Former Grand Rapids Griffins coach Todd Nelson is the “eye in the sky” for the Dallas stars, serving as the assistant coach watching from above. Nelson spoke with WZZM 13’s Jamal Spencer regarding his experiences in “the bubble” as Nelson attempts to help the Stars win their first Stanley Cup in 21 years:
“We’re working our tails off as coaches, making sure we don’t miss anything.” aid Nelson. “We don’t want any surprises from Tampa Bay. They’re thinking the same thing. Right now it’s a chess match, but at the end of the day it comes down to heart, hard work and character”.
Nelson became the third player ever to win the Calder Cup as a player, an assistant coach and as a head coach– In 1994 he won as a defenseman with the Portland Pirates, he won again in 2008 as an assistant coach with the Chicago Wolves and, finally, as the Griffins head coach in 2017. He also won the Colonial Cup twice in Muskegon as the Fury head coach as well. He says the chance to add his name to the greatest trophy in sports is special, but he’s not ready to reflect on his career achievements just yet.
“You know what, I’ll have plenty of time after we get out of ‘Shawshank’ here to reflect on this. I’m hoping it works out the right way, I’m not going to say it but we all know what that means. This is something that every player since you were five years old dreamt of being a part of.”
