The Boston Bruins last month declined to renew Doug Houda’s contract, ending the assistant coach’s 10-year tenure with the team. It did not take him long to land a new gig.
The Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday hired Houda to replace assistant coach Tony Granato, who left Detroit to take the head-coaching job at Wisconsin.
Houda, who was drafted by and played 172 games for the Red Wings in the late 1980s and early 90s, will work with Detroit’s defensemen and penalty kill. The Wings ranked 17th in the NHL in goals against and 14th in penalty-kill percentage this season.
“I heard great things about Doug as a person and as a coach from guys that he’s coached,” Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters, via MLive.com. “I thought that was an important part of the process. Tony Granato had a great amount of respect from our current players, and I wanted to replace him with a coach in the National Hockey League with lots of experience who had that type of similar respect, and Doug certainly has that.”
Houda’s exit from Boston came after the Bruins finished outside the Stanley Cup playoff picture for the second time in as many seasons. More changes to head coach Claude Julien’s staff could be forthcoming, as assistants Joe Sacco and Doug Jarvis both are not under contract for next season.
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
