Robbie Ftorek fired from OHL Erie

[RowdyFan42]

http://blog.timesunion.com/hockey/former-rats-bench-boss-ftorek-fired-by-erie-otters/13529/

Former Albany River Rats and New Jersey Devils coach Robbie Ftorek has been fired by the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters.

Ftorek, 60, had held the position of head coach with Erie since 2007, leading the Otters to a record of 132-169-3-21 over the past five seasons before getting off to a 7-15-2-3 start this season.

Former Rats goaltender Peter Sidorkiewicz, who played two seasons under Ftorek in Albany, will remain with the Otters as assistant coach.

Ftorek served as head coach of the Rats from 1993 to 1996 before graduating to the NHL, first as an assistant coach and then head coach of the New Jersey Devils. He went on to spend parts of two seasons as head coach of the Boston Bruins before returning for a second stint with the Rats from 2003 to 2006.

Ftorek was behind the bench for Albany when they defeated the Fredericton Canadiens in 1995 to take home the city’s only Calder Cup championship to date.

[StormJosh]

I never thought I would hear about Peter Sidorkiewicz again.

[Deke]

did he throw a bench?

[Colorado Rockies 1976]

Who knows what happened, but apparently the three teams that he coached in the NHL couldn't stand him by the time he was let go...hence the reason he was fired by two different teams with just nine games to go in the regular season. Gretzky apparently had no use for him in LA...early on, when Gretzky first arrived in LA, Ftorek said something about trying to teach his players, to which Gretzky replied "If you want to teach, go to New Haven [LA's farm team at the time]. I'm trying to win a Stanley Cup."