The first coach firings of the season did not come as a surprise in the NHL. Even the appearance of Edmonton, which was raised as a champion candidate, was terribly weak from the first match and the plaster did not want to open during the first weeks. Mono finally swung on November 12th. Jay Woodcroft was allowed to leave and a replacement was hired Connor McDavid’s junior years coach Kurt Knoblauch.
Of course, Columbus had time to change the coach before the season. A well-experienced coach Mike Babcock quit his job before the first training camp he held. The pilot had examined the phones of the young players. Resignations or fired, the term ultimately had no meaning in the special saga.
Since then, departure passes have been handed out to coaches with bucks, right out of the blue.
In addition to Columbus and Edmonton, no less than five clubs have changed coaches: Minnesota, Ottawa, St. Louis, New York Islanders and Los Angeles. In total, no less than seven coaches’ jobs ended before the contract expired.
– The competition in the NHL is so fierce that it was born under the stern. Many are aiming for a place in the playoffs and if things are going to be even thick, changing the coach is looking for a change of rhythm. Winning and a place in the playoffs has a huge value, ‘s hockey expert Ismo Lehkonen sees
– Whenever the coach is changed, the team is washed of its sins and the coach pays the price. A new beginning is sought after all.
Even sports bosses can’t adjust their coach selections indefinitely. GM Jarmo Kekäläinen The final seal on the Columbus career was arguably the hiring and quick firing of coach Mike Babcock. Purely for the joy of switching, you can’t constantly switch.
– You also have to remember that the GM plays exactly the same game as the coaches. In that game, only winning matters. When a coach is given a shoe, it always leaves a mark on the GM as well, says Lehkonen.
A scar has been born, because during the previous two years, the NHL has changed coaches no less than 22 times. Nine of them have started their jobs in the middle of the season.
What can be done in the middle of the season?
For a new coach, jumping on a moving train is not a simple process, although often the team may be in a very receptive state at the beginning. The electric shock caused by the kicks usually causes a short-term increase in the profit curve, but the honeymoon period does not necessarily tell the truth.
According to Lehkonen, the new coach has to start slowly.
– If we think about changes, they will be introduced slowly. You can’t start throwing a lot of stuff on the plate. If the special situations are in order, the coach can bring the change in playing style to a credible level in a couple of weeks. I consider the biggest thing in the continuum to be the changes brought to the offensive game, if you bring such changes that the guys get excited about. They can make a difference if you get the gang to commit in the defensive game.
Before the usual changes in the game, Lehkonen reminds us of the importance of “sales skills”.
– Yes, in that change process, charisma is also important, whether the coach gains credibility right from the start. In that, down to the last player, the team has to buy what the coach is selling. In problem teams, basic things are often left undone, and that always makes the difference in the long run. When the coach changes, it’s also about basic things like this, says Lehkonen.
Sometimes an anxious team needs to be released to play more relaxed. This is how Lehkonen sees what happened in the last few weeks in Los Angeles.
– They kicked out Todd McLellan, a really good coach. He played really nihilistic hockey. They haven’t changed anything in the defensive game, but they have a license to play more freely in the attack. The exchange released a lot of energy through this.
Ismo Lehkonen reviews the situations of teams that have changed coaches right now:
– Quite a workable change, except if you look at the last games now. There are starting to be threats and indiscipline again. It will be interesting to see how that indiscipline is removed. Note that the surfaces start to tighten again when they are a little less on the winning wall.
– Minnesota has now put together a good phase. There was a charismatic defensive coach who, however, has given the top players permission to play as they wish in the offensive game. They get it there Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello now to apply for the result with a little risk.
– In Ottawa, you could think that the exchange would work easily, because the club has been in pretty weak oxygen. Bringing a really experienced coach there was a bit of a “now you guys are real” act by the club management. There has been an attempt to focus on doing small things carefully, and there have been few results.
– Recently, there has been a return to old problems, and maybe in this case there will be a lack of material as well. Pretty odorless and tasteless group in recent weeks.
– The pressure on the new coach and the team is now absurd. Maal should have been able to turn games into wins, but it has not been successful. The profit percentage has not fluctuated bigger at all, so the pressure is increasing very quickly. The eyes also turn to the top players.
– The new coach brought more risk levels to attacking play. And there is a strong team there if they start playing with commitment. They will definitely be looking for a goalkeeper there with great piety. It’s still a question mark for them.