Former Huskie now an NHL head coach
Courtesy of MTU Athletics
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Former Michigan Tech hockey player Ron Rolston was named interim head coach of the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres last night. The Fenton, Mich., native played forward for the Huskies from 1986-89, amassing 31 goals and 37 assists in 110 career games.
Rolston, who had been serving as the head coach of the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League (AHL), replaces longtime coach Lindy Ruff as the 16th head coach in Sabres franchise history.
Following his playing career at Tech, Rolston entered the collegiate coaching ranks. He spent four seasons from 1990-95 as assistant coach at Lake Superior State, helping the Lakers to two NCAA titles. Rolston also had assistant coaching stints at Clarkson, Harvard and Boston College before joining the USA Hockey staff.
Rolston coached the U.S. National Under-17 Team from 2004-11, helping Team USA to three gold medals (2005, 2009, 2011) at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Under-18 Championship.
He joined the professional ranks as the head coach in Rochester for the 2011-12 season. He led the Americans to a 63-44-17 regular season record over the past two years.
Rolston will make his NHL coaching debut tonight as the Sabres play at the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m.