Confirmed with Link: Canucks announce Jason King as Assistant Coach, Chris Higgins as Skill Development Coach

[Buck Fenning]

Who was the last "lame duck" coach in the NHL? Was it the guy who helped Beagle get his current contract?

Just be thankful that we don’t have enough cap space right now to make more dumb signings. I guarantee that Travis Hamonic would be on a 5 year deal right now Benning had the cap space.

 

[rypper]

Who was the last "lame duck" coach in the NHL? Was it the guy who helped Beagle get his current contract?

Without doing some digging, that's the last one I can think of.

 

[Bubbles]

At this point I am convinced the emails to Canucks alumni also includes the following:

Are you an ex-Canuck? Please send your application to [email protected]. We are an equal opportunity employer and will hire former busts, has-beens and even former farm team members.

Pretty much standard operation procedure to hire ex-Canucks for most jobs. 50% of our scouts are alumni, and a few nepotism hires in there (Benning's son)

 

[Peter Griffin]

Just be thankful that we don’t have enough cap space right now to make more dumb signings. I guarantee that Travis Hamonic would be on a 5 year deal right now Benning had the cap space.

Just like he offered Tanev five years?

 

[Disappointed EP40]

it’s still piss poor management. Prioritizing proximity and “local ties” over paying a premium for proven winners stinks of lazy and incompetent management and ownership. But hey, it’s pretty much par for the course. This organization has been a running joke and a laughing stock since 2014 and so why should we be surprised?

Again, what the hell are you talking about ?

Jason King isn't from, nor lives in Vancouver. Jason has worked with Travis Green before. Obviously that'd get him an interview, and a leg up. And for seven seasons he's been assistant coaching, he's only had one, two seasons below .500.

Lets be reality here. You have no idea what you're talking about and this is baseless vitriol. In fact, mediocre players turned good coaches is pretty damn common... Dan Bylsma, Ron Wilson, Bruce Boudreau.

Who are all these "proven winner" assistant coaches you want ?

 

[Diversification]

Uh there’s a lot to dissect here but he could kick my ass any day of the week in NHL 98 on the computer. And he used the keyboard to play not a controller. Who does that?

Pass on congrats to your brother. The hot takes on this are amazing. You guys are in fine form today.

 

[lawrence]

I have no issues with Chris HIggins being a skill development coach. He's a proven NHL player who played at the highest level of hockey, an also a former top 6 foward, so he knows the important of skills. best of luck.

 

[Disappointed EP40]

I have no issues with Chris HIggins being a skill development coach. He's a proven NHL player who played at the highest level of hockey, an also a former top 6 foward, so he knows the important of skills. best of luck.

Yea. And a good guy.

 

[ChilliBilly]

Also, it doesn't hurt for players to know there might be a future after playing hockey. I have no idea whether these guys will be competent, hopefully they have reason for hiring them. The odds are pretty good that a guy who has played hockey for 10 years isn't going to have a lot of ability to go out and get a job. mind you they make enough that they can just retire, but about half of them are not smart with their money.

 

[Jyrki21]

I had a feeling they would kind of "promote from within" to fill some spots. They seem to be really cutting costs wherever possible.

Promote an AHL coach, when it's looking like there might not be an AHL season, so you don't have to hire a replacement.

Gotta love the efficient spending off the ice while doing the total opposite on it...

(Relatedly, I'll bet they could save a lot by replacing the GM and AGM with greener guys, no?)

I liked Chris Higgins as a player, and I'm not just saying that because his brother might be reading. His rise through the organization has been interesting to watch given how awkwardly they first cut ties with him.

 

[RobertKron]

I have no issues with Chris HIggins being a skill development coach. He's a proven NHL player who played at the highest level of hockey, an also a former top 6 foward, so he knows the important of skills. best of luck.

Does anyone not know the importance of skills? Like the choice for the position came down to Higgins, and like, I dunno, Don Cherry? who came into his interview yelling at them that replacing their sticks with baseball bats was the way forward?

This isn't to comment on Higgins' abilities as a skills coach, since I, like you, have no basis on which to judge, but like, there's a whole lot more to it than "knowing the importance of skills."

 

[Bitz and Bites]

Who's next? Tanner Glass

Harold Druken better be brushing up his resume.

 

[sting101]

Cool....slam King and Higgins who have worked their way up through the organization and obviously are bright spots and good guys and then make excuses for being fat.

Looks like the new guy is really gonna fit in around here

 

[Didalee Hed]

Uh there’s a lot to dissect here but he could kick my ass any day of the week in NHL 98 on the computer. And he used the keyboard to play not a controller. Who does that?

That’s awesome to hear. I was really good at the nhl series using the keyboard as late as like 2009.

 

[tradervik]

What kind of skills are we talking about here? If it's dangling through traffic, maybe Higgins isn't your guy. If it's protecting the puck, picking it up cleanly on the boards, and other details we fans don't pay much attention to, maybe Higgins is exactly the type of person to teach those skills to young players.

 

[Disappointed EP40]

What kind of skills are we talking about here? If it's dangling through traffic, maybe Higgins isn't your guy. If it's protecting the puck, picking it up cleanly on the boards, and other details we fans don't pay much attention to, maybe Higgins is exactly the type of person to teach those skills to young players.

Yeah. I'd rather a player that had a good head for the game rather than one with natural skill. Higgins was the prototypical all around good player.

He had very little natural ability that made him stand out. Not fast, not slow, not especially strong, nor weak, not a crazy shot, or ability to dangle, etc.

Like I imagine Gretzky when drawing up a play when coaching the Coyotes " OKAY BOYS. ONE OF YOU GRAB THE PUCK, DEKE EVERYONE, AND SCORE."

 

[bbud]

Higgins played a pretty solid career in the NHL nothing flashy did score a bit played solid 2 way hockey smart hockey it's little details and hard work and he knows that well , like to see what he does with prospects .

 

[Disappointed EP40]

Higgins played a pretty solid career in the NHL nothing flashy did score a bit played solid 2 way hockey smart hockey it's little details and hard work and he knows that well , like to see what he does with prospects .

Exactly. I want the guy that had to put in the time and knows the ins and outs, 200 ft of it, etc.

The history of middle of the pack players turning into excellent coaches is actually quite significant too. Zero reason to knock either of these signings.