NHL Coaches: Cornered and Crushed

wprager wrote:I don't even remember *when* he coached. Maybe he had hair back then and that's why I can't place him.

Just looked it up on Wikipedia. He coached Hartford and compiled a 23-37-7 record. And his real first name is "Regis".

I'd say he was fired either because of the bad record or "Regis". I'll go with "Regis"

...or because he didn't--unlike Philbin--have Kelly Ripa as eye candy LOL.

Not a very impressive coaching record...

wprager wrote:I think Clouston came in with the notion that every one's got a clean slate and everyone had the same size pencil (or chalk, to keep with the analogy). Hartsburg definitely showed deference to the Big $$$ players. Clouston just gave ice time to the ones who deserved it. He wasn't afraid to limit Heatley's time, and he also wasn't afraid to sit Bell (and others) when they deserved it. Pretty soon everyone realized that he was neither in awe of the millionnaires, nor was he soft for the Bingo Boys. You perform well, you are rewarded with ice time. If you don't, your ice time will be reduced. He's not playing favorites.

There's your motivation.

You sort of addressed this but I think one of the biggest things was when they were down by a goal or 2 late in the game Clouston didn't trash the game plan and lean on the big three hoping that they could do it all for them. Paddock, Hartsburgh and even Murray kept going back to that same tired option regardless of whether they deserved the extra ice time or not.

This is yet another example of why I cannot stop advocating for Clouston's extension. Assuming he only becomes better and hones his tactician skills and motivational kicks, seriously Murray, you better have a contract in principle already done and awaiting his signature in the off-season.

If the Sens break team records in win streaks and he still doesn't get re-signed then we know it's Melnyk pulling the strings and not Murray.

davetherave wrote:In other words, Cory saved Bryan's bacon. Which is why his chances of getting the gig next year are pretty darn good.

Coaches who do more with less survive...the problem is that once they do, GMs expect them to make miracles season after season.

Nothing like a bit of pressure come training camp next season eh? am certain Clouston can handle, let's hope the players still can.

SensFan71 wrote:

davetherave wrote:In other words, Cory saved Bryan's bacon. Which is why his chances of getting the gig next year are pretty darn good.

Coaches who do more with less survive...the problem is that once they do, GMs expect them to make miracles season after season.

Nothing like a bit of pressure come training camp next season eh? am certain Clouston can handle, let's hope the players still can.

As we have seen, the pressure is relentless...and the politics murky.

Look at Claude Julien...he did a great job in Montreal under the circumstances, and got tossed under the bus when Gainey comes in so Bob's buddy Carbonneau could drive it...which didn't save Carbo from being crunched.

Claude does his magic in Jersey and gets the hook from LouLam scant weeks before season's end, only for the Lammy-led Devs to get forked in the playoffs.

Hawks legend Denis Savard almost leads the baby birds out of the nest and into the post season, but the next season he barely gets airborne before management grounds him in favour of Joel Quenneville (who'd gotten dumped in Denver), with whom the kids from Chi fly high.

Mike Keenan has been re-born as a coach in so many cities we've lost count.

Teddy Nolan got axed in Buffalo and Long Island because, we hear, he's just too forthcoming in his opinions...never mind he gets his guys to overachieve.

Why is Bob Hartley not coaching right now?

Johnny Torts felt the sting of the lash when the Bolts played like dolts...yet he's back on Broadway dancing with the stars and Sean 'Puck Did He' Avery--who he'd dissed on prime time. Go figure.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:If the Sens break team records in win streaks and he still doesn't get re-signed then we know it's Melnyk pulling the strings and not Murray.

Lat year they set an *NHL* record and Paddock still got fired. They also fired the GM who led the team to the SCF. Weird things happen in the NHL.

But I would be very, very surprised if Clouston doesn't have a nice, shiny contract. If not here, then likely elsewhere. Pierre was thinking a 3 year term at around $450K. I'm thinking a 1 year deal to prove that this year is no fluke.

wprager wrote:

Cap'n Clutch wrote:If the Sens break team records in win streaks and he still doesn't get re-signed then we know it's Melnyk pulling the strings and not Murray.

Lat year they set an *NHL* record and Paddock still got fired. They also fired the GM who led the team to the SCF. Weird things happen in the NHL.

But I would be very, very surprised if Clouston doesn't have a nice, shiny contract. If not here, then likely elsewhere. Pierre was thinking a 3 year term at around $450K. I'm thinking a 1 year deal to prove that this year is no fluke.

Hmmm, you are suggesting maybe Zen Master Cory-san gets a tempting offer from another team?

I was going to say you need to give him 2 to show the team he's going to be around but then I gave my head a shake and realised the team can't rely on contract term to believe a coach will stick around when they fired Paddock and then Hartsburgh both within their first season.

Cap'n Clutch wrote:I was going to say you need to give him 2 to show the team he's going to be around but then I gave my head a shake and realised the team can't rely on contract term to believe a coach will stick around when they fired Paddock and then Hartsburgh both within their first season.

Wouldn't you like to know what really went on in Ottawa that got Paddock and Hartsburg canned--from their perspective--and I don't mean the sanitized version...

Clouston's playing it smart...he'll have a job somewhere.

man, he better be behind the Sens bench next season. I don't want to go through another season like the past 2?!

It's like I said a while back. Give this team some Organizational stability. Murray screwed up his first two coaching decisions and that normally gets you canned but he's still here and IMO the moves he's made have been pretty good and his drafting has also been good. He finally appears to have fallen into the right coach so I say keep him around and lets start building this team under a stable management.

Couldn't agree more Clutch. Stability, I think, is the foundation that's needed here and it's been sorely lacking in the last two seasons and NO ONE wants to live through that again...

Montreal dumps its coaches every three years...look what happens to them.

What I meant is that if Clouston doesn't get re-hired by Ottawa he's not going to be looking for long. And he might not have to move very far, either. Montreal is in almost exactly the same predicament we were in last year, minus the big contracts.

wprager wrote:What I meant is that if Clouston doesn't get re-hired by Ottawa he's not going to be looking for long. And he might not have to move very far, either. Montreal is in almost exactly the same predicament we were in last year, minus the big contracts.

...where he would immediately be nicknamed "Cory Le Clou" LOL

I think that should be his nickname here. It fits.

wprager wrote:I think that should be his nickname here. It fits.

He has already been christened thus by our new forum member Mariposa Belle, a truly dedicated Sens fan who has carried the banner in bloody battles on other, less civilized hockey boards... like the one hosted by a certain Hogtown rag that bills itself as "Canada's National Newspaper"...