Erie Otters 2018-19 Season Thread (Part 2)

[buzzworthy]

Soo Girl, so, I take it that Craig Hartsburg, who coached in your town, was a Grinch too? I remember watching him on the bench and I never saw the guy do anything but frown and yell. I guess that recipe didn't get him very far. He had a few short NHL stints, but not much more than that. Maybe it more important to me than to others, but these are just kids. To criticize and snarl all the time can be devastating. As much as I dislike London, even Dale Hunter pats the kids on the back and occasionally smiles. Trust me-it does work, no matter how skilled you may be as a coach. Coach Knoblauch was an expert at motivating his troops. It is such a downer to see the snarl master on the bench.

 

[OttersFan]

Yawn... could hear a pin drop in here

 

[Buttsy]

As much as I dislike London, even Dale Hunter pats the kids on the back and occasionally smiles.

Almost every time I hear Dale interviewed he starts a sentence with "My Kids". He shows a great dedication and connection to his players.
I don't know Hartsburg nor have I followed his carrer BUT not everyone is cut out to coach kids. Just like Dale left the NHL to come back to London I think he realized he wasn't cut out to coach millionaires. Different skill sets all together doesn't always cross over.

 

[NOA]

Almost every time I hear Dale interviewed he starts a sentence with "My Kids". He shows a great dedication and connection to his players.
I don't know Hartsburg nor have I followed his carrer BUT not everyone is cut out to coach kids. Just like Dale left the NHL to come back to London I think he realized he wasn't cut out to coach millionaires. Different skill sets all together doesn't always cross over.

Dale left the nhl because he wouldn’t have translated well there. Honestly a good chance in 2-3 years he would have ran himself out of any organization. He stays in London because it’s comfortable and at this point easy for him. Doesn’t want the challenge. And they can continue monopolizing the league and making money so that’s why he stays. I’m sure if he could be the Saban of the nhl, he would be there in a heartbeat

Knoblauch was not starting interviews with “my kids”.. in fact he was rarely praise worthy. everyone has their own way. I think Kris was extremely quiet and soft spoken and just never said much in the media or on the bench. I heard from people closer to the team that he was very quiet in the locker room too. I remember in mid 2016-17 season, Erie had a really poor performance. Don’t remember the score or the game but they didn’t show up to play on home ice. Knoblauch is a quiet guy who rarely yelled. But that night, he was as loud as ever at his team. And they responded.
Knoblauch had that respect among the team though and used his voice when needed. If Hartsburg is constantly yelling or being overly critical, especially with a young and rebuilding team, that message is going to be stale and the team is going to lose respect. Especially if when they are winning or playing well for their standards and he doesn’t give them praise.

I’m not going to pretend I know the issues or answers though. Like I’ve said, I think Hartsburg deserves the chance to finish out the year. But I also think Brown should evaluate in March/April

 

[buzzworthy]

On Saturday night, Hartsburg called a timeout. He made all the kids get out onto the ice. He proceeded to drop "F" bomb after "F" bomb at the kids. Frankly, I realize that this occurs on occasion. But to do this in front of 3,000 people is unacceptable. My son, who played high school football, had a coach like this. He got a call from me. It didn't happen again. I am telling you that this guy is a jerk. He never talks to his assistants. He never encourages the kids on the bench. He never cracks a smile. He is not the answer here in Erie. I met Kris Knoblauch at dinners and meet and greet events. Yes, he was quiet. But as you said, he had respect from the players. He talked with his assistants. He encouraged the kids, and talked to them on the bench. He had a personality. He was a decent human being. He smiled and laughed with the kids. They really liked him I am not seeing anything I like with Hartsburg here now. And, I can tell you that I am not alone. Many of my friends are saying the same thing, from billets to parents. The last thing I want to see is an Alexander type player not willing to report because of a screamin' meme.

 

[ZinErie]

Dale left the nhl because he wouldn’t have translated well there. Honestly a good chance in 2-3 years he would have ran himself out of any organization. He stays in London because it’s comfortable and at this point easy for him. Doesn’t want the challenge. And they can continue monopolizing the league and making money so that’s why he stays. I’m sure if he could be the Saban of the nhl, he would be there in a heartbeat

Knoblauch was not starting interviews with “my kids”.. in fact he was rarely praise worthy. everyone has their own way. I think Kris was extremely quiet and soft spoken and just never said much in the media or on the bench. I heard from people closer to the team that he was very quiet in the locker room too. I remember in mid 2016-17 season, Erie had a really poor performance. Don’t remember the score or the game but they didn’t show up to play on home ice. Knoblauch is a quiet guy who rarely yelled. But that night, he was as loud as ever at his team. And they responded.
Knoblauch had that respect among the team though and used his voice when needed. If Hartsburg is constantly yelling or being overly critical, especially with a young and rebuilding team, that message is going to be stale and the team is going to lose respect. Especially if when they are winning or playing well for their standards and he doesn’t give them praise.

I’m not going to pretend I know the issues or answers though. Like I’ve said, I think Hartsburg deserves the chance to finish out the year. But I also think Brown should evaluate in March/April

Oh come on. You have no clue why Dale left the NHL.

 

[Puckit97]

On Saturday night, Hartsburg called a timeout. He made all the kids get out onto the ice. He proceeded to drop "F" bomb after "F" bomb at the kids. Frankly, I realize that this occurs on occasion. But to do this in front of 3,000 people is unacceptable. My son, who played high school football, had a coach like this. He got a call from me. It didn't happen again. I am telling you that this guy is a jerk. He never talks to his assistants. He never encourages the kids on the bench. He never cracks a smile. He is not the answer here in Erie. I met Kris Knoblauch at dinners and meet and greet events. Yes, he was quiet. But as you said, he had respect from the players. He talked with his assistants. He encouraged the kids, and talked to them on the bench. He had a personality. He was a decent human being. He smiled and laughed with the kids. They really liked him I am not seeing anything I like with Hartsburg here now. And, I can tell you that I am not alone. Many of my friends are saying the same thing, from billets to parents. The last thing I want to see is an Alexander type player not willing to report because of a screamin' meme.

I am not saying you're wrong and I think I have made it known I'm not sure on Hartsburg but how do you know this? The team actually responded and played well after that time out, the Mack goal being an example. There was a noticeable difference in their play prior to the timeout and after. Prior was arguably the worst 10 minutes we have seen this season.

 

[buzzworthy]

How do I know this? I sit in section 204, across from the bench. For the last 12 years, my wife and I both have binoculars which we bring to the game. Why? Because there is a lot of stuff that goes on both on and off the ice that you simply can't see without them. We were watching when Hartsburg called a timeout. It was very clear what he was saying. Maybe it was the worst 10 minutes of play, but keep in mind that Saginaw is, on paper,
a much better team than us. I have no problem with a coach giving them a piece of his mind for poor play. However, when it is a constant and continual beat down, which he does, it is absolutely poor coaching. He has no business talking to the kids like that on the ice. When we went to OS last month to see the 2 game set, we talked to a parent of one of the Attack players. He told his mom that our coach was yelling and cussing so much that the whole OS bench were in the "yikes" mode I guarantee you that he has NEVER given any of our players a pat on the back. The only one who does is Wes. Adams yells a lot too. That is NOT the way to coach these kids. I sure hope that Brown/Waters see this and get rid of him.

 

[OttersFan]

How do I know this? I sit in section 204, across from the bench. For the last 12 years, my wife and I both have binoculars which we bring to the game. Why? Because there is a lot of stuff that goes on both on and off the ice that you simply can't see without them. We were watching when Hartsburg called a timeout. It was very clear what he was saying. Maybe it was the worst 10 minutes of play, but keep in mind that Saginaw is, on paper,
a much better team than us. I have no problem with a coach giving them a piece of his mind for poor play. However, when it is a constant and continual beat down, which he does, it is absolutely poor coaching. He has no business talking to the kids like that on the ice. When we went to OS last month to see the 2 game set, we talked to a parent of one of the Attack players. He told his mom that our coach was yelling and cussing so much that the whole OS bench were in the "yikes" mode I guarantee you that he has NEVER given any of our players a pat on the back. The only one who does is Wes. Adams yells a lot too. That is NOT the way to coach these kids. I sure hope that Brown/Waters see this and get rid of him.

I heard a few people wrote letters to Waters to reevaluate him and to find another coach. It's getting ridiculous. Yes, we aren't playing well, but screaming and being a ogre isn't going to get these kids to do better. Degrading them doesn't help anyone.

 

[NOA]

I heard a few people wrote letters to Waters to reevaluate him and to find another coach. It's getting ridiculous. Yes, we aren't playing well, but screaming and being a ogre isn't going to get these kids to do better. Degrading them doesn't help anyone.

Well if any of these people are associated with the team then ideally the position is reevaluated

I personally believe that coaching is holding us back a bit so a change is probably needed

 

[Puckit97]

How do I know this? I sit in section 204, across from the bench. For the last 12 years, my wife and I both have binoculars which we bring to the game. Why? Because there is a lot of stuff that goes on both on and off the ice that you simply can't see without them. We were watching when Hartsburg called a timeout. It was very clear what he was saying. Maybe it was the worst 10 minutes of play, but keep in mind that Saginaw is, on paper,
a much better team than us. I have no problem with a coach giving them a piece of his mind for poor play. However, when it is a constant and continual beat down, which he does, it is absolutely poor coaching. He has no business talking to the kids like that on the ice. When we went to OS last month to see the 2 game set, we talked to a parent of one of the Attack players. He told his mom that our coach was yelling and cussing so much that the whole OS bench were in the "yikes" mode I guarantee you that he has NEVER given any of our players a pat on the back. The only one who does is Wes. Adams yells a lot too. That is NOT the way to coach these kids. I sure hope that Brown/Waters see this and get rid of him.

I do not like Hartsburg either but I don’t think looking through binoculars from across the arena is a credible source. Sure you may be able to see he dropped some F bombs but you don’t know the context and the message with out actually hearing what is being said.

 

[nofriendsinhockey]

Lets blow this thing up and tank. The 2003 draft pool is deep with a couple of generational players

 

[buzzworthy]

Puck control, there is more to it than that. I am personal friends of one of the billets, and I assure you I do have credible sources. Have you ever watched that guy on the bench? There is zero communication between him and the other coaches. Other than snarls, faces and tear downs, he NEVER has any interaction with the players during the game. During November we went on the 2 game road trip with the team. The OS players were wincing at the yelling going on at the Erie bench. One of the OS player's moms stayed at the Best Western where we stay. We were talking to her about our team. SHE brought up the incident. Her son told her about it. In one of those OS games Hartsburg was ejected. Both Wes and BJ tried to talk to him before he left the bench. He never looked at them. At practice all he does is yell. Our older players couldn't wait to leave. It was day and night between Hartsburg and Knoblauch. He has to go.

 

[Puckit97]

Puck control, there is more to it than that. I am personal friends of one of the billets, and I assure you I do have credible sources. Have you ever watched that guy on the bench? There is zero communication between him and the other coaches. Other than snarls, faces and tear downs, he NEVER has any interaction with the players during the game. During November we went on the 2 game road trip with the team. The OS players were wincing at the yelling going on at the Erie bench. One of the OS player's moms stayed at the Best Western where we stay. We were talking to her about our team. SHE brought up the incident. Her son told her about it. In one of those OS games Hartsburg was ejected. Both Wes and BJ tried to talk to him before he left the bench. He never looked at them. At practice all he does is yell. Our older players couldn't wait to leave. It was day and night between Hartsburg and Knoblauch. He has to go.

I’m not disagreeing with the fact he needs to go. I think I was the first one who brought this up on this site months ago. I just disagree with watching him from hundreds of feet away and taking that to the bank.
I do agree that he doesn’t seem to communicate with the other coaches or the players during games. However I won’t make the statement he never does because I’m watching the game and not Hartsburg.

 

[OttersFan]

I’m not disagreeing with the fact he needs to go. I think I was the first one who brought this up on this site months ago. I just disagree with watching him from hundreds of feet away and taking that to the bank.
I do agree that he doesn’t seem to communicate with the other coaches or the players during games. However I won’t make the statement he never does because I’m watching the game and not Hartsburg.

It's not even just watching him on the bench either. He literally is the most negative person during interviews. I get that if you lose a game you're not all happy, but there has to be SOME positive thing that happened during the game. He just can't seem to ever find it.

 

[Puckit97]

It's not even just watching him on the bench either. He literally is the most negative person during interviews. I get that if you lose a game you're not all happy, but there has to be SOME positive thing that happened during the game. He just can't seem to ever find it.

His interviews are bad. I think he personally hates being interviewed and add his negativity to it and that’s the result.

 

[OttersFan]

His interviews are bad. I think he personally hates being interviewed and add his negativity to it and that’s the result.

It's a business, he has to get used to being interviewed. The 16 year olds act way more professional than Hartsburg does. I agree with you.

 

[soo hound girl]

Soo Girl, so, I take it that Craig Hartsburg, who coached in your town, was a Grinch too? I remember watching him on the bench and I never saw the guy do anything but frown and yell. I guess that recipe didn't get him very far. He had a few short NHL stints, but not much more than that. Maybe it more important to me than to others, but these are just kids. To criticize and snarl all the time can be devastating. As much as I dislike London, even Dale Hunter pats the kids on the back and occasionally smiles. Trust me-it does work, no matter how skilled you may be as a coach. Coach Knoblauch was an expert at motivating his troops. It is such a downer to see the snarl master on the bench.

Like I said before you plant a potato you get a potato lol

 

[EON]

Pretty wild game tonight, Erie beats Windsor 7-4, scoring 3 in the third. Cohen got his first on a wacky bounce, Golod with an insurance goal, Maksimovich EN. Erie actually got outplayed pretty badly in the 3rd shots wise, in part due to some undisciplined play, but the PK was solid and Murphy played well. A win tomorrow night in Sarnia puts Erie right in the thick of things for a playoff spot heading into the break.

 

[nofriendsinhockey]

Trade Freeze Monday. Showcasing some players

 

[Papa dom]

Anyone else a bit eager to see more out of the rookies? Drysdale’s been great in terms of showcasing his talent and skating ability, one of a kind in recent years, his small mental errors will be fixed with time. I feel like Hoffmann has much more to give but that could be in question, he was highly touted in his draft year. Sellan and D’amato are having great periods of work ethic and determination but it’s just not showing up on the scoreboard. Anyone else have thoughts on this?

 

[NOA]

Anyone else a bit eager to see more out of the rookies? Drysdale’s been great in terms of showcasing his talent and skating ability, one of a kind in recent years, his small mental errors will be fixed with time. I feel like Hoffmann has much more to give but that could be in question, he was highly touted in his draft year. Sellan and D’amato are having great periods of work ethic and determination but it’s just not showing up on the scoreboard. Anyone else have thoughts on this?

Drysdale has obviously been great

Personally I think those other guys are doing okay even on the scoreboard. It’s tough being a rookie, especially on a rebuilding team. Honestly I want to see more from Golod, Sproule, Gritz. And the goaltending is still a disaster

Tag Bertuzzi left Guelph supposedly. Guelph could afford an upgrade on the OA spot. They could even afford an upgrade with their forward import by adding someone like Poddubyni

I really need to see Brown sell off. Don’t know what he’s waiting for. At this point 3/4 more games with Mak means nothing if we risk not being able to trade him in a flooded market.
Guelph is going to move Tag. Yes he has a no trade clause and maybe says no to Erie but if I’m Brown, I’m calling and seeing what’s up. He’s a former top 3 pick who maybe just wants a new environment. I’m sure he also wants ice time. Trading Mak or Podd to Guelph for Tag and 2/3 picks would be in the best interest for Erie. I know we need picks, but getting 1 second, 1 third, and a 2001 born forward like Bertuzzi would be best case scenario for Erie. And they could give Bertuzzi that immediate ice time

 

[NOA]

Anyone else a bit eager to see more out of the rookies? Drysdale’s been great in terms of showcasing his talent and skating ability, one of a kind in recent years, his small mental errors will be fixed with time. I feel like Hoffmann has much more to give but that could be in question, he was highly touted in his draft year. Sellan and D’amato are having great periods of work ethic and determination but it’s just not showing up on the scoreboard. Anyone else have thoughts on this?

Another thing to add with D’Amato..
He came from the U18 draft which at this point has been largely ineffective. Majority of guys taken have never played 1 OHL game let alone have an OHL point

Currently from this past draft, only Erie and OS actually have a player from the draft playing regular minutes. The OS player has 9 points in 32 games while D’Amato has 6 points in 28 games. Overall D’Amato is over playing expectations. In the brief glimpses I’ve seen of him, he has done okay. Wouldn’t be surprised if he develops into a nice 3rd line forward. If he improves on some things and plays a more defensive game, he could be a solid 2 way depth forward, which coming out of the U18 draft: that’s a win for Erie

 

[ohloutsider]

Another thing to add with D’Amato..
He came from the U18 draft which at this point has been largely ineffective. Majority of guys taken have never played 1 OHL game let alone have an OHL point

Currently from this past draft, only Erie and OS actually have a player from the draft playing regular minutes. The OS player has 9 points in 32 games while D’Amato has 6 points in 28 games. Overall D’Amato is over playing expectations. In the brief glimpses I’ve seen of him, he has done okay. Wouldn’t be surprised if he develops into a nice 3rd line forward. If he improves on some things and plays a more defensive game, he could be a solid 2 way depth forward, which coming out of the U18 draft: that’s a win for Erie

So Foudy, Cuylle and McDonald Windsor don't count along with Stranges in London, Perrot in Sarnia, O'Roucke in the Soo I could go on? ( sorry everyone on the spelling).

 

[NOA]

So Foudy, Cuylle and McDonald Windsor don't count along with Stranges in London, Perrot in Sarnia, O'Roucke in the Soo I could go on? ( sorry everyone on the spelling).

I was talking about the U18 draft...

Obviously the regular entry draft is full of players that are already playing and making huge impact, including Erie’s own in Drysdale