Finally!
Yesterday the Canes fired Paul Maurice, a decision that was greeted with much joy from this sector of the Caniac Nation - and that was without knowing the coach that was hired. Later in the day, the Canes announced that they had given the head coaching position to Kirk Muller, a former Montreal Canadiens assistant who Rutherford plucked from behind the bench of the AHL Milwaukee Admirals.
Everything I have read about Muller sounds very optimistic - he seems like he'll bring the fresh outlook that the Canes need behind the bench. This sounds like a great signing - although anything that wasn't some kind of Rutherford retread would probably sound like a great signing at this point. Muller doesn't have any NHL head coaching experience, but all reports were that some team would have picked him up soon.
Compare this enthusiasm to my reaction to the previous coaching change. This one is so much better!
I am still surprised that the Canes didn't move Jeff Daniels up from Charlotte to coach the big club - but they apparently didn't want to shake up the good thing he's got going in Charlotte. Which I can kind of understand, but I would not be surprised to see him getting interviewed by teams soon - he's had a good amount of success in Charlotte.
Muller's first game behind the bench was tonight, and was it a 3-1 loss to Florida. But honestly? Don't care. Just the fact that Maurice is no longer behind the bench is success enough for me.
...Not really. I would like to watch some playoffs with my own team in them this year. But I think this is one step to making that become a reality. Or at least not a total pipe dream.
Showing posts with label firings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label firings. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Paul Maurice. The name seems oddly familiar...
A surprise move by the Canes today: Coach Peter Laviolette has been fired.
Well, that's actually not the surprising part. Considering the lackluster play the Canes had been putting out recently, and the impatience of, well, a lot of people, primarily the fanbase, I'm not that surprised to see Laviolette relieved of his duties. It's not like his seat was ice-cold or anything.
But, (Surprise! Surprise!) guess who the Canes hired in place of him?
Paul Maurice.
*facepalm*
Yes, the Canes re-hired someone they fired, hm... back in the 03-04 season? Yes, it was the season before the lockout.
Let me state that again: The Canes fired Lavi to re-hire the guy Lavi was hired to replace.†
Not to mention - Maurice was removed from his duties as Maple Leafs coach a year ago. Do we really want to be coached by a Toronto Maple Leafs cast-off?
The only thing about this move that is in anyway redeeming, or, to be honest, that makes any amount of sense is the move of Ron Francis to Associate Head Coach. Having a guy like Ronnie on your side is a plus in any situation where hockey knowledge is required.
The rest of the coaching staff remains the same - which begs the question, why not just promote one of those guys? You can't tell me that we couldn't have just gone in-house for this one. (Although, I realize that this pretty much is "in-house").
I don't get it. I just don't get why we're re-hiring someone who didn't work out for us in the past. If anyone can shed any sort of light on this, please try and help me understand this move.
Maurice's first game is tomorrow against the Pens. Oh dear...
† Doesn't this sentence just blow your mind?
Well, that's actually not the surprising part. Considering the lackluster play the Canes had been putting out recently, and the impatience of, well, a lot of people, primarily the fanbase, I'm not that surprised to see Laviolette relieved of his duties. It's not like his seat was ice-cold or anything.
But, (Surprise! Surprise!) guess who the Canes hired in place of him?
Paul Maurice.
*facepalm*
Yes, the Canes re-hired someone they fired, hm... back in the 03-04 season? Yes, it was the season before the lockout.
Let me state that again: The Canes fired Lavi to re-hire the guy Lavi was hired to replace.†
Not to mention - Maurice was removed from his duties as Maple Leafs coach a year ago. Do we really want to be coached by a Toronto Maple Leafs cast-off?
The only thing about this move that is in anyway redeeming, or, to be honest, that makes any amount of sense is the move of Ron Francis to Associate Head Coach. Having a guy like Ronnie on your side is a plus in any situation where hockey knowledge is required.
The rest of the coaching staff remains the same - which begs the question, why not just promote one of those guys? You can't tell me that we couldn't have just gone in-house for this one. (Although, I realize that this pretty much is "in-house").
I don't get it. I just don't get why we're re-hiring someone who didn't work out for us in the past. If anyone can shed any sort of light on this, please try and help me understand this move.
Maurice's first game is tomorrow against the Pens. Oh dear...
† Doesn't this sentence just blow your mind?
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Overtime, retirement, and firings
So apparently I missed a pretty good game last night. Game 3 went into triple OT, after the Pens scored two in the first, let in three consecutive and were ~35 seconds away from watching the Red Wings lift the Cup when Maxime Talbot saved the day. Then Petr Sykora won it in triple overtime.
But, I wasn't watching (didn't want to see the Red Wings win, as the Pens performance on Saturday didn't leave me with a lot of hope), and I wouldn't have stayed up for it anyways.
This game does increase the probability of me tuning in tomorrow, but considering all the games I've watched the Pens have lost, and all I haven't they've won...
In other news: Sami Kapanen, the Cane from long ago, has announced his retirement today. He was a fast little skater, and was a part of that special season of 2001-2002.
John Tortorella will not be coaching Tampa Bay next year, being canned from the job today. I'm happy because I thought he was a little arrogant and I didn't like his coaching style - but that happiness depends on the Lightning hiring someone that will enable the Canes to win. Not that having only one line on their won't help with that, it just is beneficial to the Hurricanes if the Lightning can pick up someone moronic.
And rumors are that Barry Melrose, the guy known to me as the ESPN hockey analyst that wears pinstriped suits and gets very little face time since the network dropped hockey games, will be taking the job. Which sounds weird because it doesn't look like he's coached in the last ten years, but it's just a rumor... But, hey, if he makes his team lose to the Canes, I'm all for it.
Which, now that I think about it, is pretty much my outlook on anything that happens in the NHL. Don't steal my players, don't beat my team, anything else is cool. And, if you can hurt Buffalo in any way, that's doubly fine.
Onwards to Game 6!
But, I wasn't watching (didn't want to see the Red Wings win, as the Pens performance on Saturday didn't leave me with a lot of hope), and I wouldn't have stayed up for it anyways.
This game does increase the probability of me tuning in tomorrow, but considering all the games I've watched the Pens have lost, and all I haven't they've won...
In other news: Sami Kapanen, the Cane from long ago, has announced his retirement today. He was a fast little skater, and was a part of that special season of 2001-2002.
John Tortorella will not be coaching Tampa Bay next year, being canned from the job today. I'm happy because I thought he was a little arrogant and I didn't like his coaching style - but that happiness depends on the Lightning hiring someone that will enable the Canes to win. Not that having only one line on their won't help with that, it just is beneficial to the Hurricanes if the Lightning can pick up someone moronic.
And rumors are that Barry Melrose, the guy known to me as the ESPN hockey analyst that wears pinstriped suits and gets very little face time since the network dropped hockey games, will be taking the job. Which sounds weird because it doesn't look like he's coached in the last ten years, but it's just a rumor... But, hey, if he makes his team lose to the Canes, I'm all for it.
Which, now that I think about it, is pretty much my outlook on anything that happens in the NHL. Don't steal my players, don't beat my team, anything else is cool. And, if you can hurt Buffalo in any way, that's doubly fine.
Onwards to Game 6!
Monday, April 02, 2007
News and stuff
News today in the NHL: The New Jersey Devils fired coach Claude Julien with less than a week left in the season. GM Lou Lamoriello will step in as coach.
Why? I have no idea. No one actually addresses the "why" factor in the article.
As for the Canes, things aren't so tumultuous, but they certainly are coming down to the wire. They are currently in 10th place with 86 points, two behind Montreal, one behind Toronto, and two ahead of the Islanders.
I have made a pact with myself that I will not think about the future on this matter. I will only report on what has happened. This way I don't get my hopes too far up - if you're negative, you feel even better when things go positively, right?
Oh... and the N&O reports that Tim Gleason will more than likely be out with a broken finger. Great. Just what we need, another defenseman out.
Anyways... today is the first birthday of this blog. Yes, on April 2, 2006, I posted my first post evah!
Thanks to all those read this blog - it makes me feel special to know that people actually read what I write.
Why? I have no idea. No one actually addresses the "why" factor in the article.
As for the Canes, things aren't so tumultuous, but they certainly are coming down to the wire. They are currently in 10th place with 86 points, two behind Montreal, one behind Toronto, and two ahead of the Islanders.
I have made a pact with myself that I will not think about the future on this matter. I will only report on what has happened. This way I don't get my hopes too far up - if you're negative, you feel even better when things go positively, right?
Oh... and the N&O reports that Tim Gleason will more than likely be out with a broken finger. Great. Just what we need, another defenseman out.
Anyways... today is the first birthday of this blog. Yes, on April 2, 2006, I posted my first post evah!
Thanks to all those read this blog - it makes me feel special to know that people actually read what I write.
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