The Las Vegas High Rollers have fired head coach Rolf Bjork effective December 29. 2023.
The move was made even after the High Rollers stopped a two game losing skid with a tight 1-0 win over the Miami Trident on Friday night. It appears the the writing was on the wall for Coach Bjork after another drubbing at the hands of the mighty Memphis Blues on Christmas night. The 5-1 beat down marked the second time that the High Rollers were handily disposed of by the Blues in this short season. Despite a tight loss on December 27th to the Mustangs and a narrow victory over the Trident, it was apparent to rookie GM Matt Spenrath that a new boss was needed behind the bench. "We wish Rolf all the best in his future endevours. Unforuntaely it appears that this group is not responding to his systems and a change was needed" said GM Spenrath. Bjork leaves the High Rollers after a career 47-44 record with the High Rollers including a brief Season 1 playoff run.
After a quick but extensive search for a new bench boss, rookie GM Matt Spenrath has handed the reigns to the High Rollers over to rookie coach Hunter Loiselle. The 35 year old Loiselle comes to the High Rollers on a 2 year "prove yourself" deal. Loiselle comes to the High Rollers as a physical style coach with a greater emphasis on Defense and Player Discipline. The High Rollers sit near the bottom of the league defensively with a -11 rating. They also sit near the bottom of the league in both PIM and PK% which have been contributing factors to their poor record to start the season.
Coach Loiselle arrived in Las Vegas on Saturday afternoon and was thrown directly into the fire with a matchup against the Memphis Blues. Despite previous struggles against the Blues, it appears the that the team was able to rally around their new coach as they pulled out a tight 3-2 overtime win over the Blues. Loiselle and his High Rollers will have no time to rest however, as their road to a .500 record doesnt get any easier as the first place Orcas come into Las Vegas Monday night riding a 3 game win streak.
E.A Presley - Vegas Sports Network