Confirmed with Link: Tim Bernhardt Parts Ways With Coyotes

[ParisSaintGermain]

Very grateful of what Bernhardt (and his team) has done for us, and it has been enjoyable to head into drafts without worrying too much; a contrast to many previous years.

Bernhardt had mentioned that the whole travelling had taken its toll at times, so maybe he will retire.

He was never going to be the future, and Chayka is all about setting up things for the future, and being innovative. He saw an opportunity with Hofford, and pulled the trigger like he does with trades.

 

[Grvmnd]

Reads to me our scout was adamant about bpa which was zdina. GM overruled for position and man crush and the rest is history. Why did this guy work all year doing all that research?

 

[Brodeur]

Interesting. Our drafting really seemed to turn around under Bernhardt, this makes me nervous.

Doesn't the timing seem strange? Wouldn't you want to make this change a month or so before the draft, not after it?

This isn't too unusual. From what I've read, many scouts only have contracts from year-to-year and sometimes they'll kinda know that they won't be renewed and they'll use the draft to talk to other teams. I remember when Steve Yzerman was hired by Tampa, it was only a few weeks before the 2010 Draft so he had no choice but to go with the incumbent scouting staff. A few months after the draft, Yzerman cleaned house and hired his own guys. Ray Shero did something similar when he joined the Devils.

If you change your head scout a month before the draft, there aren't going to be a lot of (external) people available to fill his shoes. Mark Hunter left the Leafs, but had to wait until after the draft before he was allowed to talk to any other teams.

 

[93LEAFS]

Very grateful of what Bernhardt (and his team) has done for us, and it has been enjoyable to head into drafts without worrying too much; a contrast to many previous years.

Bernhardt had mentioned that the whole travelling had taken its toll at times, so maybe he will retire.

He was never going to be the future, and Chayka is all about setting up things for the future, and being innovative. He saw an opportunity with Hofford, and pulled the trigger like he does with trades.

I heard Bernhardt wanted out in a year to retire. I don't know whatever happened in the background that expedited him leaving the organization. Chayka was big on Hayton, but that doesn't mean Bernhardt was fully against it.



It seems Bernhardt's number one supporter isn't too happy about it. And, I doubt he would do this on twitter if it was amicable as it was made out in the press release. It wasn't a coincidence that one, the Coyotes always graded out very high in Craig's post-draft rankings, pretty sure he had Max as the number 1 drafted prospect in 2014, and both Dvorak and Strome (although Strome it wasn't excessive at the time) in his top 3 in 2015 and two, the Coyotes normally either drafted the top guy left on Craig's board in the 1st (Strome, Keller) or a guy that he was much higher than consensus on (Hayton and POJ). They also probably ended up with a disproportionate amount of guys he ranked, but so does Calgary (where his brother is director of scouting).

 

[Matias Maccete]

This isn't too unusual. From what I've read, many scouts only have contracts from year-to-year and sometimes they'll kinda know that they won't be renewed and they'll use the draft to talk to other teams. I remember when Steve Yzerman was hired by Tampa, it was only a few weeks before the 2010 Draft so he had no choice but to go with the incumbent scouting staff. A few months after the draft, Yzerman cleaned house and hired his own guys. Ray Shero did something similar when he joined the Devils.

If you change your head scout a month before the draft, there aren't going to be a lot of (external) people available to fill his shoes. Mark Hunter left the Leafs, but had to wait until after the draft before he was allowed to talk to any other teams.

That makes sense thanks.

 

[Jakey53]

This isn't too unusual. From what I've read, many scouts only have contracts from year-to-year and sometimes they'll kinda know that they won't be renewed and they'll use the draft to talk to other teams. I remember when Steve Yzerman was hired by Tampa, it was only a few weeks before the 2010 Draft so he had no choice but to go with the incumbent scouting staff. A few months after the draft, Yzerman cleaned house and hired his own guys. Ray Shero did something similar when he joined the Devils.

If you change your head scout a month before the draft, there aren't going to be a lot of (external) people available to fill his shoes. Mark Hunter left the Leafs, but had to wait until after the draft before he was allowed to talk to any other teams.

That may be true with some teams, but not sure if that what happened here. I thought our drafting the last few years has been solid, so I believe something happened behind closed doors.

 

[RABBIT]

I don't know why i didnt bother to read the article Craig wrote. This seems like it was kind of inevitable. Tim either wants to retire or take a significantly smaller role. No hard feelings on either side it seems, just wasn't going to work.

 

[Jakey53]

I don't know why i didnt bother to read the article Craig wrote. This seems like it was kind of inevitable. Tim either wants to retire or take a significantly smaller role. No hard feelings on either side it seems, just wasn't going to work.

Hopefully, that is all there is to it.

 

[Neighborhood Coyote]

This transition makes me a little nervous because our recent drafts have been pretty good, imo. Hopefully the next step is even better. Drafting is the spot this team absolutely has to do well if they want to succeed on the budget, imo. Idk whether the split was indeed mutual and amicable and all that... I hope so! This team needs to make sure to stabilize and keep stable going forward.

If Benhardt is taking this opportunity to retire or get some time off, I think he's well earned it and thank him for his work turning the Yote's scouting in the right direction.

 

[Grimes]

I heard Bernhardt wanted out in a year to retire. I don't know whatever happened in the background that expedited him leaving the organization. Chayka was big on Hayton, but that doesn't mean Bernhardt was fully against it.



It seems Bernhardt's number one supporter isn't too happy about it. And, I doubt he would do this on twitter if it was amicable as it was made out in the press release. It wasn't a coincidence that one, the Coyotes always graded out very high in Craig's post-draft rankings, pretty sure he had Max as the number 1 drafted prospect in 2014, and both Dvorak and Strome (although Strome it wasn't excessive at the time) in his top 3 in 2015 and two, the Coyotes normally either drafted the top guy left on Craig's board in the 1st (Strome, Keller) or a guy that he was much higher than consensus on (Hayton and POJ). They also probably ended up with a disproportionate amount of guys he ranked, but so does Calgary (where his brother is director of scouting).

The Button love was always a little weird. Didnt realize how heavily we were drafting Buttons guys however. It doesnt seem like our picks were leaked heavily by him, but maybe there was more going on in the background than meets the eye.

Thanks for the insight

 

[93LEAFS]

The Button love was always a little weird. Didnt realize how heavily we were drafting Buttons guys however. It doesnt seem like our picks were leaked heavily by him, but maybe there was more going on in the background than meets the eye.

Thanks for the insight

You could get some rough insights on who the Coyotes liked by looking at Craig's lists. While he claim's the list are his own, he'll absolutely run it by people in the industry so it doesn't look insane. It also helps a team's scouting staff in mainstream media if they one, having a pick that is a reach being defended by someone, and two, who later does rankings on guys.

Most GM's and stuff will leak stuff when it suits them. Whether its for better coverage or something. Its not like the 10 people who "vote" in Bob's poll are purely doing it out of the good of their heart and for us lucky fans. There's clearly tradeoffs made.

 

[hbk]

Didn’t Button hire Bernhardt while he was in Dallas? They are likely buddies.

I stayed this earlier that the criticism inbound bernhardt was his misses on first rounders. His drafting mid rounds in Dallas especially was very good. We haven’t seen if the promise of the prospects drafted by Bernhardt can translate into a winning “core”.

Chayka seems to like to go full Belicheck on dropping down and picking up picks as he just thinks it’s luck. He’s said that often. That probably doesn’t sit too well philosophically with your head of scouting even though u like getting more chips.

I get the sense that we are striving to be different in how we use analytics in scouting. It’s our advantage given Chayka’s background. Given the strength of this upcoming draft this is something that he likely wants implemented now and not by someone who is potentially interested in slowing down or retiring as early as next year when his contract is up. I do think it’s important that your head scout has to live with the aftermath of a selection. I know I wanted clarity when we went off the board (off my board at least) to take Hayton at 5.

 

[XX]

It's hard to trade down if other teams know your guy months ahead of time

 

[hbk]

It's hard to trade down if other teams know your guy months ahead of time

It’s more common than you think to trade info. See Keith Gretzky incident/rib that was cited in Shane Malloy’s book on scouting that details how the Kings knew we were taking OeL at 6 and told them that’s who they were drafting as the walked up to take Schenn

 

[XX]

It’s more common than you think to trade info. See Keith Gretzky incident/rib that was cited in Shane Malloy’s book on scouting that details how the Kings knew we were taking OeL at 6 and told them that’s who they were drafting as the walked up to take Schenn

Info traded by GMs is fine and at their discretion.

A mostly one way relationship between a hockey personality and your director of scouting not so much.

 

[hbk]

Info traded by GMs is fine and at their discretion.

A mostly one way relationship between a hockey personality and your director of scouting not so much.

McKenzie and Hayton?

 

[Grimes]

McKenzie and Hayton?

I believe it was Button who started saying he thinks were taking a center at 5 as Chayka darted to the podium and begab saying "From the Soo" and my jaw dropped.

 

[XX]

I believe it was Button who started saying he thinks were taking a center at 5 as Chayka darted to the podium and begab saying "From the Soo" and my jaw dropped.

Button blurted out the pick by name before they had even left the table on the broadcast because he knew so far ahead of time.

 

[hbk]

Button blurted out the pick by name before they had even left the table on the broadcast because he knew so far ahead of time.

Not uncommon. McKenzie has been doing it since the 90's. Same thing. It's the reason he's so revered.

 

[XX]

Not uncommon. McKenzie has been doing it since the 90's. Same thing. It's the reason he's so revered.

The difference is that McKenzie, like Woj and Schefter, knows how to be discrete. The relationship Button had with Bernhardt goes way back and appears to have existed outside of the interests of the organization. It may or may not have perturbed Chayka but I'd be willing to bet it absolutely tipped him over into "I need my own guy" territory.

We won't get the full story re: picks like Hayton until well after the fact.

 

[hbk]

The difference is that McKenzie, like Woj and Schefter, knows how to be discrete. The relationship Button had with Bernhardt goes way back and appears to have existed outside of the interests of the organization. It may or may not have perturbed Chayka but I'd be willing to bet it absolutely tipped him over into "I need my own guy" territory.

We won't get the full story re: picks like Hayton until well after the fact.

If you read Malloys book its fairly common knowledge who each team likes in the first round. If you see the head of scouting at 20 or so games a kid is playing chances are he's high on the list. Especially in a remote community like the Soo.

Two years ago I saw the same Ducks scout (I asked he answered) at Pats game in Regina. It wasn't hard to connect the dots on Sam Steel.

 

[lanky]

The difference is that McKenzie, like Woj and Schefter, knows how to be discrete. The relationship Button had with Bernhardt goes way back and appears to have existed outside of the interests of the organization. It may or may not have perturbed Chayka but I'd be willing to bet it absolutely tipped him over into "I need my own guy" territory.

We won't get the full story re: picks like Hayton until well after the fact.

McKenzie is discreet BUT he does the same thing that you say Button did. McKenzie routinely announces a pick while the gm is walking to the stage. At that point there's no value to the secret other than entertainment.

 

[rt]

They did that with every pick this draft and it’s not due to inside info. I believe the pick gets made before the staff gets to the stage. It’s that last phone call GMs make. If I’m not mistaken, the process is something like; a they register it with the NHL and get approved over the phone, the league assigns the pick some place, the tv panel has access to that and they immediately blow the suspense by zooming in on the kid about to be drafted and making comments about him. I think it’s always been this way, except for the part where the television coverage decides to blow the whole thing by spoiling. That part is new.

 

[XX]

No idea why you guys are focused on the broadcast when that's not the problem

 

[BUX7PHX]

They did that with every pick this draft and it’s not due to inside info. I believe the pick gets made before the staff gets to the stage. It’s that last phone call GMs make. If I’m not mistaken, the process is something like; a they register it with the NHL and get approved over the phone, the league assigns the pick some place, the tv panel has access to that and they immediately blow the suspense by zooming in on the kid about to be drafted and making comments about him. I think it’s always been this way, except for the part where the television coverage decides to blow the whole thing by spoiling. That part is new.

Doesn't it wind up being known at least 1-2 minutes prior anyhow? NHL Network could have a guy who is sitting right next to the jersey press that puts the player's name on the jersey, and then he radios up to get all of the information ready on player XYZ for the broadcast.

After all, since teams present a jersey to the player, they put the name on there and someone is to find out before the pick is made. Button could have just said, "Be on the lookout for Barrett Hayton," after he gets word that was the name placed on the back of the jersey. I think that he may have known more about our inkling towards Hayton, but at that point, there were a number of players - Zadina, Wahlstrom, Hughes, or an off-the-board pick like Hayton that could have been the pick. Button only mentioned Hayton at the absolute last moment, which makes me think that he will announce once word gets out of the name that was pressed on to the jersey. If Button had talked up Hayton since the moment AZ was on the clock, then I think you have a conspiracy where someone knows our list too intimately.