Head coach steps away from NHL team due to “family matters.”

A bizarre situation is currently developing, one that has left one team in the National Hockey League without a head coach.

On Saturday, reports began to emerge indicating that Nashville Predators head coach Andrew Brunette had been forced to step away from the team due to what has only been described as "family matters." Brunette's absence was noticed when he failed to appear during his team's morning skate on Saturday, a significant absence from an NHL head coach and not a situation that anyone is accustomed to seeing.

Of course the biggest concern here is with Brunette and his family and without having any sort of concrete details I can only hope that whatever matter has pulled him away from the team will be resolved quickly and happily for both Brunette as well as his family.

Although Brunette has taken an unexpected absence from the team it does sound like he remains heavily involved in the coaching decisions surrounding the Nashville Predators, even making potential adjustments to the lineup despite not having a physical presence during today's morning skate.

Predators assistant coach Todd Richards, a man with NHL head coaching experience on his resume, indicated that the coaching staff continued to communicate electronically with Brunette despite his absence from the team. It sounds like the most significant lineup decision that Brunette will have to make will regard the debut of NHL rookie Matthew Wood, although Richards indicated that a decision has not yet been made by the Predators coaching staff.

Stay tuned for more on this developing story, and once again my best goes out to the Brunette family at this time.