Speculation: Coaching Discussion

[RememberTheRoar]

On the latest "Madhouse Chicago Hockey Podcast", Jay Zawaski and James Neveau talk about this most likely being a development year, and then Zawaski says he was talking to his "buddy in the industry" (guessing he means same buddy who told him about first Saad trade?)

Then Zawaski quickly focuses on Rockford IceHogs coach, Jeremy Colliton. Zawaski said, "Jeremy Colliton was brought in here for a reason, he's not just a name they filled the job with. He's a guy the Blackhawks have coaching aspirations for, and they know Joel Quenneville is not going to coach forever. So that might be a guy to keep an eye on."

"That is a guy, that if the Hawks do make a move, you might ask yourself, like I did last week--well who are they going to bring in? It might be right under your nose in Rockford."

“There’s a reason he’s in the organization, there’s a reason he’s here, and from what I’ve been told, it’s to coach the Blackhawks sooner or later. And maybe it could be sooner, I don’t know.”

Click to read more...

 

[CallMeShaft]

None of this is new news. Colliton is going to be an amazing coach in the future and Bowman isn't going to want him going somewhere else.

Right now, it's a question of age and experience. If he had more of each, he'd be the head coach already.

 

[ClydeLee]

He got a lot of early love but the team is 2 losses less than the Hawks. Way too much quick leaps. Most all the ahl coaches like Peters, Yeo, Cooper, etc. Have several years before leaps

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

None of this is new news. Colliton is going to be an amazing coach in the future and Bowman isn't going to want him going somewhere else.

Right now, it's a question of age and experience. If he had more of each, he'd be the head coach already.

What exactly about him is so amazing?

He coached minor league hockey in Sweden

 

[CallMeShaft]

What exactly about him is so amazing?

He coached minor league hockey in Sweden

He's a highly touted coach. His work in Sweden was considered phenomenal conisidering the players at his disposal. He also had a group that was, on paper, one of the worst for the Traverse City Tournament. Walked away as champs. He plays a high tempo game and has supposedly left in good standing with his former players (I remember reading somewhere that Gustafsson called a few Swedes Colliton coached and they said they loved him). Also just really like his honesty and transparency in interviews.

But none of that matters to the biggest Q defender here.

 

[BK]

What exactly about him is so amazing?

He coached minor league hockey in Sweden

He is well regarded so far as teacher and for his systems work.

Is there something you don't like about him? I ask because I have not heard that much about him.

No one is claiming he is the next Scotty B but he is the next JC!

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

He definitely seems like Bowman's guy. He's also a better stylistic fit with Stan.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

At 32 he'd be what, the third youngest coach of all time?

 

[ClydeLee]

So what is Don Granato doing actively with the team. I see almost zero mention of him all active offseason and none in the active ongoing season so far yet the few things said about him where clips of him talking to young players getting praised talking about it. I saw a highlight of him showcasing players of his in college bashing a guy for a lazy penalty and not backchecking but saying you gotta let the guy try to play with skill... and no one seems to mention his name ever when talking about the team.

There was all the oh what will be of 3 AC's but it's like he isn't considered one by people. If anyone is replacing Q internally soon it's gotta be him or Dineen.

 

[CallMeShaft]

So what is Don Granato doing actively with the team. I see almost zero mention of him all active offseason and none in the active ongoing season so far yet the few things said about him where clips of him talking to young players getting praised talking about it. I saw a highlight of him showcasing players of his in college bashing a guy for a lazy penalty and not backchecking but saying you gotta let the guy try to play with skill... and no one seems to mention his name ever when talking about the team.

There was all the oh what will be of 3 AC's but it's like he isn't considered one by people. If anyone is replacing Q internally soon it's gotta be him or Dineen.

His job is supposedly to help mentor the younger guys. Give them a bit more attention of what they're doing right and wrong so Q and the rest of the coaching staff don't have to devote more time into them.

 

[Bubba88]

the real question as of now:
what if Q gets fired midseason or next week? Do you bring in a new HC, do you promote Colliton or do you bring in a "retired" Coach (as rental ) to end the Season until Colliton gets the Job?

 

[migi]

If Q is fired in the middle of the season which I dont see happening until summer at earliest, I think Kevin or Ulf is going to take charge at least for this season and Granato comes down from upstairs. After that it's wide open.

I'd like to see Ulf here longer if he has been major part of fixing the penalty kill. Dineen needs to go with Q, he is not a solution for this team, we need fresh faces.

Colliton, Granato, Ulf? How's that sound?

 

[Marotte Marauder]

If Q is fired in the middle of the season which I dont see happening until summer at earliest, I think Kevin or Ulf is going to take charge at least for this season and Granato comes down from upstairs. After that it's wide open.

I'd like to see Ulf here longer if he has been major part of fixing the penalty kill. Dineen needs to go with Q, he is not a solution for this team, we need fresh faces.

Colliton, Granato, Ulf? How's that sound?

Sounds like a disaster to me. The HC needs his own guys and "sticking" him with a Q guy and DG would be a mess.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

If it continues to go like this I can see Q getting fired mid-season.
Maybe Darryl comes back until Colliton is ready?

 

[LDF]

If it continues to go like this I can see Q getting fired mid-season.
Maybe Darryl comes back until Colliton is ready?

since we are going thru the trip of memory, i would love Iron Mike coming back for a 1 yr and really put this team thru its paces...... old school hockey.

 

[BK]

since we are going thru the trip of memory, i would love Iron Mike coming back for a 1 yr and really put this team thru its paces...... old school hockey.

Keenan would be a terrible choice. This is not old school hockey any more. The game has changed completely and systems are now no where close to what they have ever been (unless you want to dig into the the old Soviet teams, which I recommend people do).

 

[ClydeLee]

Sounds like a disaster to me. The HC needs his own guys and "sticking" him with a Q guy and DG would be a mess.

Though Q won a cup without his guys, so did Suter. Not quite capable of saying Sullivan hired mid season in 15-16 did for that year either.

 

[LDF]

Keenan would be a terrible choice. This is not old school hockey any more. The game has changed completely and systems are now no where close to what they have ever been (unless you want to dig into the the old Soviet teams, which I recommend people do).

you make an excellent point, i was spit ballin on how the team could use a meat and potato kind of old school and practice them hard ..... in other words a complete opposite of Q. drive the point of execution and hitting, a go-go offense thru rugged play.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Colliton needs seasoning. Not yet.

Keenan on a strict 1 year deal while we wait for Colliton? It’s interesting, I’ll give you that. Not a lot coaches out there willing to go for 1 year.

 

[featherhawk]

Lol, keenan god no. Colliton is not likely ready.

 

[ColdSteel2]

Lol, keenan god no. Colliton is not likely ready.

He’d get them in shape and begging for Colliton. There’s a long con aspect to it. Obviously too ridiculous to ever happen though, lol.

 

[LDF]

Lol, keenan god no. Colliton is not likely ready.

too bad, i am sooo dejected by this.... what is there, no love out there ??

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

If you think Q is outdated why you'd suggest Keenan is beyond me.

 

[LDF]

If you think Q is outdated why you'd suggest Keenan is beyond me.

well if you look at the word "outdated", there is or could be have several different meaning and connotation. for me, when i have stated he has lost the team with outdated playing scheme, i am actually talking a system that requires precision and the problem there, the other team appears to know the scheme that the hawks are using. however Iron mike's style is hitting checking and standing up the opposing team players at the blue line. stopping them from staging an offense. that is 1 style that seems to never change. only the intensity of the players.

 

[deytookerjaabs]

We've got way too many sets of hands in this team to be playing grind first hockey.


Every time I think we're adapting for a few shifts the team regresses to the mean. Give the offense more opportunities should be the paramount goal. I don't care if we put a few in the net now and then when it's meat/potatoes stuff, those goals are great but you can only rely on them when you can keep the other guys to 1 or 2 goals every night. We can't do that, not with the way many other teams are coached, they'll put points up on brick walls.

This team is really missing out on not having a defensive/neutral zone system where we focus on creating odd/even man rushes, for years they've had to earn every goal the hard way. It's silly to have a guy in net who is arguably the best in the league at stopping breakaways & high quality chances if you don't insert that ability into how the rest of the team plays.