Confirmed with Link: Alexandre Burrows joins Laval staff

[Edgy]

From 2009 through 2013, Burrows played 3,239 even-strength minutes with Henrik. In those five seasons, Burrows scored 109 even-strength goals, the sixth most in the NHL and just two behind Ilya Kovalchuk.

Say what you want about the guy, but I don't see how hiring a guy that knows how to score on ES is a bad thing. We're a team starved for offense, getting a guy that can teach the kids how to get their nose dirty and score goals can't be a bad thing.

He was a pest on the ice but so is Gallagher and we love him for it. Getting under opposing teams' skin and throwing them off their game and not costing your team (like Marchand for example) is an underrated skill.

I'd give him time before we write him off as a nepotist hiring.

 

[Whitesnake]

Of course, there is much more to Bergevin's track record than his fast tracking certain individuals into positions they didn't have prior experience in.

I was very clear in my opening remark -- we held Bergevin to account for putting Bouillon in a position some of us felt he should have been doing his classes in, before being appointed. Merely making the same comment about Burrows. It doesn't mean that Bouchard's whole future tenure will be defined by this, we're just questioning the one move.

Or are we no longer allowed to raise anything that criticizes Bouchard's decision-making? Of course he'll be given the benefit of the doubt, it's not his hiring of Burrows that is going to be the determining factor. It's just an item that stood out, that is all.

I understand. Yet again, as I said numerous times already looking at the 17-18 year in the AHL, there's approximately 25 guys in the AHL that were assistant-coaches and that started their career IMMEDIATELY after their playing career. So...which is it? Did they all were hired because they were friends with the head coach? If not, in the end, did they still not go through the proper channel? Or is playing the game at a high level enough to be considered to be an assistant coach in the AHL?

 

[Whitesnake]

If our development was efficient, well rounded and proven, i wouldnt mind all that much. But it's not. Bouchard has to build this up, make it better. Adding someone without experience while doing this is not a great idea. Maybe when Bouchard is 2-3 years in and shown the development has taken a few strides and doing better, sure. But right now his job is to upgrade the program, to make it a school for our prospects, not for a green coach friend.

It might work out anyway, but that's not the type of move that should be done right now, as per usual.

BUt if we would have hired a guy with tons of CHL experience, we would have said it was fine? Well isn't it what Bouchard has himself? He is green at the pro level, but with tons of experience playing the game and coaching. They have to feel that he is the leader, that he has the experience needed and that what he also needed was a great complementary coaching staff. But most importantly.....how would you feel if you would be appointed coach and had nothing to say in your assistants? Not sure why we talk as if it was a bad Bergevin decisions......it was Bouchard's decision. And only his. It's clear when you hear him speak. So he does with what he feels is needed amongst his assistants. That's it. If after one year he feels he misses some experience around him, I'm sure he'll address it.

 

[Kriss E]

Did the hiring of Daniel Jacob make you go "**** ya!" ?

Is that supposed to be an argument?

 

[jaffy27]

Who said they bother me?

Maybe you should take your own advice

 

[Kriss E]

Jay Woodcroft (actually became NHL video coach after playing 1 year in Germany)
Troy Mann (ECHL asst. coach)
Ben Simon
Matt MacDonald (ECHL asst. coach)
Spencer Carbery (ECHL asst. coach)
Dallas Eakins (took a year off in between)
Roy Sommer (IHL asst)
Jimmy Bonneau (was scout in between but no coaching before AHL)
Cail Maclean (ECHL asst. coach)
Joe Cirella (NHL asst coach)
Tom Kostopoulos (development coach)

It happens all the time.

Seems like several people think he will be a good coach:

None of the examples you listed apply...I mean...a video coach? ECHL?..
Cool.

 

[Kriss E]

Did you read that article ? Cause it made me feel a lot better about his hiring.
Ex-Canuck Alex Burrows retires after 13 seasons in NHL

That’s the part that is so often missed when fans and media from other cities analyze Burrows. The man could play hockey. He understood it and could explain it as well as any player you’ll ever come across.

“He really knows the game,” Daniel said. “His intellect always stood out. In PK and power-play meetings, he would always come up with solutions. It was a lot of fun just talking about the game with him.”

It sure was, and that’s why there should be a place for him in it now, as his playing days have come to an end. He aspires to be an executive and, with his knowledge, teams should be lining up to put him on that path.​

I mean, sure he doesn't have the coaching pedigree I would've liked, but reading what the Sedins had to say about him does make me feel better.

And Bieksa seems to agree. (I know, it's Bieksa...but still)

I guess we will find out.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Is that supposed to be an argument?

Guess you don't have an answer.

 

[Treb]

None of the examples you listed apply...I mean...a video coach? ECHL?..
Cool.

I guess if you want the exact scenario of being bought out, retiring and instantly becoming AHL assistant coach, it may be hard to find, but guys like Ben Simon and Dallas Eakins retired and became AHL assistants coaches the following year.

Players retiring and joining a coaching staff are not rare. Steve Ott retired and became a NHL assistant coach last year.

 

[Natey]

He was one of my favourite players. I have a mini statue thing of him on my shelf.

Not sure how he'll do here, but I'm excited!

 

[scrubadam]

Some perspective here as I've been reading two extremes on this thread more often than not.

Now, I have friends who know Alex. They play in his deck hockey tourneys. They say the same stuff I keep reading from people in Vancity. So I don't mind the hire.

What i do mind is that he hasn't paid his dues. No junior coaching. No pre-junior coaching either. Nothing. Sweet **** all.

If our development was efficient, well rounded and proven, i wouldnt mind all that much. But it's not. Bouchard has to build this up, make it better. Adding someone without experience while doing this is not a great idea. Maybe when Bouchard is 2-3 years in and shown the development has taken a few strides and doing better, sure. But right now his job is to upgrade the program, to make it a school for our prospects, not for a green coach friend.

It might work out anyway, but that's not the type of move that should be done right now, as per usual.

Maybe this will come of harsh but you are just hating on the guy. Sorry to say but haters gonna hate.

Alex went from undrafted to ECHL to 14 year NHL career. He had to grind and pay his dues to make it that far in the NHL. If after all the work he put in and all the grinding he did he catch's a break to skip the ECHL or CIS (like many other players have done as pointed out by mulitple posters) then good on him.

The guy had to work for every inch his entire career I think he deserves to a little bit of an easy path for once in his NHL career.

AHL isn't NHL, its a place where coaches can learn as well. Bouchard is supposedly a very good coach isn't it good for Alex to learn from him? Is it better for him to go to a crap NCAA/CHL team and learn from a worse coach? Remember Alex is Bouchards employee and will be doing what Bouchard tells him to do not the other way around. Alex is going to be the one learning and get OTJ training not Bouchard.

I say good for Alex for using his 14 years of hard work and grinding to parlay that into a chance to learn from an excellent coach as a way to start his post NHL career.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Maybe this will come of harsh but you are just hating on the guy. Sorry to say but haters gonna hate.

Alex went from undrafted to ECHL to 14 year NHL career. He had to grind and pay his dues to make it that far in the NHL. If after all the work he put in and all the grinding he did he catch's a break to skip the ECHL or CIS (like many other players have done as pointed out by mulitple posters) then good on him.

The guy had to work for every inch his entire career I think he deserves to a little bit of an easy path for once in his NHL career.

AHL isn't NHL, its a place where coaches can learn as well. Bouchard is supposedly a very good coach isn't it good for Alex to learn from him? Is it better for him to go to a crap NCAA/CHL team and learn from a worse coach? Remember Alex is Bouchards employee and will be doing what Bouchard tells him to do not the other way around. Alex is going to be the one learning and get OTJ training not Bouchard.

I say good for Alex for using his 14 years of hard work and grinding to parlay that into a chance to learn from an excellent coach as a way to start his post NHL career.

Not to mention the quote from Daniel Sedin about how even as a player, Burrows showed signs of coaching/hockey ops qualities when he would look to find solutions for some of the team's woes.

 

[Whitesnake]

That said, Alex Burrows was playing in the NHL last season. He isn't some future Hall of Famer, not even an old half star. He's a pest that peaked during the good Vancouver years, but quickly came back down to earth as well.
I don't know how often it happens that a player goes from being put on waivers to being named an assistant coach in the AHL 2 weeks later.
What does Burrows know about coaching? I mean really..?

Again, I liked the Bouchard pick, and I'll give him the benefit of the doubt, but I don't like this move. So it's not quite the start I had in mind.
For the record, I also liked the Bergevin pick, and gave him the benefit of the doubt on weird first decisions, we all know how that turned out.

This screams "hey Alex, viens t-en coacher avec moi mon gars. Tu peux parler aux jeunes de tes experiences, blablabla", which is just silly. I mean, get him in as a special advisor to kids, fine, but as an assistant? What does he know about strategies? What is he going to teach a Ryan Poe or Kotkaniemi or Scherbak?
Very weird call.

And again Kriss E....there are 25 guys presently in the AHL right now that they ALL started their assistant-coaching job in the AHL immediately AFTER playing the game. What did they all know about strategies? What do we know about what Burrows does and doesn't know? What is him not being an Hall of Famer, or being a pest or being put on waivers has ANYTHING to do with how good a job he can do? Peter Laviolette was a mediocre player and only had 1 year of experience in the ECHL before becoming a HEAD coach in the AHL. Bednar went from playing the game to assistant in the ECHL. Yes, not AHL...but a pro development league nonetheless. Mike Yeo went from playing to an AHL assistant job. Joel Quenneville went from playing to assistant coaching in the AHL. Mike Sullivan went from playing to DIRECTLY head coaching in the AHL. John Stevens going from playing to AHL assistant coaching. Rick Tocchet, from playing, to assistant coaching...IN THE NHL. And those are the head coaches today. You could look at the assistant coaches in the NHL if you want too. On top of the AHL coaches and the list of assistant coaching in the AHL I provided before.

 

[Mike Mike Caron]

I listened to his presser, convinced me he was a good man for the job. Not that I need convincing, I happen to not be an expert in AHL assistant coaches.

 

[Whitesnake]

Maybe this will come of harsh but you are just hating on the guy. Sorry to say but haters gonna hate.

That is what it is about. I understand people though. But they should just come out and say it. If Brad Marchand would become our assistant coach in the AHL, we would hate it and say the same thing. Yet, take any other player with the same background, but with no pest record, and it suddenly won't be a problem.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

Maybe this will come of harsh but you are just hating on the guy. Sorry to say but haters gonna hate.

Alex went from undrafted to ECHL to 14 year NHL career. He had to grind and pay his dues to make it that far in the NHL. If after all the work he put in and all the grinding he did he catch's a break to skip the ECHL or CIS (like many other players have done as pointed out by mulitple posters) then good on him.

The guy had to work for every inch his entire career I think he deserves to a little bit of an easy path for once in his NHL career.

AHL isn't NHL, its a place where coaches can learn as well. Bouchard is supposedly a very good coach isn't it good for Alex to learn from him? Is it better for him to go to a crap NCAA/CHL team and learn from a worse coach? Remember Alex is Bouchards employee and will be doing what Bouchard tells him to do not the other way around. Alex is going to be the one learning and get OTJ training not Bouchard.

I say good for Alex for using his 14 years of hard work and grinding to parlay that into a chance to learn from an excellent coach as a way to start his post NHL career.

I'm hating on the guy even though I clearly wrote that I don't mind the hire based on what i personally heard of him??

Now, I know from experience that your reading comprehension isn't the best around here, far from it actually, and that you're the king at ignoring the essential point of what someone is saying, so I'll ask you nicely to please **** off and just ignore my posts the next time you get the bright idea to spin what I'm saying.

 

[groovejuice]

Maybe this will come of harsh but you are just hating on the guy. Sorry to say but haters gonna hate.

Alex went from undrafted to ECHL to 14 year NHL career. He had to grind and pay his dues to make it that far in the NHL. If after all the work he put in and all the grinding he did he catch's a break to skip the ECHL or CIS (like many other players have done as pointed out by mulitple posters) then good on him.

The guy had to work for every inch his entire career I think he deserves to a little bit of an easy path for once in his NHL career.

AHL isn't NHL, its a place where coaches can learn as well. Bouchard is supposedly a very good coach isn't it good for Alex to learn from him? Is it better for him to go to a crap NCAA/CHL team and learn from a worse coach? Remember Alex is Bouchards employee and will be doing what Bouchard tells him to do not the other way around. Alex is going to be the one learning and get OTJ training not Bouchard.

I say good for Alex for using his 14 years of hard work and grinding to parlay that into a chance to learn from an excellent coach as a way to start his post NHL career.

I get your point, but it makes more sense if the management and coaching teams were not already full of "hard working, grinder types". The team is maximally full with those guys. How about some skilled coaches who can pass on the nuances of using high level skill in the NHL? There's most definitely a dearth of that skillset on the Habs.

 

[Whitesnake]

I get your point, but it makes more sense if the management and coaching teams were not already full of "hard working, grinder types". The team is maximally full with those guys. How about some skilled coaches who can pass on the nuances of using high level skill in the NHL? There's most definitely a dearth of that skillset on the Habs.

I do not believe in that. You could most definately have a skating coach to teach you about the techniques. But a skills coach? AT that level? Skills are something you either get or don't. You could improve it...but not to a point where it drastically changes. If so, Mike Bossy would be teaching a team on how to score. Gretzky on how to make plays etc.

 

[scrubadam]

I get your point, but it makes more sense if the management and coaching teams were not already full of "hard working, grinder types". The team is maximally full with those guys. How about some skilled coaches who can pass on the nuances of using high level skill in the NHL? There's most definitely a dearth of that skillset on the Habs.

We all know how a player played has nothing to do with how they coach. Gretzky was the most skilled guy probably ever and he sucked as a coach. I wouldn't pigeon hole a "grinder" into having a grinding coaching stratgy.

But my point wasn't so much that he is a grinder, its that the guy had to work his butt off to get to the NHL. Like DD went undrafted to the ECHL to the AHL then to the NHL but I would never call him a grinder.

Burrows already paid plenty of dues to make a 14 year NHL career, I think the guy deserves a small break when trying to start his post NHL playing career. Its not like he had an NHL career handed to him on a silver platter, he could easily have been a guy who never made it. Let the guy catch a break he put his dues in plenty.

 

[groovejuice]

I do not believe in that. You could most definately have a skating coach to teach you about the techniques. But a skills coach? AT that level? Skills are something you either get or don't. You could improve it...but not to a point where it drastically changes. If so, Mike Bossy would be teaching a team on how to score. Gretzky on how to make plays etc.

I don't agree. All skills can be improved. You mentioned skating. Could a dedicated faceoff coach not help to improve that skill? Or someone to help work on shooting accuracy, release and power?

Do you think Usain Bolt, the best sprinter ever didn't have a team of coaches to work on the start, technique, power etc? Even the best athletes need constant work on all facets of their skills. Why should hockey be any different?

 

[Kriss E]

Guess you don't have an answer.

Jacob was Bouchard's assistant for 4 years. Ya, it makes sense.

 

[Whitesnake]

I don't agree. All skills can be improved. You mentioned skating. Could a dedicated faceoff coach not help to improve that skill? Or someone to help work on shooting accuracy, release and power?

Do you think Usain Bolt, the best sprinter ever didn't have a team of coaches to work on the start, technique, power etc? Even the best athletes need constant work on all facets of their skills. Why should hockey be any different?

And again, 'cause for some skills, you either have it or you don't. You don't teach instincts. Again, if it would be that easy, why can't Bossy not teach everybody to score 60 goals? In skating, that's because there is stuff to work on. And somehow, in the history of the league, can you name me the tons of players that went from being a grinder to a legitimate top player just because of teaching? 'Cause if you can teach skills, it should be available to everyone.

 

[Kriss E]

I guess if you want the exact scenario of being bought out, retiring and instantly becoming AHL assistant coach, it may be hard to find, but guys like Ben Simon and Dallas Eakins retired and became AHL assistants coaches the following year.

Players retiring and joining a coaching staff are not rare. Steve Ott retired and became a NHL assistant coach last year.

So about a handful of times?..I mean, you realize my question was rhetorical? Point is it's rare, and alluding to a few times where it happened doesn't make it any better of a decision.
I find it weird. Burrows was not hired on his capacity to coach as he's never done it. Doesn't mean he'll fail, we'll find out, but so far it's a weird decision.

 

[Adam Michaels]

Jacob was Bouchard's assistant for 4 years. Ya, it makes sense.

Jacobs may have history with Bouchard, but he's still more a "why not?" than a "f*** ya!" hiring as you like to distinguish them:

Personally I prefer getting people who'll make us go "**** ya!" Instead of the "why not"...but hey, that's just me.

 

[Kriss E]

And again Kriss E....there are 25 guys presently in the AHL right now that they ALL started their assistant-coaching job in the AHL immediately AFTER playing the game. What did they all know about strategies? What do we know about what Burrows does and doesn't know? What is him not being an Hall of Famer, or being a pest or being put on waivers has ANYTHING to do with how good a job he can do? Peter Laviolette was a mediocre player and only had 1 year of experience in the ECHL before becoming a HEAD coach in the AHL. Bednar went from playing the game to assistant in the ECHL. Yes, not AHL...but a pro development league nonetheless. Mike Yeo went from playing to an AHL assistant job. Joel Quenneville went from playing to assistant coaching in the AHL. Mike Sullivan went from playing to DIRECTLY head coaching in the AHL. John Stevens going from playing to AHL assistant coaching. Rick Tocchet, from playing, to assistant coaching...IN THE NHL. And those are the head coaches today. You could look at the assistant coaches in the NHL if you want too. On top of the AHL coaches and the list of assistant coaching in the AHL I provided before.

It means nothing, but you could expect an Hall of Famer to instantly earn respect and be able to bring some saviness about the game a bottom liner wouldn't. Doesn't mean a bottom liner can't be a good coach. Joel Bouchard wasn't exactly a star and look at him go. And then, Gretzky was a terrible coach, so doesn't mean shit really.
But I'm done with the hiring of unqualified guys. Not under this organization. They've failed miserably before.
Might work this time, not saying it will fail again, just not a fan. Not sure why anyone would be either considering the guy has absolutely zero track record to base ourselves on.