What do you do with the coaching position?

[jlh2640]

Originally Posted by TheScorpion

There have been a ton of coach firings this year with plenty of big names on the sideline.

- Bruce Boudreau
- Peter Laviolette
- Gerard Gallant
- Mike Babcock

The Flames have also seen a coaching change this year with Geoff Ward taking over for the much-maligned Bill Peters in November.

But Ward has no previous NHL HC history and has shown some signs of his inexperience at times this year. With other names like Darryl Sutter, Guy Boucher, Dan Bylsma, and Lindy Ruff currently without NHL head coaching duties, I think it's a reasonable question to ask whether the Flames need new blood behind the bench. Ward is an interim coach for a reason, after all.

So what do you do? Do you make a change? If so, when? And who do you pick?

We missed the coach we should’ve hired. Dave Tippett. And we missed on him multiple times

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by jlh2640

We missed the coach we should’ve hired. Dave Tippett. And we missed on him multiple times

Tippet isn't a fit with the Flames as he and Maloney had a power struggle in Phoenix. Highly unlikely either would contemplate working together again.

[CaptainYooh]

Originally Posted by zamler

We need a coach with playoff experience and success.

This.

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Joborule

The thing is though, these coaches that have been fired haven't been hired by any other organization that have relieved their coaches.

Bruce Boudreau
Peter Laviolette
Mike Babcock
Gerard Gallant

That's a list of coaches that have had success, and based on resume are prime candidates. Yet they haven't found a new team yet. For Mike Babcock, it's debatable if he's really that great of a coach. And with the allegations against him in how he treats players, may be considered a toxic add.

Only Peter DeBoer is a coach who's been fired this season, but found a new team.

These coaches likely are patiently waiting for the off season to come before deciding which team they are going to coach next. With the Seattle team in the horizon also, there's a lot of money for them to make, on top of the one they're already getting paycheques for. There's no need for them to rush when the season is now in the final stages.

Flames not getting a new coach yet I feel is a reflection of the market being unavailable currently.

John Hynes was let go by new jersey in december and hired by nashville in january.

[Joborule]

Originally Posted by Flash Walken

John Hynes was let go by new jersey in december and hired by nashville in january.

Oh, I didn't even noticed he was with the Devils originally.

His NHL resume isn't much to look at which is probably why.

[Spurly]

I think we should have hired a new coach at the break. I would chose eithe GG, or Lavy. I think it’s important to have your head coach, in on draft decisions, and sitting at the draft table on draft day.

[Aarongavey]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

Tippet isn't a fit with the Flames as he and Maloney had a power struggle in Phoenix. Highly unlikely either would contemplate working together again.

I would ditch Maloney myself, but your point is accurate. I guess Don could never figure out why Tippett could not win more with the talent he assembled in Arizona.

[memphusk]

Originally Posted by Spurly

I think we should have hired a new coach at the break. I would chose eithe GG, or Lavy. I think it’s important to have your head coach, in on draft decisions, and sitting at the draft table on draft day.

That would be 3 head coaches in one season. Seems like two to many. Peter's deal is what it is now. Ward gets thrown into the fire. He isn't a great head coach and he's in over his head. Now #3 rolls on and tries to get something more?

[1_Flames_Fan]

Tip to Flames owners... Coaches don't count against the salary cap

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[Singularity]

- Bruce Boudreau
- Peter Laviolette
- Gerard Gallant
- Mike Babcock

[GranteedEV]

I think as soon as Ward rattled off 7 straight wins he cemented his spot as Flames coach for the rest of the season, right or wrong.

He's also a guy Teeliving brought in here from another organization with the carrot on a stick of being Associate coach, which typically means being the interim after a coach is fired (unless they're Hartley/Cloutier or Gulutzan/Jerrard types who are a team).

There's also a personal aspect where Treliving is probably tight with Ward.

Geoff Ward isn't a good head coach. But for better or worse Treliving's not gonna fire Ward, at least not until deep into the offseason when everyone else is already employed.

[Spurly]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

I think as soon as Ward rattled off 7 straight wins he cemented his spot as Flames coach for the rest of the season, right or wrong.

He's also a guy Teeliving brought in here from another organization with the carrot on a stick of being Associate coach, which typically means being the interim after a coach is fired (unless they're Hartley/Cloutier or Gulutzan/Jerrard types who are a team).

There's also a personal aspect where Treliving is probably tight with Ward.

Geoff Ward isn't a good head coach. But for better or worse Treliving's not gonna fire Ward, at least not until deep into the offseason when everyone else is already employed.

Tre does not have to fire Ward. He is only interim head coach, if Tre were to hire a head coach, Ward moves back to his former position. Associate coach

[1qqaaz]

I think it's obvious the Flames should hire one of Boudreau, Gallant, or Laviolette.
But if the Flames miss the playoffs, I don't think Treliving doesn't come back.
So perhaps it doesn't make sense to hire a real head coach until the Flames' season concluded.

[calgarygeologist]

I think now is the time for a couple of reasons. First, we have seen what the team is contributing under Ward and it isn't all that impressive. A new coach could get a bump in energy going into the stretch run for the playoffs. Obviously it might be too late in the season for a coach to make major changes to the teams style but even minor changes could be beneficial. Secondly, a 15 game run for a new coach gives him time to evaluate the team, players and formulate a plan for moving forward. The new guy can highlight which players he wants and which players can be traded or not signed in the off season. It would be unfortunate to let Flames management go through the draft and Free Agency building a roster that a coach has to inherit and not have any say in.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by KootenayFlamesFan

The last coach he hired led the team to 1st in the West last season and was 4th in coach of the year voting.

I don't have any problem with Treliving making the next choice. Which will happen this summer.

The first half of last season was an anomaly. If you look at how the Flames played the 2nd half, the playoffs, and the first half of this year it was far more in line with his time in Carolina, where he missed the playoffs for 4 straight years. I don't trust Treliving with hiring another coach, he's as bad at that as signing UFAs

[GreenLantern2814]

Either of Gallant or Laviolette will do.

We should have hired Laviolette instead of Brent way back in 09.

[Calgary4LIfe]

Originally Posted by Singularity

- Bruce Boudreau
- Peter Laviolette
- Gerard Gallant
- Mike Babcock

Agree with this list (especially with Babock crossed out!), and would also add:


- Darryl Sutter


I don't know if he is on the top of my list with the choices available right now, but when the Flames were hiring Peters, I remember Sutter's name was brought up by the ownership group and leaked by the media as a guy they wanted. I wonder if that will have any influence this time around.

[motorcrosser]

Originally Posted by Spurly

Tre does not have to fire Ward. He is only interim head coach, if Tre were to hire a head coach, Ward moves back to his former position. Associate coach

A new head coach is going to want his assistants, not previous ones.

[dissentowner]

I think it is apparent we will be stuck with Ward for the rest of the year. The good news is those big name guys will still be available I think come the off season. Time to finally give this team a legit highly reputed head coach.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Nsd1

I don’t let Treliving hire another coach. Retool the management office and let them retool the coaching staff. Let the new management and coach retool the roster.

It doesn’t matter who the GM is if you have the same philosophy and interference at the ownership level.