'It truly is an honor': Dan Watson eager, ready to lead Griffins

GRAND RAPIDS -- The biggest piece of the Grand Rapids Griffins' offseason puzzle is now in place.

On Wednesday, the Detroit Red Wings named Dan Watson the new head coach of the organization's American Hockey League affiliate. Watson becomes the 12th head coach in Griffins franchise history.

"It is a really, really important time for the Red Wings organization," Watson

"The fans are extremely lucky to see these young guys who will hopefully one day be hoisting the Stanley Cup for the Red Wings. For me to be part of that is huge."

Watson has been with the Red Wings organization for the past 14 seasons, holding multiple key roles with the Toledo Walleye - Detroit's ECHL affiliate - since its inaugural 2009-10 campaign.

"It is a special place," Watson said about Toledo. "Eight thousand fans every single night. Win or lose, they're gonna be behind you. Just a great organization run by [Walleye president & CEO] Joe Napoli."

After serving as assistant coach with the Walleye from 2009-14, Watson was promoted to associate coach in 2014 and then to head coach in 2016.

"I had the pleasure of working with Dan for two seasons in Toledo," Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde, who was head coach of the Walleye from 2014-16, said in a statement. "He's an incredibly hard worker who gets results. His personality and ability to connect with his players helps build a tremendous team culture. I'm really looking forward to working closely with him again."

In his six seasons (2016-23) as Toledo's head coach, Watson compiled a 272-112-35 regular-season record and led the Walleye to the Kelly Cup Finals twice (2019 and 2022).

"It's one of those places that I really wanted to bring a championship there," Watson said. "We were close twice. If they keep knocking on that door, something special is gonna happen for that organization."

Prior to his coaching career, Watson played seven professional seasons in the United Hockey League, AHL and ECHL.

All his pro hockey experiences shaped Watson into the person he is today, as the Glencoe, Ontario, native describes himself as a relatable players coach.

"I wanna build relationships with all these guys," Watson said. "I want them to know that I care about them personally. It's not just their hockey career. It's about them as individuals, as people. Whether it's their family or themselves, that's what I care about. I think if you can do that, that's when you start to bring out the best in everybody."

The interview process, according to Griffins general manager Shawn Horcoff, began two months ago. Horcoff, who also serves as the Red Wings' assistant general manager, said Watson checked off a lot of boxes for what Grand Rapids needed in a new bench boss.

"The one thing that really stands out with Dan is his passion and his commitment to development and culture," Horcoff said. "That's one thing, with Dan, was the type of person that he is. You talk to the players and people that work for him. He's just an outstanding human being.

"Players really want to go through the wall for him. That is something, I think, that is very important and something that we hold high in terms of things that we look for in a head coach."

Watson pointed out that as a first-time AHL head coach, he will need to find a balance between winning and player development.

"It's about getting players better but also having the ability to win," Watson said. "It's a fine line you have to walk. You gotta be able to do both. We've done a really good job of that down there and I'm looking forward to bringing that here."

In terms of expectations for his players, Watson said they must be part of establishing and embracing a growth-first culture.

"That's what we're looking to do," Watson said. "Is build a positive learning environment where everyone's gonna be at their best and keep being at their best. The expectation inside the locker room is to be yourself and be yourself well."

Watson said finalizing his coaching staff is the first order of business.

"A good staff made with good people," Watson said. "People who care, wanna work, get players better and win. We wanna make sure we put the right people in place so we have a strong staff for our players."

Grand Rapids compiled a 28-36-4-4 (64 points) record in the 2022-23 season, finishing seventh in the Central Division and missing the Calder Cup Playoffs for the second straight season.

"It's obviously a very important time in our organization with the young players we have coming through and the winning culture that we want to get back to here," Horcoff said. "It's important to me. Grand Rapids has always been a team and an organization that has challenged for championships. That's something we look forward to getting back to."