Firebirds in limbo as OHL commissioner suspends owner, management

By Kaitlyn McGrath

The situation surrounding the OHL’s Flint Firebirds seems to be getting wilder by the minute after news broke Wednesday that head coach John Gruden and his assistant Dave Karpa had been fired for the second time this season.

In the latest twist, OHL commissioner David Branch has suspended Firebirds owner Rolf Nilsen along with his management and coaching staff, including Sergei Kharin who was set to replace Gruden as head coach, until further notice.

“The recent actions by the owner of the Flint Firebirds Rolf Nilsen and his representatives on the management team and coaching staff is of great concern as they pose a serious threat to our commitment to our players and their families,” Branch said in a statement released Thursday.

The statement also included two additional sanctions:

“The Flint Firebirds at their cost, under the direction of the League, shall provide counselling services for players,” the statement read.

“Rolf Nilsen and representatives of the Flint Firebirds shall co-operate with the Commissioner and the League in investigations into the conduct and actions of the Flint Firebirds and its representatives, employees, officers and directors.”

The messy Firebirds saga began back in November, when Nilsen fired Gruden and Karpa for reportedly not giving his son, Hakon, enough ice time.

What followed was immediate backlash from the players who instigated a walkout — Nilsen’s son was among them — in support of their coaches. The ordeal ultimately ended with Nilsen rehiring Gruden and Karpa and awarding them with three-year contracts, calling the firings an “irresponsible mistake.”

Yet a few short months later, they were let go again.

In an interview with TSN radio’s Ottawa affiliate, Michael Bitten, the father of Firebirds player Will Bitten, said from being around the organization, the most recent firings seem to again stem from Nilsen’s son not receiving enough ice time.

“It's pretty clear it’s the same issue,” he told TSN radio.

In another interview, Bitten also told The Hockey News’ Ken Campbell that there’s “no way” his son would play for Flint next season if Nilsen still owned the team.

“If there are not changes there, my son will not go back, and I don’t think many others would as well,” Bitten told Campbell.

Since the firings, a number of players-only meetings have been held. TSN’s Frank Seravalli reported that the only player who reported to the team’s morning skate Thursday in Erie was the owner’s son.

“It’s a really, really difficult situation because the kids are really, really nervous about the perception, how it affects their futures. They've been put in a really awkward situation,” Michael Bitten told TSN radio.

The OHL said they are set to meet with the players to discuss the situation and “to ensure that they are provided the appropriate supports.”

The Firebirds are scheduled to play the Erie Otters on Thursday night.