General Manager Steve Tambellini announced today the Edmonton Oilers have named Ralph Krueger as the club’s new Head Coach. Krueger becomes the 11th Head coach in Oilers history.
Tambellini called it “a huge day for us.”
However, it may be a bigger day for new Head Coach Krueger. “Dream becomes reality,” Krueger said at the start of Wednesday’s news conference.
Krueger, 52, becomes the Oilers’ 11th Head Coach in club history after joining the team as an Associate Coach on July 30, 2010. He played a major role in the vast improvement of the Oilers’ special teams in 2011-12. Under his guidance, the powerplay was ranked 3rd overall in the NHL and the penalty-kill, 14th.
Krueger told the media how, as a 4-year-old boy in Manitoba, he discovered his passion for the game.
“I wandered out onto an ice rink,” he recalled, “For Christmas, I got some sticks, skates and gloves… discovered a passion for this sport… that passion has never died.”
Krueger, who was born in Steinbach, Manitoba, brings with him experience as a Head Coach in Germany and Switzerland, in addition to leading the Oilers for five games with a 2-3-0 record last season.
Following the 2012 NHL Draft, and selecting Nail Yakupov as first pick, Tambellini said Wednesday’s coaching announcement is “another huge step for us is today; so proud to have Ralph join us as the head coach for the Edmonton Oilers.”
Tambellini said Krueger “commands respect in a good way, in a good way that’s teaching abilities. Obviously his technical skills are elite, but the leadership of this group is so important now.”
Tambellini said it’s such an important time for the team to have strong leadership, given the number of young players and the team’s potential. He said the team needed a leader who’s “inspiring, motivating.”
Krueger shied away from comparisons to former Head Coach Tom Renney, and thanked him for teaching him and sharing his passion for the game.
“Every leader has his own style and has his own way,” said Krueger. “There’s no need to make comparisons… it’s all about what we do now.”
The road ahead is now what Krueger says he’s focused on.
“We’ve all heard the word potential so much… I need to find that path for each player.”
“We”ll base this on respect,” he added. “I guess I could call it tough empathy, is what I’m about as a leader.”
Prior to joining the Oilers, Krueger was most recently the Head Coach of the Swiss National Team. During his tenure from 1997-2010, he advanced the Swiss National Team Program from 15th to 7th in the IIHF World Rankings.
Tambellini says, “On hockey’s world stage, Coach Krueger exhibited his poise and experience behind the bench to help the Suisse Team overachieve in Torino. This is an example of the type of leadership Ralph will bring to Edmonton.”
He guided the team to a 6th place finish at the Olympics in 2006 and 4th in the World Championship in 1998. The Winnipeg native has participated in 12 World Championships and three Olympics.
Krueger was also the General Manager and Head Coach of VEU Feldkirch in the Austrian 1st Division from 1991-1998. Under his leadership, they were a five-time Austrian Champion, three-time Alpenleague Champion and the 1998 European Champion.
Krueger played his major junior hockey in the WCHL with New Westminster and Calgary before playing in the German 1st Division from 1979-1989. He was also part of the German National Team from 1981-1986 in which the he participated in the World Championship twice.
Krueger, who wrote a German best-seller called “TEAMLIFE – Over Setbacks to Success”, has also served as a European Consultant with the Carolina Hurricanes from 2005 until 2010.
Both men commented on how much they want the team to succeed for the amazing fans here in Edmonton.
Krueger said he couldn’t imagine a better city in which to live his dream, citing the “fabulous fans, passionate history, and love of the game.”
“As a coach I plan to give that product a real feel and I’m excited about everything we have coming ahead.”
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