Former Braehead Clan boss Paul Gardner says he delighted John Tripp has been appointed as the club’s new head coach.
Both men worked together at the Hamburg Freezers and came up against each other on the benches in DEL2 last season when Gardner’s Lowen Frankfurt met Tripp’s Eispiraten Crimmitschau.
Gardner coached the club in 2013, having previously enjoyed a successful career in the NHL with the likes of Toronto Maple Leafs and Pittsburgh Penguins.
These NHL betting tips are worth checking out during the EIHL close season, which Gardner says Clan’s fans will be eager to see the back of in anticipation of Tripp’s new-look team hitting the ice.
“John is a good friend of mine and I’m happy he got the job at Braehead – I’m pleased for the Purple Army as well because they’re going to really enjoy him,” said Gardner.
“He’s a quality person, who is straightforward and up front. He’s also a hard worker and his good qualities as a player will carry over to his coaching side.
“John came to me and I had nothing but great things to say about my own experience there. I told him it would be a great place to play and to coach.
“I’ve never made any secret of the fact that I would love to go back to the league in the UK and I wish I could have stayed on longer in Glasgow, but it didn’t happen.
“I told him the fans were great and love the game. For him and his family it’s a good area to live in and the league is full of quality hockey.
“I spoke with the club a couple of times when they asked about John and I recommended him highly and I think he’ll be a great young coach, who’ll be there for a long time I hope.”
Gardner says the squad will have to work hard to earn ice time under Tripp and revealed he’s already looking at bringing new players in.
“The biggest thing the fans can expect from John’s team is hard work – when I coached him he was a good player, but his hard work paid off and he won’t expect anything less.
“He and I have spoken about this in the past and if you have the best and talented team, but not the work ethic, then you won’t make anything happen.
“If you’re a player wanting ice time you have to work hard to able to get it, otherwise you won’t and that’s something I agree with.
“John has a presence about him and I believe he’s the sort of person that can sell a club like Braehead Clan. Physically, he’s a big man and will get the respect of the players very quickly.
“In fact, John’s already called me and asked questions about a few players so he’s on the job right now and I’m very excited for him.”
Gardner will return to Glasgow for the first time since leaving four years ago with Lowen Frankfurt, who will play the Clan in two exhibition games at the end of August.
He said: “I can’t wait to come back to Glasgow and when I got the news that I was going back with my team for these exhibition games I was thrilled.
“I’m looking forward to being in the area and seeing a lot of friends that I made when I was at Braehead that I’ve stayed in touch with.
“My time was short there, but I have a lot of good memories and the games will be fun for both John and I as we get our teams together.”
