[News] Sabres fire Ted Nolan and all assistant coaches

[FlameZilla]

Excellent tanking, Ted. You're fired.

[CSharp]

What a joke - it's just bad management to use Nolan as a scapegoat when they knew exactly what they wanted to do to get the #1 or #2 draft pick this year.

[HOWITZER]

Can't help but feel sorry for Nolan. Management never gave him the tools needed to succeed, and to have expected anything major would have been ludicrous. But firing him because of it? That's some grade A bs.

[heep223]

Friggin Buffalo, Rhett?

[d_phaneuf]

John Vogl
GM Tim Murray reiterates that he didn't see Sabres as a 30th-place team and Ted Nolan may have been kept on with better finish, improvements

Really Tim?

[YogiBerra]

If he didn't see them as a 30th place team why did he keep trying to make them one? Does he think the fans can't see through that lie?

[N-E-B]

Originally Posted by diane_phaneuf

Really Tim?

What a joke. Anyone who didn't see that team as a 30th place team is an idiot, and I don't think Tim Murray is an idiot.

Nolan wanted his players to play hard and win as much as possible, Murray wanted to lose. There was a rift between the two that has been reported on before. It's a shame a good coach and person got fired because of this.

I hope a team below Buffalo (and preferably Edmonton and Toronto) wins the lottery. Neither Buffalo nor Arizona deserves McDavid with their blatant and disgraceful tanking.

[FunkMasterFlame]

Aren't the Oilers due for their semi-bi-annual coaching change?

Nolan to Edmonton?

[AC]

"Tank: Successfully completed. Your services are no longer required Ted Nolan."

[rbochan]

Saw this coming. Think we all did. I'll reserve judgment until after Murray names the replacement, but the fact remains The Ted was setup to fail and deserved a better fate. He did an admirable job, considering the **** sandwich he was handed, from day one.

[UKflames]

I think Nolan will get another gig somewhere, everyone can see that the Sabres were set up to fail and every time they looked like improving the management traded a player to put a stop to it.

Murray must think everyone is an idiot making statements like that.

[Erick Estrada]

Not surprising as he wasn't Murray's guy. It's no different here in that if the Flames finish 30th Hartley would have likely been dismissed by Treliving. Personally I think Nolan is extremely overrated by fans and is at best a very average head coach and if I was a new GM taking over a team in a rebuild I would look to find a better coach than him.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by Playfair

If the Oilers were serious about winning they would start with Lowe and all the old boys club and start fresh. It isn't the 1980's anymore. Lol

They just need to upgrade. Fire Lowe and McTavish. Hire Gretzky and Messier!

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by YogiBerra

If he didn't see them as a 30th place team why did he keep trying to make them one? Does he think the fans can't see through that lie?

Murray is pissed that Nolan didn't figure out a way to cause the Sabres to finish 31st in a 30 team league.

[Erick Estrada]

Friedman on 960 this morning says that teams are weary of Nolan as he get's his teams to play hard but he's not an X & O's guy and that he always brings in his own assistants and teams would rather pair him with strong X & O assistants. Also brought up the fact that he doesn't do himself any favours when it comes to his reputation of clashing with GM's.

[troutman]

Many people predicted CGY to finish 30th, but coaching!