Confirmed with Link: Noel Giants new head coach

[Hank Chinaski]

Happy for Claude. Despite my opinion of him as a NHL level head coach I always really liked the man.

Ditto.

Noel has always struck me as someone who will do well in the junior ranks. Hope he kills it with the Giants.

 

[Snot Rocket]

I think Noel was a good coach, but I also think he got a very tough first gig, these guys are still broken even under an experienced NHL coach.

Icelandic Alternative/Folk.

 

[winnipegger]

Hope the Giants score 1 goal a game so he can say afterwards: "Do I like the one goal we get every game? NO"

 

[jetdiehard]

Best of luck Claude,we all enjoyed your humour and one liners.

 

[Koonta]

Good for Claude, happy for him, I will check out a few of his post game pressers on the Giants website from time to time

 

[tntkid]

I am very happy for Noel.

He is a super nice guy & I hope he has lots of success with the Vancouver Giants.

 

[allan5oh]

I'm not really sold on him being a good development coach. He's more of a Don Cherry type of coach. I think he's behind on the modern game.

Maybe this will be good for his career.

 

[WaveRaven]

Good for Claude .. at least he didn't have to go to the K to find a job

 

[Huffer]

Congrats to Noel. Hopefully there will now be joy in joyville.

 

[jamiebez]

Wow, lozenge sales gonna spike in VanCity!! Invest in lozenge futures now, people!!!

Good for Claude. Seemed like a really good guy and was well thought of by people in hockey and the media alike. Glad to see him find work.

 

[seasontixholder*]

I would think this is it for him in the NHL. He was a subpar NHL coach. Maybe an assistant one day? But glad he's landed on his feet somewhere.

 

[Yukon Joe]

You know it was just last week I was wondering "gee, I wonder whatever happened to Noel" and searched around, only to find he hadn't been hired by anyone.

He was always such an immensely likeable guy that I wish him all the best in the future. I heard the news on Edmonton's TSN Radio 1260, where they announced it as something like "and one of the good guys gets another chance" - they still make use of his "and I asked myself, self..." bit on a regular basis.

Little surprised he's going to junior hockey. I thought he was pretty much a career AHL coach (and a pretty darn good one at that).

 

[cheswick]

I would think this is it for him in the NHL. He was a subpar NHL coach. Maybe an assistant one day? But glad he's landed on his feet somewhere.

Maurice seems to still be able to find work.

Claude Noel career NHL head coaching: 0.507
Paul Maurice career NHL head coaching: 0.505

 

[seasontixholder*]

Maurice seems to still be able to find work.

Claude Noel career NHL head coaching: 0.507
Paul Maurice career NHL head coaching: 0.505

I would agree with you but Maurice also went to the cup finals. Noel didn't even make the playoffs. Granted, it's on a wider margin. I still don't think Noel is an NHL caliber coach, plus he's getting on in age. Very few coaches at 59 will get another shot. Willie Desjardins (never head coached in the NHL) is 57 and is getting a shot but we'll see if he makes it. Mike Johnston (never head coached in the NHL, but has an extensive resume) is 57 as well but he has a Pitt team, no comparison. If Noel would get a shot it would make him the 3rd oldest coach in the league behind Boudreau and Hitchcock. Noel is no Boudreau or Hitchcock but he did relieve him of his duties in Columbus (a sign?). But good luck to him if he gets another shot but I do not see it.

 

[Guardian17]

Good to see Coach Noel back in hockey!

 

[veganhunter]

I think junior hockey suits his personality and skill set very nicely (and no that is not meant to be an insult).

 

[Koonta]

As as was said on the radio I think Claude will entertain the junior kids. I think he'll be a great fit and am extremely happy for him and hope he turns that team around. Good luck Claude

 

[YWGinYYZ]

For those that missed it, here's the replay of Noel on H&L:

http://www.tsn.ca/radio/winnipeg-1290/noel-i-learned-a-lot-as-a-head-coach-in-the-nhl-1.149144

Good interview. Always thought Noel had a great personality, and it comes through in this interview. All the best, Noel.

 

[Channelcat]

I'm not really sold on him being a good development coach. He's more of a Don Cherry type of coach. I think he's behind on the modern game.

Maybe this will be good for his career.

Hmmm thats funny I don't think he's a good coach either, but for very different reasons. Claude is a guy who likes to try new things like unique breakouts, weird special teams formations etc. It might have done him some good to be a little more "old school" seeing as thats what actually works. There is no more old school coach than Daryl Sutter or Ken Hitchcock perhaps while guys like Bylsma, Stevens have gone by the wayside.

 

[allan5oh]

Hmmm thats funny I don't think he's a good coach either, but for very different reasons. Claude is a guy who likes to try new things like unique breakouts, weird special teams formations etc. It might have done him some good to be a little more "old school" seeing as thats what actually works. There is no more old school coach than Daryl Sutter or Ken Hitchcock perhaps while guys like Bylsma, Stevens have gone by the wayside.

I thought he had a very unstructured system overall. Ran a divided power play which is bizarre. His breakouts consisted of "when we recover the puck, skate north as fast as you can". His in zone PK was a passive rotating diamond, hello 1990s. Hell it wasn't until year 3 that he introduced the concept of a forward covering a pinching defenceman. He always wanted the puck dumped no matter what, can't get any more old school than that.

He did run that odd "W" trap two years ago, Olli Jokinens line usually did it. That was interesting.

 

[seasontixholder*]

I understand Noel did well in the AHL but did he really work with the young guys in Winnipeg at the NHL level? He rode Kane, Scheifele, and Burmi. In fact he basically kicked Burmi out of town. Maybe it will be different when it's a young roster and no senior players to deal with. Like other posters, I was never a fan of him coaching but a great man in general. I do hope he excels but I still think his NHL head coaching career is a thing of the past.

 

[Sweech]

Anyone know what kind of management dynamic the Giants run under?

How much say does the coach have on picks and players in Vancouver?

 

[Positive]

My favorite moment was after the 9-8 game against the Flyers. "Self, you're a sick man trying to make sense of this."

I never bought into the myth that he had 'trouble coaching young players'. The majority of his career is coaching younger players in developmental leagues.

 

[Koonta]

Thought I'd check in on ol'Claude and found out the Giants have won 7 straight games.

Good for you Claude

 

[Mortimer Snerd]

Thought I'd check in on ol'Claude and found out the Giants have won 7 straight games.

Good for you Claude

Glad to hear that! I'll bet he still has entertaining news conferences too.