Krueger's Hiring in Edmonton Breaks Anti-European Mold

Ralph Krueger is a pioneer, of sorts.

The new associate coach of the Edmonton Oilers is the first European coach to break the NHL coaching ranks in a decade.

While Krueger was born and raised in Canada and summers in Canada, he earned his hockey chops the last three decades in Europe, first as a player in Germany and then as a successful head coach in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

"I consider myself a European coach," Krueger said over the phone from Edmonton. "I feel European."

He should.

Krueger was an offensive star in Germany for a decade before he moved behind the bench. He coached Switzerland's national team from 1997 through 2010, and he was hired by the Swiss after a successful coaching stint in Austria where he won five national championships.

His resume includes guiding the Swiss to a victory over Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.

Krueger left the Swiss national team following a sixth-place finish at the Vancouver Olympics in February.

"I am coming over as a European coach, and I feel like a bit of a pioneer," says Krueger.

No kidding.

The NHL is a bit of an old boy's club when it comes to the coaching ranks. Coaches switch teams as frequently as players (see Mike Keenan, for example) and general managers aren't really known for thinking outside of the box. They recycle more than anything else.

Currently there are two European assistant coaches in the NHL -- Tommy Albelin in New Jersey and Ulf Samuelsson in Phoenix. Both had successful NHL careers, but Abelin and Samuelsson don't really break the mold when it comes to diversifying the coaching ranks.

For that, you have to think way back to the 2000-01 season when Ivan Hlinka and Alpo Suhonen became the first European head coaches in the NHL, with Pittsburgh and Chicago respectively.

Hlinka was from the Czech Republic. He struggled with language issues in Pittsburgh and that did him in. Suhonen was from Finland and he never caught on in Chicago for a variety of reasons.

And while Hlinka and Suhonen never had any apprenticeship with NHL clubs before they were hired, the same can't be said for Krueger, which bodes well for this latest Euro experiment.

Krueger spent the last five years as a European consultant with the Carolina Hurricanes. He sat in on draft meetings and helped out at the NHL Draft. He was at the table when discussions were held over which free agents to pursue and he spent hours talking strategy with Peter Laviolette when he coached the Hurricanes and current coach Paul Maurice.

Krueger also has a Stanley Cup ring from Carolina's 2006 Cup championship.

And he isn't exactly a stranger to the Oilers' management ranks.

Head coach Tom Renney used to coach Canada's now-defunct national team program and he and Krueger crossed paths in all corners of the hockey map for more than two decades.

Oilers president Kevin Lowe and general manager Steve Tambellini have been heavily involved in Canada's Olympic program, along with helping out at the world championship tournament every spring.

"I remember biking next to (Canada head coach) Mike Babcock at Vancouver Olympics and talking hockey all the time," laughed Krueger.

Still, it is safe to assume Krueger would have not been offered the job as the Oilers associate coach if he had no connection to the NHL, and if language was an issue.

"I think being born in Winnipeg has helped me," said Krueger. "It took someone like Tom Renney who has that international experience to hire me, to hire a European."

If Krueger succeeds, he could be a trailblazer for other Europeans. His successor with the Swiss national team is Canadian Sean Simpson and he is well respected in international hockey circles.

One thing seems certain, however.

NHL teams are not exactly tripping over themselves to hand over the reigns to a coach who is 100 per cent European beef.

Not now and probably not for a long time.