NHL Head Coaching Carousel

[Brewin Flames]

I did this on a previous forum i ran, so i'll try it again...start date 2/10/22

 

List of NHL head coaches - Wikipedia

 

 

Struggling Oilers fire Tippett; Woodcroft to take over

The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Dave Tippett with the team struggling in the third year of his tenure. TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports assistant coach Jim Playfair has also been fired. Jay Woodcroft, the head coach of the team's American Hockey League affiliate Bakersfield Condors, and his head assistant, Dave Manson will take over the Oilers' bench.

 

The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Dave Tippett with the team struggling in the third year of his tenure.

The move comes after the Oilers suffered a 4-1 defeat to the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night.

 

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports assistant coach Jim Playfair has also been fired. Jay Woodcroft, the head coach of the team's American Hockey League affiliate Bakersfield Condors, and his head assistant, Dave Manson will take over the Oilers' bench.

Edmonton defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-2 on Dec. 1 to improve to 16-5 on the season. Since then, the team has gone 7-16.

General manager Ken Holland said earlier in the season that he didn’t believe in mid-season coaching changes, but made the move with the Oilers sitting at 23-18-3, fifth in the Pacfic Division and five points back of the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card spot..

The Oilers jumped out to a 9-1 record this season, but have failed to find the same success since and endured a six-game losing streak in December. The team's struggles have come despite star forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl sitting atop the NHL scoring race.

Tippett joined the Oilers in 2019 after serving as head coach for the Arizona Coyotes for eight years from 2009-2017. The 60-year-old spent six years as head coach of the Dallas Stars prior to his time with the Coyotes.

The Oilers reached the play-in round of the 2020 playoffs in Tippett's first season but were eliminated in four games by the Chicago Blackhawks. Last season, the Oilers posted a 35-19-2 record in the all-Canadian North Division but were swept by the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the playoffs.

The Oilers have won one playoff series - and a total of just six postseason games - since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2006.

Woodcroft, 45, previously served as an Oilers assistant under Todd McLellan. He was appointed head coach of the Condors in 2018.

Manson, 55, had a lengthy NHL career before joining the coaching ranks. He spent three seasons with the Oilers from 1991 to 1993. A native of Prince Albert, Sask., Manson also played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, Phoenix Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars and Toronto Maple Leafs over a 16-year NHL career.

He joined the Condors at the same time as Woodcroft.

[SaucyJack]

On 2/10/2022 at 10:26 AM, Brewin Flames said:

The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Dave Tippett with the team struggling in the third year of his tenure.

Ah, some of us remember Dave from his early 90’s sojourn with the Dale Hunter Capitals.  Rather a journeyman 4th liner I’d say, he got to taste the bitter disappointments of a few very good Caps teams that nevertheless got squashed by one of the all-time Cap Killers, that being Monsieur Mario Lemieux, Esquire.

 

Still, I’m sure he remains one of the prides of Moosomin with the fond regards of the good people of southeast Saskatchewan and southwest Manitoba.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moosomin,_Saskatchewan

 

Givrn his hometown motto, I’m sure he’ll land on his coaching skates sonewhere as “Man on the Move”!

[Brewin Flames]

Detroit Red Wings won't renew head coach Jeff Blashill's contract

2:26 PM ET

• ESPN

The Detroit Red Wings won't renew head coach Jeff Blashill's contract, Red Wings executive vice president and GM Steve Yzerman announced Saturday.

Detroit was 32-40-10 and won 39% of its games, barely faring better than last year's rate after bottoming out in Yzerman's first season by winning fewer than one-fourth of its games.

 

The Red Wings finished about 20 points ahead of the NHL's worst teams, however, they were nearly 30 points away from earning a wild-card berth in the playoffs.

Detroit's string of seasons without appearing in the playoffs stretched to six years after being in 25 straight postseasons and winning four Stanley Cups.

 

Blashill, who is 204-261-72, has said in recent days that he's wasn't worried about his future with the franchise and is proud of the improvements made this season.

Assistant coach Doug Houda and goaltending coach Jeff Saljko also did not have their contracts renewed.

[JR Ewing]

Derek Ryan has been pretty clear a few times about the differences he sees between Dave Tippett and Jay Woodcroft:

 

 

 

Given their respective records with the team, it's kind of hard to argue, and when you see that Tippett was happy to go right from coaching and into retirement, he was probably out of fresh ideas.

 

[Math]

2 hours ago, JR Ewing said:

and when you see that Tippett was happy to go right from coaching and into retirement, he was probably out of fresh ideas.

 

This has to be an inspiration for Rick Bowness.

[JR Ewing]

56 minutes ago, Math said:

 

This has to be an inspiration for Rick Bowness.

 

When the Stars played Edmonton last Wednesday, I thought I was watching Bowness struggle, in real-time, to keep up with the game. It seemed like he was rolling his lines over and over, regardless of on-ice results. The Stars look so different when Robertson and Hinze were on the ice, and struggling badly when they were watching, but it seems like he has a hard time getting them in the game other than to start a shift in the offensive zone.

 

I know that he's forgotten more about coaching than I'll ever know, but it really came across as the Oilers were pretty much allowed to play their game. I dunno... Just my take from what I saw.

 

[Math]

1 hour ago, JR Ewing said:

When the Stars played Edmonton last Wednesday, I thought I was watching Bowness struggle, in real-time, to keep up with the game. It seemed like he was rolling his lines over and over, regardless of on-ice results. The Stars look so different when Robertson and Hinze were on the ice, and struggling badly when they were watching, but it seems like he has a hard time getting them in the game other than to start a shift in the offensive zone.

 

I know that he's forgotten more about coaching than I'll ever know, but it really came across as the Oilers were pretty much allowed to play their game. I dunno... Just my take from what I saw.

 

Yeah that's quite accurate. At 2-0 it was already a lost game, even when they tied it later (quite luckily). Bowness is always reacting rather than acting. He's systematically outcoached, he relies a lot on winning face-offs to have puck possession but he's a dump'n'chase ad nauseam lover. When the Stars play a skilled but a fast team, it's even tougher. He's in love with his checking line which has been putrid the whole season. He will never stratched or send a message to vets, just to avoid pissing them off, but rookies and young players are constantly on a short leash. In all his post-game presser, he's always on the defensive and unable to justify his decisions. I'm sure he's a good guy that tries to do his best but the game has evolved and he's still stuck in 1996. His winning percentage over five decades speaks for itself. 

[Brewin Flames]

As of this moment....

 

In need of a new Bench Boss

 

Flyers

 

Red Wings

[Brewin Flames]

Add Barry Trotz to the list....

 

New York Islanders fire coach Barry Trotz after missing playoffs

9:55 AM ET

• 
  Greg WyshynskiESPN

The New York Islanders fired head coach Barry Trotz on Monday, with president and general manager Lou Lamoriello saying the team needs "a new voice."

The Islanders missed the playoffs, finishing with 84 points (37-35-10) and falling short of the Eastern Conference playoff cut by 16 points. It was the first time in Trotz's four seasons with the team that they didn't make a postseason appearance.

 

Lamoriello informed Trotz that the team was parting ways with him Monday morning. He said the only other individuals that knew about the decision were Islanders ownership, and that he didn't consult with anyone or speak to the players about the decision.

When asked why he decided to fire Trotz, Lamoriello said, "I would rather not get into any of the reasons," but he did specify that "this decision was not primarily made on this season."

 

The Islanders fired Barry Trotz on Monday after his squad failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in his four seasons as the team's coach. Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images

In four seasons as the team's coach, Trotz was 152-102-34 and 28-21 in the playoffs. The Islanders had reached the third round of the playoffs in two straight seasons, losing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning both times.

 

Trotz's Islanders teams were known for their stingy defense, twice finishing in the top two in goals-against average. But that defense slipped to seventh in the NHL this season. Offensively, Trotz's teams didn't finish higher than 21st in goals per game average during his time with the Islanders.

 

This season was a challenging one for the Islanders. Like most NHL teams, they struggled through lineup absences and postponements due to the COVID-19 omicron variant. They also started with 13 straight road games as their new UBS Arena was completed. Lamoriello said he took those circumstances under consideration in making his decision.

 

Trotz, 59, joined the Islanders in 2018 after helping the Washington Capitals win the Stanley Cup the previous season. Overall, Trotz is 914-670-60-168 in 23 seasons as a head coach with the Islanders, Capitals and Nashville Predators. His 914 career wins are third most in NHL history, trailing just Joel Quenneville (969) and Scotty Bowman (1244). Trotz is 83-79 in  the playoffs and had one year remaining on his contract with the Islanders.

 

Trotz won his second career Jack Adams Award as the NHL's coach of the year in his first season with the Islanders during the 2018-19 season. He also won the trophy in in 2015-16 as head coach of the Capitals.

 

"I would like to thank Barry for everything he's done for the organization for the last four years. It would be a tremendous understatement to say that this wasn't an easy decision to make," said Lamoriello, praising Trotz's character. "This is a business decision as far as hockey and winning."

 

Lamoriello now begins the search for a "new voice" for the Islanders. He said the team's assistant coaches remain under contract, including associate coach Lane Lambert, Trotz's longtime right-hand man and a highly regarded head-coaching candidate. Lamoriello said the next head coach will make the call on those assistants.

 

The Islanders enter the offseason with 18 players under contract and just over $12 million in salary-cap space. Lamoriello specified that improving his defense with an offensive-minded defenseman is a priority.

 

"But what we need to do is get improvement out of our younger players and a more complete year out of some of our veterans than we did this year," he said.

Lamoriello has now made 21 head-coaching changes since becoming an NHL general manager in 1987.

 

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

On 5/5/2022 at 2:53 PM, Brewin Flames said:

As of this moment....

 

In need of a new Bench Boss

 

Flyers

 

Red Wings

 

 

Flyers, Red Wings, Islanders.....

[Math]

Add deBoer to the roundabout.

[Math]

Finally !

 

 

[Brewin Flames]

Funny, after saying he still had "the fire" to coach, and 3 days later he steps down.

[Brewin Flames]

Wings, Stars, Flyers, Knights....all looking for a new Bench Boss

[Brewin Flames]

BREAKING: BLACKHAWKS HAVE MADE A DECISION ON DEREK KINGS FUTURE IN CHICAGO

JUN 5, 2022  (15H17)      SKY

 

 

 

The Chicago Blackhawks had a franchise worst season since the 2005/2006 season, and there are so many the fan base is putting to blame. The offense? The defense? Kyle Davidson? Derek King? There are so many to point fingers too, but the main one has been Derek King.

Derek King has been seen multiple times in post-game interviews not taking much accountability for his own teams effort and actions, King referenced HIS team as «they» for the entire season, as most coaches take accountability and mention «we» as they are together as a whole- and it is the coaches group to maintain.

Aside from not taking accountability he was also thrown players underneath the bus such as Kevin Lankinen, a young goaltender which morale was sure lowered after the coach didn't give him much love in a post game interview. Aside from the negative aspects of Derek King their have been some positives, at times he can be a father-like figure for the team.

Example; Derek King was seen tearing up in a interview while explaining how he had to tell Brandon Hagel he was being traded, and it showed Kings soft side.

The Chicago Blackhawks are wanting a fresh start next season, and they're working towards it as the first major move they've made is officially announcing Derek King WILL NOT be returning as the Blackhawks head coach.

[Brewin Flames]

On 5/20/2022 at 3:55 PM, Brewin Flames said:

Wings, Stars, Flyers, Knights....all looking for a new Bench Boss

 

 

Add Boston and Chicago to the list....

[Brewin Flames]

Wings, Stars, Flyers, Knights, Bruins, Blackhawks....

 

5 Teams out there, and Trotz, Cassidy, Deboer and others all waiting....

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

6 hours ago, Brewin Flames said:

Wings, Stars, Flyers, Knights, Bruins, Blackhawks....

 

5 Teams out there, and Trotz, Cassidy, Deboer and others all waiting....

 

I gotta think there are a few lesser known or completely unknown names floating about the college ranks, minor pros, or even juniors who may get a look.

I realize teams usually want established coaches with track records, but at the same time, I would think teams need to think "outside" the box and instead of going for a re-tread (remember...these guys were let go from their previous employs for one reason or the other), give a look to a new face with a fresh outlook.

Sure, that can backfire (see Dave Hakstol's first NHL head coach stint)....but it can also produce WONDERFUL results (see Jon Cooper).
All comes down to how well an organization knows the guy they are going to put behind the driver's seat at ice level.

I'm wondering if any of the teams needing a coach would try and coax Patrick Roy back into NHL head coaching.
Seems he has quite a bit of experience coaching at the minor/juniors level....and he did have a brief stint at the NHL level with the Avalanche about 6 or 7 years ago.
Maybe he is, maybe he isn't NHL head coaching material....but a fiery guy like him who knows the game, and who may even impart some of his own swagger, and dare I say arrogance, into the players he coaches?
That may not be a bad thing for one of those NHL benches to adopt...

[Dumpster Hockey]

I think @TropicalFruitGirl26 makes great points in the above post. 

 

There are the obvious reasons why teams fire or let go of the head coach and those can be seen by the performance that is shown on the ice, but there are also the more unknown reasons as well. Those reasons that make us as fans think a little harder why did this head coach get fired? Some of these head coaches recently like Trotz, DeBoer, Bowness, and Cassidy have been pretty successful over the years. Are there other reasons why they have been let go? Do some just want to step away from coaching for a year or two? Was there some sort of strife between the coach and front office or players? Or could it be the team just wants to go in another direction?

 

Another good point brought up is the fact that there are many other coaches out there without the huge resumes that a Trotz or Torts have that might just be a great fit for one of these teams and you never know that person could become the next Jon Cooper. Everyone of these head coaches had to start out somewhere and as an unknown or without a huge resume. 

 

It will be really interesting to see what happens with all of these vacancies and coaches vying for jobs and where they land. I would imagine all of this would have to be in place before the draft in July which is approaching fast. 

[Captain Lando]

Some of these teams definitely needed a change  such as the Flyers, Red Wings, and Jets. The other teams that have fired coaches I think these moves are going to come back to bite them in the ###. Losing a quality coach like Trotz and Cassidy is going to be extremely hard to find a replacement to top that sort of quality of coach. A team also like Dallas who really isn't that bad of a team changes coaches and going a different route could hurt them along the way. Then there is Vegas who just seems to have this thing about wanting to change things up. They have been in existence for 5 years now and this will be their 3rd coach coming up already. That doesn't make sense to me at all, especially when the previous coaches have been Gerard Gallant and Peter Deboer. 

[Math]

 

If this is true, well, it sucks. Going with retreads is rarely a good thing.

 

I'm not surprised but I really hoped the Stars would go with promoting and giving a chance to some coach in lower leagues like Savard or Grönborg, give him a go-ahead-and prove-it green light and give the team a brand new message and direction. DeBoer failed in Vegas and apparently he's known to be very hard on his goalies. With Öttinger looking like a franchise player, I really hope he won't screw this up. And there's this:

 

Quote

 

DeBoer finished his tenure in Vegas with a record of 98-50-12 (.650 points percentage) and two trips to the semifinal round of the playoffs before missing the postseason this year. The Golden Knights had the eighth-best record in the NHL over that span and won the third-most playoff games.

 

And while DeBoer is a strong coach, and got plenty of good results over his first two years in Vegas, the team didn’t feel he was the best fit to get this roster over the hump. DeBoer’s structured system drastically improved Vegas’ defense and breakouts, but the Golden Knights also have too much offensive talent to struggle to score the way they have during key stretches. And while injuries were at least partially to blame this season, the special teams were not good enough under DeBoer, especially the power play.

 

At times, the scheme in the offensive zone has felt too predictable and the Golden Knights lacked the personnel to score goals the way DeBoer seemed to prefer, which was firing shots from the point while players screen the goalie and deflect shots in front. So while there’s nothing necessarily wrong with DeBoer’s system, or the personnel, they just weren’t the best match to bring the best out of each other.

 

 

So I'm not thrilled at all.

 

[Captain Lando]

8 hours ago, Math said:

 

If this is true, well, it sucks. Going with retreads is rarely a good thing.

 

I'm not surprised but I really hoped the Stars would go with promoting and giving a chance to some coach in lower leagues like Savard or Grönborg, give him a go-ahead-and prove-it green light and give the team a brand new message and direction. DeBoer failed in Vegas and apparently he's known to be very hard on his goalies. With Öttinger looking like a franchise player, I really hope he won't screw this up. And there's this:

 

 

So I'm not thrilled at all.

 

Dallas was one of those teams that I scratched my head when Rick Bowness stepped away from the coaching job. I fully understand he is 67 years old and that could easily be a part of his decision, but he seemed like a decent fit with this club. You might be correct that having a coach in this case step in that is familiar with the organizations players might be the best way to keep the success going rather than trying to hire that high profile head coach that could totally change up the mindset of the way things have been done and that could be a disaster in the long run.  

[Captain Lando]

20 minutes ago, FireDillabaugh said:

The whole Bowness situation just reeks of a rift between the coaching staff and front office, or the staff and player(s).  With him stating that his passion for coaching still exists just days before stepping down.  And with them also letting the assistants go.  Really has drama written all over the situation.  And the statements by Nill are nothing but the same jargon used when these situations happen.

If it is that and the star and veteran players running the show, that is the worst way of running an organization and developing leadership for a team. Whoever they end up replacing Bowness with and if it is rift between the players and coaches then it will just happen again. It is just a matter of time. There is a reason why a coach is a coach and the players are the players. 

[Math]

On 6/10/2022 at 4:26 PM, Captain Lando said:

Dallas was one of those teams that I scratched my head when Rick Bowness stepped away from the coaching job. I fully understand he is 67 years old and that could easily be a part of his decision, but he seemed like a decent fit with this club. You might be correct that having a coach in this case step in that is familiar with the organizations players might be the best way to keep the success going rather than trying to hire that high profile head coach that could totally change up the mindset of the way things have been done and that could be a disaster in the long run.

 

First I was sure he would have re-signed, given the achievement of getting in the playoffs and forcing a game #7 against the Flames, even if that series was quite misleading. In my understanding, the FO strongly suggested to Bowness to step away instead of telling him he won't be back.

 

But quite frankly, that was the thing to do. I'm sure he's a good guy, good communicator, but his time was up. All players praised him but still acknowledged the need for a new message. And this season was particularly annoying, Bowess seems always upset in the presser, was always blaming the players, the refs, the schedule, and he never took responsability for anything. It was true old-school hockey where he's been constantly outcoached and never managed to get the 100% of his guys. He kept the youngsters on a short leash while showing unconditional love to Comeau and Faksa who have been putrid all season, and never wanted to bench underperforming vets because he didn't want to bother them. Finally, I was really to his non-sense classical outings like "We like where we're at", "It's as simple as that" and "The offense will take care of itself".

 

So thanks for all Bones, I wish you all the best for your next challenge, blah blah blah, but good riddance.

[OccamsRazor]