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ESPN.com: NHL | [Print without images] |
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| Bryan Trottier stood behind the Rangers' bench for only 54 games. |
And surely even NHLPA boss Bob Goodenow, after a couple of pops in a relaxed atmosphere, would have to admit there are easier ways to make a living. PR flak for Whacko Jacko comes to mind.
Coaching has always been a dangerous dodge. But this season has taken the risk to unexplored heights. Already, the grim dismissal toll stands at seven. The latest came when the Blueshirts offed Bryan Trottier (loathed former Islander star turns resurrectionist Ranger strategist? Seriously bad karma there) a piddling 54 games into his first head-coaching assignment.
He joined, in alphabetical order: Curt Fraser, Atlanta; Greg Gilbert, Calgary; Bob Hartley, Colorado; Dave King, Columbus; Darryl Sutter, San Jose; and Michel Thierrien, Montreal.
Factor in the seven men beginning their first seasons on new NHL jobs in September, and by any standard, that's a raging rate of turnover.
The record for firings during a season is eight, dubiously established two years ago. And there's still 40 percent of the season left for the guillotine blade to come crashing down.
So whaddaya say, Lindy Ruff? Up to making a little history, Barry Trotz? Too bad Paul Maurice got that five-year contract extension in Raleigh, huh?
In attempting to make some sense of the carnage, the logical person to turn to would be Scotty Bowman, the canniest old maestro of them all, now apparently quite happy to be retired and out of the range of fire.
| “ | I don't believe owners wanted to win any less five years ago or 10 years ago or whenever. There just seemed to be more patience. ” | |
| — Scotty Bowman |
"I don't think you can lump them together, what's happened this year,'' he cautions. "There are individual circumstances in each case that led to the decision. Are all of them justified? Well, you can argue that. Curt Fraser in Atlanta, for instance, had been there awhile, the team hadn't gotten a lot better, and he looked like a guy getting beaten up. The ownership and management in Montreal clearly thought (Claude) Julien was going to be a better coach than Thierrien. I met Julien in Montreal the other day. Seemed like a smart young guy. He was what, 36-6 in the minors when they made the move?
"Dave King is a good coach. So I was surprised when he was let go. Greg Gilbert? Was he (GM Craig) Button's guy? I'm not close enough to the situation to know.
"Darryl Sutter ...? That one kind of puzzled me, too. He'd improved that team, in points, every year since he got there. As for Trottier ... well, 54 games doesn't seem like much of an audition. It seemed strange anyway that he'd have two former head coaches (Terry O'Reilly and Jim Schoenfeld) as his assistants.
"I liked the look of the Rangers in the offseason. They've had a lot of injuries -- missing Leetch is really tough -- but they've got a big payroll there and, well, it is New York.
"That's what I mean about circumstances individual to a particular job.''
Yeah, but Scotty, the volume of the dismissals 50 games in?
"Coaching is a game of survival. Like any other business, it's who you know, a lot of times, rather than what you know.
"Oh yeah, there's more money involved now, and that does play a part. It can't help but play a part. Still, I don't believe owners wanted to win any less five years ago or 10 years ago or whenever. There just seemed to be more patience.
| Longest-tenured coaches | ||
| Coach | Date hired | |
|
Paul Maurice, Carolina |
10/6/95 | |
|
Jacques Martin, Ottawa |
1/24/96 | |
|
Joel Quenneville, St. Louis |
1/6/97 | |
|
Lindy Ruff, Buffalo |
7/21/97 | |
|
Barry Trotz, Nashville |
8/6/97 | |
|
Pat Quinn, Toronto |
6/28/98 | |
|
Marc Crawford, Vancouver |
1/24/99 | |
"It's odd, isn't it, that seven coaches have been fired and not one (general) manager. I mean, have all 30 GMs done a good job this year, in your opinion?
"I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that the manager is in direct communication with the owner or the guy directly above him. The manager develops a rapport with the guy at the top.
"The coach does not. If a coach tries to get too close to an owner, he's going to hear about it from his GM: 'Hey, buddy, there's a chain of command here, and we don't want anyone climbing up the back stairs.' "
"A coach's relationship with his manager is vital. In Detroit, for instance, I never had Kenny Holland walk into my office and say, 'You've gotta play this guy tonight!' I was never compromised or put on the spot like that.''
Not many -- make that any -- coaches are Scotty Bowman, though.
Bowman also contends that in most circumstances the remaining tenure and owing money on a coach's contract don't in themselves provide substantially more security than, say, someone whose deal is up at the end of a season.
"I don't know of a lot of coaches that make more than their managers. And as a coach, you really don't want to stay idle too long, be out of the mix. So teams know that even if they're on the hook for a year or more on the contract, chances are they're not going to have to take the entire hit on what's remaining. The coach they fired will find a new job, and a deal will be worked out. Coaches want to get right back in there, behind a bench, working.
"Out of sight, out of mind.''
And out of a job.
Yes, coaches are the easy fire; the quick fix.
Hey, some will argue, if it's security you're after, join the Teamsters.
But what has been an occupational hazard is fast becoming an epidemic. The unprecedented spate of firings prompted Scotty copycat Iron Mike Keenan, who's familiar enough with the process, to snarl the following:
"It's unfortunate. It's perceived as a solution, but I don't know of any sport that is quite so disrespectful to the profession as in the NHL today.''
George Johnson of the Calgary Herald is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.