Rocky Thompson: Flames Candidate?

[TazertoKaner]

I know it’s early but with the availability of many top coaches + the history of flames cheaping out on coaches, could Rocky get a shot? Former player, players coach with a tough but fair approach, coaches a possession style game, former memorial cup champ and current ahl bench boss. What do you think? Flame away

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[Ace Rimmer]

For a moment I had him confused with Sasha Lakovic, and had images of him getting down on all fours and barking at the opposing team bench.

Now that this moment of idiocy has passed, he could be a dark horse option; mostly for the reasons you describe.

 

[wasunder]

Awesome name, I'd hire him just for that.

 

[Rubi]

I would hope that he's a better coach than he was a player.

 

[FLAMESFAN]

The fans used to love his fights.

Don't know much about him as a coach though.

 

[Tofveve]

The fans used to love his fights.

Don't know much about him as a coach though.

I can't imagine that as a coach. I still have nightmares of his face and toothless mouth. As a fan.

 

[DFF]

Goon makes a good coach. A goon won last year

 

[FLAMESFAN]

I can't imagine that as a coach. I still have nightmares of his face and toothless mouth. As a fan.

But hey, it worked for Tim Hunter, so who knows?

 

[Fig]

I know it’s early but with the availability of many top coaches + the history of flames cheaping out on coaches, could Rocky get a shot? Former player, players coach with a tough but fair approach, coaches a possession style game, former memorial cup champ and current ahl bench boss. What do you think? Flame away

I mentioned his name a while ago as a target for an AC to groom into a HC. I thought Rocky Thompson was a cool enforcer when I was a kid.

I would hope that he's a better coach than he was a player.

Dude won a Memorial cup. He's apparently an excellent coach. Plenty of great coaches were nobodies at the NHL level. Many of the NHL greats weren't especially good coaches.

 

[SKRusty]

Personally I would love to see Gerard Gallant end up in Calgary.

This man has always made the most out of any team he has coached and Calgary would likely be the most complete team he has coached yet.

 

[Rubi]

Dude won a Memorial cup. He's apparently an excellent coach. Plenty of great coaches were nobodies at the NHL level. Many of the NHL greats weren't especially good coaches.

If would be pretty tough to be a worse coach than he as a player. The bar was set fairly low.
But you may be right. I know nothing about Rocky Thompson the coach. I only know Rocky Thompson the player.
BTW I don't put a lot of stock in winning the Memorial Cup. With those teams having such a high turnover rate in most cases winning the cup means a perfect storm of having the right players at the right time.
Now if you have a record of multiple appearances in the Memorial Cup or even OHL league finals .That would be a different story. Does he have that? I'm asking because I don't know

 

[Volica]

I thought we were doing a 'toughest SOB' contribution on this board. In both cases, this and the coaching thing, no. Pass.

 

[TazertoKaner]

Has taken an AHL team to the Calder cup finals as well in less than 3 years as the boss (obviously doesn’t build the team as a GM but going to the finals in the AHL is just as hard than in any league) looks to be trending up in nhl coaching candidate talks as well due to his possession system and coaching style.

 

[Rubi]

Has taken an AHL team to the Calder cup finals as well in less than 3 years as the boss (obviously doesn’t build the team as a GM but going to the finals in the AHL is just as hard than in any league) looks to be trending up in nhl coaching candidate talks as well due to his possession system and coaching style.

I take winning the Calder Cup with a grain of salt. Jim Playfair won the Cup in 2001 coaching the St John Flames. Bill Stewart took the St John Flames to the Calder Cup finals in 1998.

I rest my case.

 

[Fig]

I take winning the Calder Cup with a grain of salt. Jim Playfair won the Cup in 2001 coaching the St John Flames. Bill Stewart took the St John Flames to the Calder Cup finals in 1998.

I rest my case.

Rocky Thompson - Wikipedia

Following his professional career, Rocky Thompson turned to coaching, becoming the assistant coach for the expansion Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League in 2007.[2] He would later become an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Barons.

On July 16, 2014, Thompson was promoted to assistant coach of the Edmonton Oilers.[3]
On July 3, 2015, Thompson was hired as head coach of the Windsor Spitfires.[4] In his first season, he took a Spitfires team that finished last in the conference and guided them to 87 regular-season points and second place in the OHL West Division, before losing in five games to the London Knights in the first round of the playoffs. Thompson coached the Spitfires as they became champions of the 2017 Memorial Cup.
On June 7, 2017, Thompson was hired as head coach of the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League

Dude was 30 when he started coaching. He took a last place team and pushed them to 2nd place. Then two seasons later, Memorial cup. I don't think it's a flash in the pan situation. He's a legit up and comer.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

I have a feeling he’s an excellent motivator.

 

[SKRusty]

I have a feeling he’s an excellent motivator.

Hey guys whoever ends up with the lowest plus minus in the game has to come into the octagon with me.. Your not guaranteed to walk away. Rather you be on LTIR indefinitely than put up with poor play.