Former NHL coach Ralph Krueger has publicly disclosed that he lives with Parkinson's disease. He received the diagnosis in November 2024 after noticing hand tremors shortly after his 65th birthday. Krueger remains active and refuses to let the condition define him.
Ralph Krueger, the 65-year-old former head coach of the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres, shared his Parkinson's diagnosis in an interview with Swiss outlet Watson. The symptoms began two or three weeks after his birthday, when his hand started shaking unexpectedly. He initially attributed it to too much coffee but sought medical help two months later, receiving the diagnosis in November 2024, as he told Watson. “I thought it was because I drank too much coffee,” Krueger said. “It was only two months later that I went to the doctor and got the diagnosis in November 2024.”The initial period after the diagnosis was challenging for Krueger, a self-described perfectionist. With family support, he learned to accept the disease as part of his life without letting it dominate. “At first, everything revolves around the problem. You think about it 24 hours a day. Gradually, with fantastic support from the family, I learned to accept that the disease is part of me – but not everything,” he explained. “I waste no time asking 'why?'. Since the diagnosis, I have never become depressed. I have no control over the disease, but I can control how I react to it.”Krueger, now more physically active than ever to manage symptoms, continues lecturing on his book Teamlife, published 25 years ago. His left side is most affected, allowing him to maintain many activities as a right-hander. His hockey career includes coaching the Oilers in the 2013 lockout-shortened season, leading the Sabres until 2021, serving as Switzerland's national team coach, and guiding Team Europe to the 2016 World Cup of Hockey final, where they lost to Canada.
