Confirmed with Link: Brad Larsen Named Head Coach (Pascal Vincent, Steve McCarthy Hired as Assistants)

[Viqsi]

Wher's Jack at? I hear he's from Columbus. What's his excuse for not being present?

I do see the sarcasm smilley but I swear if this becomes a taken-seriously thing I may never forgive you.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

 

[VT]

There are the rumors that Laine could possibly be on the move this summer. Maybe the fact he's actually still in town means something.

If he`s still here IMHO he should stay here. Especially if he`s working with our training staff. Of course if an offer some team would be lucrative he would probably be traded.
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I think it`s good Brad Larsen has got a chance to be a head coach. He`s young and if it`s right he triesto use stats, analysises, the newest hockey methods it`s very good for us.

 

[Finner]

He really cried, but he spoke wise things

 

[MissADD]

I think Brad did well in the presser. Now it's time to take advantage of teams

 

[Kevo22363]

I think Brad did well in the presser. Now it's time to take advantage of teams

It's all about the "protection problems." Hockey is the only sport where this is a good thing.

 

[KJ Dangler]

It's funny to see how Viqsi switched from hating the hire to eventually appreciating him while The 5th Laine went from liking the hire to eventually being one of his biggest critics on this board lol. It makes me wonder at what point did these two attitude shifts meet at the same place?

I'm generally an optimist.. try to find the positives , although on a message board we mainly focus on whats wrong, this or that. For me, it was system, dump and chase/ not using personel to their strengths and trying to make every person in the role Torts saw fit. I believe a coach should try to work with players individually, rather than a drill instructor approach, as everyone is motivated in different ways, and lastly his inconsistancy in how he treated his vets or favorites, and tended to yank around players trying to find their way.

 

[KJ Dangler]

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

If he`s still here IMHO he should stay here. Especially if he`s working with our training staff. Of course if an offer some team would be lucrative he would probably be traded.
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I think it`s good Brad Larsen has got a chance to be a head coach. He`s young and if it`s right he triesto use stats, analysises, the newest hockey methods it`s very good for us.

I tend to agree. If he is staying here to put in the extra work with the organization I'm all for keeping him. I just know some people seems to think he'll get moved out of town as speculation.

 

[MAHJ71]

Shocked nobody has taken issue with Jones and Werenski being absent

 

[MAHJ71]

​

 

[KJ Dangler]

Shocked nobody has taken issue with Jones and Werenski being absent

Jones is gone... Zach is iffy to me.. I think they now go to him and guage where he is , let him know the plans, see if he will commit , if not, he could be shipped for elite prospects/picks as well. With the rumors of him and the red Wings, Larkin, wanting to play together, I'm totally fine if they approach it this way .

 

[KallioWeHardlyKnewYe]

The bad news: I don't like it.

The good news: I've historically been wrong more often than I've been right when it comes CBJ decisions.

So this will probably be ok.

 

[koteka]

Jones is gone... Zach is iffy to me.. I think they now go to him and guage where he is , let him know the plans, see if he will commit , if not, he could be shipped for elite prospects/picks as well. With the rumors of him and the red Wings, Larkin, wanting to play together, I'm totally fine if they approach it this way .

This is the Larsen show. Would be kind of bad if the reporters spent the whole time asking the defensemen about their futures. Staying away is not a sign they don’t support him. It might be more of a sign that they do. If Seth didn’t like him and wanted to be a jerk, he could show up and be a huge distraction.

 

[MAHJ71]

I feel better about it today than I did last night.

Though at this point it’s not like they’re going to change course .. and although I still have my doubts there really is only one option for fans …

And that is to be open minded and give the guy a chance.

 

[VT]

Jones is gone... Zach is iffy to me.. I think they now go to him and guage where he is , let him know the plans, see if he will commit , if not, he could be shipped for elite prospects/picks as well. With the rumors of him and the red Wings, Larkin, wanting to play together, I'm totally fine if they approach it this way .

Nobody could know when a new coach will be hired. These players are working in Columbus so they could be in the press conference.

 

[Toe Pick]

Shocked nobody has taken issue with Jones and Werenski being absent

I’d be lying if I said it didn’t cross my mind. But as someone else said — where was the local boy who I’d think would the most happy to be here. So it might mean something or it might mean nothing.

On a positive note it was also note worthy as to who was there — especially Laine. I mean if the guy is indeed bought in here as he has said and on days like today — demonstrates— it would be wise to try to make it work. IE find him someone who can feed him the biscuit.

 

[MissADD]

It's all about the "protection problems." Hockey is the only sport where this is a good thing.

I think with the way contracts were handed out, Jarmo and JD were banking on taking advantage of teams this year.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I think with the way contracts were handed out, Jarmo and JD were banking on taking advantage of teams this year.

Just like last year and that never happened.

 

[VT]

I don`t understand some of you. Players have holidays and nobody could say them when Larsen will be hired.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Good for Larsen though. He put in his time here and it’s his dream job to be a head coach. I am open minded about the hiring, even though I still stand by everything I posted earlier, but he seems like a good guy. Hopefully he’s the right guy for what he was brought here to do.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I'm happy for the guy. He's paid his dues and will be as ready as he'll ever be to be an NHL head coach. I always like to see guys who have gutted it out as players in the minors and who go up the ladder in a traditional way -no job given to them because they're a star.

That being said, I think it speaks to what this organization is. It's a lower tier NHL destination with an ownership which doesn't have its sights set on the stars.

I think that when CBJWerenski8 said the organization has "triple downed" that he was spot on. Jarmo extended, JD back after leaving and now a long term CBJ employee getting the HC position. The organization is inextricably committed to its management personnel and philosophies that are already in place. Given the track record of this organization, I'm pretty certain that this isn't a good thing.

Larsen is Jeff Blashill 200 miles south. He's not expected to win. The 4 playoff years in a row seem to me to be an oasis for the CBJ.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Friedman indicates that Velucci interviewed 2x, and interviewed very well. Gallant was very interested in the #cbj, , in the end Larsen was the guy. They didnt go into Gallant alot, my guess is hes waiting to hear on the NYR job befoe deciding anything.

 

[Halberdier]

Laine said he was staying here this summer to work with our training staff.

Interesting move, but I appreciate that.

How usual that is? I mean my take is that in NHL players usually train with their own trainers / training groups and then only in late summer they join the team training camp.

In Finland, people are used to long summer training camps with the team. Also Laine has attented summer training camp of his former FEL team, though mostly he used to train in a special training group for bunch of Finnish NHL players.

Ps. Laine is not keen to leave. Contrary to all that media BS talk, he was not going anywhere from Winnipeg either, but got traded and business is business. He is eager to show you all what he has got after (hopefully) injury-free summer season.

 

[LJ7]

I've thought about it more and I want to lay out why I'm optimistic about the hire in detail, and the few concerns I have with it. Mainly because I want to be able to truly look back at this post years from now and "test" my gut feelings on the hire. I'm also by nature quite contrarian and optimistic, so I support the choice by default probably

Why I'm optimistic:

1. He knows what buttons to push in the room. The fact they interviewed the guy thrice after he spent over a decade in the organization leads me to infer they extensively picked his brain as to what worked and didn't work under the previous administration. Even if he wasn't the final choice that information is very valuable. I suppose that him observing the "New Jackets" clash with Torts and gathering "data" on those interactions basically gave him the advantage of flat out telling the FO what went precisely went wrong and how he'd handle things differently.

2. He's not a retread, and was truly developed as a coach in our system. Besides the best of the best, many of the experienced candidates have middling resumes. Might as well roll the dice and see what you got. Also since he came through the Jackets system this position is something he is passionate about. In this stage of his career, rising up to the role of CBJ head coach has been his life's work. That means something. If he truly does well that factor will make it that much sweeter.

3. The lines (presumably) won't get mangled on a day to day or even minute to minute basis. No need to expand on that.

My concerns:

1. The transition from "good guy" assistant to HC is a challenge. Alison Lukan said it perfectly on her podcast. Not easy to change so many relationships.

2. He's never really failed. I'm not saying he's not learned anything along the way but many coaches are best in their second go around. In other words he isn't experienced as an NHL HC. That on its own is not a good thing.

3. His hire doesn't indicate a clean break from last season. Sometimes it's harder to turn the ship around from within rather than with a completely new batch of guys behind the bench.

Many of my points have already been stated but I wanted something I can really look back on in a few years and see if I was right. I also kinda cut this short in the name of brevity believe it or not