David Oliver and Greg Brown named Assistant Coaches, join Lindy Ruff on David Quinn’s coaching staff
BY: The New York Rangers
NEW YORK, July 17, 2018 – New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton announced today that the team has named David Oliver and Greg Brown as Assistant Coaches. Oliver and Brown will join Lindy Ruff on Head Coach David Quinn’s coaching staff.
Oliver served as Lake Erie’s General Manager when the team hired current Rangers Head Coach David Quinn to be the Monsters’ Head Coach prior to the 2009-10 season, and Oliver also served as an Assistant Coach on Quinn’s staff in Lake Erie during the 2011-12 season. In his most recent role with the Avalanche as Director of Player Development, Oliver assisted in overseeing the development of all the franchise’s prospects in the professional, junior, and college ranks in both North America and Europe.
Prior to beginning his tenure in an executive role, the Sechelt, British Columbia native played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including parts of nine seasons in the NHL (1994-95 – 1996-97; 1998-99 – 2000-01; 2002-03 – 2005-06). Oliver skated in 233 career NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, and Dallas Stars, registering 49 goals and 49 assists for 98 points, along with 84 penalty minutes. He played in 14 regular season games and three playoff contests with the Rangers during the 1996-97 season, and he tallied three points (two goals, one assist) in his 14 regular season games as a member of the Blueshirts. Oliver established career-highs in games played (80), goals (20), assists (19), and points (39) with Edmonton in 1995-96, and he led the Oilers in goals during his rookie season in 1994-95 with 16. He was selected by Edmonton in the seventh round, 144th overall, of the 1991 NHL Entry Draft.
Oliver also played four seasons of collegiate hockey with the University of Michigan (1990-91 – 1993-94) prior to beginning his professional career. In his final season at the school in 1993-94, he was a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in collegiate hockey, and he was also named the CCHA Player of the Year. Oliver won the Turner Cup as International Hockey League (IHL) Champions with the Houston Aeros in 1998-99, as he registered 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 19 playoff games.
In addition to his coaching experience with Boston College, Brown has served as an Assistant Coach with Team USA in several international tournaments. He served as an Assistant Coach with the United States at the IIHF World Junior Championship three times (2014, 2017, 2018), helping Team USA earn a gold medal in 2017 and a bronze medal in 2018. Brown coached current Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei during the 2014 IIHF World Junior Championship, and he also coached defenseman Ryan Lindgren, a Rangers prospect, at the IIHF World Junior Championship in both 2017 and 2018.
Prior to beginning his coaching career, Brown completed a distinguished playing career that spanned nearly two decades at the professional, collegiate, and international levels. He played three seasons of collegiate hockey at Boston College (1986-87, 1988-89, and 1989-90), registering 120 points (24 goals, 96 assists) in 119 career games. Brown received numerous accolades over the course of his collegiate career. In both 1988-89 and 1989-90, Brown was named the Hockey East Player of the Year, was selected to the NCAA (East) First All-American Team, and was selected as a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the top player in collegiate hockey. During the 1987-88 season, Brown played with the United States Men’s National Team prior to the 1988 Winter Olympics, and he was teammates with Rangers legends Brian Leetch and Mike Richter at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta. Brown was also teammates with Leetch and Richter, as well as Rangers Head Coach David Quinn, at the 1986 IIHF World Junior Championship, where Team USA earned its first medal in the tournament’s history (bronze). In addition, Brown and Leetch played together for one season at Boston College (1986-87) and represented the United States at the 1987 IIHF World Junior Championship. Brown also represented the United States at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France.
Following his collegiate career, Brown played 13 seasons of professional hockey, including parts of four seasons in the NHL (1990-91; 1992-93 – 1994-95). Brown, who was selected by Buffalo in the second round, 26th overall, of the 1986 NHL Entry Draft, skated in 94 career NHL games with Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Winnipeg, and he registered 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) and 86 penalty minutes. He also played professional hockey in Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, and Germany during his career.