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So for me, yesterday was the last straw. I have had enough of the incompetence and that is what it is. 'Spade you are a spade'. Everything he says is hollow and resonates with no-one especially when he doesn't follow it himself. He preaches accountability, attention to detail and hard work. I don't see that in the team and I don't see that in him.
Case in point, yesterday's decision to sit Jason Smith. You can debate whether it was warranted. I will assert that it is not but as a big fan of his I excuse myself from that debate, that is not what this post is about. The fact of the matter is that he didn't know why he was being sat. That is BAD coaching, very BAD. You owe it to any player, much less a 15 year vet, to explain to him why he is being sat. This violates all three things he preaches.
1. There is no accountability, if you look down the line-up at the healthy scratch list from this year... Bell, Donovan, Picard, Schubert, Smith... not one of the underachieving forwards or defencemen. They say the only lever for a coach to pull is ice time and sitting players, well he is pulling it on the wrong guys. Maybe a high paid player needs to get a new perspective and a shot in the arm by sitting in the press box for once.
2. Attention to detail is something I hear all the time but it is exactly a coaches responsibility to sit with a player and explain why he is being sat. That is attention to detail and from Smith's comments that has not taken place. A coach needs to take time for that discussion no matter who the player is. That is coachiong 101. Not doing that is not paying attention to the details.
3. Hard work. Holy cripes. You can say anything you want about Smith but work ethic is not his problem. He gives it all for the hockey club. If you want hard work, sitting this guy in the midst of a winning streak is just plain stupid. He has been very good in the last while. Everyone complains about footspeed but he certaainly doesn't get blown by like Commie did while he was here. He competes at a high level. This is just silly.
At the end of the day, Hartsburg has never enjoyed success at the NHL level and he has coached a LOT of games. He has had success at the junior level but there is a big difference. They are like puppies, it is easy to teach them things, they are eager to learn and are highly motivated by national pride and potential career advancement to the big show. In the NHL you have to pay attention to the factors that moitivate millionaire athletes and Hartsburg just doesn't seem to have a grasp of what they are.
Head coaches need to be motivators and assistants need to have systems. Hartsburg would make a great assistant but he is not head coach material. You need charisma and you need the ability to lead the troups. Sorry Craig, you just don't have it.
Case in point, yesterday's decision to sit Jason Smith. You can debate whether it was warranted. I will assert that it is not but as a big fan of his I excuse myself from that debate, that is not what this post is about. The fact of the matter is that he didn't know why he was being sat. That is BAD coaching, very BAD. You owe it to any player, much less a 15 year vet, to explain to him why he is being sat. This violates all three things he preaches.
1. There is no accountability, if you look down the line-up at the healthy scratch list from this year... Bell, Donovan, Picard, Schubert, Smith... not one of the underachieving forwards or defencemen. They say the only lever for a coach to pull is ice time and sitting players, well he is pulling it on the wrong guys. Maybe a high paid player needs to get a new perspective and a shot in the arm by sitting in the press box for once.
2. Attention to detail is something I hear all the time but it is exactly a coaches responsibility to sit with a player and explain why he is being sat. That is attention to detail and from Smith's comments that has not taken place. A coach needs to take time for that discussion no matter who the player is. That is coachiong 101. Not doing that is not paying attention to the details.
3. Hard work. Holy cripes. You can say anything you want about Smith but work ethic is not his problem. He gives it all for the hockey club. If you want hard work, sitting this guy in the midst of a winning streak is just plain stupid. He has been very good in the last while. Everyone complains about footspeed but he certaainly doesn't get blown by like Commie did while he was here. He competes at a high level. This is just silly.
At the end of the day, Hartsburg has never enjoyed success at the NHL level and he has coached a LOT of games. He has had success at the junior level but there is a big difference. They are like puppies, it is easy to teach them things, they are eager to learn and are highly motivated by national pride and potential career advancement to the big show. In the NHL you have to pay attention to the factors that moitivate millionaire athletes and Hartsburg just doesn't seem to have a grasp of what they are.
Head coaches need to be motivators and assistants need to have systems. Hartsburg would make a great assistant but he is not head coach material. You need charisma and you need the ability to lead the troups. Sorry Craig, you just don't have it.
