From what I've heard, and I heard this throughout the season as well, Sullivan was the defacto coach other than on game days. He ran practices and special teams and was universally despised by the players. They liked Gulutzan but felt he didn't have enough autonomy. He was willing to practice the PP and try to change things up but Sullivan had his own ideas. Sullivan had Tots ear and the players often felt that their fates were determined by Sullivan's moods. Cross Sullivan and be in Torts dog house. It was a strange relationship, one that allowed Torts to delegate to the point of abdicating.
It was also a relationship that MG was well aware of and he had contemplated firing Torts just before the Olympic break. He almost fired him after the Calgary fiasco. Why he didn't I don't know. Maybe it was just another sign of how difficult it really was for MG to make decisions in the end or maybe he just didn't want to admit failure. Or maybe....
A couple of my friends say they are still absolutely convinced the Torts hiring was heavily influenced by ownership. He apparently impressed the Italian clan. I guess we will never know
Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
Moderator: Referees
- Hockey Widow
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Re: Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
The only HW the Canucks need
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Re: Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
Tortorella seems the absolute antitheses of a "Gillis guy".Hockey Widow wrote: A couple of my friends say they are still absolutely convinced the Torts hiring was heavily influenced by ownership. He apparently impressed the Italian clan. I guess we will never know
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Re: Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
Gillis still shit the bed massively in trying to stay at an elite level post 2011 cup run with the great core he inherited. Torts was just icing on the miserable cakeIsland Nucklehead wrote:Tortorella seems the absolute antitheses of a "Gillis guy".Hockey Widow wrote: A couple of my friends say they are still absolutely convinced the Torts hiring was heavily influenced by ownership. He apparently impressed the Italian clan. I guess we will never know
Gillis will be lucky to get another managerial job in the NHL. Shouldn't have quit his day job
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Re: Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
The results speak for themselves.RoyalDude wrote: Gillis still shit the bed massively in trying to stay at an elite level post 2011 cup run with the great core he inherited. Torts was just icing on the miserable cake
Re: Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
You would think that management would have done their homework more rigorously on Torts. I do believe there were similar rumblings out of NYC about similar issues there: Sullivan's clout, Torts' delegating, etc. Makes you wonder whose idea it was to hire Gully in the first place if it was going to be the Torts and Sully show from the get-go.Hockey Widow wrote:From what I've heard, and I heard this throughout the season as well, Sullivan was the defacto coach other than on game days. He ran practices and special teams and was universally despised by the players. They liked Gulutzan but felt he didn't have enough autonomy. He was willing to practice the PP and try to change things up but Sullivan had his own ideas. Sullivan had Tots ear and the players often felt that their fates were determined by Sullivan's moods. Cross Sullivan and be in Torts dog house. It was a strange relationship, one that allowed Torts to delegate to the point of abdicating.
It was also a relationship that MG was well aware of and he had contemplated firing Torts just before the Olympic break. He almost fired him after the Calgary fiasco. Why he didn't I don't know. Maybe it was just another sign of how difficult it really was for MG to make decisions in the end or maybe he just didn't want to admit failure. Or maybe....
A couple of my friends say they are still absolutely convinced the Torts hiring was heavily influenced by ownership. He apparently impressed the Italian clan. I guess we will never know
All this stuff coming out now and you wonder how the season could have turned out otherwise. In a way it gives one reason for hope that last year was a coach-driven anomaly. At least it precipitated some much-needed changes to the team.
Any word on assistant coaches being named???
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Re: Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
via: http://canucks.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id ... L|VAN|homeBetamax wrote:via: https://twitter.com/VanCanucks/status/4 ... 7381749760
"Change is coming." I guess you can say, there is some truth in advertising.
A place you didn't find Torts last season:
Vancouver Canucks Verified account @VanCanucks
#Canucks coach Willie Desjardins looks on at #Vandevcamp during a lifting lesson. He spoke to the prospects earlier.
1:33 PM - 5 Jul 2014
Demko checks in - Vol. I
Sunday, 06.07.2014 / 4:28 PM / Features
By Thatcher Demko
LOL. I thought it was only Torts who didn't expect to come to a prospect development camp.Canuchs(sic) head coach Willie Desjardins was up all weekend as well and he talked to us about what it takes to make it as pro hockey players. That’s pretty special, you don’t expect the coach to come to development camp, that speaks to the level of commitment the Canucks have as an organization, they’re really focused on every players, regardless of where they rank in the system.
- Blob Mckenzie
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Re: Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
Not true. he will get a job one day if he wants one. At worst he is the third best GM in this teams history.RoyalDude wrote:Gillis still shit the bed massively in trying to stay at an elite level post 2011 cup run with the great core he inherited. Torts was just icing on the miserable cakeIsland Nucklehead wrote:Tortorella seems the absolute antitheses of a "Gillis guy".Hockey Widow wrote: A couple of my friends say they are still absolutely convinced the Torts hiring was heavily influenced by ownership. He apparently impressed the Italian clan. I guess we will never know
Gillis will be lucky to get another managerial job in the NHL. Shouldn't have quit his day job
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Re: Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
Yup glad torts is toast, lets erase that from our memory banks like Keenan.Betamax wrote:LOL. I thought it was only Torts who didn't expect to come to a prospect development camp.Canuchs(sic) head coach Willie Desjardins was up all weekend as well and he talked to us about what it takes to make it as pro hockey players. That’s pretty special, you don’t expect the coach to come to development camp, that speaks to the level of commitment the Canucks have as an organization, they’re really focused on every players, regardless of where they rank in the system.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
- sagebrush
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Re: Willie Desjardins named Head Coach
It's official, Gulutzan stays, ... & Lidster comments on the style of play he expects.
Desjardins confirmed that Lidster, a former NHL defenceman, will work with the Canucks’ blue-line corp
"Willie is really good to work with," said Lidster. "His teams play high tempo, exciting hockey and I enjoy that.
Less Canucks embarrassment please.