“The technical side made sense for John. He was really good at it. A good coach in all aspects. He was perfect for our winning,” said Sather, who waited a year after Wayne Gretzky was sold to the Los Angeles Kings before handing the reins to Muckler.
“Like I said, he was a helluva coach. I remember going to see him for a few games when he was coaching our farm team in Wichita, the Wichita Wind, and I thought ‘this guy is a a really good coach.’ So I brought him to us.”
Muckler joined the Oilers in 1981 following two decades in various positions with the Vancouver Canucks and the New York Rangers as well as a short head coaching stint with the Minnesota North Stars in 1968-69. He stayed with them until 1991 when he left for the Buffalo Sabres to be head of their hockey ops, and then was behind their bench for 268 games. He later was head coach of the Rangers and general manager of the Ottawa Senators.
“When you have 22 pretty good hockey players and have enjoyed some success, it’s hard to imagine that the addition of an associate coach would be the final piece to getting the Oilers to the top of the mountain, but that’s exactly what happened when John joined the team,” said Gretzky in a statement. “He was tough, strict but most importantly fair.
“He helped lay the groundwork to make our team more accountable to each other and that propelled us to becoming champions. A wonderful family man and great friend, he personally took my career to another level. I will always cherish the hours he talked, from breaking down defences to raising a family. Rest in peace John. You will be missed.
Source: – Edmonton Sun
