Flint Firebirds

Flint Firebirds
founding	2015
history	Detroit Compuware Ambassadors 1990 - 1992 Detroit Junior Red Wings 1992 - 1995 Detroit Whalers 1995 - 1997 Plymouth Whalers 1997 - 2015 Flint Firebirds since 2015
Stadion	There Federal Credit Union Event Center
Location	Flint , Michigan
Team colors	Navy blue , white , orange , silver 
league	Ontario Hockey League
Conference	Western Conference
division	West Division
Head coach	Ryan Oulahen
General manager	George Burnett
owner	/ Rolf Nilsen
Memorial Cups	no
J. Ross Robertson Cups	no

The Flint Firebirds are an American ice hockey franchise based in Flint , Michigan . The team has played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), one of the top three Canadian junior leagues, since the 2015/16 season , and plays its home games at the Federal Credit Union Event Center there.

history

Move to Flint

In January 2015 Peter Karmanos sold the Plymouth Whalers franchise , which he owned for 25 years, to the company IMS Hockey and the new owner Rolf Nilsen. In February of the same year, the OHL agreed to move the team to Flint. When choosing a team name, the OHL announced directly that a return to the nickname Generals (there were already two franchises named Flint Generals ) was not possible, as the league with the Oshawa Generals already has a team with this nickname. In the end, they decided on the Firebirds , whereby Force , Fury , Nationals , Pride , Spark Plugs , Sparks , United and Vikings were also shortlisted.

First coach was former NHL professional John Gruden , while the Federal Credit Union Event Center there acts as a home.

Controversies about owner Rolf Nilsen

Just a few weeks after the start of the debut season, in November 2015, the team received national attention. Owner Rolf Nilsen is said to have put head coach Gruden under pressure to give his son Håkon Nilsen more playing time. As a result, the coaching team informed the team (with the exception of Håkon Nilsen) about changes before the next game against Oshawa, so that Nilsen had 17 minutes of ice time in this game. Nevertheless, Rolf Nilsen dismissed the entire coaching team after the game, with the result that the team (including Håkon Nilsen) threw their jerseys on the floor in Nilsen's office to announce their protest or to announce a strike. The players also announced that they would not return until the coaches were also allowed to. Head coach Gruden himself announced immediately after the game that Håkon Nilsen's playing time was not a reason for the dismissal. According to other reports, the argument had dragged on for weeks.

On the day after the dismissal, Rolf Nilsen hired the entire coaching team again, apologized to them as well as to the players and spoke of an "irresponsible mistake". In addition, the coaches' contracts were each extended by three years. In addition, Nilsen signed an agreement with the OHL that he would not interfere in sporting matters and not fire the coaching staff without first consulting the OHL.

In order to circumvent the conditions of the agreement, Nilsen hired the former NHL professional Sergei Charin as a consultant a little later in order to continue to influence sporting decisions. Kharin is said to have handled the transfer from Connor Chatham to the Windsor Spitfires without consulting General Manager Terry Christensen, as a result of which there was a dispute and Christensen was dismissed and later reinstated in another role. On February 17, 2016, the coaching staff around John Gruden was dismissed again and replaced by Charin as interim coach. The OHL then intervened, suspended Nilsen and Charin indefinitely and installed Joe Stefan as an interim trainer, who had previously been active for the Plymouth Whalers. In addition, the league ordered an investigation of the incidents by an independent expert as well as detailed advice and support for the players and their families at the expense of the franchise.

In April 2016, as a result of the investigation, the OHL issued a fine of US $ 250,000 and a five-year ban on Nilsen, who was not allowed to interfere directly or indirectly with the franchise's sporting interests during this time. Should this violate the condition, the league would instruct him to sell his property rights to the team. Furthermore, the Firebirds were deprived of their first-round voting rights in the upcoming OHL draft. The franchise has since been under the provisional management of the OHL, which George Burnett installed as general manager and Ryan Oulahen as head coach.

Season statistics

Abbreviations: GP = games, W = wins, L = defeats, OTL = defeats after overtime , SOL = defeats after shootout , Pts = points, GF = goals scored, GA = goals conceded

season	GP	W.	L.	OTL	SOL	GF	GA	Pts	Placement (division)	Playoffs
2015/16	68	20th	42	4th	2	184	279	46	5. (West)	not qualified
2016/17	68	32	28	3	5	229	242	72	3. (West)	Conference quarter-finals lost, 4-1 ( Sault Ste. Marie )
total	136	52	70	7th	7th	413	521	118		1 playoff participation 1 series: 0 wins, 1 defeat 5 games: 1 wins, 4 defeats

Web links

• Official website
• Profile on hockeydb.com

Individual evidence

1. ↑ OHL Board of Governors Approve Transfer of ownership and relocation to Flint. ontariohockeyleague.com, February 2, 2015, accessed December 20, 2015 . 
2. ^ Aaron McMann: Hoping for a return of the Flint Generals name? OHL commissioner says it's not happening. mlive.com, January 21, 2015, accessed December 20, 2015 . 
3. ↑ Aaron McMann: Poll: Which of the 10 registered names do you like best for Flint's new OHL team? mlive.com, February 26, 2015, accessed December 20, 2015 . 
4. ^ Gare Joyce: How Flint Firebirds firestorm came about. www.sportsnet.ca, November 9, 2015, accessed December 20, 2015 (English). 
5. ↑ Jeff Seidel: Firebirds players risk it all to save coaches. freep.com, November 12, 2015, accessed December 20, 2015 . 
6. ↑ Frank Seravalli: Flint Firebirds re-hire coaches after player protest. tsn.ca, November 9, 2015, accessed December 20, 2015 . 
7. ↑ ^{a b} Frank Seravalli: How the Flint Firebirds unraveled. tsn.ca, February 19, 2016, accessed on February 23, 2016 (English). 
8. ↑ George Sipple: Flint Firebirds' owner suspended 5 years, team now under OHL control. freep.com, April 6, 2016, accessed February 9, 2017 .