but when the Sharks went for someone with experience, Warsofsky accepted an assistant role. That shows he’s at least someone they want in the building.

He’s also very young, so he could grow as the Devils grow. At just 36 years old, he would be the youngest head coach in the NHL. It’s not unprecedented, as more than 100 head coaches in history would be younger than Warsofsky at his debut, but it would still be an incredible hire. 

3. Todd Nelson
Current Job: Hershey Bears Head Coach

This one is cheating just a little bit because technically Todd Nelson has been a head coach on an interim basis. He took over for Dallas Eakins in Edmonton when he was fired in December 2014. The team went 17-22 and missed the playoffs. The Oilers couldn’t be that upset with his performance because it led to a number-one overall draft pick. That ended up being Connor McDavid.

Now, almost a decade later, Nelson hasn’t been given a chance at another NHL head coaching gig despite his immense success in the AHL. Nelson is the head coach of the reigning Calder Cup champion Hershey Bears. This season, the Bears are even better, winning close to 80 percent of their games going into the playoffs. 

Unlike some of the others on this list, Nelson has the age of a typical head coach. He’s 54 years old with years of professional hockey experience. He fought to keep his spot, even playing in the DEL and IHL to keep his career alive. 

Nelson just needs an opportunity. He’s already the eighth-winningest head coach in AHL history. Ironically, if he remains at Hershey, he would be chasing current Utica Comets head coach Kevin Dineen. However, he deserves at least a look as head coach. 

4. Greg Carvel
Current Job: UMass Head Coach

Another college hockey coach provides a different perspective for the Devils. Greg Carvel won the first NCAA Championship out of the pandemic, taking his UMass Minutemen to the promised land. In 2019, Carvel and Umass was the runner up. So, it’s very possible he could have won the title in 2020. 

What really hurts Carvel’s case is the season UMass put up a season ago. They were not good. Looking at that record will scare Devils fans away.

During Carvel’s career at UMass, which began in 2016-17, he’s put 10 players in the NHL. It doesn’t sound like a lot on paper, but realistically, not many NCAA players go to the show. He is getting the most out of his talent. 

After a rebuilding year in 2022-23, UMass made it back to relevancy this season, getting them back in the NCAA Tournament. They got dispatched by eventual national champion Denver, but this was still a huge accomplishment. To go from where they were coming off their own title to scratching and clawing back to relevancy shows how important a good coach is.

And that’s what Carvel is, and that’s why the Devils should consider him. Do we think he’s going to get the job? Absolutely not. The timing would have many up in arms, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good idea.

5. Rikard Gronborg
Current Job: Tampereen Tappara Head Coach

Yeah, this again. Rikard Gronborg doesn’t see his name in headlines as much anymore, and it appears he’s happy to keep coaching in Europe, but a new coaching job with a team as talented as the New Jersey Devils has to be intriguing for him, right? Only one issue, Tom Fitzgerald has said he wants someone with some NHL experience. Whether he means someone who was a former head coach or possibly an assistant, Gronborg doesn’t fit the bill.

Still, this is someone who is considered one of the great hockey minds in the world. He has been talking about moving to the NHL for over five years, but it’s never happened. We can’t even find a public report where he interviewed. It seems like this is an internet campaign at best. 

Gronborg is an amazing coach and would make an amazing coach in the NHL. He has some North American coaching experience, leading the Great Falls Americans of the AWHL in the late 90s and early 2000s. He also had one season as an assistant in the WHL before going back to Sweden. 

Would the Devils be willing to take the risk with Tom Fitzgerald’s job on the line? That shouldn’t be on Fitz’s mind, but it’s hard to say it won’t be. It is most likely that the Devils sign a name brand, but watch out for these names during the process.