NHL FanHouse

The Value of a Shootout Specialist

Adam Gretz — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Hurricanes, NHL Fans, NHL Coaching

The idea of 65 minutes of hockey (including overtime) being decided by what is essentially a skills competition is one of the most polarizing rule changes hockey has seen over the the past decade.

Love it or hate it, the shootout is a part of the NHL and it's not likely to be going away anytime soon. So, is it worth it for a team to carry a "shootout specialist," even if he has potentially no other value as an NHL player?

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Earlier this season, Carolina Hurricanes forward Jussi Jokinen became the first player in NHL history to score 25 career goals in the shootout, helping the 'Canes end a disastrous 14-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild.

Acquired in a trade from Tampa Bay last season, Jokinen has scored nearly as many goals in shootouts (six) as he has during actual games with Carolina (seven). Throughout his five-year career his point production has been what you would expect from a fringe second- or third-liner: he averages about 14 goals and 46 points per 82 games played. Hardly an impact player, or a guy that would make general managers get into a bidding war for his services. But in the new NHL he certainly has some value beyond what he does during his typical 15 minutes of ice-time per game.

But how much value?

First, let's take a quick look at how many times per season an NHL team actually needs players to take part in a shootout. The chart below shows how many shootouts each team has been in, and averaged, between 2005-06 and 2008-09.

Shootout Totals By Team: 2005-06 to 2008-09
Team	SO	SO/Per Season
Anaheim Ducks	49	12.3
Atlanta Thrashers	44	11.0
Boston Bruins	46	11.5
Buffalo Sabres	50	12.5
Calgary Flames	28	7.0
Carolina Hurricanes	28	7.0
Chicago Blackhawks	41	10.3
Colorado Avalanche	41	10.3
Columbus Blue Jackets	45	11.3
Dallas Stars	46	11.5
Detroit Red Wings	37	9.3
Edmonton Oilers	51	12.8
Florida Panthers	41	10.3
Los Angeles Kings	38	9.5
Minnesota Wild	44	11.0
Montreal Canadiens	41	10.3
Nashville Predators	39	9.8
New Jersey Devils	51	12.8
New York Islanders	41	10.3
New York Rangers	58	14.5
Ottawa Senators	24	6.0
Philadelphia Flyers	26	6.5
Phoenix Coyotes	31	7.8
Pittsburgh Penguins	46	11.5
San Jose Sharks	35	7.0
St. Louis Blues	44	11.0
Tampa Bay Lightning	38	9.5
Toronto Maple Leafs	41	10.3
Vancouver Canucks	42	10.5
Washington Capitals	42	10.5
Totals/Averages	1,228	10.2

As you can see, teams average just over 10 shootouts per season, or one every eight games. Obviously, that number can vary from team to team and season to season; the 2007-08 Edmonton Oilers, for example, took part in a league-high 19 shootouts (winning an incredible 15 of them), while the 2008-09 Calgary Flames were involved in just five.

Here are the top five shooters in terms of shooting percentage (with a minimum 20 shots) since the shootout was implemented.

Top Shootout Performers: 2005-06 to 2008-09
Player	Shots	Goals	Shooting %
Wojtek Wolski	26	17	.654
Joe Pavelski	24	14	.583
Slava Kozlov	40	23	.575
Erik Christensen	31	17	.548
Jussi Jokinen	41	22	.537

Petteri Nummelin, previously of the Minnesota Wild, had the best shooting percentage with a minimum of 10 attempts, going 8-for-10 between 2006 and 2007 (and scored just five regulation goals in 78 games over that stretch).

Not exactly a list of the NHL's elite. But is it worth carrying a player like an Erik Christensen, an otherwise borderline NHL player, on your roster to do nothing but serve as an insurance policy in case your team is still tied after 65 minutes of hockey once every eight games?

I can hear the critics now: what does it say about the shootout that it makes a player like Christensen a potentially valuable asset? My only response to that would be; is he any less valuable to a team than say, a Riley Cote, Andrew Peters or Cam Janssen that logs four minutes of ice-time per game and provides nothing to a hockey team other than the ability drop the gloves and fight once a week?

Let's take a quick look at the shootout career of Christensen, a player that has suited up for three teams in the last three years. Of his 31 attempts with Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Anaheim, 17 have resulted in goals, which has led to a 15-2 record for his teams in those games (in the games where his attempts were stopped, they were 1-13).

That's not enough of an impact to turn a lottery team into a contender, but if it leads to an extra two or three wins over the course of a season, isn't it possible that it could be the difference between winning a division (and being a top-three seed) and entering the playoffs as a No. 5 or 6 seed? Or the difference between being the final team in the playoffs and the first team sitting at home in April and May? I'd have to say yes, especially when the NHL standings looked the way they did a year ago when 21 of the 30 teams were in serious contention for a playoff spot during the final week of the regular season.

There are not many players around the NHL that fit this profile. After you get past the top-five shooters shown above, the list contains the likes of Paul Kariya, Daniel Briere, Pavel Datsyuk. Mike Ribeiro, Zach Parise and Mikko Koivu, players that are already in high demand because they're excellent hockey players.

But in the rare example of a Christensen or a Jokinen -- players that have been available on waivers the past two years -- it might be worth considering them for a roster spot should you have the opportunity to claim them.

The Value of a Shootout Specialist originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pink Slip Index: Complications in Carolina

Kevin Schultz — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Blues, Ducks, Flyers, Hurricanes, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers, Wild, NHL Coaching

In the NHL, coach firings are as common as parking tickets in New York City. Throughout the NHL season I'll be taking a bi-weekly look at five coaches who are the most likely to get fired. Be advised your local coach may be axed at any moment. Consider this fair warning.

Things have changed quite a bit since our last look at coaches with warm cushions. For one, the Lightning are making me look bad at 3-1-3 since the last installment. The Leafs have won a few games and things have gone from bad to an Alexander Daigle brand of awful for the Hurricanes. We'll take a look at all of that and more after the jump.

Off the List (for now):
John Stevens, Philadelphia Flyers (Previous Rank: 4). The Flyers have won five in a row since we last checked in and are sixth in the conference. Nothing to worry about, John.

Peter DeBoer, Florida Panthers (5). The Cats got hammered twice over the weekend by the Caps but are still 4-2 since we last checked in. Basically, there are more folks in a lot more trouble than DeBoer.

Free Passes: Barry Trotz, Nashville Predators. Jacques Lemaire, New Jersey Devils (who will be listed here as long as Lou Lamoriello is in charge).

No. 6: Rick Tocchet, Tampa Bay Lightning (1). There was some disagreement in other parts of the blogosphere about Tocchet topping the last list. No matter if you agreed or disagreed, I think we can all say that the Lightning are playing some solid hockey at the moment. They're 5-1-3 in their last seven and Steven Stamkos is destroying defenders' lives with his play. This run has cooled off Tocchet's seat so much I was going to completely take him off the list. Then he went and called out Vinny Franchise and dropped him to the third line, blatantly pandering to me to keep him on the list. So here he is with his own special spot at six since he's either completely bat poop crazy or playing job roulette with Oren Koules.

Seat status: Confusing.

No. 5: Ron Wilson, Toronto Maple Leafs (2). Things have turned around for the Leafs since my last look at them. They've actually won a few games and could have a few more under their belt if they could just figure out how to work that darned overtime. They're 2-1-4 since we last checked in, and that includes a 5-1 spanking of Detroit on Saturday, which nobody saw coming. Things are looking up in Leaf Land but we're keeping Ron on the countdown since October was a complete and utter FAIL. You can't forget about something like that so quickly.

Seat status: A warm spring day.

No. 4: Randy Carlyle, Anaheim Ducks (3). This week, Carlyle cools off slightly and moves to the fourth position. I'm still a firm believer that he'll get a fair shake in Anaheim and likely will last the season barring a major turn of events. However, the Ducks got the dubious honor of giving the winless Leafs their first victory -- on home ice, no less! -- but have showed a very mild resiliency going 3-2-1 since we last checked in on them. Carlyle cools off as the Ducks break even and we put some more volatile candidates in front of him.

Seat status: One of those hot summer nights where you wake up sticky because the AC is broken.

No. 3: Todd Richards, Minnesota Wild (NR). The Wild struggled early this season and I gave Richards a pass in the first edition of PSI since he's a first-year coach. That usually provides a little Teflon with which to deflect criticism. However, Richards makes our list this time since the Wild have continued to stumble. The more they stumble, the less of an excuse "brand new head coach" becomes. They're 7-10-1 on the year, second to last in the Western Conference, and are owners of an awful 2-8-1 road record. I fully expect the brass in Minnesota to give Richards some time but this being the NHL and all, hey, you never know.

Seat status: Lukewarm.

No. 2: Paul Maurice, Carolina Hurricanes (NR). The Hurricanes finished sixth in the East last year and made it all the way to the conference finals before getting swept by the eventual Stanley Cup champs. Injuries can be to blame, as Eric Staal and Joni Pitkanen are hurt and Eric Cole has missed time. Losing Cam Ward last Saturday was a death blow to a team already in last place. But with the Kings extending the Canes' winless streak to 13 and Carolina winning two of 17 overall, it would appear as though Maurice is as good as gone. This team has been outscored 30-10 in their last seven games -- all regulation losses. And if you can't even make it to overtime in Gary Bettman's Everybody Gets a Point Most of the Time League, you're really doing something wrong.

So it seems like Maurice is an open and shut case to go, right? Well, not exactly.

As Bob Harwood over at Canes Country points out, the Canes have put themselves in a bind not only with players but with the coaching staff, too.

"[Canes GM Jim Rutherford] has severely limited himself on what he can do regarding the coaching staff because of his recent three year signing of head coach Paul Maurice. If he were to fire Maurice, he would officially have two ex-coaches on the payroll because the team is still paying Peter Laviolette."

Yeah, so under most any other set of circumstances Maurice is a sitting duck. Now that he's at the helm of a failing team that gave him an extension over the summer and is already paying one guy to not coach them? That's a big bullet for one GM to bite. Maurice is second on our countdown because his seat is unquestionably hot. But, as the evidence points out, he's probably not going anywhere soon.

Seat status: Molten lava. But the extension and Laviolette deal means the Canes will likely have to bite the bullet.

No. 1: Andy Murray, St. Louis Blues (NR). When the Blues went 9-1-1 to sneak into the playoffs last year, there were some rumblings that run may have saved Murray's job. The team was promptly swept by the Canucks and many of its young stars have struggled during the early going this season -- and are killing my keeper league fantasy team -- despite a kind of deceiving 6-7-4 record. TJ Oshie has six points in 13 games, Patrick Berglund has four in 16 and David Backes has three in 17. But maybe after a 6-1 rout of Vancouver on Tuesday things are turning around. We'll see.

Seat status: Southern style chili cheese dog.

Right now, Murray tops our list since he doesn't have a complicated situation like Maurice, a "rookie" excuse like Richards, a Stanley Cup ring with the team like Carlyle or a recent hot streak like the rest. So if anyone is getting axed in the next week or two, it's this guy. Unless Lou Lamoriello gets up on the wrong side of the bed one day, but I digress.

Pink Slip Index: Complications in Carolina originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2-on-1: Turning Around the Hurricanes

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hurricanes, Eastern, NHL Coaching

Every Monday during the season two of our hockey writers will debate one topic. It's the 2-on-1. This week, Bruce Ciskie and Christopher Botta talk about the sudden struggles of last year's playoff darlings, the Carolina Hurricanes.

More Coverage: Carolina Signs Legace to Fill Void in Net

Bruce Ciskie: We know it's early. Yes, the Hurricanes have 66 games left. However, to say they're struggling is simply a gross understatement. Carolina is in trouble here, and it's not that much like last year, when a mediocre team changed coaches and caught fire.

This isn't a mediocre team in any way right now. They're bad. Last in the East in goals scored, last in the NHL in goals allowed. They've won precisely zero of their last 12 games.

I'm struggling, Chris, to find any reason to think Carolina can turn this one around. It's not that they've dug themselves too deep of a hole. It's that they have looked so bad in doing it.

"One thing to look out for: GM Jim Rutherford will not quit on the season. He will make a trade, maybe even the first semi-big trade in the league before American Thanksgiving. Contrary to the cliche, sometimes you do have to make a trade for the sake of making a trade."
--Christopher Botta Christopher Botta: I hear ya, Bruce. The only reason I can't count them out is because there are more than 60 games left in the regular season and chances are just about every team in the East may still be able to sniff the seventh and eighth seeds in the East at the start of the Olympic break.

Three weeks ago, well before the 'Canes became a 2-11 embarrassment, our FanHouse editor assigned me to Newark for the Carolina-New Jersey rematch. On the train, I called one of my hockey gurus -- big-time Canadian influencer with a finger on the pulse of the NHL. This guy is right far more often than he is wrong.

I ran my take by him, that Carolina was just a half-step below the the perceived cream of the East -- Pittsburgh, Washington, maybe Philadelphia. I was looking at writing a column about how they're one of the league's unheralded very good teams. My guy stopped me in my tracks. "They have no secondary scoring," he said. "I'm not talking about a little secondary scoring. I mean zilch. They're in big trouble." Okay ...

Sure enough, the Hurricanes had nothing against New Jersey. Lost 2-1. I focused on Cam Ward instead. Says a lot about how bad this team is that they have this record and it's with getting quality goaltending almost every night from Ward.

Do you figure there's no way they'll get back to .500, Bruce? How about if they shake it up and give the head coaching reins to Ron Francis?

Ciskie: In today's NHL, it's really hard to make up for a lack of secondary scoring. As I type, Eric Staal has five points in 13 games. He could have gotten five points in half that time last year without even trying. Now, everyone knows he's the only threat.

Jussi Jokinen is not a consistent 30-goal threat. Erik Cole certainly isn't. Guys like Rod Brind'Amour and Ray Whitney are on their last legs, and shouldn't be expected to contribute any notable scoring totals. Matt Cullen and Tuomo Ruutu are nice players, but they're grinders.

There are pieces in place on defense with guys like Joe Corvo and Joni Pitkanen, but neither has done anything so far.

You might be right that a coaching shakeup could work. It's worked for this franchise in the past. However it leads me to wonder how many more times a team can tune out coaches during a season before the obstacles to a recovery become too great.

The bottom line is that you can blame Paul Maurice all you want (generally speaking, Chris, not saying you're blaming the coach), but this team's major offseason acquisitions were Aaron Ward and Tom Kostopoulos. That's asking for trouble.

Botta: No, you won't hear me blame Paul Maurice. I'm a fan. Maurice, like Tom Renney, falls into that category of good teachers, good coaches and good men who look bad when their GMs fail and their players bail. And it's all because they don't put on a big show behind the bench. The only good thing is Maurice was given a three-year contract, so when the inevitable happens he'll be well taken care of. I suspect he'll stay with Carolina this time in player personnel.

One thing to look out for: GM Jim Rutherford will not quit on the season. He will make a trade, maybe even the first semi-big trade in the league before American Thanksgiving. Contrary to the cliche, sometimes you do have to make a trade for the sake of making a trade. I doubt Rutherford will mortgage a first round draft pick, but he'll make a two-for-two trade that might not seem like much. Sometimes getting rid of two players and bringing in fresh faces shakes up the room and leads to winning streaks.

Any theories on what's up with Eric Staal? Is this about the lack of much of a supporting cast, or is a big part of this on him?

Ciskie: Honestly, I haven't seen enough of the Hurricanes to break down Staal's game, but I will say this:

This team played a lot of extra hockey last season. I'm not about excuses, but Carolina had to win emotional seven-game series just for the right to get a mudhole stomped in them by Pittsburgh. Along the way, Staal played insane minutes, was out there for virtually every high-pressure situation, and played at an extremely high level. Throw in there the pressure of trying to cement a spot on the Canadian team for the Olympics, and you're putting a lot on the plate of a player who is still pretty young (25).

Oh, and he's not really getting any help. So, yeah.

I agree that Rutherford will do something. He signed Jokinen off the scrap heap last year, and that worked pretty well. The theory about shaking up the room is a strong one, and it's about time for Rutherford to follow through on something if it's at all possible for him to do so.

Botta: Rutherford will. Start the rumor mill!

So in summary, we believe the Hurricanes need a trade and will make a trade, Paul Maurice could also pay the price (but get paid) and Carolina needs to put two or three wins together soon to be in the playoff conversation in March.

Do we even want to get into what a freefall could do for attendance in Raleigh? Nah.

Let's end on a happy note. Favorite Hurricane/Whaler of all time? I'm going with Ray Neufeld. Do you know what 27 goals and 40 assists would get you today? Four mill a year.

Ciskie: Kevin Dineen, no question. I don't even have to think about that one.

As for the Hurricanes, we agree on pretty much everything. I respect Rutherford's work a lot, so I have faith he'll figure out a way to turn this thing around. I'm just not sure it can be done in a way that gets this team into serious playoff contention.

2-on-1: Turning Around the Hurricanes originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Pink Slip Index: Which Coach Will Be First to Go?

Kevin Schultz — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Ducks, Flyers, Lightning, Maple Leafs, Panthers, NHL Coaching

In the NHL, coach firings are as common as parking tickets in New York City. Throughout the NHL season I'll be taking a bi-weekly look at five coaches who are the most likely to get fired. Be advised your local coach may be axed at any moment. Consider this fair warning.

We've made it through the first month of the NHL season and not one coach has gotten fired yet. That's got to be some kind of record. This is the NHL! Coaches are fired for lots of reasons and sometimes no reason at all. How is no team displeased enough to have fired a coach yet? And what have you got to say for yourself, Lou Lamoriello? Why is your finger not on the trigger?

As it turns out, a lot of teams have actually surprised us and played well, helping their coach's job security in the process. Before the season I named a few coaches whom I thought were starting the year on the hot seat. More than a few of them have been saved by solid starts. Joel Quenneville and the Hawks are 7-3-1 and atop the Central. John Anderson and the Thrashers started the year 4-1-1 before dropping their last two against good teams and the Kings may have saved Terry Murray's job by grabbing 17 points in 13 games to lead the Pacific.

The good news for me -- I was afraid I wouldn't have anyone to write about -- is that not every team is off to such a hot start. The Ducks have struggled out of the gate, the Flyers and Canucks are both hovering around .500 and Toronto has been an unmitigated disaster losing six of their first eight by two goals or more. So I'd like to take the time to thank those teams for lighting a fire under their coach's respective chairs.

So today, I present to you the first in a season-long series of coaches-on-the-hot-seat rankings. Five coaches. Five teams. Five fanbases that want blood -- sweet, sweet blood. We'll start at number five and head on through to numero uno, my prediction for the coach to get the axe first.

No. 5: Peter DeBoer, Florida Panthers. DeBoer is only in his second year with the Panthers and had some success last year as the team finished ninth in the East, missing out on the playoffs by losing a tiebreaker to the Canadiens. But in the NHL it's all about 'what have you done for me lately' and the Panthers have started this season 2-7-1 and are averaging 2.2 goals per game. Add that to their 29th-best ranking in goals allowed and things are not looking good. Personally, I don't believe the Horton trade rumors, but if they're crazy enough to trade him firing DeBoer will look sane in comparison.

Seat status: STEAMY

No. 4: John Stevens, Philadelphia Flyers. I said before the season that this could be a make or break year for Stevens and the Flyers. They had a talented roster and only improved it during the offseason. However, they've been short on postseason success and are 5-4-1, already nine points behind the division-leading Penguins in the tough Atlantic. The Penguins went on to win the Stanley Cup last year after firing their coach down the stretch. That means there will be copycats, and if the Flyers continue to be mediocre Stevens may be sent packing to shake things up.

Seat status: STEAMY

No. 3: Randy Carlyle, Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks have had a lot of success under Carlyle. In four seasons they've won a Cup and made another trip to the conference finals. The last two years have been less successful but nothing that should threaten a coach's job. But the Ducks are 3-6-1 to start this season, with the latest defeat being a 6-3 drubbing by the winless Leafs in front of the home fans. Half the reason Carlyle is on this list is because there really aren't a lot of other people to put here. The other half is because of the random stinkers the Ducks have put forth this season: 5-0 home rout by St. Louis, 4-1 opening-night loss to San Jose. He's not going anywhere yet -- he'll get a fair shake -- but the early news is not good.

Seat Status: TOASTY

No. 2: Ron Wilson, Toronto Maple Leafs. It's been a fun season already in Toronto. The team has started 0-7-1 before showing some life the last two games on, of all places, the road in Anaheim and Dallas. Fans are outraged. The media is making jokes. Wilson has already gotten a vote of confidence from the GM. All key ingredients to canning a coach. However, there's one thing standing in the way: that vote of confidence was actually legit. The problem with this team is not Wilson and GM Brian Burke knows it. The seat is very warm but there will be little action here. Move along.

Seat status: CALIENTE

No. 1: Rick Tocchet, Tampa Bay Lightning. The lame thing about NHL coaches this season is that there's no one you can point at and yell 'DEAD MAN WALKING!' A lot of thought-to-be-crappy teams are good. A lot of good teams are mediocre. A very small handful of teams are very bad. The Lightning are not very bad. But the Lightning are off to a bad start (4-3-3) and are led by a coach who was interim for most of last season and was hired by the previous coach. That latter is the coaching kiss of death, which is why I believe Tocchet will be the first to go this year. And also because anything goes at Cirque du SoLightning.

Seat status: CALIENTE MÁS UNO

Coaches recieving a free pass this time around: Alain Vigneault, Vancouver Canucks. Barry Trotz, Nashville Predators. Paul Maurice, Carolina Hurricanes. Jacques Lemaire, New Jersey Devils (listed simply because his boss is Lou Lamoriello).

The Pink Slip Index: Which Coach Will Be First to Go? originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Former Player Criticizes Ron Wilson

Kevin Schultz — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Maple Leafs, NHL Media Watch, NHL Coaching

Doesn't that sound like a juicy headline?

It probably does and has probably left you wondering who it was taking on the Toronto coach. Was it Joe Thornton? Maybe Evgeni Nabokov or Olaf Kolzig? Well, the answer is none of the above. The former player who laid into Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Ron Wilson on TSN's Off the Record this week was Jim Thomson.

If you just said 'who?' you're not alone.

Jim Thomson was originally a ninth round pick of the Washington Capitals in 1984. For 12 years, Thomson carved out a nice career for himself as an enforcer in both the AHL and NHL. He played a total of 115 NHL games for six NHL teams, compiling four goals and over 400 penalty minutes. The funny thing is that Thomson only spent one year under Wilson's wing. Not only that, Thomson was injured for most of said year.

In 1993-94 the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim skated in the NHL for the first time. Their coach? Ron Wilson. Their journeyman enforcer who would retire after playing only six -- yes, six -- games? None other than Jim Thomson.

Somehow, TSN decided that the opinion of someone with six games of experience under Wilson more than 15 years ago was worthy to be filed under "headlines" on their website Saturday night. Clearly, if there is anyone who knows Wilson it's not any of the Sharks players he coached there for five seasons nor any of the Capitals he led for the same number of years. But I digress. Let's humor Thomson and TSN by taking a look at the damning quotes.

"Ron Wilson is not a good coach," Thomson told OTR. "Where it breaks down is he can't motivate players, he doesn't know what to do with players when there's controversy and they are losing."

Or maybe it's just tough to manage an expansion team made up of rookies and throw away veterans led in scoring by the likes of Terry Yake and Bob Corkum. I'm going to go with the latter.

"When he calls out Luke Schenn three games into the season, a young player who's their future, and starts beating the hell out of him. ... You don't call a player out in the media, you go behind closed doors," Thomson stated. "I watched him do it to Oleg Tverdovsky in Anaheim, and he ruined the kid's career."

Thomson may have more of a point here. Tverdovsky was a former second overall pick who never quite panned out. But he lasted only a season and a half in Anaheim before being shipped off to Winnipeg for Teemu Selanne (that worked out well for Anaheim, I think). It's hard to blame a 10-year NHL career that fell short of second overall expectations thanks to the guy who coached about 1/8th of said career. Of course, I wasn't there so I can't dispute that Wilson had no influence on Tverdovsky.

Either way, I'm glad that TSN brought this to our attention. I really thought Wilson was a great coach -- after all he has a winning record, has been to the Finals and has stuck in most places he's been -- but now, I know better.

Former Player Criticizes Ron Wilson originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lemaire-less Wild Weak Where It Counts

Adam Gretz — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wild, NHL Coaching

The Minnesota Wild are off to a slow start, winning just two of their first eight games. A couple of weeks ago, our resident Wild expert, Bruce Ciskie, argued that not all of Minnesota's early season struggles were due to the offseason coaching change that resulted in Todd Richards taking over for Jacques Lemaire, the only coach the franchise had known in the first eight years of its existence.

But how much of an impact has the coaching change, and a new system, had on the team, especially defensively?

Let's rewind back to the offseason when I spoke with Chris Snow, the team's director of hockey operations.

At the time, I asked Snow about the play of goaltender Niklas Backstrom and how much of his success was a result of Backstrom's ability as a top-tier goaltender, and how much was a result of the defensive-minded system Minnesota played under Lemaire. Snow insisted it was a combination of the two: Backstrom's an elite goaltender, and, of course, a defensive system is going to be an asset for any goaltender. That's just reality.

But here's the comment that stood out to me:

"If you watched our team play under Jacques," Snow said, "his philosophy was that he would basically give the ice outside of the dots. So, from face-off dot to face-off dot, then going up toward the point, there was kind of a box there. We didn't want a lot of teams to penetrate within that box."

"We'd gladly give up chances from the outside because they're low percentage chances," he continued. "So we wouldn't overpursue, we wouldn't chase guys out to the boards because Jacques didn't want a breakdown in what would be a high-percentage scoring area. If you look at the number of shots teams give up, and where they give them up, you can kind of see how that team is coaching defensively. So that was a function of the way we were coached. And I would expect where we give up goals from will be different this year because we have a different coach."

The bold sentences at the end are what I'd like to focus on. Shortly after that interview ran, Gabriel Desjardins (whom we've also discussed hockey statistics with) at Puck Prospectus took a detailed look at where Minnesota was giving up shots from, and how it compared to the rest of the league. It pretty much confirmed what Snow said to me: they didn't let teams penetrate within "the box."

Having said all of that, I wanted to take a look at Minnesota's first eight games this season and where it was giving up goals from compared to the first eight games of last season.

First, some simple raw numbers.

Minnesota Defensive Comparison
2008-09	Category	2009-10
8	Games	8
240	Shots Allowed	238
30.0	Shots Allowed Per Game	29.7
18	Goals Allowed	27
2.25	Goals Allowed Per Game	3.37

Obviously, the shot numbers are identical, but the goal totals are very, very different.

So what's the issue? Let's start by taking a look at where the Wild are -- and were -- giving up goals from.

It's important to keep in mind that this was put together using NHL.com's gamecenter, as well as my own observations on video, so there's obviously some margin for error (but hopefully not a lot).

2008-09

2009-10

Some observations and thoughts

-- The biggest thing to consider at this point is that this is a very small sample size of data. We're talking about the first eight games of an 82-game schedule. We obviously can't draw any rock-solid, final conclusions at this point. Still, it might be something to keep an eye out as the season progresses if you're a Wild fan (especially if the team continues to give up a lot of goals and lose a lot of games).

-- Looking at the 2009-10 chart compared to the 2008-09 chart, there's not only more goals allowed on it, but there's also more goals being scored from between the faceoff dots and in the slot. That's obviously where most goals get scored from, and it's also the area Minnesota didn't let teams penetrate under Lemaire. After all, Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding have been near the top of the league in terms of expected save percentage the past two seasons. That might be changing.

-- This isn't meant to imply that Todd Richards is a bad head coach, or the wrong head coach for Minnesota, or that the Wild is a bad team with a bad system (at least that's not what I'm trying to imply - I think the Wild are better than this, and will ultimately prove to be better than their 2-6 start); it's just that Richards is a different coach, with a different system, and it's obviously going to lead to different results on the ice.

(Special thanks to my FanHouse colleague Ryan Wilson for creating the fancy charts)

Lemaire-less Wild Weak Where It Counts originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wild's Early Stink Can't All Be Blamed on Coaching, System Changes

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:15:00 EST

Filed under: Wild, Western, NHL Coaching

When you watched the Minnesota Wild the last eight years, there were some things that could be counted on almost every game.

The teams coached by Jacques Lemaire weren't known for being lazy, uninspired, or unprepared. In fact, Lemaire has developed a reputation for getting the absolute maximum out of even the most marginal NHL players. They might not have been the most exciting team in the league, but they were competitive.

None of this should be seen as an indictment of new coach Todd Richards yet. Frankly, he wasn't left with a full cupboard when he arrived, given that his best player (Marian Gaborik) was going to leave via free agency, and he was desperately short of quality centers for the style of play he wanted to employ.

After a 1-4 start, however, there are problems with this team that can't all be blamed (fairly, at least) on the fact that Richards overhauled Lemaire's system and wants a wide-open style.

For starters, the team has no business being 1-4. Only a few fortunate bounces (in this case, these "bounces" are of the officiating variety) stand between the Wild and an 0-5 start to the season. They needed to get a couple lucky calls -- and subsequent power play goals -- to beat Anaheim last week in their home opener.

More disturbingly, the Wild have had some insane stretches of bad hockey over their first five games. They played so poorly in the first period at Los Angeles last Thursday that Richards could have justifiably benched half his roster and changed goalies. The Kings jumped to a 3-0 lead, mainly using long shots and relying on traffic in front of the net to cause problems. In the meantime, the Wild lost battle after battle, including those for position by the goal.

During training camp, Richards talked many times about how tough it was to train the returning players on the nuances of his new system. Likening it to re-training a dog, Richards knew he would be in for challenges during the first half of the season.

While injuries to Petr Sykora, Cal Clutterbuck, Pierre-Marc Bouchard, and now Martin Havlat haven't made things any easier, but it's not like Richards could be fully pleased with what he was seeing out of these guys before they were hurt.

Sure, Clutterbuck will rarely -- if ever -- give you less than everything he has on a shift. Bouchard had a pretty good camp adjusting to being a center. Meanwhile, Havlat has been benched for at least two stretches of games because of poor play in his own zone, and Sykora rode the pine during the aforementioned Kings game.

Injuries aside, Richards knows he can't just make blanket statements about his players trying to adjust. Wednesday's 3-2 loss to Anaheim is a stirring example of why. Instead of giving up goals because guys weren't quite in the right place, or because there was a missed assignment, the Wild weren't competing.

This had to drive Richards absolutely crazy. You can do whatever you want with the system. Run set plays until you're blue in the face, or double-shift your best players because they're your best players, and none of it matters if your team isn't competing.

For the Wild, it was a 20-minute absence of fire. It led to a 2-0 deficit the club wouldn't overcome, no matter how well it played in stretches over the rest of the game. It was something you rarely saw with Lemaire on the bench, and now it has happened multiple times over Richards' first five games.

The mistakes you'd expect from such a drastic system overhaul have been happening, too, but those are accepted and more will happen before Richards' work is done.

Wednesday night featured players not battling in front of either goal, and one of the worst line changes in NHL history. The Wild had four players making their way off for a change before they had succeeded in getting the puck across the red line. It led directly to the first of two goals by Corey Perry, who had a breakaway while the enemy was busy going to the bench.

It's the kind of elementary play that can't possibly be blamed on Richards or the transition. Instead, it was just bad hockey. Actually, Richards called it "selfish" after the game, and that's accurate. It was totally out of character for a Wild team that fans were used to watching sell out for every loose puck.

Until he can find a way to fix his players' willingness to compete at a high level all the time, Richards doesn't have to worry about his new system.

Wild's Early Stink Can't All Be Blamed on Coaching, System Changes originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Knuckle Puck: Maybe He Is Simply a Grain Enthusiast

Kevin Schultz — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:39:00 EST

Filed under: Maple Leafs, NHL Media Watch, NHL Coaching, Junior Hockey

Each and every Saturday this season I'll be taking a look at the random happenings and absurdities that occur in the world of hockey. This is the first edition. Feel free to suggest stories, complain or otherwise babble at me via electronic mail.

Sometimes when naming a child, a parent chooses to give their child a special name. Occasionally, they name their offspring after a parent, a friend or someone else who has been influential in their lives. Other times, well, the child is named after a Canadian junior hockey club in Western Canada. This is one of those times.

The Brandon Wheat Kings play in Brandon, Manitoba, Canada. They're a WHL club, not some Western Conference team you've never heard of -- expect severe East Coast bias every Saturday, by the way. I cannot confirm, but what probably happened was about 18 years ago some expecting parent went a little overboard and named their child after their favorite junior hockey club. 'Well, what's the big deal about a kid named Brandon King?' you say. Not so fast. If his name was Brandon, this could be a coincidence. But no, not only did the parents go so far as to name the child after the team, they made sure to name him in such a way that tells the world, 'Yes, we named him after the team on purpose.'

Meet Wheaton King from Brandon, Manitoba who plays for the Brandon Wheat Kings. Somewhere, that kid who got named after Florida quarterback Tim Tebow -- Tebow Sanford Crumley -- is thinking that he doesn't have it so bad after all.

Jokes I Can't Resist Making
- His parents couldn't go with Wheat. That was a little too crazy.
- The worst part is he gets made fun of by teammates named Dayln, Dallas and Klarc.
- OK, to be fair, maybe he really likes Wheat a whole lot.
- Why doesn't it surprise me that this is what it takes to get Deadspin to acknowledge hockey?

Ron Wilson's Playbook
Maybe this is why the Leafs lost to Montreal on Thursday night. Hockey Night in Canada aired a pretty clear picture of coach Ron Wilson's gameplan. Maybe the Habs installed a television behind the bench over the summer.

Then again, maybe Wilson needs some better insights than "No Leaf is ever left behind" which, I guess, is now plausible since Kyle Wellwood is no longer with the team. But what happens if Jeff Finger oversleeps and misses the team bus? Do they just say 'screw it' and keep driving or show up during the second period? That would explain a few things about last season.

YouTube of the Week

This bear from the University of Alaska Fairbanks is ridiculous and clearly has superpowers. No wonder Stephen Colbert is always warning us about bears. This one flies through space blowing up the solar system and then smashes in the roof of a hockey arena! It's these kinds of glorious videos that make me wish I was old enough to remember the 80s... Wait... NAH!

Knuckle Pucker of the Year Nominee
Each week, we'll nominate someone who deserves to be recognized for their outstanding service and commitment to giving me something to write about. By the end of the year I'll come up with some way to declare a winner. Today's nominee is...

ESPN's NHL Power Rankings! Thank you ESPN for having baseball writer Tim Kurkjan fill out your opening week power rankings. Either that, or someone wanted to have fun at the expense of Barry Melrose. Clearly, nobody in the hockey world had a hand in it since the Lightning are 10th (Fifth in the east! That's playoff bound! Easily!), the Canucks are 17th (they do have that Luongo person, right?) and the Devils 24th (HAHAHAHAHA... Ah, man. That's just funny. I think ESPN just pissed off Brodeur into winning another Vezina).

Thank you, ESPN NHL Power Rankings for providing us with some unintentional comedy. It's good to know that none of your hockey writers were consulted during their creation. The article is attributed to Scott Burnside, but we know he's a bright guy and is clearly not behind this.

Knuckle Puck: Maybe He Is Simply a Grain Enthusiast originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:39:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Child Impersonates Herb Brooks' Locker Room Speech

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Videos, NHL Coaching, Olympic Hockey

One of the more famous scenes from the movie Miracle happens before the United States-Russia game in Lake Placid. Team USA head coach Herb Brooks -- portrayed by Kurt Russell -- walks into the locker room and delivers a passionate speech to his college-age players.

It's a speech that has been replayed at hockey arenas around the country. Surely, a few hockey coaches have tried to "borrow" the contents of the speech to fire up a team. Of all the impersonations you'll ever hear, the best might be from a four-year-old boy on YouTube. Video after the jump.

First off, here's the original, as performed by Russell.

Now, here's "Rizzo" doing his version of the speech.

If you're a parent, you can probably appreciate the ability of a child to say something like "Screw 'em!" so passionately and emphatically, while likely having no idea what it means.

(Tap of the stick: Hot Clicks)

Video: Child Impersonates Herb Brooks' Locker Room Speech originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Seat Already Warm for Some Coaches

Kevin Schultz — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:21:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Rumors, NHL Coaching

The NHL season is almost upon us. That means the weather is getting colder, leaves are falling off trees and coaches are ever closer to getting the proverbial axe. Last year, it took only four games for the Chicago Blackhawks to fire Dennis Savard. The Penguins let Michel Therrien go with 25 games left in the season and it was just what the doctor ordered. The team went 18-3-4 under Dan Bylsma the rest of the season on their way to a Stanley Cup victory. Here, I'll be taking a look at the coaches most likely to end up like Savard -- coaches who are starting the season on the hot seat.

NHL FanHouse Season Preview:
Season Predictions | Other Predictions
Hot Seat Coaches | Coaches in Waiting
Ray Shero Discusses Life After the Stanley Cup
The John Tavares Handbook

Rick Tocchet, Tampa Bay (19-33-14): Tocchet is the obvious choice to start this list off with. He replaced Barry Melrose on Nov. 15 and the circus ... er ... team continued to struggle under his watch. With owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie still at the helm anything is possible, heck probable, especially considering the feud the two owners are involved in. Hey, at the circus anything goes. If the Lightning struggle out of the gate, don't be surprised if Tocchet is looking for a new job come November.

Joel Quenneville, Chicago (45-22-11): The Chicago Blackhawks had a rough offseason, thanks to their star player punching a cabbie, their former GM Dave Tallon almost botching qualifying offers to their RFAs and then his getting fired in a sketchy manner anyway. The team has added a few big names this offseason, among them Marian Hossa and John Madden, and this year could be the team's best opportunity at a title. After this season Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith become RFAs and will likely take up a much, much larger chunk of the team's cap space. If the Hawks don't contend for the division in the first half -- in addition to the fact that Quenneville is now under new management (GM Stan Bowman) -- look for the Hawks to make a move and shake up the locker room. Considering the Pens did it and went on to win the Cup, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few copycats out there.

John Stevens, Philadelphia (107-98-33): Stevens has had a solid team for a few seasons now and has had a good share of regular season success, finishing fifth and sixth in the conference the last two seasons. However, the Flyers have been bounced in the playoffs by the Penguins both times. After the additions of Chris Pronger and Ray Emery not to mention a possibly healthy Simon Gagne (although that's asking a lot), Stevens could be in a similar situation as Quenneville. If things aren't going as planned, the Flyers may look for someone to shake things up for the stretch run.

John Anderson, Atlanta (35-41-6): Does anyone outside of Atlanta remember that the Thrashers won the Southeast in 2006-07? Probably not because they got swept by the Rangers in the playoffs that year and have yet to recover. They finished at the bottom of the conference the last two years and one has to think that GM Don Waddell should be out sometime soon. Anderson was not very successful in his first season in Atlanta and is now facing a big season as Ilya Kovalchuk will be unrestricted at year's end. If Kovy isn't re-signed -- which looks doubtful -- Waddell and Anderson could be on the outs.

Andy Murray, St. Louis (101-85-32): The Blues made the playoffs for the first time post-lockout last year. Under Murray's leadership they finished the year 9-1-1 to sneak in the backdoor of the playoffs and likely save Murray's job. However, they proceeded to get swept by Vancouver in four games. If Murray can't find the magic the team had to finish last year, he could go.

Jacques Lemaire, New Jersey (0-0-0): Lemaire is one of the least likely candidates to get fired this season but as long as Lou Lamoriello is in charge in New Jersey, I'm obligated to put the Devils' head coach on this list.

Honorable Mentions: Ken Hitchcock, Columbus; Terry Murray, Los Angeles.

Many times the coach that gets fired first is the one whose team gets off to the worst start. For what it's worth, my pick in that regard is Rick Tocchet in Tampa Bay. Chances are, there will be a surprise firing or two before Christmas. But here are a few folks who I think are rock solid and not going anywhere this season:

Randy Carlyle, Anaheim
Paul Maurice, Carolina
Scott Gordon, Islanders
Todd McLellan, San Jose
Ron Wilson, Toronto

Seat Already Warm for Some Coaches originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Coyotes Hire Dave Tippett as Coach

Tom Mantzouranis — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:10:00 EST

Filed under: Coyotes, NHL Coaching

The Coyotes didn't waste much time announcing the long-term replacement for Wayne Gretzky, who stepped down as coach and director of hockey operations on Thursday. Seven hours after Gretzky made his announcement, the club held a press conference to introduce Dave Tippett as their new bench boss.

But that obviously doesn't mean the hire was made in that brief window. Coyotes GM Don Maloney revealed in a press conference Thursday evening that he had a feeling Gretzky might resign as early as June, and began earnestly looking for a replacement in August. Given the circumstances, the process probably wasn't as easy as normal head coach searches.

Tippett addressed the question that many have probably been asking -- why would anyone want to take a job in such an unsettled environment?

"The intrigue of building a good hockey team outweighed all the off-ice stuff," Tippett told reporters at an introductory media conference. "What happens off the ice we have no control over; what happens on the ice and in the locker room we have control over and that is what we will focus on."

Tippett was fired from his job running the Stars in June after they failed to make the playoffs for the first time in his six seasons. The move, brought on by a new regime headed by first-time GM Joe Nieuwendyk, caught some by surprise. Tippett is regarded as a very good coach, as his 271-156-28-37 record and two Pacific Division titles in Dallas can attest to. He wasn't expected to be out of work for long.

He's got his hands full in Phoenix, but the Coyotes' new era is off to a good start by hiring a guy with proven NHL coaching credentials instead of an iconic name with no bench experience.

Coyotes Hire Dave Tippett as Coach originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 19:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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For Gretzky, Canada May Be Calling

Christopher Botta — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coyotes, Oilers, NHL Coaching, Olympic Hockey

Head coach Wayne Gretzky never had the players. Hockey executive Wayne Gretzky never had the most brilliant partners. As a result, The Great One's tenure with the Phoenix Coyotes turned into The Great Disaster.

The Phoenix experience went so Southwest on Gretzky, it has essentially ended the hockey operations and coaching career of the greatest player in the history of the game.

More From SI.com: Let Canada Have the Coyotes

There is no rebound from this, not as a general manager or head coach, and that is profoundly sad. Gretzky made plenty of bad decisions, failed to surround himself with the best or most qualified people (often hiring friends instead) and could not motivate or strategize effectively enough for his Coyotes to over-achieve even once in four years to finish in eighth place in the West. His statement today that he is "confident that the best has yet to come for hockey in Phoenix" is evidence that he's prone to delusions of grandeur -- or maybe just an honorable desire to say the right thing.

All that said, this is Wayne Gretzky -- warts and all, the game's greatest ambassador, the Guy Next Door as international sports icon. Gretzky deserves better than this. The lack of public support from the National Hockey League has been shameful. The whisper campaign behind the scenes worse. The abandonment from colleagues and media pals -- thinking Gretzky cannot do anything for them anymore -- shows that even if you're the Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan of your sport, there are still plenty of people who are only with you win or overtime win.

The rebuilding of the Gretzky brand is ultimately up to him when he's ready. In the short term, he's going to find out who his true friends are.

First up with a warm hand should be Team Canada. The 2010 Canadian Olympic Team is capably managed by Steve Yzerman and deputies Doug Armstrong, Ken Holland and Kevin Lowe. The country's most beloved sportsman should be part of their circle for the next four months and in Vancouver in February.

Gretzky has always had a close connection to the Oilers. With his failure in Phoenix now mercifully over, an official bond with the Edmonton franchise would be a lovely touch and beneficial for the team and the Hall of Famer. Gretzky also played for Los Angeles, St. Louis and the Rangers, but he is an Edmonton Oiler.

You have to wonder if franchise-hijacker Jim Balsillie will provide Gretzky with a soft landing spot and the millions he stands to lose on his Coyotes deal. In Gretzky's resignation today, he went out of his way to make a pitch for his boyhood home in Southern Ontario as an NHL destination. While Basillie and Gretzky arm-in-arm in Ontario might cause angina attacks across the NHL Board of Governors, it could make for a happy ending for The Great One.

Gretzky may always keep a residence in the West, but it's time for him to connect with a Canadian franchise. Watching The Great One coaching in Phoenix was as uncomfortable as when Bruce Springsteen moved from New Jersey to Hollywood for a few years in the late '80s. For Wayne Gretzky, it may be time to come home.

For Gretzky, Canada May Be Calling originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Edmonton Oilers Dynasty: Players Turned Head Coaches

Adam Gretz — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:31:00 EST

Filed under: NHL Coaching

The old cliche in sports is that often times the best players turn out to be the worst coaches, and Wayne Gretzky, arguably the greatest hockey player ever, is, perhaps, one of the finest examples. The Great One resigned from his position as head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes on Thursday following four unsuccessful seasons behind the bench in the desert.

As a team, the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s were one of the best collections of talent the NHL has ever seen, winning five Stanley Cups -- four with Gretzky -- between 1983 and 1990.

Four members of those Stanley Cup winning teams, including Gretzky, went onto become head coaches in the NHL with mixed results behind the bench.

Oilers Dynasty: Coaching Records
Coach	Wins	Losses	Ties/OTL
Craig MacTavish	301	252	104
Wayne Gretzky	143	161	24
Jim Playfair	43	29	10
Kevin Lowe	32	16	8
Totals	519	458	146

-- MacTavish had the longest tenure as a bench boss in the NHL, coaching the Oilers for eight seasons before being removed from the position following the 2008-09 campaign. During his stint, the team qualified for the postseason only two times, advancing beyond the first round once when the Oilers went to the Stanley Cup Final in 2005-06, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

-- Playfair only played two games with Oilers as a 19-year-old rookie during the 1983-84 season (he never played a postseason game with the team), but we'll include him anyway. He spent one season as the head coach in Calgary -- 2005-06 -- leading the team to the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs before losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the first round. He was replaced by Mike Keenan the following season. He will be the head coach of the Abbotsford Heat in 2009.

-- Like Playfair, Lowe was only a head coach for one season in the NHL, leading the Oilers to a 32-16-8 record after replacing Ron Low. The following season he was promoted to general manager, replacing Glen Sather.

-- And then there's Gretzky's rather infamous, and forgettable, tenure with the Phoenix Coyotes.

Just for fun, here's a sampling of some Hall of Fame players from hockey history and how they succeeded -- or failed -- as head coaches in the NHL. Please keep in mind that this isn't every Hall of Fame player that went onto coach in the NHL, just some of the notable ones. And we're really going back in time with some of these examples.

Great Players Don't Always Make Great Coaches
Coach	Wins	Losses	Ties/OTL
Toe Blake	500	255	155
Sid Abel	382	255	159
Lester Patrick	281	216	107
Larry Robinson	209	217	64
Gerry Cheevers	204	126	46
Bob Gainey	194	211	60
Lynn Patrick	165	196	82
King Clancy	86	92	50
Alex Delvecchio	82	131	32
Denis Savard	65	66	16
Doug Harvey	26	32	12
Phil Esposito	24	20	0

Edmonton Oilers Dynasty: Players Turned Head Coaches originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 13:31:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Wild Players Getting Used to New System

Bruce Ciskie — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Wild, Western, NHL Coaching

FanHouse's Bruce Ciskie reports from Wild training camp.

ST. PAUL -- After nine years of the same voice at practice and during games, a significant change came to the Minnesota Wild after the 2008-2009 season. Veteran coach Jacques Lemaire was out, replaced by first-time NHL head coach and Minnesota native Todd Richards.

While the Wild had their share of success with Lemaire, most fans thought it was time for a change. That change isn't just the voice the players hear every day. Richards brings in an entirely new way of playing hockey for the Wild.

While Lemaire relied on stout defense and opportunistic play up front, Richards wants a more wide-open, up-tempo system. Skating becomes incredibly important with what Richards wants his team to do.

The coaches have talked about re-training players, and things appear to be going well so far. The big test comes when the regular season opens next month, but the preseason schedule, which is about to get cranked up for Minnesota, will also help the players and staff gauge their progress.

One of the players expected to benefit greatly from the changes is defenseman Brent Burns. After injuries took him out for a chunk of the second half last season, Burns is healthy again, and doing everything in his power to learn the new system. It's one that brings defensemen into the offensive rush more often, allowing them more opportunities to go to the net.

"It's been a lot of work," Burns said, "but we've got to keep going."

Asked if players are taking well to the new system, Burns said things are going well.

"It's been good. There been good communication with everybody."

Asked to compare Lemaire and Richards, Burns said "there's a lot of differences," and he praised the passion of both men.

Fellow defenseman Nick Schultz has never scored more than six goals in an NHL season, totaling just 21 in 527 NHL games. In each of the last four years, Schultz has scored just two goals. He showed some offensive ability in junior hockey, but it has never has translated to the NHL. The new system might change things for him.

"It's exciting," Schultz told FanHouse. "There's gonna be a little more freedom for the fourth guy -- one defenseman -- to try to get up the ice and join the offense."

Schultz says it's a more aggressive style, and it's clear from watching the Wild practice that skating is going to be a very important part of things. Multiple times, coaches could be heard drilling home the importance of skating to all players. It's not just one or two guys who will have to be constantly moving their feet during shifts. It's everyone.

The veteran defenseman also noted a more aggressive forecheck. The one-man forecheck Lemaire preferred is no more, replaced by a two-man system.

"It's going to be fun to get up the ice and be a part of it," Schultz said.

Richards knows that this is a work in progress, but as fans prepare to watch the Wild for the first time Friday night (they host Columbus for a preseason game), he believes they will be happy with what they see.

"Hopefully we'll be more entertaining, more energetic," Richards said. "We got some players in who can make plays and bring energy, with the (Cal) Clutterbucks and (Derek) Boogaards, and I know that they are fan favorites, so they can look forward to that."

Richards is also looking forward to seeing Burns make his preseason debut Friday.

"I know just watching him in practice, I think he's real excited about playing the first game. It's going to be basically open up the barn doors and let the horse run."

The rookie coach says there could be some butterflies before the home debut. He noted that he still hasn't settled into his new house, and he is also working hard to get the players acclimated to the new system.

The Wild might not make the playoffs this season, but it's clear that players and coaches alike believe the talent is there for this team to make a run. As long as Nicklas Backstrom is in goal, the Wild know they can "steal" games with their defense. The key now will be scoring enough goals to make the team a more consistent winner.

Wild Players Getting Used to New System originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sun, 20 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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From Assistant in Limbo to Cup-Winning Coach, in 3 Years

Christopher Botta — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EST

Filed under: Islanders, Penguins, NHL Coaching, FanHouse Exclusive

Just a little over three years ago, Dan Bylsma -- today the head coach of the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins -- was an assistant coach without a job and with little idea where his next one might be.

In the summer of 2006 Bylsma was coming off his first season as an NHL assistant with the New York Islanders. The man who hired him, head coach Steve Stirling, was fired in January that year. Bylsma's fellow assistant, Brad Shaw, finished the 2005-06 season as interim head coach. In the offseason, the Islanders were in search of a new general manager and head coach.

(Let's cut the pretense and take down the fourth wall. I was the team's PR VP at the time.)

Bylsma, just two years removed from a journeyman playing career as the ultimate overachiever for 429 NHL games, was in limbo. The Islanders eventually hired Neil Smith as GM and Ted Nolan as coach in June, but the assistant coaches still did not learn their fate. Bylsma and his wife registered their son for the following school year in New York and back home in Michigan. During my lunch break, I would jump on a treadmill in the Islanders locker room for a while. Bylsma would take the one next to me and ask with the utmost sincerity, "Have you heard anything about what they're gonna do with us?"

The champion head coach laughed with recognition about those days in the summer of 2006 when I called him in his Penguins office the other day.

"It's all good. I'm on the other side now, so I understand what was going on with the Islanders," Bylsma said, time and experience leaving him with not even the slightest of hard feelings. "When you're in the position I was in, you always want the news more quickly. You're thinking, 'I want to know on my time, not their time.' You want to know if you're okay or if you should pack up and move your family again.

"I'm not going to lie to you; I spent hours thinking about what I was going to say in my first meeting with Sidney. ... I decided I was just going to stop thinking about it and tell him everything that was on my mind." "But now I'm that head coach and others are waiting for me to make a decision on their careers. I look back on that summer and I trust the Islanders were doing their due diligence. I look back and I thank the Islanders for giving me my first coaching job in the NHL. Without that experience, I'm not fully ready when the Penguins called in February."

On a Sunday afternoon, February 15 of this year, the 38-year-old Byslma was preparing his Wilkes Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League for a 5:00 pm home game. A short while before warmup, he received a text from Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero: "Call me from ur office in 5 mins."

Bylsma's heart started pounding. He knew something big was up. Most of his dealings as a Baby Pens assistant for one season and then head coach for 51 games had been with assistant GM Chuck Fletcher. This time Shero needed him promptly. The AHL coach started thinking about what he was going to say. "I figured it had to be about the Penguins job," said Bylsma, "because my body wouldn't have reacted that way." Before the five minutes were up, he had calmed down. "I didn't need to call anyone for help," he said. "I was confident that I was prepared for the opportunity. Everything came into focus."

The next morning he was in the Garden City Hotel -- ironically, about five minutes from where he once lived on Long Island -- getting organized for his first meeting with the Penguins. At 2:00 p.m., his new team was playing the Islanders.

"I was ready. I had 51 games as a head coach in Wilkes Barre plus my season in the NHL with the Islanders to draw from," he said. "I don't want to be cavalier about it, but those two experiences were all I needed. On the Island, I learned from the adversity. There were problems. We had injuries, we had people coming and going. It was a difficult situation. As a staff, we did everything we could to keep it together. I worked with Steve Stirling and Brad Shaw and Jack Capuano and took a great deal from their knowledge. I learned a lot from Sudarshan Maharaj on how to handle goaltenders. In the AHL, I learned about the responsibility of making the final decision..."

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Pittsburgh Penguins' Eric Tangradi, left, and Ottawa Senators' Kyle Wharton tangle for the puck during an NHL rookies hockey game in Kitchener, Ont., Monday, Sept. 7, 2009. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Peter Lee,The Waterloo Region Record) ** NO SALES **

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Jerry Moyes, majority owner of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey club arrives Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 at Federal Court in Phoenix for the Coyotes bankruptcy hearing. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo smiles as he speaks to reporters on Wednesday, Seot, 2, 2009 in Montreal. he Canucks and Luongo have agreed to terms on 12-year contract extension. The deal, announced Wednesday, is reportedly worth $64 million. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo speaks to reporters, Wednesday, Seot, 2, 2009 in Montreal. he Canucks and Luongo have agreed to terms on 12-year contract extension. The deal, announced Wednesday, is reportedly worth $64 million. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Ryan Remiorz)

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman arrives Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 at Federal Court in Phoenix for the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy hearing. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Jerry Moyes, majority owner of the Phoenix Coyotes of hockey club arrives Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 at Federal Court in Phoenix for the Coyotes bankruptcy hearing. (AP Photo/Matt York)

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, front, and deputy commissioner Bill Daly arrive Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 at Federal Court in Phoenix for the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy hearing. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie arrives Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 at Federal Court in Phoenix for the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy hearing. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Jerry Moyes, front, majority owner of the Phoenix Coyotes hockey club arrives Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 at Federal Court in Phoenix for the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy hearing. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie arrives Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2009 at Federal Court in Phoenix for the Phoenix Coyotes bankruptcy hearing. (AP Photo/Matt York)

But Coach, we're talking about going into a locker room with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, about taking over a team expected to contend for the Stanley Cup.

"Look, I know what you're saying, but it is still hockey," said the Penguins head coach. "I'm not going to lie to you; I spent hours thinking about what I was going to say in my first meeting with Sidney. Do I tip-toe in with him? Do I pace myself, figuring I'll get to work with him a while? I decided I was just going to stop thinking about it and tell him everything that was on my mind. I remember seeing Chuck Fletcher and informing him how I'd handle my first meeting with Sid. He was very supportive, then as he walked away he said, 'Hey Dan, good luck with that.'"

Four months later, the Penguins won the Stanley Cup.

Before he embarked on his coaching journey in 2004, Bylsma told his wife Mary Beth that his goal was to be an NHL head coach and someday win the Stanley Cup. Along with their son Brian, they spent a year in Cincinnati (AHL assistant) and Long Island plus the two years in Pennsylvania. When Dan, cradling the Cup, saw his wife after the Penguins defeated Detroit in Game 7, Mary Beth said, "So do you have any other goals you'd like to tell me about?"

After Dan left for Pittsburgh in February, Mary Beth and 10-year-old Brian spent the rest of the school year in Wilkes Barre. "You hear from guys all the time in sports saying they couldn't do it without the support of their family, but this is the perfect illustration" said Bylsma. "Knowing Mary Beth had everything under control allowed me to focus on being the head coach of the Penguins.

"Here's what you need to know about Mary Beth as a mother: Brian can walk into any school, anywhere, and be comfortable. To say I'm fortunate to have both of them in my life is an understatement. Handing the Stanley Cup to them was something I'll never forget. Everything we hoped for together had come true."

And with that, he said he had to finish the phone call. His assistant coaches -- including a new one, Tony Granato -- were waiting for him. Dan Bylsma's first full season as an NHL head coach is about to begin.

From Assistant in Limbo to Cup-Winning Coach, in 3 Years originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Patrick Marleau No Longer Captain in San Jose; Rangers Sign Prospal

Adam Gretz — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Rangers, Sharks, NHL Free Agency, NHL Coaching

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, it's our link dump that looks at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

"As Of Now, Nobody Is Our Captain"

Those are the words of San Jose Sharks head coach Todd McLellan, via David Pollack of the Mercury News. After another early playoff exit this past season, a first-round loss to the No. 8 seed Anaheim Ducks, McLellan has decided to rattle a few cages in the leadership department and will wait to see who steps forward during training camp before naming a new captain. That, of course, means Patrick Marleau no longer owns the C. The 29-year-old Marleau has spent all 11 years of his career in San Jose, amassing 276 goals, and has been the team's captain since January, 2004.

Even though Marleau has been stripped of his captaincy -- for now, it's still possible he could reclaim the C prior to the season -- McLellan told Pollack that the perceived leadership problems in San Jose don't fall on any one individual person: "Does that fall onto one guy's shoulder, the guy wearing the C? No. It's a collective thing and it starts with me at a coach." [Working The Corners]

Prospal Officially Signs With Rangers

... And it's only a matter of time until he gets traded back to Tampa Bay!

Larry Brooks of the New York Post originally reported on Sunday that the Rangers had signed the recently bought out Vaclav Prospal to a one-year contract, reuniting him with John Tortorella in the Big Apple. On Monday, the Rangers made it all official.

Prospal, who turns 34 this season, has bounced around the league in recent years, including three different stints with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's recorded four 20-goal campaigns in his 11-year career, including a career-best 33 goals during the 2007-08 season.

This offseason the Rangers have overhauled their collection of forwards in an effort to boost an offense that finished 28th in the NHL in 2008-09 with just 200 goals. They've signed free agents Marian Gaborik, Ales Kotalik, Vaclav Prospal and Donald Brashear, while also dealing veteran Scott Gomez to the Montreal Canadiens for a number of players, including Chris Higgins. The club also acquired Brian Boyle and Envir Lisin, and parted ways with enigmatic forward Nikolai Zherdev. [Rangers.com]

Loose Pucks

... Forget highlight reel goals, The Puck Doctors has a video compilation of the best hits of the 2008-09 season. [The Puck Doctors]

... The Los Angeles Kings Ice Crew Auditions. If you like scantily-clad California girls on ice skates ... this link is for you. [Epic Carnival]

... Matt Saler isn't all that thrilled with the possibility of Todd Bertuzzi returning to the Motor City. [On The Wings]

Patrick Marleau No Longer Captain in San Jose; Rangers Sign Prospal originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Tue, 18 Aug 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ducks Add Size; Capitals' Jose Theodore Will Enter Camp as No. 1 Goalie

Adam Gretz — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:10:00 EST

Filed under: Capitals, Ducks, NHL Coaching

Newsmakers in the NHL: During the regular season it's our daily look at the previous night's action. During the offseason, it's our link dump that looks at some of the storylines and moves taking place around the league three times per week. Have a tip or something you want linked? Send it in to nhlfanhouse@gmail.com.

Ducks Acquire Evgeny Artyukhin For Drew Miller

On Thursday, the Anaheim Ducks added some bulk to their lineup by acquiring 6-foot-5, 254-pound winger Evgeny Artyukhin from the Tampa Bay Lightning for forward Drew Miller and a third-round pick. Artyukhin, 26, played in 73 games with Tampa Bay this past season, registering six goals to go with 10 assists and 151 penalty minutes. One of the biggest players in the NHL and capable of dropping the gloves, Artyukhin will add even more toughness to an already big, and physical, Ducks lineup.

Miller, 25, has six goals in 53 NHL games.

Jose Theodore Will Enter Camp As No. 1 Goalie

Washington Capitals goaltender Semyon Varlamov was one of the top stories during the 2009 NHL playoffs, as he took over for a struggling Jose Theodore and not only helped the Capitals overcome a 3-1 series deficit in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, but also helped lead the team to Game 7 of the conference semifinals. His stellar play, apparently, wasn't enough to earn him the No. 1 goaltender job heading into training camp this year ... at least not yet.

Head coach Bruce Boudreau said on Thursday, via Tarik El-Bashir of the Washington Post, "Right now Jose is the No. 1 guy and the other two young men have got to come in and play the way they did last year and try to push him out."

He continued: "Jose won 33 games for us last year, and like the year before when Cristobal Huet got hot down the stretch, Varly came in and did a great job where we just couldn't take him out. But that was 13 games ... It doesn't make up for 12 years of experience. I've seen an awful lot of goalies come in at a young age and go into a slump for a year or two. I think Jose has earned and deserves the right [to be] the No. 1 guy." [Washington Post]

Loose Pucks

... An excerpt from The Book Of Rebuild, Chapter 1: And Burke said, Let the Marlies bring forth prospects, the talent yielding potential, and the draft pick yielding fruit after his kind, whose potential is in itself, upon the Marlies: and it was so. [Pension Plan Puppets]

... What sort of impact will Jay Bouwmeester's arrival in Calgary have on Dion Phaneuf? [Matchsticks & Gasoline]

... Ticket information for the Winter Classic at Fenway Park will be announced on Monday. [Boston Globe]

Ducks Add Size; Capitals' Jose Theodore Will Enter Camp as No. 1 Goalie originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 10:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brent Sutter Enjoying Life With Flames

Bruce Ciskie — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Flames, Western, NHL Coaching, FanHouse Exclusive

The naming of Brent Sutter as head coach of the Calgary Flames was not a surprise. The June 23 announcement made headlines, but was also a poorly-kept secret in most hockey circles.

From the moment he resigned in New Jersey, Sutter was expected to join brother Darryl, the Flames' general manager, in coach-less Calgary. Once Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello gave permission for Brent to make that move, it was quickly announced. After about a month on the job, Sutter took some time to talk to FanHouse about his move back to western Canada.

Sutter said everything has been "really good" so far in Calgary.

"Just like with anything new, it's a learning curve," he said. The whole thing has been outstanding. The organization really has great communication."

The new coach said there really weren't any reservations about going to work in an organization where his older brother was the general manager.

"It's always hard to resign from a job, but I resigned for all the right reasons. I learned a lot, but it was not working for Brent Sutter in a lot of ways, and I had to make a decision.""I've worked with Darryl," Brent Sutter said. "I've played with Darryl. I'm not really working for Darryl now. I'm working for the Calgary Flames. Through the (hiring) process, I spent time with ownership, and I spent time with (president) Ken King. Organization has tremendous communication. Everyone knows what's going on."

Sutter did note that it wasn't exactly easy leaving New Jersey after just two seasons, but he was clear he had no regrets, largely because being so far away from his family wasn't working.

"It's always hard to resign from a job," Sutter said, "but I resigned for all the right reasons. I learned a lot, but it was not working for Brent Sutter in a lot of ways, and I had to make a decision. That decision was to be close to my family and kids and business (Sutter still owns the Western Hockey League's Red Deer Rebels)."

Sutter noted that Calgary is only about an hour and 15 minutes away from his ranch, so he was very excited when he was approached by the Flames.

At the press conference introducing Brent Sutter as the new head coach, Darryl Sutter lauded the abilities of the assistant coaches he brought on board, Ryan McGill, Dave Lowry, and Jamie McLennan. Saying he coached all four new hires himself, Darryl noted the their ability to relate to and communicate with players. Brent agrees.

"We're a young staff, but very enthusiastic," he said. "Good leaders. We've been captains and assistant captains. We have the knowledge. Now, our job is to put it all together and work well together."

On the ice, the Flames appear to be quite formidable defensively. Jay Bouwmeester was acquired in a draft-day trade and re-signed before free agency began July 1. He joins All-Star Dion Phaneuf, Robyn Regehr, and Cory Sarich in what could be the league's strongest blue-line group.

"It's exciting to have Jay," Sutter said. "He's an elite defenseman, and it's tough to find anybody who knows the game and plays the game as well as he does. The important thing is to put this group together and make it all work. It all looks great on paper."

Brent Sutter has a son, Brandon, playing in the Carolina Hurricanes system. The elder Sutter said that while the idea of the game is still the same, much of the game has changed from when he played versus now that he's coaching and his son is playing.

"You have to be disciplined and a hard-working player," Brent Sutter said. "Nowadays, you train 11 months out of the year. Guys come to camp in outstanding shape. When I played, it was different. Training camp was used by many guys to get in shape. I felt guilty about it, so I would train through the summer. But a lot of guys would get in shape with training camp.

"Now, there's more parity in the game," he added. "There's a fine line between winning and losing. It's starts right from the get-go. Everybody in the NHL is good. When I played, there were games you went into when you were not a real decent team and the team you played had so much talent. That team could not play their best and still win. It's different now."

It's that kind of 82-game mentality that the Flames will likely need to unseat Vancouver in the Northwest Division. The Canucks charged hard after the trade deadline and overtook Calgary during the season's final week. The slumping Flames were then eliminated in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs by Chicago. With Sutter on board, the hope is that a new voice and an elite group of defensemen can carry Calgary to greater heights.

Brent Sutter Enjoying Life With Flames originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Good News, Devils Fans: Coaches Do Slightly Better 2nd Time Around

Adam Gretz — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:05:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, NHL Coaching

Since the New Jersey Devils decided to bring back Jacques Lemaire for a second go-around behind the bench, I wanted to take a look back at the other situations in NHL history where a coach made a return to his former team.

The somewhat promising results (if you're a Devils fan) after the jump.

So, You're Back Again
Coach	Team	1st Win %	2nd Win %	Dif
Al Arbour	Islanders	.531	.398	-.133
Art Ross	Bruins	.487	.506	+.019
Bob McCammon	Flames	.440	.577	+.137
Bob Pulford	Blackhawks	.381	.454	+.073
Cecil Hart	Canadiens	.552	.381	-.171
Charlie Burns	North Stars	.227	.286	+.059
Dave Lewis	Red Wings	.800	.585	-.215
Dick Irvin	Blackhawks	.464	.271	-.193
Don Waddell	Thrashers	.400	.447	+.047
Ed Johnston	Penguins	.329	.554	+.225
Glen Sather	Oilers	.559	.367	-.192
Glen Sonmer	North Stars	.440	.319	-.121
Harry Neale	Canucks	.337	.391	+.054
Harry Sinden	Canadiens	.459	.548	+.089
Ken Schinkel	Penguins	.337	.462	+.125
Larry Pleau	Whalers	.263	.472	+.209
Larry Robinson	Devils	.529	.438	-.091
Lou Lamoriello	Devils	.640	.666	+.026
Michel Bergeron	Nordiques	.457	.150	-.307
Milt Schmidt	Bruins	.374	.274	-.100
Newsy Lalonde	Canadiens	.537	.402	-.135
Paul Maurice	Hurricanes	.407	.578	+.171
Sid Abel	Red Wings	.410	.514	+.104
Tony Granato	Avalanche	.408	.390	-.018

Just a couple of quick notes:

1) I think this is all of them. After hours of digging through the Hockey-Reference library this should be all of them. If you know of any that I missed, or find any that I missed, please point it out in the comments and I'll factor them in.

2) In some cases, like Art Ross for example, the coach had more than two stints with the team. In such situations, I combined the second and third records as the second winning percentage, simply to save space on the chart and make it all fit.

3) Dave Lewis' first coaching job with the Red Wings? Five games. Lou Lamoriello's second stint with the Devils? Two games.

4) Of the 24 coaches that had more than one head coaching job with a specific team, 13 of them did better the second time around, while 11 of them did worse the second time around. The overall winning percentage the first time: .456. The second time: .437. Keep in mind, these winning percentages are low because almost all of these guys coached in an era where games could end in ties.

Good News, Devils Fans: Coaches Do Slightly Better 2nd Time Around originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 18:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lemaire Returns to Devils Bench

Bruce Ciskie — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Devils, Eastern, NHL Coaching

UPDATE: The Devils have made it official.

It's a story that really isn't all that shocking at all. The only surprise might be how long it took for the move to be made.

The New Jersey Devils are going to replace coach Brent Sutter -- now with the Flames -- with a very familiar face. Former Devils coach Jacques Lemaire, who led New Jersey to the Stanley Cup in 1995, is reportedly set to make his return to the club as head coach.

The 63-year-old Lemaire spent nine seasons as head coach of the Minnesota Wild. He led the Wild to three playoff appearances, including a stunning run to the Western Conference Finals in 2003. For much of that time, he was chided for encouraging a "boring" style of hockey, even though he often was able to take lesser-talented Minnesota teams and make them competitive against the league's best.

Lemaire looked to see the writing on the wall after the 2008-2009 season, and he resigned shortly before general manager Doug Risebrough, who had brought Lemaire to Minnesota, was fired. Thanks to injuries that affected guys like now-former Minnesota star Marian Gaborik, this past season's Wild team might have been one of the worst since the expansion team. Instead of letting them flounder at the bottom of the Western Conference, Lemaire kept the Wild in contention for a playoff spot in what could have been his best coaching job yet.

While there were reports of clashes with some Wild players, there's no question Lemaire can still coach. Reunited with good friend and former boss Lou Lamoriello, Lemaire will likely have to adapt a little bit.

The Devils were more of a wide-open team under Sutter. How will centers Zach Parise and Travis Zajac feel about a system that would likely take away some of their creativity? On the bright side, Lemaire has a likely ally in Brian Rolston, who was signed as a free agent from Minnesota in the summer of 2007. Rolston always seemed to appreciate Lemaire's coaching, and his departure may have paved the way for some of the acrimony that was reported this past season.

For Devils fans, it's a bit of a double-edged sword. Lemaire's teams were always well-prepared and ready to play, and they were usually successful. However, the stigma he carries with them can make life difficult for a fan, especially if the team isn't winning.

Lamoriello is taking a bit of a risk. If Lemaire can relate to his younger, faster team, things should go well. If things go sour, will Lamoriello figure it out before it's too late?

Lemaire Returns to Devils Bench originally appeared on NHL FanHouse on Mon, 13 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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