Kukla's Korner Hockey
Does History Repeat?
by Paul on 04/30/10 at 02:19 PM ET
Comments (7)
from David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail,
Back in November, 1994, during the first NHL lockout, I was sent to Fort Wayne, home of the famous Komets, to do a story on life in the International Hockey League….
First, though, Franke (owner of the Komets) wanted to talk about the first period, which saw the Komets fall behind. Unsolicited, he went through a laundry list of what he saw as bad decisions and bad strategy by his coach. Like Leonsis, Franke never mentioned the coach but the meaning was clear.
When I returned to the press box for the start of the second period, I ran into Doug MacLean, who was an NHL scout at the time. I told MacLean what the owner said about his coach and said I didn’t like the coach’s chances of hanging on to his job. MacLean agreed it is never a good thing when an owner starts second-guessing the x’s and o’s on a coach.
Sure enough, the coach didn’t make it to Christmas.
His name? Yep, tough guess. Bruce Boudreau.
added 2:38pm, via Tarik El-Bashir of Capitals Insider,
Pressed on his coach’s status, McPhee added: “Bruce is a really good coach. He’s a really good coach. He’s going to be here a really long time. No need to raise those issues because he’s not going anywhere.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Washington Capitals | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Bruce+Boudreau,
Comments
We’ll see if that tune changes for McPhee next year if the same thing happens. Then again, if they get bounced in the first round next year, both McPhee and Boudreau may be out of DC.
Posted by pens fan in baltimore on 04/30/10 at 03:19 PM ET
Oh, no, the dreaded “vote of confidence!”
Even the best of teams lose in the first round sometimes. See what happens next year I think would be a smart move.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/30/10 at 03:41 PM ET
Not to defend Boudreau, but I’m sure Shoalts’ columns weren’t all that sharp 16 years ago either. Geez give the guy a break, he was in Fort Wayne for crying out loud. Not to mention only his 2nd head coaching job one year removed from the Turner Cup Finals.
Posted by TJ on 04/30/10 at 04:05 PM ET
The funny thing is, nowadays Fort Wayne fans talk so fondly of him, as if he were perfect and simply moved on up the ladder of coaching. And in fact, they even take credit for him “honing his craft” there.
Posted by Primis on 04/30/10 at 04:19 PM ET
Boudreau can go hone his craft somewhere else—like Toronto. Having to sit through this train wreck of a series and watch it from up-close makes one realize that Gabby’s run-and-gun style will never, ever work when it comes to playoff hockey. Montreal beat the Caps because they went to the dirty areas and took the hits, went down to block the (admittedly poor) 40 ft. shots from the boards, etc.
This team is plenty skilled; toughness and commitment to play a team game is what they need. Someone call Dale Hunter—Washington needs him again.
Posted by Right Winger from Washington, DC on 04/30/10 at 05:16 PM ET
You can’t blame a coach for playing to the strengths that are put in front of him. BB didn’t build the team… McPhee did.
Posted by Sig from DC on 05/03/10 at 09:21 AM ET
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Yeah, they’re doomed.
Posted by SYF from the bottom of my, what, 11teenth pint of Guinness? on 04/30/10 at 02:45 PM ET