Reports: Players from OHL's Flint Firebirds quit after staff gets fired

The 24 players on the Ontario Hockey League's Flint Firebirds quit the team Sunday night after the coaching staff was fired, according to several media reports.

ESPN's John Buccigross and OHLInsiders.com were the first to report the news. ABC12 WJRT in Flint, Mich., confirmed it.

When contacted by Paste BN Sports, Dominic Hennig, Director of Broadcasting and Communications for the Firebirds, would not comment on behalf of the team, but for himself said, "I have never met a coach who motivates his team and has their best interest like Coach (John) Gruden does. It is an honor to work with that coaching staff and the group of guys in that locker room."

The coaching staff was fired after the team's 4-3 overtime, comeback win against the Oshawa Generals, prompting the players to rush into the management's office, "throw jersey on ground, quit and walk out," according to Buccigross, who said via a source that owner Rolf Nilsen's son, Håkon, was among those who quit.

The Firebirds, formerly the Plymouth Whalers, are 7-9-0-1 in their first season in Flint. The OHL is a developmental hockey league in Canada that is made up of 20 teams.

Firebirds players Connor Chatham (New Jersey Devils, third round in 2014), Alex Peters (Dallas Stars, third round in 2014), Vili Saarijärvi (Detroit Red Wings, third round in 2015) and Josh Wesley (Carolina Hurricanes, fourth round in 2014) all participated in NHL development camps with their respective clubs before the start of the season.

Contributing: Kristen Shilton