In today’s NHL, premier coaching is more crucial than ever. As demonstrated by the 2024 playoffs, the importance of having a strong leader is undeniable, whether it’s assembling a well-rounded coaching staff to improve special teams or finding a bench boss who can energize the team. This emphasis on effective coaching has led front offices
NHL Coaching
Paul Maurice has had quite the coaching career for a guy who is only 57 years old. On Thursday, he passed Lindy Ruff on the all-time wins list with his 864th after his Florida Panthers handily beat the Ottawa Senators 6-0. He started his career back in the 1995-96 season with the Hartford Whalers at
Head coach Luke Richardson has been a rather composed coach in his tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks. Now in his second full season in Chicago, the former NHL defenseman has always been direct, firm and consistent with his approach. He’s demanded respect and accountability from his players, but he does it by way of calm
Kris Knoblauch has been one of the biggest success stories in the NHL this season. The Edmonton Oilers hired him on Nov. 12 and since they’ve looked unbeatable, going 26-6 with a 16-game winning streak to catapult to the top of the Western Conference. It’s not an exaggeration to think that he could win the
The Patrick Roy era on Long Island started with a bang. He was hired on Jan. 20 with the New York Islanders coming off a disastrous road trip and his presence has been noticeable from the first practice. For the first time since the early years of the Barry Trotz era, the Islanders look like
Since entering the NHL in 1979 following its merger with the World Hockey Association (WHA), the Edmonton Oilers have replaced their head coach six times during the season, most recently in 2021-22 when Jay Woodcroft took over from Dave Tippett. Each mid-season coaching change was preceded by a prolonged slump, and in each instance, the
When Jared Bednar was named head coach of the Colorado Avalanche before the 2016-17 season, he inherited a team that hadn’t made the playoffs in five of the previous six seasons. At the press conference announcing his hiring, team president Joe Sakic said the club picked Bednar to get the team to a level of
Bruce Cassidy‘s name was not expected to be part of the offseason coaching carousel when the Vegas Golden Knights decided to part ways with Pete DeBoer, now the Dallas Stars’ new head coach. So you can imagine that finding someone who, as general manager Kelly McCrimmon put it, “embodies so many of the traits we
If an NHL team isn’t living up to expectations, there’s a good chance that the coach is to blame. Or at least, the person that takes the fall for the team’s lackluster performance. Recently, we’ve seen the last-place Montreal Canadiens part ways with Dominique Ducharme after the coach led the team to the Stanley Cup
The next regime of Arizona Coyotes hockey is starting to take shape. The team announced on Thursday that it has named André Tourigny as its head coach, holding true to general manager Bill Armstrong’s desire to complete the search prior to the 2021 NHL entry draft. Tourigny, who replaces former coach Rick Tocchet after his
Gloomy Calgary Flames fans bemoaning their team sitting on the sidelines in yet another NHL postseason were given a little hope on June 10 when the team issued a press release announcing veteran NHL player and coach Kirk Muller was the club’s new associate coach. Flames aficionados are now trying to figure out what it all
The Columbus Blue Jackets’ head coaching search has concluded, the team announced on Thursday evening. They hired 44-year-old, Nakusp, Canada, native, and long-time assistant coach Brad Larsen from within the organization to be the next head coach for the club. The hire comes after a month-long search since John Tortorella and the team parted ways
Arizona Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong announced this afternoon that the team has agreed to mutually part ways with head coach Rick Tocchet. Tocchet, whose contract was set to expire this offseason, will not return as the team’s head coach next season. In addition, the team has announced that the search for their new head
Bruce Cassidy was hired as an assistant coach to then-Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien in the spring of 2016 after spending five years as head coach of the Bruins’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Providence Bruins. When Boston was in danger of missing the playoffs in 2017, the Bruins fired Julien and named Cassidy the
Call it what you want — déjà vu, Groundhog Day, a glitch in the Matrix — the results are the same. The Detroit Red Wings get roughed up against a team, regroup and have a hard-nosed practice, come out with determination for the next series, only to get roughed up again. The team’s inconsistency has
The San Jose Sharks’ recent stretch of games has been rough. After losing four consecutive games (from ‘Rare call burns San Jose Sharks in loss to St. Louis Blues,’ Santa Cruz Sentinel, March 20, 2021), three of which saw the team blow a lead, it’s clear the Sharks are not a team with playoff aspirations.
Whether the St. Louis Blues close the curtain on 2020-21 by hoisting the Stanley Cup, or by abruptly clearing out their lockers in stunned silence, three of the team’s MVP candidates should be medical trainer Ray Barile, assistant coaches Steve Ott and Mike Van Ryn. Barile has put together the NHL’s version of an Iron
When the Dallas Stars were struck with major adversity in December of 2019, one man was asked to pick up the pieces: Rick Bowness. Taking over as head coach with no warning is a tough ask but Bowness handled it well. He responded by leading his team to the best record in the NHL over