Head Coach

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Burnt Biscuits

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May 2, 2010
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Why does it matter if his top guys transition to pros? His mandate is winning, no? If his team over succeeded, clearly the individuals had development and were acting as their best selves, no?

Perhaps his players just never had pro potential. Like you look at some of the O.K. stars from the memorial cup days; St.Croix and Wruck never had pro potential.
It speaks to his ability to develop & nurture talent, like Jacque Lemaire was quite good about getting a lot out of what was an underwhelming roster on paper by getting everyone to play to his gameplan. Though Lemaire's stifling system robbed players of their creativity and really didn't develop much in the way of offensive talents beyond the odd superstar level talent, you can play a good team game and get a lot out of your top guys, but still come up short cause you don't have enough horses pulling. While you can say its a failure of the GM to not be getting the additional horses, generally no GM can work enough magic to source nearly all the talent from outside the organization, you need some homegrown talent/success stories.

D.J. Smith's head coaching track record though is woefully short so I don't want to make any grand claims about what he can do in terms of nurturing talent, but just to say that pessimism is warranted. Dallas Eakins for example had 4 years of being an AHL head coach when we hired him where as Smith only has 3 years of junior head coaching, not in any way saying he would be the next Eakins just that to hire him as a head coach is a pretty big gamble on a relatively unknown commodity.
 

belair

Jay Woodcroft Unemployment Stance
Apr 9, 2010
38,537
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Canada
Mike Vellucci is interesting as well. Current Head Coach of the Charlotte Checkers, who won 51 games this season. But he's also the Canes' AGM, tasked with overseeing scouting and player development.
 

LaGu

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Jan 4, 2011
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Italy
Paul MacLean?

5 years NHL coach...2 Jack Adams nods
3.5 seasons, no?

I always liked MacLean, seemed like a very good players coach for the first couple of seasons.

His record imo is pretty impressive and it's hard not to think he learned a lot from it. Great success in his first years and then down the drain. Must have been tough after the start he had and those are the moments people often grow/learn.

Really odd that he never got another nod after his seasons in OTT.
 

ElysiumAB

Registered User
Sep 12, 2013
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Heh, thanks for the compliment. If it makes you feel any weirder I am a lifelong Floridian who has never seen snow beyond the sheet of ice at Amalie Arena and that one time in 2002 when there was enough frost buildup along the wooden handrails of the entrances of our external classrooms and a young 14 year old Sunny scraped enough together to make a very small, crude snowball and pegged the **** out of my buddy with it.

And Donairs? I know about them. Well at least from Trailer Park Boys. That's about as Canadian as it gets. Well that and Poutine. Gotta try em both. The closest I've gotten to actual Canadian anything is that my mother (born and raised in Michigan) likes Canadian style Maple Syrup and that stuff is so sweet it makes me wince. I think my dad (adopted Minnesotan) likes it like that too.


I just hope Donairs don't give you the ****s

Born and raised in Michigan as well (still here).

As far as I can tell Donairs are just Gyros.........

Michigan knows a think or two about Gyros.
 

JordanGalhanth

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Apr 21, 2012
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Why does it matter if his top guys transition to pros? His mandate is winning, no? If his team over succeeded, clearly the individuals had development and were acting as their best selves, no?

Perhaps his players just never had pro potential. Like you look at some of the O.K. stars from the memorial cup days; St.Croix and Wruck never had pro potential.

On that note, what about Derek Laxdal as HC? Dude ran a deadly powerplay as the OK's HC.
 

foshizzle

Registered User
Feb 1, 2007
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Watching this year’s playoffs, You can clearly see a changing of the guard as far as NHL coaches go. The new up and coming coaches are eliminating the old dinosaurs. Bednar, Montgomery, possibly Cassidy, and one of Rierden or Brind’Amour. I’m leaning towards a young coach for this team- Nelson or Knoblaugh for me. Not sure if the Nelso bridge is burned though.
 

Mr Positive

Cap Crunch Incoming
Nov 20, 2013
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Watching this year’s playoffs, You can clearly see a changing of the guard as far as NHL coaches go. The new up and coming coaches are eliminating the old dinosaurs. Bednar, Montgomery, possibly Cassidy, and one of Rierden or Brind’Amour. I’m leaning towards a young coach for this team- Nelson or Knoblaugh for me. Not sure if the Nelso bridge is burned though.
My guess is that the bridge is not burned. He was popular here, and I don't think he would fault us for going with a high reputation coach like McLellan.

And I do agree with you. People are drooling over Laviolette, but I would prefer a young up and coming coach better. But I wonder what Nelson's contract status is. Don't we have to pay a pick for him?
 

Mr Positive

Cap Crunch Incoming
Nov 20, 2013
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I would doubt that Laviolette would be fired. Well, do they have a star coach in their system that could slide in?

But I bet they'd keep with him 1 more season, but make some kind of lineup shakeup with Laviolette's input on the move/s
 

Zerotonine

Registered User
Apr 23, 2017
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Laviolette prime has passed.

Nashville powerplay was atrocious and so is ares that doesn't boar well for us moving forward

Not to mention Nashville's top line was litterally non exisant in the playoffs yet no changes were made???

Like someone else has mention it's a young man's game and coaches are starting to follow suit
 
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Tobias Kahun

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Oct 3, 2017
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Watching this year’s playoffs, You can clearly see a changing of the guard as far as NHL coaches go. The new up and coming coaches are eliminating the old dinosaurs. Bednar, Montgomery, possibly Cassidy, and one of Rierden or Brind’Amour. I’m leaning towards a young coach for this team- Nelson or Knoblaugh for me. Not sure if the Nelso bridge is burned though.
I think he’d be willing to finally be a head coach. Also a lot more money comes with it
 

Burnt Biscuits

Registered User
May 2, 2010
9,164
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Watching this year’s playoffs, You can clearly see a changing of the guard as far as NHL coaches go. The new up and coming coaches are eliminating the old dinosaurs. Bednar, Montgomery, possibly Cassidy, and one of Rierden or Brind’Amour. I’m leaning towards a young coach for this team- Nelson or Knoblaugh for me. Not sure if the Nelso bridge is burned though.
I don't think the Nelson bridge is burned, it just seemed like he didn't want to be an assistant coach and didn't want to go back down to the AHL unseating his friend who inherited his spot. NHL head coaching gigs are pretty rare even if there was bad blood, most coaches will swallow some pride and hop at the opportunity.
 

TB12

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Apr 5, 2015
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I don’t get sucked in by a team going on a good/bad playoff run to decide which coaches I like. For example, watch the Canes play. They’re having great results but their systems are absolute trash (breakout and d-zone coverage). Brind’Amour is the same as Bucky was in the A. Just a motivator and not at all an X’s and O’s guy.
 
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BigFuzzyDice

the giant Kane in your azz
Jul 8, 2016
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I don't think the Nelson bridge is burned, it just seemed like he didn't want to be an assistant coach and didn't want to go back down to the AHL unseating his friend who inherited his spot. NHL head coaching gigs are pretty rare even if there was bad blood, most coaches will swallow some pride and hop at the opportunity.
plus mact hates him, I think that's my favorite part of t.n. Mact hated that nelly looked competent after the tire fire that was "his guy" . Nelson I know was pissed he didn't even get an interview before eakins was selected , I hope we get Todd and I hope the fire still burns to cram it up mact s backside and prove they screwed up. I sit here with fingers crossed that someone on the oil is smart enough to make that phone call. And that nelly would take the job.
 

frag2

Registered User
Mar 8, 2006
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While it's a bit early and I do think he should stay in the AHL for a bit, it's refreshing hearing a coach not just ramble cliches and pull quips out of the "hockey coaches quotations guide"



This is woodcroft post game talking about Bouchard . He seems to actually assess his players and figure out what works/strengths etc (not unlike Todd Nelson) unlike the old farts we've had recently in Hitch and Tmac. Their "I think I know what's best for you and what you're made of" mentality
 

oXo Cube

Power Play Merchant
Nov 4, 2008
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I would be pretty surprised if Woodcroft doesn't follow McLellan to the LAK organization.

Everyone that knows anything has always said that those 2 are attached at the hip.
 

joestevens29

Registered User
Apr 30, 2009
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I would be pretty surprised if Woodcroft doesn't follow McLellan to the LAK organization.

Everyone that knows anything has always said that those 2 are attached at the hip.
Never really thought about it, but something that could very well happen. Wonder if Johnson lands there as well.
 

russ99

Registered User
Jun 9, 2011
3,499
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I don't think the Nelson bridge is burned, it just seemed like he didn't want to be an assistant coach and didn't want to go back down to the AHL unseating his friend who inherited his spot. NHL head coaching gigs are pretty rare even if there was bad blood, most coaches will swallow some pride and hop at the opportunity.

No thanks on Nelson, been there, done that. Also he wasn't strong enough, and nobody I'd hire would be co-coach with MacTavish who was glaring at the players behind the bench.

If by some miracle MacTavish stays, we don't need a coach bypassing the GM and pleading his case to the OBC.
 
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