Best head coach in Ducks history

Best coach in Ducks history?

  • Pierre Page

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Craig Hartsburg

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Guy Charron

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Bryan Murray

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Dallas Eakins

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    59

Paul4587

Registered User
Jan 26, 2006
31,162
13,178
I think Babcock did more with less even if he’s an absolute asshole. Carlyle was really good for a couple of years too. The game passed him by but in the postseason he was very good.
 

JabbaJabba

Registered User
Dec 22, 2010
7,540
2,765
Finland
Going with Babcock. He took that team and was one win away from winning the cup. Carlyle got the cup but that roster was amazing, so I think what Babcock did was more impressive even though it didn't end in a cup.
 

McDonald19

Registered User
Sep 9, 2003
22,958
3,824
California
Going with Babcock. He took that team and was one win away from winning the cup. Carlyle got the cup but that roster was amazing, so I think what Babcock did was more impressive even though it didn't end in a cup.

Babcock had a system that worked, but did he directly do anything to make Giguere absolutely dominate every hockey game for three rounds?
 
Last edited:

McDonald19

Registered User
Sep 9, 2003
22,958
3,824
California
Tough call. An argument can be made for any of Carlyle (cup and good playoff coach), Babcock (overachieving cup run team), Boudreau (Best regular season coach for whole tenure), Wilson (Guided the expansion team to some success with very limited talent).

I voted Carlyle.
 

Gliff

Tank Commander
Sponsor
Sep 24, 2011
15,775
10,050
Tennessee
I think the tell of a good coach or GM is a track record. Every team can get hot and win a cup. Thats what makes the playoffs so much fun. But I think statistically what Bruce did was most impressive.

The Ducks had 4 of their 5 best seasons in his 4 full seasons.

It was also impressive how hard they choked in game 7s in those years...
 

Sojourn

Registered User
Nov 1, 2006
50,523
9,377
Babcock had a system that worked, but did he directly do anything to make Giguere absolutely dominate every hockey game for three rounds?

The defensive system in place definitely seemed to optimize Giguere carrying the play, but I think you’re right that it’s hard to really put it on the coach when Giguere put in one of the best playoff performances ever.

Also there is a longevity issue. He had two seasons. The first season was good, even without the playoff run being what it was it was a very successful season. The second season was less impressive.

It’s hard for me to name Babcock because I don’t think he would even be an honorable mention without that playoff run, and that run was largely a product of Giguere being superhuman for three rounds. I’d vote for Babcock if I felt Anaheim had just played above their level against a team like Detroit and upset them, but I really felt like Detroit mostly dominated and Giguere saved our ass and the team was opportunistic.

So, Carlyle.
 
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Dryish

Nonplussed
Dec 14, 2015
1,555
2,075
Hki Metro
It's absolutely Bruce, no contest honestly.

We can bicker forever about whether he was outcoached or not the years we lost in the playoffs, and I would honestly contend that outside of the very unfortunate Preds series where we really did get spanked and thoroughly outcoached we didn't really do as bad as hindsight would have it. Even the Chicago loss can be attributed to a single lucky bounce going the Hawks' way.

But whatever the case there, Bruce's metrics and what he got out of the lineup were absolutely mindblowing. We more or less dominated the league during his years. Not Presidents winners, sure, but pretty close, and that was largely due to Bruce's systems play and how he got our guys to buy into it and execute on a higher level than any other of our coaches, as far as memory serves, has been able to. Games were always exciting and massively entertaining, too — anybody remember the Cardiac Kids? And all the players seemed to enjoy themselves as well.

A couple of more bounces going our way and we'd be regaling him as one of the great Ducks, honestly. And he'd deserve it.
 

Terry Yake

Registered User
Aug 5, 2013
26,599
15,008
yeah i'd give bruce the slight edge over carlyle

a rock could have coached the 07 team to a cup. bruce got his teams to over achieve year after year. remember when the ducks were #1 on the PP and PK? good times. and its not like they were ridiculously stacked either. bruce is just one hell of a coach
 

MMC

Global Moderator
May 11, 2014
47,810
38,367
Orange County, CA
Wow this poll is very close, way closer than I thought it would be. Carlyle and Boudreau tied with 6 votes, and Babcock right behind them with 5
 

Terry Yake

Registered User
Aug 5, 2013
26,599
15,008
don't see any way that babcock could be #1

yes he coached them to the SCF but that was 100% because of jiggy. and they were awful the next season
 
Jan 21, 2011
5,149
3,801
Massachusetts
Was there any reason as to why Babs left us in 05? Did Burke take over and just decide he wasn’t the guy?

I get that the Ducks regressed before the lockout year, but man. I would’ve loved to see what Babcock could’ve done here. Would be like having Boudreau here again with the entertainment value.
 
Jan 21, 2011
5,149
3,801
Massachusetts
don't see any way that babcock could be #1

yes he coached them to the SCF but that was 100% because of jiggy. and they were awful the next season

Oh come on now. There were many, many variables as to the magic not being there again. Kariya, Oates (!!) and Thomas not re-signing. Wasn’t Ozolinsh injuries badly?

besides, as good as they were points-wise, Fedorov and Prospal were not as advertised. They were shipped off afterwords.
 

Terry Yake

Registered User
Aug 5, 2013
26,599
15,008
Was there any reason as to why Babs left us in 05? Did Burke take over and just decide he wasn’t the guy?

I get that the Ducks regressed before the lockout year, but man. I would’ve loved to see what Babcock could’ve done here. Would be like having Boudreau here again with the entertainment value.
burke offered babcock a 1 year deal once he took over. pretty much making it known he wanted his own guy as HC

babcock immediately turned it down and took the detroit job and burke brought in his guy randy

Oh come on now. There were many, many variables as to the magic not being there again. Kariya, Oates (!!) and Thomas not re-signing. Wasn’t Ozolinsh injuries badly?

besides, as good as they were points-wise, Fedorov and Prospal were not as advertised. They were shipped off afterwords.
fedorov and prospal underachieved and the rest of the roster just wasn't that great. the defnese was especially horrible
 

Kalv

Slava Ukraini
Mar 29, 2009
23,469
10,972
Latvia
I`m torn here. IIRC Randy has brought us to 3 WCF and Bruce to one.
Randys time is hugely impacted by his incredible downfalls but I have to give it to Randy, he got things done and he was around here long enough.

I would have my arguments for Bruce as well, but will go with Randy Bobandy here. Don`t see Mike trumping anyone of these two
 

Hockey Duckie

Registered User
Jul 25, 2003
17,115
12,055
southern cal
I went with Babcock. He did far more with far less. Yes, JS was playing out of his mind, but the defensive system was designed that way too, to where a lot of shots wouldn't be high danger shots. We had to play like that because we didn't have talent. It was a magical season all around. Who knew the two kids and a goat line would be that special (Chistov, Pahlsson, and Stevie Thomas)?! The following year, it was a different team. No more Kariya as he left us at the alter to pursue his own hockey dreams. Chistov didn't put in more work in the off-season. It just didn't click even though we signed Fedorov and Prospal. Maybe it was a Stanley Cup hangover?

With Carlyle, he had a stacked team and a blue line that didn't need coaching. But even Carlyle's teams began to fade to the point he got fired twice because of it.

Anaheim Babcock was a good coach for us. Outside-of-Anaheim Babcock is a different coach... maybe the snub that Burke gave him just irked him too much? I have no idea, but not the same coach he was in Anaheim. Maybe we need to isolate Anahiem Babcock from outside-of-Anaheim Babcock in this discussion.

We've been blessed with very good netminders since the acquisition of JS. When we won the cup, JS didn't carry us that much as our team was stacked. But for other coaches such as Bruce, RC, and the Doctor, why weren't they able to tap into that goalie skills despite having more talent on the team than Bobcock did? I don't think Babcock gets enough credit to know who his bread and butter was as well as designing a scheme to maximize it. Kariya wasn't the hero in the playoffs, but even Kariya played his part as a supporting role for JS. It was just a magical year, that 10th season of the Ducks' existence.

I remember fondly how Ozolinsh fumbled the puck across the ice heading towards Marty and then Marty somehow stumbled on a easy stop on a puck, but it got past him for a goal. Sheer magic. Too bad we lost.
 
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JabbaJabba

Registered User
Dec 22, 2010
7,540
2,765
Finland
Babcock had a system that worked, but did he directly do anything to make Giguere absolutely dominate every hockey game for three rounds?

Of course you could point out how dominant Giguere was that year, but then again Carlyle had Giguere as well and Pronger, Niedermayer etc. All those tools that Babcock didn't have.
 

GermanRocket7

Played silly not to draft Fantilli
Sponsor
Nov 7, 2008
1,173
1,208
It's absolutely Bruce, no contest honestly.

We can bicker forever about whether he was outcoached or not the years we lost in the playoffs, and I would honestly contend that outside of the very unfortunate Preds series where we really did get spanked and thoroughly outcoached we didn't really do as bad as hindsight would have it. Even the Chicago loss can be attributed to a single lucky bounce going the Hawks' way.

But whatever the case there, Bruce's metrics and what he got out of the lineup were absolutely mindblowing. We more or less dominated the league during his years. Not Presidents winners, sure, but pretty close, and that was largely due to Bruce's systems play and how he got our guys to buy into it and execute on a higher level than any other of our coaches, as far as memory serves, has been able to. Games were always exciting and massively entertaining, too — anybody remember the Cardiac Kids? And all the players seemed to enjoy themselves as well.

A couple of more bounces going our way and we'd be regaling him as one of the great Ducks, honestly. And he'd deserve it.

Furthermore off the top of my head almost every player who played great under him and then changed teams disappeared very quickly. Especially the likes of Visnovsky, Beleskey, Vatanen and Maroon. (And please don't try to justify Maroon's one spike season playing alongside McJesus all year long as him being or having been a great player afterwards still.)
 
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AngelDuck

Rak 'em up
Jun 16, 2012
23,078
16,563
It’s Carlyle. He made it to 3 Western Conference finals and was one bounce away from going to a 4th(in 2009). That’s pretty impressive
 

OCSportsfan

Registered User
Sep 30, 2011
1,465
263
I would bet Carlyle gets a few votes if it was the worst coach in history. Was fired mid season twice.

I would say Babcock, but he was only there two years, so I say Boudreau even if we did not go to the cup.
 

Paul4587

Registered User
Jan 26, 2006
31,162
13,178
Furthermore off the top of my head almost every player who played great under him and then changed teams disappeared very quickly. Especially the likes of Visnovsky, Beleskey, Vatanen and Maroon. (And please don't try to justify Maroon's one spike season playing alongside McJesus all year long as him being or having been a great player afterwards still.)

This post screams of ignorance or revisionist history, I’m not sure which.

Visnovsky had his career year under Carlyle, not BB and was a huge point producer for the Kings for years before coming here. Under Bruce he put up very pedestrian numbers and moved on producing at a similar clip the next 2 seasons to what he produced under BB despite being in his late 30s.

Maroon had his worst season under BB to go with a couple of semi successful seasons. Since leaving Edmonton he’s actually produced at a higher rate he did in his tenure under BB in Anaheim.

Beleskey had his career year here where he shot at close to 20%, went to Boston and produced at a slightly lower rate the next year before injuries decimated his career. Before his career year in Anaheim he was ok but nothing special.

Vatanen is actually a better overall Dman now than he was in Anaheim, his offensive numbers are down by quite a bit due to his shoulder issues but he plays more minutes with better defensive numbers since leaving.
 

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