Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by Cornuck »

I haven't heard much about Gulutzan this year. How would be coaching your Vancouver Canucks?
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by Hockey Widow »

Travis Green
Kevin Dineen
Wayne Gretzky

With Trevor stating you need to put players in a position to utilize their strengths it sounds like he will be looking for an AV type coach. Play solid, sound defence but let the players play.
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by ukcanuck »

Hockey Widow wrote:Travis Green
Kevin Dineen
Wayne Gretzky

With Trevor stating you need to put players in a position to utilize their strengths it sounds like he will be looking for an AV type coach. Play solid, sound defence but let the players play.
Wait I thought AV was the opposite, plugging players into a system and benching them or parking them in the press box when they didn't fit (hello K Ballard.)

Which makes me wonder about putting the Sedins out in offensive zone face offs and making them come off when the play is in the defensive zone. Doesn't that mean someone has to play the opposite? Go out take, the face off get possession and get off for the next line?

I guess it worked to a degree but, if you want the whole team involved the way Trevor mentioned ...

That's rolling four lines and 8 D pairs and giving everyone meaningful minutes and responsibility, that doesn't sound like AV to me
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by Island Nucklehead »

ukcanuck wrote: That's rolling four lines and 8 D pairs and giving everyone meaningful minutes and responsibility, that doesn't sound like AV to me
Are they mutually exclusive? It's about deploying your assets in a way that is most effective. Start your best offensive lines in the offensive zone, start your best defensive lines in the defensive zone, start your fourth line in the neutral zone etc. etc. Obviously, depending on the flow of play, the Sedins will have to spend some time in their own zone, and the fourth line will probably wind up on the forecheck. Last change also factors big time.

You can roll the lines and ensure playing time, all the while giving your team the best chance at success.
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by ukcanuck »

Island Nucklehead wrote:
ukcanuck wrote: That's rolling four lines and 8 D pairs and giving everyone meaningful minutes and responsibility, that doesn't sound like AV to me
Are they mutually exclusive? It's about deploying your assets in a way that is most effective. Start your best offensive lines in the offensive zone, start your best defensive lines in the defensive zone, start your fourth line in the neutral zone etc. etc. Obviously, depending on the flow of play, the Sedins will have to spend some time in their own zone, and the fourth line will probably wind up on the forecheck. Last change also factors big time.

You can roll the lines and ensure playing time, all the while giving your team the best chance at success.
Well yeah actually it does sound mutually exclusive. So does having checking lines and energy lines. Or having offensive or defensive minded defence pairs for that matter.

If some players only play offense and some play only defensive situations and they have this thing called changing on the fly...
Somebody is going to sit....how can you get around that ?
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by Island Nucklehead »

ukcanuck wrote: Well yeah actually it does sound mutually exclusive. So does having checking lines and energy lines. Or having offensive or defensive minded defence pairs for that matter.

If some players only play offense and some play only defensive situations and they have this thing called changing on the fly...
Somebody is going to sit....how can you get around that ?
Like Quinn said, your better players play more, but everyone plays. It's called the match-up game, do you want the Sedins going head-to-head with Crosby, or is Kesler better suited for that role? Do you think we'll have much success if the Richardson line plays as much as the Sedin line? Do you want Alberts manning the point on the PP?

It would be nice if we could have 4 lines of scoring players, but the salary cap kinda precludes that. So, we have to manage the icetime while being cognizant of the talent level of our lines. "Meaningful mintues" for a fourth line involve not getting scored on and asserting themselves physically during their 9-12 minutes a night. "Meaningful minutes" for the first line involves scoring goals during their 18-21 minutes a night. See where this is going?

Or are you some kinda commie, proposing a massive re-distribution of icetime? :look:
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by ukcanuck »

Island Nucklehead wrote:
ukcanuck wrote: Well yeah actually it does sound mutually exclusive. So does having checking lines and energy lines. Or having offensive or defensive minded defence pairs for that matter.

If some players only play offense and some play only defensive situations and they have this thing called changing on the fly...
Somebody is going to sit....how can you get around that ?
Like Quinn said, your better players play more, but everyone plays. It's called the match-up game, do you want the Sedins going head-to-head with Crosby, or is Kesler better suited for that role? Do you think we'll have much success if the Richardson line plays as much as the Sedin line? Do you want Alberts manning the point on the PP?

It would be nice if we could have 4 lines of scoring players, but the salary cap kinda precludes that. So, we have to manage the icetime while being cognizant of the talent level of our lines. "Meaningful mintues" for a fourth line involve not getting scored on and asserting themselves physically during their 9-12 minutes a night. "Meaningful minutes" for the first line involves scoring goals during their 18-21 minutes a night. See where this is going?

Or are you some kinda commie, proposing a massive re-distribution of icetime? :look:
Of course there are going to be differences in ice time and some players are going to get more. Why do you think I'm speaking in absolutes??
But when reading the comments from Linden and Quinn it sounds like the belief is that players don't grow if pigeon holed in certain spots. Which means that yes you try to put the Sedins out as much one can, and there are certain tendencies that might make one match lines and not everyone is going to get get 18.56 minutes if ice time exactly.

But at the same time. A guy like Richardson for example can dream of scoring the winning goal and having that moment in the sun instead of backchecking and staying in this side of centre ice as a fourth line centre on a systems dominated scheme all the time. He can get chances to show he belongs on the third or even second centre spot.

Or kassian and Jensen can develop on third and fourth lines and graduate to the the top lines over time because the third and fourth get some offensive zone time as well.

This was never possible under AV. People were placed within the scheme and that basically was it. Rookies and newbs either fit the mold or were rejected out of hand.

A raw rookie was played over a veteran and a full year was blown on his entry contract because he fit AV's system better. From outward appearance it was a mystery at the time, but now it seems that the system became more important the people utilizing it and play became one dimensional and unimaginative...

Gee kinda sounds communistic doesn't it??

And for the record yeah that was me during the lockout and don't get me started. :crazy:
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by Strangelove »

Island Nucklehead wrote: Or are you some kinda commie, proposing a massive re-distribution of icetime? :look:
LOL!
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by ukcanuck »

Strangelove wrote:
Island Nucklehead wrote: Or are you some kinda commie, proposing a massive re-distribution of icetime? :look:
LOL!
And thats why I think I'm on the list. And sucking up doesn't seem to help much...

Just call me Julius ... Sigh
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by SKYO »

Might as well look into who can be the teams new head coach while we are patiently waiting for a new GM!

Barry Trotz, see pg1.

Larry Robinson - vast experience, vast Stanley Cup experience!
Following his retirement, Robinson was hired as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils in 1993. After winning the Stanley Cup in 1995 with the Devils, he was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, the same year he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He left the Los Angeles team at the end of the 1998–99 season and signed on as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Devils once again. Named interim head coach of the New Jersey Devils on March 23, 2000, Robinson guided his team to win the 2000 Stanley Cup. He recounted to journalist Scott Morrison:

“Considering how long I played hockey and how many Cups I got to win as a defenseman with Montreal, it was my first Stanley Cup win as a head coach that is actually my greatest day in hockey.”

He stayed on as head coach for the next year and again guided the Devils to the Stanley Cup finals, where they lost against the Colorado Avalanche in seven games.

Robinson was fired during the 2001–02 season, but returned as an assistant coach just before the 2002–03 season to win his 9th Stanley Cup in 2003.

Robinson returned to the Devils prior to the 2007–08 season as an assistant coach under Brent Sutter. Prior to the 2008–09 season, Robinson left from behind the Devils' bench to become a special assignment coach between the organization's prospects in Lowell, Mass., and the Devils.

Robinson's contract ended with the New Jersey Devils in the summer of 2012. He indicated he was interested in becoming an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens, however that post was filled with former Hab J.J. Daigneault soon after. Robinson then was appointed an associate coach with the San Jose Sharks on July 10, 2012.


Or steal an assistant coach.
Brad Shaw.
Shaw’s only shot at being a head coach was as an interim coach for the New York Islanders.
He’s been an assistant with the St. Louis Blues since 2006 and was voted as the assistant coach who most deserved to be a head coach in the 2011-12 NHLPA player’s poll.
http://www.playerspoll.ca/results/20112 ... head-coach
Willie Desjardins
- Head Coach of Texas Stars

Alot of pros, especially developing young guns, but some say he's a soft spoken guy and not as forthright as he could be, one doesn't know how he'll manage a veteran squad.
It may be his first year as a coach in the AHL, but it seems likely that Desjardins won’t be coaching in the AHL for very long, as he was just named the AHL coach of the year and will be a likely candidate for several NHL coaching jobs in the near future.
“We believe that Willie’s track record as a teacher of the game and his ability to develop young players is a perfect fit for the Texas Stars,” Nieuwendyk said.

Desjardins, 55, spent the last two seasons as the Stars’ associate head coach, during which the club went 84-64-16.

“I’m extremely excited for the opportunity to become head coach of the Texas Stars,” said Desjardins. “I feel one of my strengths has always been in coaching younger players and this is a fantastic opportunity to do just that. The Stars organization has a group of very talented prospects coming through the system and I look forward to helping them develop.”

Previous to his stint in Dallas, Desjardins was the head coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers of the Western Hockey League from 2002-2010, leading the club to the WHL Championship in 2004 and 2007. He coached Medicine Hat at the Memorial Cup Tournament in those two seasons, and was runner-up at the 2007 tournament. He was awarded the Dunc McCallum Memorial Trophy as WHL Coach of the Year for the 2005-06 season.

During his eight years in Medicine Hat, Desjardins compiled a regular season record of 333-182-61 and a playoff mark of 65-43. His teams qualified for the playoffs each season he coached the club, and finished in the top three in goals scored in six of those eight years.

The native of Climax, Saskatchewan, served as an assistant coach for gold medal-winning Team Canada at the 2009 World Junior Championships. He was the head coach for Canada at the 2010 World Junior Championships, earning the silver medal.

Desjardins was head coach of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades during the 1997-98 season. Previously, he served as head coach at the University of Calgary from 1989-1994, leading the Dinosaurs to two Canada West University Athletic Association (CWUAA) championships. He was an assistant coach at the university from 1985-89.
blogs.theprovince.com/2013/05/09/who-could-replace-a-v-as-canucks-head-coach-former-junior-defenceman-steve-marr-writes-letter-of-recommendation-for-his-medicine-hat-coach-willie-desjardins/

Shaw or Desjardins would be interesting, but I'd feel more comfortable with a strong head coach with experience dealing with this almost veteran squad. so I'd go with either Trotz or Robinson.
Can the Canucks just win a Cup within the next 5 years.
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by ClamRussel »

Kind of hard to argue w/ Robinson's track record. None of those other guys can touch him.
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by Robert »

I remember how strange I thought it was when he got fired, he did a great job for the devils.

I just want someone who can recognize our players strengths, and have a system so that these guys play to their strengths.
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by Betamax »

ClamRussel wrote:Kind of hard to argue w/ Robinson's track record. None of those other guys can touch him.
It's been widely reported that Robinson does not want the pressure of being the "bad cop" Head Coach and enjoys the role of being an Assistant.
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by Betamax »

Hockey Widow wrote:Travis Green
Kevin Dineen
Wayne Gretzky

With Trevor stating you need to put players in a position to utilize their strengths it sounds like he will be looking for an AV type coach. Play solid, sound defence but let the players play.
Former Canucks Assistant/Associate Coach and current WHL defending Champions, Portland Winterhawks GM & Head Coach Mike Johnston who also Coached Linden during his second stint as a Canucks:

re: http://www.winterhawks.com/page/coach-s-corner
Winterhawks GM & Head Coach Mike Johnston is a regular presenter at hockey coaching clinics all over the world. Throughout the season he'll be sharing his coaching philosophies with winterhawks.com.

DEVELOPING AN OFFENSIVE GAME PLAN

“ With Considerations For The International Game”

DETERMINE YOUR OFFENSIVE SIDE…..WOULD YOU?

• Pull your goaltender and make a 5-on-3 power play into a 6-on-3 power play?
• Allow your wingers not to come back in the defensive zone…to be a threat in the neutral zone for a quick counter?
• Play with four forwards and one defenceman?
• Pick a smaller, more skilled defenseman over a bigger, grittier, less-skilled defenseman?
• When down by two goals, pull your goaltender with five minutes left?
• Pull your goaltender with eight seconds left in the period and a face-off in their zone?
• Allow your more offensive players to cheat to the offensive side of the puck or will all players have the same defensive responsibilities?
• Use forwards on the power play point?
• Work on plays to score on the penalty kill?
• Allow your defence to jump into the rush indiscriminately?

SIX KEYS TO OFFENSIVE SUCCESS

1. Be a First Pass Team

• Defense needs to look for the smart play
• Allow passes to the front of the net or through the middle
• Discourage the “dump out” or “no look rim” style of play
• Safe plays stifle creativity
• An area pass is still a direct pass…utilize bank passes off the boards and laying pucks into open spaces for teammates to skate into
• The players away from the puck have a responsibility to get their stick open and available for direct passes…(much like a receiver in football)
• Use of deception “look away” to have more time to make a play
• Practice transition off the back check and their rush chances

2. Shoot the Puck and Drive the Net

• Sounds simple but volume of shots are key
• Check the shot totals of the top scorers in the NHL…and also shots that miss the net or are blocked per game…the puck must get through
• Defensive coverage often breaks down after a shot
• Net drives off the puck create a play at the net but also openings in the slot. First two players away from the puck must drive the net with no hesitation…(unless the puck carrier has the wide lane deep)
• The first drive should be through the mid lane
• Funnel shots and players to the net

3. Activate Your Defense into the Attack

• Encourage them to join and stay in the rush from the breakout… supporting the mid or wide lane up the ice.
• Often the net D will have an opportunity to move up ice before the low forward in defensive zone coverage.
• Make the attack an odd number by their blueline
• Responsibility is in the hands of the puckcarrier…don’t blame the defence for creating options
• Go after chips or dump in’s when they have the speed

4. Stretch Out the Offensive Zone

• Get the puck to the back of the net on the cycle and work plays from there… stressing their coverage
• On shots off the rush move the puck low/high right away and catch them over backchecking
• On low scrambles move the puck back to the point quickly and catch the team collapsing
• Players and coaches underestimate the danger of point shots

5. Cycle With a Purpose

• Challenge their ability to contain by driving the seams and going to the net with the puck
• Set picks and screens to open up ice for the puckcarier
• Work the overload…once the puck is passed back to the corner that player needs to get into an overload position ready to shoot
• Defence support the backside…strongside slide…or mid ice seam… practice plays involving the defence on the cycle

6. Work Set Plays

• Have set faceoff plays for each zone which will create an offensive advantage. Your centers should take responsibility for every set up… remember you can win by losing
• Control breakouts vs. low trap…work options off a set pattern
• PP stretch breakout… which has the ability to score on the rush
• Regroups geared to beat the trap and hit their blue line with speed

CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL GAME

Players getting used to the long two line pass…incorporate this into practice drills
Wingers leaving the zone earlier on breakouts
Always having a stretch skater in transition…giving an option for the penetrating pass
Getting skaters off the puck to stretch and come back to the puck
Continue to have the quick short support pass
Lining up for face-offs quicker
Make the rink smaller offensively…use the extra width for possession and time…but get the puck to areas where you can challenge inside the dots
Player selection will dictate your style of play…players perform differently in the international game…players who can skate, think and compete are key
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Re: Who Can Be The Canucks New Head Coach?

Post by Betamax »

The scuttlebutt on twitter via Botchford is that Edler is very reluctant to waive NTC. And given his sub-par season, it really is a sub-optimal time to try to trade him. I think a huge priority would be to assemble a Coaching Staff that has worked with developing Elite Level D-men. It's kinda funny to say it now, but just a couple of years ago, there was glimpses that Edler could crack into the rarified air of being a true No. 1.

With that in mind, two candidates stand out: John Stevens (the alleged chosen one by former GMMG before allegedly being pursuaded by the powers that be to go with Torts) and his help in developing Drew Doughty and the new available Trotz with Shae Weber.
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