Ask Roger Grillo about his lifetime in hockey, and he will tell you that he regards it as his passion rather than work.
“I’ve been very fortunate,” Grillo said. “I don’t consider anything I’ve done in the game a job.”
The 60-year-old from Apple Valley, Minnesota, has spent the last 15 years with USA Hockey, first as a regional manager of the American Development Model and most recently as director of player development. Prior to that, he spent a dozen years as the head coach at Brown University.
He had also been an assistant coach at the University of Vermont and Norwich University. He began his coaching career as an assistant at Old Town High School in Orono, Maine, while still a student at the University of Maine, where he played as a defenseman. His first head coaching gig came at Yarmouth High School in Maine in 1987.
Now, Grillo’s passion for the game has taken him to the Montreal Canadiens, where the team named him a coaching consultant under head coach Martin St. Louis. Grillo and St. Louis have known each other since Grillo’s days at UVM, where St. Louis played before starring in the NHL.
Grillo said his new position will entail a lot of different things, but it will primarily focus on game preparation, practice prep, evaluation and anything to help the coaching staff.
St. Louis said he’s excited by the perspective Grillo can bring to his staff.
“I was looking more for somebody that can be an extension of the staff,” St. Louis said. “What Roger has done throughout his coaching career and post career, he had the experience that was kind of very fitting for the position that I was looking for, and, obviously, I’ve had a relationship [with him] for a long time.”
Grillo said the timing and opportunity were right for the move to the Canadiens.
“It’s a really great group of people and a really great group of hockey people who are kind of wired similarly to me and they love the game,” he said. “Their values, their work ethic, and their attitude and personalities [are] just something that I’m really excited and honored to be a part of.”
Grillo pointed out that the Canadiens recently drew nearly 20,000 fans to a Saturday afternoon rookie game at the Bell Centre, showcasing the passion the city has for the sport.
Grillo acknowledged that there will be a transition from USA Hockey to the Canadiens.
“The big difference is it’s singular, right?” he said. “It’s a little bit more goal-oriented towards a team, towards an objective, and towards helping a smaller group of coaches and players find success, whatever small part I’ll play in that.
“I’m going to learn a ton. I’m going to experience some things that I’ve never experienced. There’s nothing that’s better than being around people that truly feel the same way about the game as I do.”
Grillo enters a Canadiens organization steeped in NHL history. One of the league’s Original Six, Montreal has won 23 Stanley Cups, 10 more than any other franchise.
Grillo said it’s overwhelming to walk into the Bell Centre and see the amount of championship banners and retired numbers that hang from the rafters.
While he’s moving on to a new phase of his hockey life, Grillo called his experience with USA Hockey the best of his life. He added that he treasured the people he worked with and the opportunities he received along the way.
“It was an unbelievable 15 years, something I’m very proud of, and it was difficult to walk away from,” he said. “But I was just so excited about this opportunity and a chance to help some people that I care about dearly just reach their goals and aspirations.
“To be honest with you, I’ll always be a part of USA Hockey. I’ll be involved in some aspects during the offseason, helping out in any way I can. I believe in their mission. I believe in what they’re trying to do.”
As he looks back on the past 15 years, his work on the ADM and its impact on parents, coaches, administrators and athletes stands out the most for Grillo.
“We took on some really big initiatives that weren’t easy,” he said. “They were difficult because it was change. But the impact has been a real positive one for all involved, and I take great pride in having been a part of that.”
Bob Mancini, USA Hockey’s assistant executive director of hockey development, said that everyone at the organization is thrilled for Grillo.
“For 15 years, he brought a passion and expertise that was evident every time he stepped on the ice or spoke about developing the American hockey player,” Mancini said. “We wish him the very best with the Canadiens and look forward to his continued contribution to USA Hockey.”
Story from Red Line Editorial, Inc
