The New Jersey Devils announced Monday afternoon that they had hired former Capitals player Mike Grier as an assistant coach.

Grier spent two seasons with the Capitals in 2002-03 and 2003-04, scoring 23 goals, 52 assists, and racking up 68 PIMs over a span of 150 games with the team. He also spent time playing for the Edmonton Oilers, Buffalo Sabres, and San Jose Sharks over his 14 year NHL career before retiring in 2011.

Grier has spent the past four seasons as a Pro Scout with the Chicago Blackhawks. Grier has also spent time as an assistant coach for this former scholastic hockey team, St. Sebastian’s High School in Needham, MA.

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The New Jersey Devils today named Mike Grier as an assistant coach. Grier will join Assistant Coaches Alain Nasreddine, Rick Kowalsky and Goaltending Coach Roland Melanson on John Hynes’ staff. The announcement was made by Devils’ Executive Vice President/General Manager Ray Shero.

“We are looking forward to having Mike join our organization,” said Hynes. “Having played 14 years and over 1,000 NHL games as a forward, Mike will lean on his experience in leadership roles to work with our players. He was a highly-respected teammate and had the ability to relate to all players with his personality, demeanor and experience. These attributes will be valuable in communicating and developing our players, as we continue to build a strong culture.”

Grier played 1,060 NHL games as a right wing over 14 seasons with Edmonton (1996-97 to 2001-02), Washington (2002-03 to 2003-04), Buffalo (2003-04 to 2005-06 & 2009-10 to 2010-11) and San Jose (2006-07 to 2008-09). He set career highs across the board in 1998-99 with Edmonton when he scored 20 goals, 24 assists and 44 points. Grier served as an Alternate Captain during his stints in Edmonton and San Jose. He scored 162 goals and 221 assists for 383 points and 510 penalty minutes. In 101 Stanley Cup Playoff games, Grier tallied 14 goals and 14 assists for 28 points and 72 penalty minutes. He made the playoffs in 11 of his 14 seasons in the League. Grier officially retired on December 1, 2011.

Grier was St. Louis’s seventh choice (ninth round), 219th overall, in the 1993 Entry Draft. The 6-1, 225lb. forward played three seasons of collegiate hockey at Boston University, where he was teammates with Hynes. In 114 games, he scored 59 goals and 61 assists for 120 points and 223 penalty minutes. During the 1994-95 season, Grier was named to the NCAA East First All-Star Team, won the Walter Brown Award as New England’s top player and helped the Terriers win the Hockey East title and then the NCAA Championship. He went straight from college to the NHL. Grier represented the United States at the 1995 World Junior Championships and won a Bronze Medal at the 2004 World Championships in the Czech Republic.

For the past four seasons, Grier served as a Pro Scout with the Chicago Blackhawks. He also served as an assistant coach for St. Sebastian’s High School in Needham, MA, where he played his scholastic hockey, and coached the Boston Junior Terriers. Born January 5, 1975 in Detroit, MI, Mike and his wife, Anne, have three children: sons Jayden and Tristan, and daughter Brooklyn.