The dumbest thing you've seen a national team coach do

[mattihp]

Inspired by the NHL thread on the same topic.

Let's go!


For me it is 2000-2001 and Hannu Aravirta having Toni Sihvonen out for key moments in the final. The derpy boy made a clean pass to the Czechs who scored and won the game.

Click to read more...

 

[Eye of Ra]

BÅG sending out modin-påhlsson last minute to get a goal against Slovakia in olympics 2010.

 

[Lartsaman]

- Znarok 2014 semifinal against Sweden
- Everything Aravirta did in 2003 quarterfinal against Sweden

Nothing else comes to mind right now.

 

[Lartsaman]

Inspired by the NHL thread on the same topic.

Let's go!


For me it is 2000-2001 and Hannu Aravirta having Toni Sihvonen out for key moments in the final. The derpy boy made a clean pass to the Czechs who scored and won the game.

I remember that a bit differently. Pavel Patera just stoled the puck from Sihvonen.

 

[Mathieukferland]

Slava Bykov having home change in Vancouver 2010 and not realizing what line matching was

 

[Chimpradamus]

BÅG sending out modin-påhlsson last minute to get a goal against Slovakia in olympics 2010.

Don't forget he buried Johan Franzén in the lineup despite him being in great shape and scored alot. Only in the last 10 minutes against Slovakia he really got the chance and moved up. Or even his asinine player decisions where the team won the olympic gold despite BÅG, not because of him.

 

[Czechboy]

Alois Hadamczak... decided his son in law Barinka was better than Jan Hejda (in a career year). Decided Jakub Stepanek was a better goalie than our NHL options at the time.

2006 Olympics we entered with Hasek and Vokoun and were highly rated at that time. Hasek got hurt but we still had Vokoun so we benched him in favor of Milan Hnilicka (who was well past his expiry date at that point) and got smoked by Sweden. We eventually won the bronze with Vokoun back in net.

In general, the Czech team bringing NHL goalies over and sitting them in favor of European ones. I cannot think of one instance where this has worked but we keep doing it.

Czech coaches cutting our best Jr players because they play in North America.

But, if I have to give a name.. Alois Hadamczak. He was gifted some very good teams (when we were still good) and just f***ed it all up!

 

[Macman]

Viktor Tikhonov for not having Fetisov and Kasatonov on the ice against Gretzky, Lemieux and Hawerchuk for the final minute of the 1987 Canada Cup.

 

[Lartsaman]

In general, the Czech team bringing NHL goalies over and sitting them in favor of European ones. I cannot think of one instance where this has worked but we keep doing it.

Thats a bit weird, I have to admit. But maybe it had something to do with various WCH gold medals won with Hnilicka and Cechmanek?

 

[Czechboy]

Thats a bit weird, I have to admit. But maybe it had something to do with various WCH gold medals won with Hnilicka and Cechmanek?

Absolutely in those cases and Hnilicka is a hall of famer.. but at that point he was done in the NHL after an okay career. He was back in Europe and not much left.

Kovar, Salak and Stepanek over NHl goalies is maddening and hasn't worked once. I do know Kovar caught the bronze for us so that is the one example. I don't know of any other nations that bring NHL goalies and bench them as much as we do. Francouz over Mrazek a few years ago was another one. Then, once Francouz was an NHL goalie, he got benched for Bartosak the next year.lol It just goes on and on.

Also, with all due respect as I love them.. winning gold at at a world's and winning at a best on best are 2 different things. The irony that our last gold at the World's was by Tomas Vokoun is not lost on me.lol

Every year it's this coach knows better than the world... 'you gotta see this guy in Liberec'.

FTR.. not one of the Euro goalies every went on to become an established NHL goalie.. so it's not like we were starting a pre NHL Hasek over an NHL goalie.... it's always around 25 to 30 and a full time Euro goalie.

 

[Czechboy]

Absolutely in those cases and Hnilicka is a hall of famer.. but at that point he was done in the NHL after an okay career. He was back in Europe and not much left.

Kovar, Salak and Stepanek over NHl goalies is maddening and hasn't worked once. I do know Kovar caught the bronze for us so that is the one example. I don't know of any other nations that bring NHL goalies and bench them as much as we do. Francouz over Mrazek a few years ago was another one. Then, once Francouz was an NHL goalie, he got benched for Bartosak the next year.lol It just goes on and on.

Also, with all due respect as I love them.. winning gold at at a world's and winning at a best on best are 2 different things. The irony that our last gold at the World's was by Tomas Vokoun is not lost on me.lol

Every year it's this coach knows better than the world... 'you gotta see this guy in Liberec'.

FTR.. not one of the Euro goalies every went on to become an established NHL goalie.. so it's not like we were starting a pre NHL Hasek over an NHL goalie.... it's always around 25 to 30 and a full time Euro goalie.

And since I"m ranting.lol

Another one is get 2 goalies... play 1 goalie against the Top 5 nations (Canada, Finland, Sweden, Russia and US.. whichever ones are in our pool). Play the other goalie against the rest (Swiss, Denmark, Latvia etc.).

Then, in the quarterfinal elimination game, play the goalie who played the weaker competition becuase he had better stats!

That's what happened to Francouz at the last world's. It's also what happened to Parik at the Jr's this Xmas... he shuts out Russia and Malik shuts out Austria. Elimination game.. Malik is in!

 

[peconcan]

Crawford keeping 99 on the bench for the shootout

 

[MaxV]

Viktor Tikhonov for not having Fetisov and Kasatonov on the ice against Gretzky, Lemieux and Hawerchuk for the final minute of the 1987 Canada Cup.

Replacing Tretiak vs USA in 1980 also was questionable.

 

[cg98]

Not having Gretzky take a shot in the shootout in Nagano.

 

[Zine]

Viktor Tikhonov for not having Fetisov and Kasatonov on the ice against Gretzky, Lemieux and Hawerchuk for the final minute of the 1987 Canada Cup.

What's worse is Tikhonov put 20-year-old Igor Kravchuk on the ice. His failed pinch led to the decisive goal.

 

[RobRayzor]

In one world championship years ago (could be even 10-15 years ago) Sweden was i believe winning by one goal or it was a tie late in game. The other team was out of gas, Swedish team was all fresh. For no reason Swedish coach (Bengt-Åke Gustafsson) took time out and every broadcaster were confused and then seconds later Sweden gave up a goal, and i believe even lost the game.People blamed their coach for that decision.
I cannot remember the specific game but imo that was one of the weirdest things internationally a coach has done.

 

[Johnny Tomala]

In one world championship years ago (could be even 10-15 years ago) Sweden was i believe winning by one goal or it was a tie late in game. The other team was out of gas, Swedish team was all fresh. For no reason Swedish coach (Bengt-Åke Gustafsson) took time out and every broadcaster were confused and then seconds later Sweden gave up a goal, and i believe even lost the game.People blamed their coach for that decision.
I cannot remember the specific game but imo that was one of the weirdest things internationally a coach has done.

Maybe it was in 2010 IIHF WC? Czech Republic tied at 59:52, then won in 70:00 in OT? Or it could have been in 2012 IIHF WC. Tied 3-3, Czech won at 59:31. Yep, it was 2010 as You pointed out about BAG, it was with him at 2010 IIHF WC.

 

[Elvs]

Bengt-Åke Gustafsson picking Modin over Samuelsson in 2010. And the fact that Weinhandl and Magnus Johansson made the team. Also Hannula making the team over Holmstrom in 2006... But luckily Holmstrom finally got a spot as a replacement.

 

[RobRayzor]

Maybe it was in 2010 IIHF WC? Czech Republic tied at 59:52, then won in 70:00 in OT?

I think this is the one

 

[Sanf]

I think this is the one

Yes it was that mentioned game. I have never been big fan of how Gustaffson responded to that afterwards. Sweden dropped to bronze game. They played against Germany (and the tournament was in Germany). Sweden was in 3-1 lead and Gustafsson took timeout with less than second game remaining.

It was his ego moment. To show the critics. I would say it was pretty disrespectful towards the opponents. Especially considering Germany (West) had last medalled in tournament in 1976. I remember Uwe Krupp was rather pissed about it.

 

[sdf]

What's worse is Tikhonov put 20-year-old Igor Kravchuk on the ice. His failed pinch led to the decisive goal.

So true zemelya

 

[Caser]

Bilyaletdinov in Sochi 2014 - whole Team Russia's tournament was one big dumbest thing by him. Same with Bykov in Slovakia in 2011.

 

[DeysArena]

Crawford keeping 99 on the bench for the shootout

I came here to post this one.

 

[Macman]

What's worse is Tikhonov put 20-year-old Igor Kravchuk on the ice. His failed pinch led to the decisive goal.

And if I remember correctly Tikhonov then proceeded to chew out Kravchuk when he was back on the bench as if it were his fault.

 

[jcs0218]

Crawford keeping 99 on the bench for the shootout

Not having Gretzky take a shot in the shootout in Nagano.

I came here to post this one.

This is a tough one.

Wayne wasn't nearly a goal-scorer at that point in his career. And he was never anything special on breakaways, even at his peak. Most of his 894 career goals came from having a 6th-sense of knowing exactly where to be at the exact right time.

On the other hand, it is Gretzky. If anyone could summon magic or use any kind of Jedi-type tricks to somehow find a way to fool Dominik Hasek on a shootout attempt, it would be Wayne Gretzky.

Maybe an even bigger mistake than not choosing Gretzky was choosing Bourque.

Unless we are all unaware of some kind of secret breakaway talent that Bourque had, then choosing him over several forwards wasn't too smart.

Even if you ignore Gretzky, then why not have Yzerman or Recchi take a shootout attempt rather than Bourque?