Coach of the Flames: 2014/15

[Daradon]

Is distaste for Hartley really at an all time high? Or is this a personal feeling projected? I thought a lot of the fans liked him, I know they did early in the year. Why would fans dislike him? Cause of a recent slump that should have been expected earlier anyway? The team has a reputation around the league already for working hard and may have the worst roster in the league.

We expected this. It's a rebuild. Less than half a year in. Let me repeat this. Less than half a year in. Why would we even be discussing making a coaching change?

Like Tranny I am worried that the loss of Feaster means Hartley will be leaving eventually, as the new GM will probably want 'his' guy. Shoot, Burke might even pull the trigger before that. But I hope he stays. I think he's been great in Calgary so far. And even if he's only been average, shouldn't we keep a little bit of stability for a while anyway? Do we really want the coaching carousel the Oilers have? Coaches lose the room immediately cause the kids know they have no power.

[saillias]

Detroit misses playoffs - Holland fires Babcock

[Da_Chief]

Ryan Huska

[ForeverFlameFan]

Sometimes it easier to blame the coach for our faults, but I really think Hartley is doing his best with what he has... It is really our team that isn't playing as well as they have been. Surprisingly, our goalies have been doing pretty well lately, but we just can't seem to find to score. This trade deadline better have things happening, there just has to be moves. Hartley should stay.. I vote for him to stay.

[Heavy Jack]

Westgarth

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by strombad

I actually had to look him up, had no idea he was an assistant with the Heat. You really think he'd get the job over Ward if they're hiring from within?

If the Flames continue with their hiring, firing pattern, Ftorek could be replacing Ward in Abbotsford.

[GreenLantern2814]

Hartley is not the issue with this team. But if he does go, Ward would be my vote. Both seem like excellent communicators.

The biggest issue with Ward's teams trailing off to the end of the year is probably all the travel. They log way more miles than any other team in the AHL, and I'm not sure how much (if any) of that is flying. If it's all bus trips... Jesus.

[getbak]

It's hard to guess without knowing who the GM will be.

If the Heat can keep it up for the rest of the season, and go on a tear in the playoffs, you have to give Ward consideration.

There's always Burke's old Nucks coach, Crawford. Hartley replaced him in Colorado, then he replaced Hartley in Switzerland, so it would almost be full-circle for him to replace Hartley here.

If we're thinking outside the box, how about Nate Leaman from Providence College? He took over the Union College program when they were a really weak team, and turned them into one of the top teams in the NCAA. Then, he left Union for Providence, where he's doing the same with them. Plus, he is familiar with Jankowski and Gillies. We don't see too many coaches make the jump from the NCAA to the NHL, but it has worked well for the Flames before.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

Hopefully Troy Ward. He seems to have a system figured out and can get his players to buy in.

I think buy in at the AHL level is a much easier thing to get. A bunch of desperate youngsters or veterans willing to do anything to just make the show.........not hard to get folks to buy in. Not exactly the same environment trying to get a bunch of multi millionaires who know they are harder to replace than the coach is to buy in.

I like what I've heard from Ward, but I'm always amazed at how confident many on here would be with him making the jump, not really sure how he's proved he's ready.

[Daradon]

Yeah, especially with the Eakins disaster up north. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of factors at work up there, but that guy is not an NHL coach. He's horrible.

[moon]

So hard to say who should replace Hartley as it all depends on who is available and without knowing who is fired that is a tough call. I don't think at Christmas last year many would have thought that Vignault, Ruff and Tort would all be available.

I have no problem if you keep Hartley around for another year to absorb loses and bring in the right guy once the team is ready to compete. Harltey lucked out with a stacked Avs team when he started and has been awful ever since. Sure he doesn't have much talent but that doesn't excuse the team looking clueless in its own zone and having no idea what to do in transition. The Flames look like a pond hockey team 95% of the time and that is not solely due to lack of talent.

I really hope Ward is not chosen either and not just because of his stupid use of his middle initial. He seems like a dick every press conference/post game talk I have seen from him. His record is not overly impressive and the play of guys from the Heat not overly impressive at all either. But most of all I want to see some new blood come in and a proper search done. Tired of the asst/2nd guy being promoted or GM's best buddy hired. Let's get someone in that is actually respected and desired by other teams not just the guy with the closest office.

[strombad]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Is distaste for Hartley really at an all time high? Or is this a personal feeling projected? I thought a lot of the fans liked him, I know they did early in the year. Why would fans dislike him? Cause of a recent slump that should have been expected earlier anyway? The team has a reputation around the league already for working hard and may have the worst roster in the league.

We expected this. It's a rebuild. Less than half a year in. Let me repeat this. Less than half a year in. Why would we even be discussing making a coaching change?

Like Tranny I am worried that the loss of Feaster means Hartley will be leaving eventually, as the new GM will probably want 'his' guy. Shoot, Burke might even pull the trigger before that. But I hope he stays. I think he's been great in Calgary so far. And even if he's only been average, shouldn't we keep a little bit of stability for a while anyway? Do we really want the coaching carousel the Oilers have? Coaches lose the room immediately cause the kids know they have no power.

Not projecting at all, Hartley doesn't bother me one bit. There is a large portion of the fanbase that doesn't care for him, and that seems to have undeniably grown over the last 15 games or so.

With a new GM coming in, and even Burke saying he promised the coaches they were safe until the end of the year, I think it's fair to say that Hartley's time could be limited.

I would say he's been average. His systems aren't great, the powerplay is not good, the PK is average (which isn't a bad thing all considered), and while we're riding a the wave of praise from an early stretch of "never give up" hockey, the team has looked fairly listless for a prolonged stretch.

People can't repeat the word "rebuild" like broken records, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have the right coach for it. Hartley was hired pre-rebuild, and while he isn't the worst, he's certainly not the best option.

If anything, this is a crucial time to make sure we have the RIGHT coach for the next few years. If it's Hartley, then so be it, but if it's not, then the change needs to be made sooner or later.

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Burke will likely want his own guy. Maybe Hartley sticks around to give Burke the ability to gas him mid season and buy some time but I don't think Burke rolls that way.

Maybe the flames will pick up Eakins after mactavish makes his bold move and steps back behind the bench

[saXon]

Originally Posted by Bend it like Bourgeois

Burke will likely want his own guy. Maybe Hartley sticks around to give Burke the ability to gas him mid season and buy some time but I don't think Burke rolls that way.

Maybe the flames will pick up Eakins after mactavish makes his bold move and steps back behind the bench

The comedy in that would be if Eakins took the Flames to the playoffs. The tears would be flowing up north.

Realistically, no thanks. We don't want him, or his hair.

[taxbuster]

Unless the Flames change the makeup of their team, I don't know why a coaching change would be made. They're competitive enough - they have a high work ethic. They have weaknesses that are not coaching-related.

They lack IQ in certain areas -- Hartley is addressing that it appears, but they lack the size and native ability to translate the high IQ plays into chances or goals.

They lack size - too easy to push off the puck. The answer to that is either really fast passes (like Hawks or Wings generally) or higher talent. They can try the first, but you need the talent for them to be accurate.

How are either of those major flaws the coach‘s problem?

I‘m pretty happy with what he has brought to the team -- not sure he is going anywhere soon.

*If* he goes, I‘d like to see someone with very strong system skills in place. The “cluelessness“ that someone else referred to comes from having a work ethic, but no strategic direction in which to apply the work. Perhaps that is Hartley‘s biggest failing.

[cznTiburon]

Let's keep some consistency behind the bench. We don't want to become Edmonton where we keep thinking a change in coach will make a crappy team good, we want a system that work and a system of meritocracy that is recognized when players come here. The worst thing for a rebuild is a revolving door for coaches. Keep Hartley

[TurnedTheCorner]

I hope I'm not too late to be the first to suggest that this new coach be immediately sacked.

[six pack]

Ask the new gm. Do its likely Hartley to start but not to finish.

I still think Hartley is terrible at growing players though

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by strombad

Not projecting at all, Hartley doesn't bother me one bit. There is a large portion of the fanbase that doesn't care for him, and that seems to have undeniably grown over the last 15 games or so.

With a new GM coming in, and even Burke saying he promised the coaches they were safe until the end of the year, I think it's fair to say that Hartley's time could be limited.

I would say he's been average. His systems aren't great, the powerplay is not good, the PK is average (which isn't a bad thing all considered), and while we're riding a the wave of praise from an early stretch of "never give up" hockey, the team has looked fairly listless for a prolonged stretch.

People can't repeat the word "rebuild" like broken records, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't have the right coach for it. Hartley was hired pre-rebuild, and while he isn't the worst, he's certainly not the best option.

If anything, this is a crucial time to make sure we have the RIGHT coach for the next few years. If it's Hartley, then so be it, but if it's not, then the change needs to be made sooner or later.

But see, I think he is the right coach for right now as the team seems to have improved, or at least put in a lot more effort, after the veterans left. He seems like he's the right coach for young kids or the 'rebuild'. I actually think he's more suited to this team, than the previous incarnation.

As far as 'over the last 15 games' comment goes, I find it kinda silly. I know fans get impatient and want results yesterday, but 15 games is nothing.

I'll agree his systems don't seem really great, but I'm not sure how we can adequately judge them when we don't have players capable of producing anyway. Our powerplay has been crap in Calgary since the early 90's so can't really fault him for that either. Agreed it doesn't mean that someone can't or won't do better, or it should be swept under the rug, but it does seem like a small thing to get upset about, especially when we don't have any high end talent.

[indes]

Obviously it will be the last piece of Burkes master plan to be President, GM AND Coach