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Devils name Ftorek as coachArchived from 1997-98 season. | |
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The New Jersey Devils didn't wait too long to replace Jacques Lemaire as head coach. The man of the hour is Robbie Ftorek who has been the Devils' assistant coach for the past two years.
Ftorek takes the helm less than two weeks after Lemaire resigned as a result of New Jersey losing to Ottawa in the first round of the playoffs. "There is no question in my mind that Robbie is the right man for this responsibility," Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said. Ftorek hinted that he is not going to change the team's system radically or move away from the neutral zone trap, but some changes will occur. "I believe in Jacques' system, but there are small things that I believe in," Ftorek said. "I think the defensive zone should be a little bit more aggressive." Ftorek is not a stranger with many of the Devils' players, in addition to his tenure as an assistant coach he was the head coach at Albany of the AHL, New Jersey's top farm team, for three seasons. He also has NHL head coaching experience, with a little less than two seasons with the Los Angeles Kings in 1987-88 and 88-89, posting a 65-56-11 record in 132 games. |
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