Coaching Carousel Continues to Turn

[Bmwolf21]

LINK

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks fired coach Ron Wilson on Monday after his club followed another outstanding regular season with yet another early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

The Sharks won the Pacific Division title and compiled the NHL's second-best record with 49 wins and 108 points, but the Dallas Stars knocked them out of the second round in six games on May 4. San Jose has ended its past three seasons with six-game losses in the second round, and general manager Doug Wilson decided his coach would take the fall for his talented playoff underachievers.

 

"Sometimes the class needs a new professor, and sometimes the professor needs a new class," said Doug Wilson, who claimed the Sharks played only "five good playoff games" among their 13 postseason outings this spring.

 

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2007-08 Coaching Changes LINK

[X. Benedict]

I think dumping R. Wilson is the right move. He's really shown he's taken them about as far as he's going to.

 

But the GM should take a little stock, he added Campbell and Rivet in the last 24 months which doesn't actually create much space for your scorers come playoff time.

 

...compare to Ray Shero, he's added plenty of nasty in the last two years. Ruttu, Roberts, Laraque...

[Assquatch]

LINK

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks fired coach Ron Wilson on Monday after his club followed another outstanding regular season with yet another early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

The Sharks won the Pacific Division title and compiled the NHL's second-best record with 49 wins and 108 points, but the Dallas Stars knocked them out of the second round in six games on May 4. San Jose has ended its past three seasons with six-game losses in the second round, and general manager Doug Wilson decided his coach would take the fall for his talented playoff underachievers.

 

"Sometimes the class needs a new professor, and sometimes the professor needs a new class," said Doug Wilson, who claimed the Sharks played only "five good playoff games" among their 13 postseason outings this spring.

 

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2007-08 Coaching Changes LINK

 

Pretty sure the Sharks denied the Make Beliefs permission to speak with Wilson about their vacant head coaching position just last week. Then they can him anyway. :lol:

I've hated that guy (Wilson) ever since he called the Sabres a "chicken-sh!t team" in '98 when he was with the Capitals.

[X. Benedict]

Pretty sure the Sharks denied the Make Beliefs permission to speak with Wilson about their vacant head coaching position just last week. Then they can him anyway. :lol:

I've hated that guy (Wilson) ever since he called the Sabres a "chicken-sh!t team" in '98 when he was with the Capitals.

 

I think I heard Rob Ray say that Ronnie called some of his players out during the playoffs and that it seemed to backfire. Some of the players went to him and told him he couldn't do that.

 

That tells you two things, the players don't like him, and that that got out of the locker room.

[FogBat]

LINK

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks fired coach Ron Wilson on Monday after his club followed another outstanding regular season with yet another early exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

The Sharks won the Pacific Division title and compiled the NHL's second-best record with 49 wins and 108 points, but the Dallas Stars knocked them out of the second round in six games on May 4. San Jose has ended its past three seasons with six-game losses in the second round, and general manager Doug Wilson decided his coach would take the fall for his talented playoff underachievers.

 

"Sometimes the class needs a new professor, and sometimes the professor needs a new class," said Doug Wilson, who claimed the Sharks played only "five good playoff games" among their 13 postseason outings this spring.

 

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2007-08 Coaching Changes LINK

Seems like the hockey prognosticators got it right on this one. Heard all the chatter about this before the playoffs hit. Not surprising in the least bit.

[apuszczalowski]

I don't think its too much of a suprise when you look at the team they have, and then watched any of their playoff games ths year

 

The Coach is almost always the first change

[Bmwolf21]

Tony Granato returns to his spot as Colorado's head coach, four years after being demoted from the same position.

 

LINK

[deluca67]

Every time I hear of a coach getting fired it makes me appreciate Lindy Ruff even more. I said this before and I truly believe it. If Lindy Ruff left the Sabres he could pretty much, with a few exceptions, pick which team he wanted to coach.

[FogBat]

Every time I hear of a coach getting fired it makes me appreciate Lindy Ruff even more. I said this before and I truly believe it. If Lindy Ruff left the Sabres he could pretty much, with a few exceptions, pick which team he wanted to coach.

Good point. However, here' a something to consider. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he's stayed because he loves the community and we love him.

 

On top of that, there's been at least 100 coaches axed since 1997, right? I rest my case.

[BetweenThePipes00]

No doubt Ruff would not be unemployed long if he was fired ...

The day is going to come when he is not longer the Sabres coach ... even the best guys get fired because the team needs a new voice or whatever ... or maybe he will decide he needs a change (although I doubt that unless the FO really makes it impossible to be competitive) ... or maybe he will just retire someday ... whatever the case, even if they win it all in the first year with a new coach, it won't be the same. There is something to having a guy coach the team who wore that sweater (well, not THAT sweater, but the colors), who takes pride in the team and the city ... I gotta admit, when they asked him after the Winter Classic about that awesome jacket in my avatar and he said "It's always a good day when you can put on the Blue and Gold," well, it got a bit dutsy where I was sitting. Maybe the days are gone when the players cared that much and it wasn't about the money, but that guy would coach for free if he could lift the Cup in Buffalo, i really believe that. And it wouldn't be the same for him if he won it somewhere else either.

[Bmwolf21]

Vancouver agreed to an extension with Alan Vigneault but canned assistants Barry Smith and Mike Kelly.

LINK

[deluca67]

No doubt Ruff would not be unemployed long if he was fired ...

The day is going to come when he is not longer the Sabres coach ... even the best guys get fired because the team needs a new voice or whatever ... or maybe he will decide he needs a change (although I doubt that unless the FO really makes it impossible to be competitive) ... or maybe he will just retire someday ... whatever the case, even if they win it all in the first year with a new coach, it won't be the same. There is something to having a guy coach the team who wore that sweater (well, not THAT sweater, but the colors), who takes pride in the team and the city ... I gotta admit, when they asked him after the Winter Classic about that awesome jacket in my avatar and he said "It's always a good day when you can put on the Blue and Gold," well, it got a bit dutsy where I was sitting. Maybe the days are gone when the players cared that much and it wasn't about the money, but that guy would coach for free if he could lift the Cup in Buffalo, i really believe that. And it wouldn't be the same for him if he won it somewhere else either.

I hope if Lindy steps down as coach it's because he is moving up to the GM position when/if Regier moves upward. I want this guy to always be a part of the franchise.

[Buffalo Wings]

No doubt Ruff would not be unemployed long if he was fired ...

The day is going to come when he is not longer the Sabres coach ...

WGR had a segment on this last week in the wake of Ron Wilson's firing....how will it end for Lindy? Does he retire? Does he walk away on his own? Does he get fired?

 

Personally, I can't see him getting fired. He's brought this team to 4 ECFs, 1 Finals, and usually has them in contention. The only time we really weren't a playoff team was during the bankruptcy years. I think Lindy would step down on his own - and I really wouldn't mind seeing him as the GM if Darcy walks away.

[shrader]

I always wonder how much thought people actually put into that Lindy as GM idea. Has he ever done anything to suggest that he would make a good GM? That could very easily be a task that he's not up to.

[apuszczalowski]

I always wonder how much thought people actually put into that Lindy as GM idea. Has he ever done anything to suggest that he would make a good GM? That could very easily be a task that he's not up to.

I wonder the same thing.

 

Has Lindy ever said he wants to be a GM?

 

What would make him such a great GM, the fact that he was/is a great coach?

 

Does he even want to be a GM?

[jimiVbaby]

I wonder the same thing.

 

Has Lindy ever said he wants to be a GM?

 

What would make him such a great GM, the fact that he was/is a great coach?

 

Does he even want to be a GM?

 

This discussion always makes me think of a Mitch Hedberg quote...

 

When you?re in Hollywood and you?re a comedian, everybody wants you to do other things. All right, you?re a stand-up comedian, can you write us a script? That?s not fair. That?s like if I worked hard to become a cook, and I?m a really good cook, they?d say, ?OK, you?re a cook. Can you farm??

 

Lindy's job is to divise a gameplan and lead the team, not analyze talent and build 5 year plans based on a budget and player development. The only thing related is the game of hockey.

[Bmwolf21]

I always wonder how much thought people actually put into that Lindy as GM idea. Has he ever done anything to suggest that he would make a good GM? That could very easily be a task that he's not up to.

The question is -- what did the other coaches-turned-GM's do that showed they could handle the duties of GM? Someone in the organization likely saw the person's long-term planning, organizational skills, ability to handle numbers, eye for talent, ability to assemble a good staff, etc., and realized that those qualities would translate into good GM material.

 

While there are guys who are career front office players there is also a long list of current GM's who appear to have no discernible "GM skills" other than being former players and coaches. I mean for crying out loud - Bobby Clark was a GM, and Garth Snow and Brett Hull are current GM's. Is it that inconceivable that Lindy might want to move upstairs and take on a new challenge and would be unqualified for the job?

[shrader]

The question is -- what did the other coaches-turned-GM's do that showed they could handle the duties of GM? Someone in the organization likely saw the person's long-term planning, organizational skills, ability to handle numbers, eye for talent, ability to assemble a good staff, etc., and realized that those qualities would translate into good GM material.

 

While there are guys who are career front office players there is also a long list of current GM's who appear to have no discernible "GM skills" other than being former players and coaches. I mean for crying out loud - Bobby Clark was a GM, and Garth Snow and Brett Hull are current GM's. Is it that inconceivable that Lindy might want to move upstairs and take on a new challenge and would be unqualified for the job?

 

I'm sure we can produce a long list of good coaches who became GMs and also good coaches who either didn't cut it as GMs or never made that jump. To me, Lindy and Darcy are an item (yeah, poor choice of words, but you know what I mean). I'm not sure if I can picture one without the other. Yeah, they won't work together forever, but Lindy just seems like the type that is fits the coaching role perfectly.

[BetweenThePipes00]

I'm sure we can produce a long list of good coaches who became GMs and also good coaches who either didn't cut it as GMs or never made that jump. To me, Lindy and Darcy are an item (yeah, poor choice of words, but you know what I mean). I'm not sure if I can picture one without the other. Yeah, they won't work together forever, but Lindy just seems like the type that is fits the coaching role perfectly.

 

I agree ... just seems that if Lindy ever had designs on being a GM he would have at least hinted at it by now, he doesn't mince words. Then again, maybe he has not gotten the itch because he works so well with Darcy and Darcy allows him input so he never feels like guys are forced on him. So if Dracy quits or retires, who knows?

[Bmwolf21]

I have no problem with the thought that he might not be interested in the position. Where I do have an issue is with the idea that he is somehow incapable of performing the duties of a General Manager because no one here "has seen evidence that he can do the job"...

[LabattBlue]

I always wonder how much thought people actually put into that Lindy as GM idea. Has he ever done anything to suggest that he would make a good GM? That could very easily be a task that he's not up to.

I agree. It's like the people who call for Jim Kelly to be the OC of the Bills. :wallbash: :wallbash:

[shrader]

I have no problem with the thought that he might not be interested in the position. Where I do have an issue is with the idea that he is somehow incapable of performing the duties of a General Manager because no one here "has seen evidence that he can do the job"...

 

And I view all the "Lindy should be GM" thoughts in the same exact way.

[Bmwolf21]

I agree. It's like the people who call for Jim Kelly to be the OC of the Bills. :wallbash: :wallbash:

There's a difference, though - there is precedent for coaches to bump up to GM, but not often does an ex-player jump right into a coordinator position.

 

And I view all the "Lindy should be GM" thoughts in the same exact way.

Fair enough. But questioning whether he wants to and whether he is capable are two different things, especially given his success as coach, a position that requires a lot of similar traits - ability to spot talent, knowledge on what it takes to build a successful team, how to work well with other front office types, and the fact that he has been working hand-in-hand with the front office over the last several years.

[Bmwolf21]

Reports: Senators to introduce Hartsburg as next coach

 

ESPN.com news services

 

Former Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks coach Craig Hartsburg will be named the Ottawa Senators' new coach at a news conference Friday morning, according to multiple Canadian media outlets.

 

Hartsburg, who coached Canada's national junior team to the past two world championships, replaces Bryan Murray behind the bench. Murray, the Senators' general manager, took over as interim coach after firing John Paddock midway through the past season.

 

It appeared earlier this week that the Senators had settled on Peter DeBoer, coach of the Kitchener Rangers, as their next leader. But the two sides could not reach an agreement.

LINK

[slugspirit]

Speaking as a Sabres fan, I'm absolutely fine with Ottawa getting Hartsburg.