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The New Jersey Devils have a new addition to their coaching staff. The team announced Tuesday that John Hynes has added Ryane Clowe as an assistant coach to a staff that includes bolstered by Geoff Ward and Alain Nasreddine.
Clowe, 33, played in 56 games over two years for the Devils before announcing he will no longer return to hockey following a string of concussion issues. While Clowe has been off the ice for over a year, he has been consistently involved with team activities and will continue to serve a role in New Jersey.
Clowe's Role
While there's little information as to what Clowe's role will be exactly, Tom Gulitti noted he will serve as an "eye in the sky" for the team. Although he will sit in a box during games and relay messages to Hynes and the rest of the staff on the bench, Clowe will be involved with coaching strategy regardless and will play a critical role off the ice.
Although still technically an NHL player, Clowe has been on Long Term Injured Reserve(LTIR) since last year and will remain on LTIR for the rest of his contract (two years). Although still on the books, his contract allows the Devils' to be over the floor while not negatively affecting their cap situation .
Your Thoughts
What do you think of Clowe's increased role with the team? What impact will he have off the ice? What do you think his biggest coaching asset will be? Let us know your thoughts and as always, thank you for reading!