Mike Muller Explained

Mike Muller should not be confused with Mike Mueller.

Played For:Russia
HC Dynamo Moscow
AHL
Moncton Hawks
Springfield Falcons
IHL
Minnesota Moose
Grand Rapids Griffins
ECHL
Mississippi Sea Wolves
Baton Rouge Kingfish
UHL
Rockford IceHogs
Position:Defence
Shoots:Left
Height Ft:6
Height In:2
Weight Lb:209
Birth Date:18 September 1971
Birth Place:Edina, Minnesota, USA
Draft:35th overall
Draft Team:Winnipeg Jets
Draft Year:1990
Career Start:1992
Career End:2010

Mike Muller (born September 18, 1971) is an American ice hockey coach and a retired ice hockey defenseman., he is the head coach of the Minnesota Loons junior hockey team in the North American 3 Hockey League.

Playing career

United States

He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 1990 NHL Entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets[1] out of Wayzata High School in Plymouth, Minnesota and played for the University of Minnesota[2] between 1990 und 1992.

Russia

Muller started his professional career in the 1992–93 season playing eleven games for HC Moscow Dynamo[3] [4] of the Russian International Hockey League. He was the first foreign hockey player in the Russian International Hockey League,[5] in which he was a member of the championship team in the 1992–93 season.[6]

Germany

Until 1997, he played in the AHL, IHL and ECHL, before moving to Germany. Muller represented several second- and third-division teams from Germany, including EHC Neuwied, Iserlohner EC, Bietigheim Steelers, Moskitos Essen, EV Ravensburg and EHF Passau Black Hawks.[7] He retired from playing after the 2009–10 season.

Coaching career

In his early coaching career, Muller worked at the youth level, coaching the under-20 squad of Italian club HC Eppan in 2011–12.[8] He then returned to Ravensburg,[9] where he had spent three years as a player, taking over as youth coach while also serving as assistant on the club's men's team in the second German division.

Prior to the 2015–16 season, Muller was appointed head coach of ESV Kaufbeuren, a member of Germany's second-tier DEL2.[10] In December 2015, he signed a contract extension through the 2016–17 season.[11] On February 16, 2016, Muller was fired by ESV Kaufbeuren after a series of two wins and 13 losses since the beginning of the new year.[12]

In March 2019, Muller was announced as the head coach of the Breezy Point North Stars of the North American 3 Hockey League (NA3HL).[13] The team ceased operations after his first season. When the franchise was re-activated as the Minnesota Loons in 2021, he was brought back as head coach.[14]

Career statistics

Team League GP GPG A Pts PIM
1990–91University of MinnesotaNCAA33 4 4 8 44
1991–92University of MinnesotaNCAA44 4 12 16 60
1992–93HC Dynamo MoscowRussia11 1 0 1 8
1992–93HC Dynamo Moscow-2Russia242 8 5 13 58
1993–94Moncton HawksAHL61 2 14 16 88
1994–95Springfield FalconsAHL64 2 5 7 61
1995–96Minnesota MooseIHL53 3 7 10 72
1996–97Grand Rapids GriffinsIHL2 0 0 0 4
1996–97Mississippi Sea WolvesECHL54 15 24 39 36
1996–97Baton Rouge KingfishECHL12 1 10 11 2
1997–98EHC NeuwiedGermany268 22 39 61 42
1998–99EHC NeuwiedGermany258 6 26 32 42
1999–00Iserlohner ECGermany211 2 4 6 12
1999–00SC Bietigheim-BissingenGermany229 1 6 7 57
2000–01SC Bietigheim-BissingenGermany238 4 10 14 504 0 3 3 10
2001–02Rockford IceHogsUHL34 1 13 14 25
2001–02SC Mittelrhein-NeuwiedGermany321 5 6 11 205 0 1 1 8
2002–03SC Mittelrhein-NeuwiedGermany353 21 26 47 603 1 2 3 10
2003–04Moskitos EssenGermany353 12 21 33 836 3 3 6 6
2004–05EV RavensburgGermany349 30 30 60 603 0 2 2 2
2005–06EV RavensburgGermany351 26 29 55 1066 3 5 8 16
2006–07EV RavensburgGermany347 13 30 43 12510 1 7 8 47
2007–08EHF Passau Black HawksGermany353 9 16 25 99
2008–09EHF Passau Black HawksGermany361 11 54 65 68
2009–10EHF Passau Black HawksGermany340 6 18 24 385 1 1 2 6
AHL totals12541923149

Notes and References

  1. Web site: GOPHERSPORTS.COM :: University of Minnesota Official Athletic Site :: Ice Hockey. February 24, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180701022430/http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/minn-m-hockey-nhl.html. July 1, 2018. dead.
  2. Web site: Wayzata Youth Hockey - Division I Alumni.
  3. Web site: Jets Turn Muller Into Dynamo. Chicago Tribune.
  4. Web site: Sports - Khristich, Capitals On Rolls -- Washington Unbeaten At Home In Nine Games - Seattle Times Newspaper. February 24, 2017.
  5. Web site: Hockey players of Moscow Dynamo League. January 28, 2018.
  6. Web site: Championship IHL 1992-93. January 28, 2018.
  7. Web site: Passau Black Hawks: Black Hawks verpflichten Verteidiger Mike Muller - Rainer Schuster verlängert Vertrag in Passau. EISHOCKEY INFO. February 15, 2016. EISHOCKEY.INFO.
  8. Web site: 13.01.2011 - Fünf Fragen an Junior Headcoach Mike Muller - Newsarchiv Berichte Saison 2010-2011 - HC Eppan Pirates Roi Team. www.hceppan.it. February 15, 2016.
  9. Web site: Interview mit Mike Muller (Ravensburg). www.eishockey-online.com. February 15, 2016. Christian. Diepold.
  10. Web site: Mike Muller wird neuer Cheftrainer beim ESVK - ESV Kaufbeuren Buron Joker. www.esvk.de. February 15, 2016.
  11. Web site: ESVK Kaufbeuren verlängert vorzeitig mit Trainer Mike Muller del-2.org. del-2.org. February 15, 2016. Thomas Röstel, Matthias Geissler - Sports Trade. GmbH.
  12. Web site: ESVK entbindet Trainer Mike Muller von seinen Aufgaben als Cheftrainer - ESV Kaufbeuren Buron Joker. esvk.de. February 17, 2016.
  13. Web site: Breezy Point announces new Head Coach and GM. www.na3hl.com . March 18, 2019.
  14. Web site: Loons Hire Head Coach Mike Muller . Minnesota Loons . April 28, 2021.