HockeyRhetoric

Unless the team is in an unthinkable slump or it seems as though the coach has lost control of the locker room, coaching changes should only happen during the offseason. Owners and general managers need to understand that coaches are dealing with professional athletes; everyone is essentially trying hard if not for the team then for themselves to ensure they get paid. Coaching in the NHL is different than any other sport. It’s not about designing plays. It’s about the big picture – playing a style, implementing a system. Those things don’t develop overnight. So when you fire a coach midseason, you’re basically saying you made a huge mistake and you want to cut your losses for the season. You’re basically throwing your season away. I always wonder when coaches get fired if the owners or GMs have forgotten why they hired that particular coach in the first place. And if they haven’t forgotten, has the coach really failed to do what you expected him to do or is it that the coach’s plan wasn’t what was expected? » Read the rest of this entry «