On Tuesday, the Grand Rapids Griffins announced the hiring of Stephane Julien & Brian Lashoff as assistants to new head coach Dan Watson
On Monday, the Grand Rapids Griffins announced the hiring of Stephane Julien and Brian Lashoff as the new assistants to head coach Dan Watson, whose own hiring was announced earlier this month.
“We’re excited to bring back Brian and we welcome Stephane to the Griffins organization,” Grand Rapids GM Shawn Horcoff said via a press release. "Both men bring a wealth of knowledge that we believe will translate to success in their new roles. In 14 seasons as a player in Grand Rapids, Brian established himself as a leader on and off the ice and was a respected voice in the locker room and across the league. Stephane has infused a winning culture to Sherbrooke of the QMJHL in more than a decade behind the bench and has a proven track record of developing young players, which will be a major asset to the Griffins’ coaching staff.”
Julien spent the majority of his playing career in the German league, before returning to North America in 2012-13 to serve as an assistant for the Sherbrooke Phoenix in the QMJHL. After three and a half seasons, Julien replaced Jude Vallee as the Phoenix's head coach. Julien would maintain that role through last season, while also taking on GM responsibilities beginning in 2020-21. Julien also coached Canada to gold at the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.
Lashoff is a familiar name to Red Wing fans, having been in the organization since 2009 as a defenseman. During that time, Lashoff spent the bulk of his time in Grand Rapids, with cameos in Toledo and Detroit mixed in. Lashoff last played in the NHL in the '19-20 season, featuring in nine games. He began wearing a letter in Grand Rapids in 2015-16, and that letter upgraded from "A" to "C" for the '20-21 campaign. Lashoff's 628 career games ranks him second all-time in Griffins history, and he won the Calder Cup in 2013 and 2017 in Grand Rapids.
“I am very excited and grateful to be joining the staff in Grand Rapids following my playing career,” said Lashoff in the same press release. “I look forward to helping Dan Watson and the rest of our staff in the continued development of our players while competing at the highest level. Staying in hockey was always a priority of mine and I am motivated by the opportunity to be able to work with these players, to help them make the most of their careers." The 32-year-old was retired as a player for about two months before jumping into his coaching career.