In Memory of Coach Strelow

http://www.sjsharks.com/news/news.asp?story_id=3369

On April 11 at 12:30 AM Pacific Time, Sharks goalie coach Warren Strelow passed away in his home near the Sharks minor league team in Worcester, Mass. According to the Sharks reports, he was surrounded by his family. Coach Strelow had been battling a series of illnesses over the past several years, most recently a stroke.

As a fan of Sharks hockey, the Finatic has seen the impact of his work with Sharks goalies. Since he joined the Sharks more than ten years ago, the Sharks goalies have performed incredibly. When he first became seriously ill and needed dialysis, the Sharks goaltending went through a rough stretch, and the team lost a few games. His impact has been so positive, though, that the Sharks have made the playoffs more often than not from the time he joined the organization. Goalie Evgeni Nabokov, a student of Strelow, won the Calder Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year.

Mr. Strelow was a part of American hockey history. He was the goalie coach for the Miracle on Ice team in 1980 and helped Herb Brooks lead the U.S. team to the gold at Lake Placid. Strelow also coached one of the greatest goaltenders of all time, Martin Brodeur, and helped develop Sharks goalies and prospects for the past ten years. He coached other great goalies, including Evgeni Nabokov, Vesa Toskala, Miika Kiprusoff, and Johan Hedberg.

To Nabby, Vesa, Kipper, Brodeur, and Hedberg: go out and kick some playoff butt in honor of your coach.