Edinburgh Capitals have appointed much-travelled Canadian Brad Gratton as their head coach for the 2010-11 Elite League season.
Much-travelled Canadian accepts Edinburgh post
Edinburgh Capitals have appointed much-travelled Canadian Brad Gratton as their head coach for the 2010-11 Elite League season.
Gratton enjoyed a successful playing career across the OHL, ECHL, WPHL and CHL and has also spent time with teams in Austria, Germany and Finland.
The 40-year-old has experience in the United Kingdom having represented Cardiff Devils, Streatham Redskins and Chelmsford Chieftains in the 1990s.
Since hanging up the skates, Gratton gained considerable coaching experience as head and assistant coach in the ECHL, CHL, WPHL and MAHL.
He has also spent time as a video coach and is an advisor for OHL Major Junior A teams on players being drafted.
Gratton will also be an integral part of the Edinburgh Capitals Elite Hockey Academy and brings with him experience from hockey clinics in the USA and Canada as well as running conditioning programs for NHL, AHL, ECHL Junior A players and hockey clinics for 10-17 year olds.
Difficult
Speaking upon his appointment, Gratton, who replaces Doug Christiansen at the helm, said: "I'm very excited to have Scott Neil and the Edinburgh Capitals give me this opportunity to coach and guide our team to a successful season.
"I know that in the past they have always had a player-coach, it will be different for the fans to see but I think that it will be good for the club to have a dedicated coach.
"As a coach there are more things you see than you can when you are playing and trying to teach a team, it can be very difficult but that's the way that most teams do it in the UK and I think you will start seeing a change in bringing in coaches instead of player coaches.
"I had some offers in other countries but this one attracted me the most and Scott and I have had some long talks on how we are going to build a strong team and I liked what he had to offer me, and how we were going to change the direction of the team.
"I also liked what they are going to do with the junior program on developing the younger players. Teams in Europe are running very good junior programs and are developing their players to one day play for their Elite team and I see no reason why this cannot happen in Edinburgh.
"I'm looking forward to bringing in a strong team that the fans will like to see, we will build a team on speed, big, hard hitting aggressive team that's hard to play against.
"Our team will be in good condition and no team will have it easy when they play us. To the fans and sponsors I say have a good summer and be ready for an exciting year in Edinburgh."
