So, I don't get it.
People are so adamant that Hartley is a crap coach... but he wins championships in every league he coaches in. What gives?
As for his personality as a coach, yeah, he probably should have worked on that a bit and rounded some of his corners a bit. However, Gaudreau? The young guys liked him, including Gaudreau who went to his camp. Some of the vets - especially the ones near the end of their careers who felt that they should be playing more - disliked him the most. Yeah, he was probably way too abrasive at times, which is why he needs to learn to soften a bit. If he does, that's a perfect coach IMO.
People like to say that the Flames were 'unsustainable' - but for about 2 season's worth, they were very sustainable, even though they had a crap roster. Those underlying metrics really pointed at them being a crap team more than a crap system. I would have loved to see what Hartley could do with the Flames over the last 2-3 years. I bet you Bennett would have thrived. This team would have been hard working since even his practices were high-tempo at full game speed, and he preached (and demanded) that guys get in tip-top shape in the off-season.
Hartley is a world-class coach who has now won a championship in every league he has ever coached in. I wonder where he will go next once he is done with Omsk.
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