[News] Mitch Love and Kirk Muller to Caps

[Canada 02]

Washington's AHL affiliate just won the Calder Cup. They are coached by Todd Nelson, who won the Calder Cup a few years ago as well with Grand Rapids. Interesting that they might go with a coach outside their organization rather than one with recent championship success

[tvp2003]

Too bad. He seemed like he had potential.

I wonder if this increases the likelihood that Muller is back. I hope not.

I also wonder if this decreases the likelihood that Phillips re-signs. Again, I hope not.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

We all know how this will turn out..

Love will be a top tier head coach in a couple years, not in Calgary.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by tvp2003

Too bad. He seemed like he had potential.

I wonder if this increases the likelihood that Muller is back. I hope not.

I also wonder if this decreases the likelihood that Phillips re-signs. Again, I hope not.

I think Muller got cut loose so I can't imagine they would pivot back to him.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Nm

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

John Cooper says hi. Won the Calder Cup and Louis A.R. Pieri Memorial Award in 2011/12. Was promoted to Lightning head coach the next season.

Cooper had double the years of experience as a head coach on other levels and won a championship in the three leagues that he was a head coach (twice in the NAHL). That's 4 championships in 9 seasons of finishing the season as head coach and he was promoted to the NHL 3/4 of the way into his 10th season.

Mitch Love has 5 years as a head coach, 3 in the WHL where the pandemic severely altered two of those years (no playoffs were played) and two years as head coach in the AHL. Conroy felt he needed more seasoning which I think is very reasonable.

[868904]

Originally Posted by Canada 02

Washington's AHL affiliate just won the Calder Cup. They are coached by Todd Nelson, who won the Calder Cup a few years ago as well with Grand Rapids. Interesting that they might go with a coach outside their organization rather than one with recent championship success

Nelson has a better resume than Love, doubt he wants to stick around the Capitals organization after they passed him over for Carbury.

Odd that Nelson hasn't gotten a head coach position in the NHL. 4 minor league championships as head coach, NHL assistant coaching experience, some NHL head coaching experience. Probably the Oiler stink on him.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Hockey jobs aren’t much different from other jobs. When someone takes one offer over another, it’s probably because they’re going to get paid more.

Right, and we don't know what was offered here - was it special teams? Was it defence? Was it generally being second guy to Huska?

[Reggie Dunlop]

Not seeing the Love Connection with Carbery.

[Bubba17]

Originally Posted by Toonage

Maybe. But they have him a 4 year deal which was kind of odd for a first time coach. Feels like his leash will be longer than others.

He was AHL Coach of the Year for their farm team the year before Love won his awards. I also doubt that his leash will be too short as you mentioned.

[rhino]

Meh

[jlh2640]

I wanted Love to be a part of this staff. Not sure why they did not get it done. Another disappointing exit.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by 868904

Nelson has a better resume than Love, doubt he wants to stick around the Capitals organization after they passed him over for Carbury.



Odd that Nelson hasn't gotten a head coach position in the NHL. 4 minor league championships as head coach, NHL assistant coaching experience, some NHL head coaching experience. Probably the Oiler stink on him.

It's the Oilers stink.

Sent from my SM-G986W using Tapatalk

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

The experience factor for hiring Huska over Love makes a lot of sense, particularly with how Conroy explained it. As did the suggestion of taking an assistant job with the club first to ease the transition.

I don't know why he felt snubbed enough to bolt to Washington for the same position.

And the Caps are in arguably worse shape than the Flames going forward.

Maybe he wasn't a fan of Huska and the way he was planning on running things.

[Burning Beard]

Meh

[CroFlames]

Maybe Mitch will teach Ovi to choose Love not Putin.

[PepsiFree]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

The experience factor for hiring Huska over Love makes a lot of sense, particularly with how Conroy explained it. As did the suggestion of taking an assistant job with the club first to ease the transition.

I don't know why he felt snubbed enough to bolt to Washington for the same position.

And the Caps are in arguably worse shape than the Flames going forward.

Maybe he wasn't a fan of Huska and the way he was planning on running things.

I’m pretty sure someone with inside info mentioned that Love didn’t really have any strong feelings about staying with the organization even as the head coach was being decided. Just not a guy who cared much for Calgary, which is fine.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

The experience factor for hiring Huska over Love makes a lot of sense, particularly with how Conroy explained it. As did the suggestion of taking an assistant job with the club first to ease the transition.

I don't know why he felt snubbed enough to bolt to Washington for the same position.

And the Caps are in arguably worse shape than the Flames going forward.

Maybe he wasn't a fan of Huska and the way he was planning on running things.

Maybe Love didn't even feel snubbed. Maybe Washington presented him with an opportunity that intrigued Love. Perhaps being a coach on a team with an NHL legend was something that Love saw as a great learning experience. That's less dramatic reasoning though so lots of people would rather assume he now hates the Flames and Conroy for not handing him the keys to the team.

[liamenator]

I did not realize that Spencer Carbery, freshly minted HC of the Caps, had been coaching Washington's AHL team in Hershey before he jumped to the Leafs in 2021-22. He had just been named 2020-21 AHL coach of the year.

Moving around a bit can be good for a coach, and sometimes they find their way back.

[Flames_Gimp]

connies 1st mistake hiring huska and losing love