I know many writers may understandably think that other leagues are much inferior when it comes to the level of coaching, but let me tell an example from the FEL, which is actually pretty good when it comes to the level of coaching.
Kärpät, my FEL team is one of the biggest teams in Finland. Two years ago they had a terrible season so they ended up changing the coach (the assistant one who's also in the national team getting in charge). The new coach made the team play hockey that was considered innovative. The team played very offensive game and they even called it spotless hockey, as the defenders supported attack in a way that hasn't been seen in the FEL earlier. Of course they had some variation, especially in the playoffs, but that playing style was the sensation of the year in the FEL.
The coach is also known for allowing the players to make mistakes and learn from them. He's even said this publicly. In his team several players have made the best points in their career and guess which team won the championship and is leading the league at the moment?
While I know we're talking about a whole different league I believe the current winning hockey is more about fast, skilled defenders and a fast offensive game, where distances are short and where there's a lot of active pressure. Times are changing and the old school coaches may have trouble adjusting to it. The advantages they used to have in knowledge are pretty much gone so they can't afford being stubborn with the old ways if they clearly don't work.
