Should/will Bob Hartley be fired in the off season? [EDIT: A conversation from 2013]

[Sakari]

Not with feaster here.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

If he's fired, I don't think Feaster is the man that's going to do it.

Feaster will be the man to do it. Besides isn't that the GM's job?

[Dion]

Originally Posted by CaramonLS

Whine all you want about Tippett, but I would rather watch Hard nosed, physical, winning, defensive hockey than the pillowy soft crap fest we've been subjected to this year.

So would I, however we don't have the players to play physical hockey as we are too small to push back.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

Who qualifys as a top pairing D to you? We had Bouwmeester the whole season and were just as bad.

You blame the core, that's hilarious. How anyone can blame anyone but management is beyond me. This team was built terrible. How many of our own draft picks are in the lineup? That should give you your answer. Players that are free agents become available for a reason, and those reasons are being more evident with every passing Flames game.

The first part of my post was present tense.

Second part was future tense.

Third part was past tense.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by timbit

The first part of my post was present tense.

Second part was future tense.

Third part was past tense.

So you think Hartley shouldn't be the coach next year?

[Stanley]

I just don't see how the mental breakdown in the D-zone has anything to do with the coaches, I mean, christ there's no way they're being told to play like that in their zone in practice is there??

[Stanley]

I wanna see Hartley coach this team minus Iggy and a re-tooled core next season, for a full season, and see what those results are before canning the coaching staff...yet again...

[Erick Estrada]

I stand by my opinion that Hartley is the worst coach to coach the Flames since Greg Gilbert but the only way he is fired after the season is if Feaster is. I feel Feaster is going to get another season and so will Hartley. However if the Flames are playing next season like they did this season there will be absolutely no way he returns for a 3rd season. If I wasn't a Flames fan and watched this team without any emotional attachment the first thing that would come to my mind is that this team needs to fire this coach as the team isn't prepared and cannot play team defense at all. It's nothing personal and I actually find him quite likeable in his interviews it's just that he's had no answers for anything this year and the fact that the team could never once win more than two games in a row tells me that nothing he's done has stuck with the players.

The length of this rebuild will not only be tied to talent but to coaching. I feel a more defense oriented head coach is the way to go with a young rebuilding team as bringing the kids up on a run and gun mentality with little attention to defense simply builds too many bad habits. Had Darryl continued to coach the Flames I believe Phaneuf's game would have never nosedived like it did under Keenan. NHL teams aren't stupid. There was a reason guys like Keenan and Hartley were kicked to the curb and that's because the feeling around the league is that they are no longer qualified to coach NHL hockey. Hartley is coaching the Flames for the same reason Keenan did. He has close ties to the GM. Unfortunately that is entirely the wrong basis for a personnel hiring of this magnitude.

[cDnStealth]

No! Enough of this revolving door of coaches.

[Vedder]

Originally Posted by timbit

No D that is a top pairing D, no top line forwards, probably no proven #1 goalie.

No second line C.

All of the above voids are in reference to a contending team.

Next season they will need to play as a team. 5 on D when the other team has the puck, 5. on offence when they have the puck. 5 tenacious and smart players when neither has the puck.

Balance. Not much cohesion or tenacity on D or when the puck was up for grabs.I blame a good portion of these problems on the core.

Not ideal, but Stajan and Backlund should be able to handle the 2nd/3rd line center positions. To me, there are too many soft veteran wingers that don't play tenacious or smart. I don't think furthering the Cervenka experiment helps this team in any way. With Cammalleri, Tanguay, Hudler, and even Glencross that role is more than taken care of. Flames need some size and speed, and players who can win a board battle.

[DuffMan]

I think just by virtue of the fact that he is the coach of the Flames, everything is his fault and he should be fired.

[GirlySports]

I've liked some aspects so I'd like to see a full season of young players developing. I think he's a good teacher.

This year the team was more fun to watch, forechecked harder, put more passes together and intercepted more pucks.

If you are of the argument that Kipper masked how bad this team really was, then the coach isn't really to blame for such a bad team.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Stanley

I wanna see Hartley coach this team minus Iggy and a re-tooled core next season, for a full season, and see what those results are before canning the coaching staff...yet again...

The results in the standings likely won't be pretty regardless of who coaches because this team is likely to be down on talent next season as the rebuild begins. It's how they play that's going to determine his fate. If they are scratching and clawing and losing close games like last night he will have done a commendable job. If they play most nights like they have played most nights this year well I would expect the revolving coaches door will be revolving again.

[HPLovecraft]

The way I see it, Hartey was hired in a misguided attempt to lead this veteran core to a playoff berth. Now that those plans have been shown to be the pipe dream everyone but management knew them already to be, this franchise is now in a rebuilding mode. Is Hartley the coach for a rebuilding team of youngsters? No, I don't believe he is. Therefore, I hope he is let go and someone is brought in specifically to coach a rebuilding team. If not, I fully expect Hartley to be fired in another year or so, when the rebuild is still brutal and ongoing, and the proper coach brought in. Why wait, though? Might as well get this rebuild off to the right start and replace the man now, IMO, instead of waiting for the inevitable in a couple of years.

[Geeoff]

Hartley will stay unless Feaster is fired.

[Barnet Flame]

If firing a coach was the solution, we'd be talking about a dynasty right now.

[Da_Chief]

No, the team was not good enough this year nor will it be next year, you let go through next year and see how the young guns are progressing and decide then. I think he is a good coach, let him develop the guys.

[HPLovecraft]

Originally Posted by Barnet Flame

If firing a coach was the solution, we'd be talking about a dynasty right now.

It's no longer about firing and hiring a new coach to win, it's about firing and hiring a new coach to teach kids during a rebuild. This team isn't going to be a winner for a number of years from now, no matter what coach is behind the bench.

[edn88]

With a better lineup than Sutter had, the Flames did worse with Hartley. I think Sutter got the Flames to overachieve, and Hartley is only getting them to achieve to their average performance. Based on that, I would think Hartley should be terminated.

Now having said that, he did not necessarily have players that would work with the system that he implemented and when the Flames were actually playing well, and using his system, it was very enjoyable hockey and seemed to be effective.

I suspect if Feaster is fired, so to will Hartley be fired.

[DuffMan]

I thought Feaster said something along the lines of that if he had to fire Hartley before his contract ended, he would probably be doing it while he's packing his own bags.