2017/18 Canucks head coach search

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SKYO
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2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by SKYO »

Now that Willie is fired thought I just create a fresh new thread for the search for a new head coach.

There are a ton of coaching retreads avail.

Marc Crawford: former canucks experience, has a run and gun style, has matured he said over the years, fiery type, mind games, love vancity.

Lindy Ruff: Hard nosed type, defensive minded without stifling offense, getting up their in NHL years.

Paul MacLean: pure offensive minded, sucks with defensive systems, developed some youth with ottawa well though.

Brad Berry: former coach of Boeser in college, superb coaching strategy, too inexperienced NHL wise.

Travis Green: Has vast experience with our current youth, has no NHL experience coaching wise, he should try being an NHL assistant for at least a couple years imo.

Gerard Gallant:
the ultimate players coach, gets along well em, was let go on the road and they had to hail a cab to get home, unprofessional firing by the Panthers.
"I told the guys the other day, I want good people on the hockey team," Gallant said. "I don't want to come here every day without being happy. It's about winning and working hard ... but you've got to be yourself, and for me, my personality is to have fun, come to the rink, work hard, make our team compete real hard and that's what I want our players to do.

"I'm an easy coach to get along with."
mr nice guy tho?

John Stevens: Been around LA Kings forever, defensive trained.

Kevin Dineen:
Hard working coach, has been assistant coach under Quenville for a few years now, he's their offensive coach/powerplay guy now iirc.

Michel Therrien: Stubborn coach, likes the aggressive, hard nosed forecheck game, dump/chase.

Oates, Hartley, Berube - nah, Jack Capuano makes bizarro decisions so nah.


The one guy who I never heard of before, but lurking LA Kings board as they are talking about trying to fire Darryl Sutter, was this coach named Todd Reirden.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/capi ... coach-nhl/
Todd Reirden’s road to coaching started as a journeyman defenceman playing in the minors for Todd McLellan’s Houston Aeros during the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

Injured and at the tail end of his career, Reirden still wanted to make an impact, so McLellan assigned him coaching responsibilities with young players. It clicked.

“At that point, you could tell that he had coaching in his blood and that’s probably something that he wanted to do,” McLellan said.

Reirden went into coaching three years later, taking Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to the American Hockey League’s playoffs twice and assisting Dan Bylsma on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ staff. After two more season as an assistant under Barry Trotz with the Washington Capitals, Reirden’s success is measurable in the progress made by Kris Letang, Matt Niskanen, John Carlson and other defencemen.

NHL general managers are always looking for coaching's next big thing, and Reirden has positioned himself to be just that this summer or next.

"He's got great potential," said McLellan, now coach of the Edmonton Oilers. "You look at his path from developing player early in his career and then his time in the minors, his stay at the national league level, some of the coaches he's been around and the organizations he's been through, his body of work, I think all of those qualities put him in a category that soon people will be talking about him as a future head coach."

Reirden's players credit him for his Xs and Os smarts, communication skills and attention to detail. Letang said he improved a lot under Reirden, Penguins left wing Chris Kunitz called him an "intellect on the power play" and Capitals defenceman Brooks Orpik praised him for not dwelling on mistakes because playing the position gave him an understanding of how difficult it is.

"He's big on habits and really consistent in his approach to how he wants the game played and what he likes to see you do," Niskanen said. "He's a constant communicator. He's really good at that."

Reirden picked up pieces of his coaching philosophy along the way. He considers McLellan, Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, former Columbus Blue Jackets coach Todd Richards, Bylsma and Richards among his biggest influences.
You can see Reirden's energy in practice, has the energy for this position, can really help our young dmen and grow with the rebuilding squad, he almost got the Devils and Flames head coaching spot, so after this season I think he would be a great hire.

Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by TDA Rum »

I like Travis Green alot, i think he would be a good fit going forward, he has a really good understanding of the game.
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Cornuck »

Thanks for the roundup, Skyo.

Green is welcome as an assistant, but do we need two rookie NHL coaches in a row during a rebuild?
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by TDA Rum »

Cornuck wrote:Thanks for the roundup, Skyo.

Green is welcome as an assistant, but do we need two rookie NHL coaches in a row during a rebuild?
The difference for me with Green, is he has played almost a 1000 games in the NHL, so not really a rookie to the NHL game...
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Mickey107 »

Plenty to think about for sure, but I think experience at the NHL level is imperative for this team, in the position it's in right now.
There is a wide age range and that needs a certain touch.

A coach that has been through a situation that could be called somewhat comparable.

Someone that never lets up on basics like line changes, proper practices, etc.
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by SKYO »

TDA Rum wrote:I like Travis Green alot, i think he would be a good fit going forward, he has a really good understanding of the game.
Cornuck wrote:Green is welcome as an assistant, but do we need two rookie NHL coaches in a row during a rebuild?
It's a good question.....Benning and Linden speaking today.
Linden "the next coach will have challenges. We're young. There are going to be growing pains."
Benning on the next head coach: "You're seeing more young coaches make the league."
And the difference between the could be 2 rookie NHL coaches in a row between willie and a guy like Green is age, willie is nearing 60, set in his ways pretty much at that age, took him waaay too long to enter the league.

While Green is still moldable, able to adapt to change.

I wish he had some assistant pro experience though, probably why he wasn't chosen last year for some teams, scared of his lack of experience, going against the saavy vets in the league, he could get out line matched, trickery of the old guys.

Anyways hearing management talk today, it really sounds like they are going to go after a younger coach, hopefully with some NHL experience though, which brings me back to Todd Reirden! 8-) mr assertive, development skills, good with youth, worked with vets now, tactile coach.

Reirden has played hockey in a ton of leagues, so he knows the struggle to make the pro's at all levels.

2 years coach in AHL,
4 years assistant coach of the Penguins
and now 3 years as associate coach of the Capitals, <-that's what Green should do gain some pro experience as an assistant, what a lot of Cup coaches have done to gain knowledge.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Mickey107 »

That interview, "press conference" was all over the place but really didn't say much.
Not even any sort of direct reason why WD got canned.

I think I'd rather hear a little more Jim and quite a bit less Trevor.
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Hockey Widow »

Sure sounding early on that Green might be the guy.

Linden was asked, if after he, Benning and WD were all "rookies" when they took over was the team going to go down that path again or opt for an experienced NHL coach.

Linden responded along the lines of saying he doesn't think NHL coaching experience is the key factor. Acknowledge that for sure experience helps but overall fit is more important and that finding a coach that sees clearly where we are in the transition and is willing to step in and work with the younger players is more important.

Benning was asked a similar question, whether he thought an experienced coach, along the lines of what Toronto and Edmonton did, was the way to go to help the team get to the next level.

He responded along the lines that what's important is to get a coach that can help with the continued development of the younger players and not all experienced coaches can do that. Said the game has changed and more and more younger coaches are entering the league. Said you don't hire tomorrow's coach today sort of response, my words.there is a right time and a wrong time for different coaches. What we need is a coach that can get the players to the next level. Almost like their saying another 3-4 year guy.

Both indicated that sticking to the plan, being competitive every game while transitioning in a new core, was still the number one goal. Although Linden did say he is very mindful of the business side of things and the importance of filling the seats.

Denied their were any rifts between coach and management but stressed there are a few key areas where we need to improve but outside of fixing the PP didn't want to throw Willie under the bus by listing off deficiencies.

Want a coach in place no later than the draft, the sooner the better. Will wait until they hold exit interviews then huddle next weekend to draw up criteria of what the new coach should look like then go from there.
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Island Nucklehead »

Did Linden actually say he's "more optimistic than at any time since I’ve been here" at a press conference firing his coach after a 29th-place finish?
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Cornuck »

Island Nucklehead wrote:Did Linden actually say he's "more optimistic than at any time since I’ve been here" at a press conference firing his coach after a 29th-place finish?
Pretty sure I heard that too- nowhere to go but up? :D

But by optimistic, I'm sure he meant there's some talent in the pipeline- and that's what he has to sell this summer.
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Hockey Widow »

Island Nucklehead wrote:Did Linden actually say he's "more optimistic than at any time since I’ve been here" at a press conference firing his coach after a 29th-place finish?
Yes, yes he did. He explained that their eyes were wide open about what needed to be done from day one and that we are three years into the plan. He was challenged about language, asked if he was now prepared to call it a rebuild and he got testy saying call it whatever you like. But it's the same plan, try to be competitive each game while changing the core.


As to the optimism part, he explained that he is more excited because he feels we are starting to see the new core and we have more younger, skilled assets and more joining this summer from college and juniors and Europe. He went on to say it's a plan, we've turned one corner but there is still a lot of work to do as many of the kids still need development time both in Utica and on the Canucks so a new coach has to be able to take over in this stage.

His answer made sense in context. Hey folks, we have a five year plan and we are on track, sorta thing. But he also acknowledge the business side makes it challenging. So I think he and Benning get two more years. If we are not a qualified playoff team by then.....then the plan failed.
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Island Nucklehead »

Hockey Widow wrote: Hey folks, we have a five year plan and we are on track, sorta thing. But he also acknowledge the business side makes it challenging. So I think he and Benning get two more years. If we are not a qualified playoff team by then.....then the plan failed.
And in that context, it makes no sense. If things are going according to plan, why is he firing the coach?

The bit about a walking "a fine line between developing and winning"? :lol: :lol: No team in the NHL has won less over the past 2 seasons (tied with Colorado).
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Cornuck »

Geez - they would have done better with Doc and the Dude up there - stressing the 2-3 years from now, yada yada...
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by rats19 »

Sutter and Lombardi..... fired
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Re: 2017/18 Canucks head coach search

Post by Blob Mckenzie »

Kevin Dineen or Travis Green
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