Proposal: Following the Red Wings AHL Coaching Model

[Rise from the Ashes]

Ever look at the Red Wings and wonder how exactly they keep drafting players who make the NHL AND make an impact? Well, the answer is proper development in the AHL.

Upon looking at this phenomenon I decided to take a closer look at the Grand Rapids Griffins coaching staff. What I noticed is that every head coach that runs their AHL affiliate spent at least one or two years coaching as an assistant with the Red Wings and Mike Babcock.

What does this mean exactly?

It means that the Red Wings do not simply hire anyone from outside of the organization. They make sure that the head coach of their AHL team is perfectly familiar with the systems and philosophies of the big club.

Following this model, why not assign Gerard Gallant as the head coach of the Hamilton Bulldogs and then find another assistant to work with Michel Therrien?

Gallant has proven to be able to successfully coach a QMJHL team and has plenty of experience.

Obviously it would be contingent on Gallant accepting the position.

Thoughts?

Click to read more...

 

[Blind Gardien]

Welll.... if Babcock was my NHL coach it might be a better argument?

 

[Guess]

Sounds like a good plan. However :

1. I'm not sure if I want our prospects learning the new Therrien grinding system
2. How are you going to tell Bergevin about it

 

[BRAD HABSFAN]

Welll.... if Babcock was my NHL coach it might be a better argument?

Good enough for me too.. MT actually has done a decent job with this team but Babcock has missed major pieces of his team and has them within striking distance of a playoff spot.

 

[Chfan]

Or how about that model that has anyone but Sylvain Lefebvre as the head coach?

 

[Guess]

Some good news for the OP: apparently the owner of the Bulldogs is unhappy with his teams performance and will mince words with Bergevin at seasons end

http://m.thespec.com/sports-story/4...he-play-of-the-bulldogs-neither-is-the-owner/

 

[Hemlor]

this system also takes something that is in short supply: patience

 

[hototogisu]

Some good news for the OP: apparently the owner of the Bulldogs is unhappy with his teams performance and will mince words with Bergevin at seasons end

http://m.thespec.com/sports-story/4...he-play-of-the-bulldogs-neither-is-the-owner/

Glad I'm not alone in wondering why Bergevin has done nothing to address the team's lack of scoring for 2 years in a row.

 

[Strat]

Glad I'm not alone in wondering why Bergevin has done nothing to address the team's lack of scoring for 2 years in a row.

True. I mean, Vanek is the very definition of a worthless plug.

 

[MXD]

True. I mean, Vanek is the very definition of a worthless plug.

I don't think the org has plans to make Vanek the new cornerstone of the Dogs.

 

[hototogisu]

True. I mean, Vanek is the very definition of a worthless plug.

...please re-read the quoted post and try again.

 

[Rise from the Ashes]

Gerard Gallant has proven to be a solid coach and he has plenty of experience. He may have learned a thing or two from Therrien, but he knows a lot in his own right. Its important to have coaches that have experience at the NHL level.

I know Lefevbre was an assistant coach as D coach with the Avalanche for a few years, but their D were pretty bad overall..

 

[Strat]

...please re-read the quoted post and try again.

I re-read it twice. You're saying that Bergevin has done nothing to fix the team's lack of scoring. Getting Vanek is a definite statement and proof that he's tried something.

That something was to get the 4th best scorer since 2007 in the NHL.

That's not doing nothing and sitting on his ass.

EDIT : Ah, the Dogs. LOL! Now, where is my mouth so I can firmly plant it into my mouth? LOL!!

 

[MXD]

Some good news for the OP: apparently the owner of the Bulldogs is unhappy with his teams performance and will mince words with Bergevin at seasons end

http://m.thespec.com/sports-story/4...he-play-of-the-bulldogs-neither-is-the-owner/

In which case, I hope the Habs brass will use the Rock's philosophy about knowing his role and shutting his mouth.

I'm all for the Dogs to have success, as long as its in their function. Which is -- to be a farm club. To support the Habs. Not the other way around.

But of course, it doesn't mean the Dogs shouldn't get a new coach.

 

[MXD]

I re-read it twice. You're saying that Bergevin has done nothing to fix the team's lack of scoring. Getting Vanek is a definite statement and proof that he's tried something.

That something was to get the 4th best scorer since 2007 in the NHL.

That's not doing nothing and sitting on his ass.

That's what were trying to say.

The team in question here is the Dogs.

 

[Richiebottles]

Also, Gallant won't leave a position in the AHL as assistant to become a head coach in the AHL. He rather stay in the NHL and leave if there is a head coaching gig.

 

[firewagon77*]

Montreal has developed more young coaches in the AHL over the years than anybody...Pat Burns started with Sherbrooke....Claude Julien....Alain Vigneault....Michel Therrien....Guy Boucher.....Montreal's problem is not developing systems and coaching their problem is not having good enough players,trading away young players like Leclair,Cassels,Desjardins,Ribeiro,Grabovski,McDonagh and getting very little in return.

 

[Draft]

Also, Gallant won't leave a position in the AHL as assistant to become a head coach in the AHL. He rather stay in the NHL and leave if there is a head coaching gig.

If he wants professional HC experience, he'll take the job in Hamilton. It's a good stepping stone if he wants to be a HC in the NHL.

 

[Rise from the Ashes]

Gallant has been a HC with the Blue Jackets in the past.

 

[Team_Spirit]

Glad I'm not alone in wondering why Bergevin has done nothing to address the team's lack of scoring for 2 years in a row.

but but but Christian Thomas and Martin St-Pierre?

Not his fault the coach could not get them to produce.

Laval arena construction will start next fall?

 

[Tyrus]

Welll.... if Babcock was my NHL coach it might be a better argument?

Babcock's coaching has been atrocious this year.

The Wings are holding tight in striking distance of the playoffs because of a relatively healthy start and miracle work from their rookies. The problem is that these rookies are only playing because of the injury depleted roster, as pointed out by Babcock himself, and he refuses to play them more extensively even tho one of them has been the most prolific goal scorer over the last two months.

Ask a Wings fan, they'll tell you that Babcock's line management is garbage, that he hurts the team by his bias towards veterans and refuses to adapt his coaching when the situation requires it.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Mike Babcock

Babcock's coaching has been atrocious this year.

The Wings are holding tight in striking distance of the playoffs because of a relatively healthy start and miracle work from their rookies. The problem is that these rookies are only playing because of the injury depleted roster, as pointed out by Babcock himself, and he refuses to play them more extensively even tho one of them has been the most prolific goal scorer over the last two months.

Ask a Wings fan, they'll tell you that Babcock's line management is garbage, that he hurts the team by his bias towards veterans and refuses to adapt his coaching when the situation requires it.

Still has a Detroit team that has allowed more goals than it has scored winning more than it loses.

 

[MrNasty]

Some good news for the OP: apparently the owner of the Bulldogs is unhappy with his teams performance and will mince words with Bergevin at seasons end

http://m.thespec.com/sports-story/4...he-play-of-the-bulldogs-neither-is-the-owner/

I would tell him to take a hike. This seems to happen every year that the Bulldogs don't go deep in the playoffs. The AHL is a development league for prospects but the bulldogs owner keeps wanting the Habs to sign veteran AHL players cause they want to win over development. There is a long list of cities that will gladly take the Habs farm team. I personally would rather the bulldogs give the ice-time to young players rather than veterans that don't have a future in the NHL.

 

[MrNasty]

I agree that the Red Wings do have a knack for developing players but the reason is because they make them play in the AHL for years before becoming NHL regulars. In Montreal, fans seem to always want to give the kids a chance to play regularly in the NHL but that often hurts development more than it it helps it. IMO Leblanc and Latendresse are two prime examples.

 

[Smokey Thompson]

Couldn't agree more OP. Its all about creating a winning culture from top to bottom. The youngins should come up through the ranks and do their due diligence in the AHL.

If I'm not mistaken, the Grand Rapids won the Calder Trophy last spring. And if the Red Wings are to make the playoffs this years, it'll be because of their young players who led that AHL team to victory; Nyquist, Tatar, Sheahan, Jurco, Ferarro, etc.

If you look at the Bolts and their resurgence this season, if it weren't for their young players, they'd be a lottery team again. But Cooper won a Calder Trophy a couple seasons ago and many of those players are now playing with the Bolts. Guys like Johnson, Gudas, etc.

Heck, Subban, Patches, DD, Price all won the Calder Trophy before becoming impact players for us.

I really thought the Bulldogs would be the playoffs this year. But I think 3 years of wasted drafting really ****ed us. 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 will be huge years for Hamilton. The 2012 and 2013 draftees will make the jump to professional; Bozon (he'll come back stronger than ever), Hudon, Thrower, McCarron, Crisp, Reway, Gregoire, DLR, Lehkonen. Hopefully most of these guys make it to Hamilton and help create that winning culture.