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Originally Posted by Erick Estrada
I'm not going to lie and say I've been following Travis Green's post NHL career as a coach religiously. However I frequent the enemies message boards and Canucks fans have been talking for a few years now how their young players rave about him and how good Utica has been under him. It's not like in Calgary where some Flames fans got snookered into thinking Troy Ward was a great coach because he talks a good game on radio interviews. We are talking about a coach that's getting the job done behind the bench and maximizing player talent he's been given to work with. This isn't a guy that has been gifted any caching jobs as he's paid his dues as he went from retirement into coaching for six years now and his one and only season of head coach in the WHL he got the Winterhawks to the memorial cup. He's created a winning culture in Utica in three seasons including getting the team to Calder Cup. Heck he even got Sven Baertschi playing a point a game in the AHL after being mired in a slump with Adirondack. If a GM is truly looking for a guy that maybe the next young, up and coming coaching star I don't see a better looking candidate than Travis Green as there's no smoke and mirrors here as he's simply a very good young coach.
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I wouldn't take Canuck fan hype as any indication of true talent. I actually think his coaching experience is a bit green. The one WHL season He was a head coach in, he stepped in mid way because the head coach was suspended for he and the team's cheating. Secondly, that Portland team was stacked and loaded, probably should have won the memorial cup but didn't.
His first season in the AHL, his team missed the playoffs. His second season was good as he led a veteran team to the finals but lost. His third season in the ahl didn't find much playoff success.
He's a decent coach but he really only been a head coach for three and a half seasons. I don't see a whole lot of "building something" in that limited time. As noted above, he stepped into a good situation in Portland, and he was given a veteran ahl team in Utica.
I think there are better resumes out there. He could be a good coach but beware the west coast hype.