[News] Ken Hitchcock Announces Retirement

[Toonage]

No kidding. The Drew Shore of coaches. Highly sought after, but only after they signed here.

[Robbob]

He was on a one year retirement contract in STL and they had to fire him as the players knew he was one and done there. Fast forward one year in Dallas and it was the same situation. Pretty much the same thing when Keenan coached here with one foot already in retirement.

[kukkudo]

Originally Posted by Robbob

He was on a one year retirement contract in STL and they had to fire him as the players knew he was one and done there. Fast forward one year in Dallas and it was the same situation. Pretty much the same thing when Keenan coached here with one foot already in retirement.

Credit to Keenan he had a 46 win season his last year and if it wasn't for injuries I think they could of beat the Hawks.

[868904]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

Was this ever true though? Gulutzan was a flop in Dallas and then an assistant on a fledgling Vancouver team.

I don't remember hearing about him being interviewed or considered for any head coaching jobs after the debacle in Dallas, and these days, it's hard to keep that stuff under wraps.

It seems like Gulutzan became a top coaching "prospect" only the minute after Treliving hired him.

GG was highly sought after when Dallas first hired him. He had put together some good regular seasons in the ECHL but never won a championship. He took his ECHL team to at least the 3rd round in 4 consecutive seasons with one year losing in the final. That kind of "success" made him a hot commodity but I think many overlooked the fact that despite having good teams all those years, he never actually won the championship.

His prospect status landed him the gig as the AHL head coach of the Dallas Stars farm team. Then riding on the back of a Jamie Benn MVP type playoff "guided" the Stars' farm team to the final of the AHL but failed to win. Lost in round 1 the next year and then was promoted to Dallas Stars head coach after that and preceded to miss the playoffs in his two years there.

I remember hearing about Gulutzan back when the Stars hired him as head coach and he was highly regarded as a coaching prospect back then. The shine came off after two disappointing seasons in Dallas and he hoped back on the horse as an assistant coach with the Canucks for 3 seasons, 2 of which were utter disasters.

GG had been trending downwards as a coaching prospect for 5 straight seasons when Treliving hired him so it was a weird hire. Typically, you hire an assistant coach from a winning team or organization, not a sad sack tire fire like the Canucks were. GG's work in Vancouver and Dallas should not have warranted a head coaching position. He needed to either have some success in the NHL as an assistant coach or go back to having some success in the AHL as a head coach before he found another head coaching job in the NHL.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by 868904

GG was highly sought after when Dallas first hired him. He had put together some good regular seasons in the ECHL but never won a championship. He took his ECHL team to at least the 3rd round in 4 consecutive seasons with one year losing in the final. That kind of "success" made him a hot commodity but I think many overlooked the fact that despite having good teams all those years, he never actually won the championship.

His prospect status landed him the gig as the AHL head coach of the Dallas Stars farm team. Then riding on the back of a Jamie Benn MVP type playoff "guided" the Stars' farm team to the final of the AHL but failed to win. Lost in round 1 the next year and then was promoted to Dallas Stars head coach after that and preceded to miss the playoffs in his two years there.

I remember hearing about Gulutzan back when the Stars hired him as head coach and he was highly regarded as a coaching prospect back then. The shine came off after two disappointing seasons in Dallas and he hoped back on the horse as an assistant coach with the Canucks for 3 seasons, 2 of which were utter disasters.

GG had been trending downwards as a coaching prospect for 5 straight seasons when Treliving hired him so it was a weird hire. Typically, you hire an assistant coach from a winning team or organization, not a sad sack tire fire like the Canucks were. GG's work in Vancouver and Dallas should not have warranted a head coaching position. He needed to either have some success in the NHL as an assistant coach or go back to having some success in the AHL as a head coach before he found another head coaching job in the NHL.

Sullivan was also an assistant on the Canucks. Just sayin'.

[868904]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Sullivan was also an assistant on th Canucks. Just sayin'.

Yes, but Sullivan didn't go straight to a NHL head coaching job after that. He went to coach the Pens AHL team and found success and was promoted to Pittsburgh mid-season when Rutherford, in his wisdom and unlike Treliving, recognized that Johnston wasn't cutting it.

Sullivan was also part of some good Rangers teams prior to his one season in Vancouver. That one year in Vancouver was a bit of a blip as he had success before and after that gig.

I don't really think Sullivan is all that great. His resume isn't all that, but with Crosby and Malkin, you just need an average coach. I mean, Dan Bylsma won a Stanley Cup too with Crosby and Malkin. Johnston was just completely inept which is why the Pens struggled so much. Coaching matters. A decent coach can win with a good roster, see Pittsburgh with Sullivan and Bylsma. A bad coach can make a good roster bad(see Pittsburgh under Johnston and Calgary under GG). A great coach can make a bad roster great (see Gallant in Vegas and Sutter with the 04 Flames).

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by 868904

Yes, but Sullivan didn't go straight to a NHL head coaching job after that. He went to coach the Pens AHL team and found success and was promoted to Pittsburgh mid-season when Rutherford, in his wisdom and unlike Treliving, recognized that Johnston wasn't cutting it.

Sullivan was also part of some good Rangers teams prior to his one season in Vancouver. That one year in Vancouver was a bit of a blip as he had success before and after that gig.

I don't really think Sullivan is all that great. His resume isn't all that, but with Crosby and Malkin, you just need an average coach. I mean, Dan Bylsma won a Stanley Cup too with Crosby and Malkin. Johnston was just completely inept which is why the Pens struggled so much. Coaching matters. A decent coach can win with a good roster, see Pittsburgh with Sullivan and Bylsma. A bad coach can make a good roster bad(see Pittsburgh under Johnston and Calgary under GG). A great coach can make a bad roster great (see Gallant in Vegas and Sutter with the 04 Flames).

I think Sullivan is very good. He and Cooper are the best of the newer coaches IMO

[DeluxeMoustache]

This thing with Hitchcock is like the Who and their farewell tours.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by 868904

Yes, but Sullivan didn't go straight to a NHL head coaching job after that. He went to coach the Pens AHL team and found success and was promoted to Pittsburgh mid-season when Rutherford, in his wisdom and unlike Treliving, recognized that Johnston wasn't cutting it.

Sullivan was also part of some good Rangers teams prior to his one season in Vancouver. That one year in Vancouver was a bit of a blip as he had success before and after that gig.

I don't really think Sullivan is all that great. His resume isn't all that, but with Crosby and Malkin, you just need an average coach. I mean, Dan Bylsma won a Stanley Cup too with Crosby and Malkin. Johnston was just completely inept which is why the Pens struggled so much. Coaching matters. A decent coach can win with a good roster, see Pittsburgh with Sullivan and Bylsma. A bad coach can make a good roster bad(see Pittsburgh under Johnston and Calgary under GG). A great coach can make a bad roster great (see Gallant in Vegas and Sutter with the 04 Flames).

This is what I have been saying for a while. You don't even need to have a top 5 coach. You just need one that's not going to impede the talent on the roster. I feel Gulutzan got in the way with some of his decision making which is largely a reason the Flames underacheived. I'm positive if the Flames even bring in just an average head coach we will see immediate improvement out of this roster. Any time the head coach is part of the problem that team is toast.

[Steve Bozek]

Originally Posted by 868904

yes, but sullivan didn't go straight to a nhl head coaching job after that. He went to coach the pens ahl team and found success and was promoted to pittsburgh mid-season when rutherford, in his wisdom and unlike treliving, recognized that johnston wasn't cutting it.

Sullivan was also part of some good rangers teams prior to his one season in vancouver. That one year in vancouver was a bit of a blip as he had success before and after that gig.

I don't really think sullivan is all that great. His resume isn't all that, but with crosby and malkin, you just need an average coach. I mean, dan bylsma won a stanley cup too with crosby and malkin. Johnston was just completely inept which is why the pens struggled so much. Coaching matters. A decent coach can win with a good roster, see pittsburgh with sullivan and bylsma. A bad coach can make a good roster bad(see pittsburgh under johnston and calgary under gg). A great coach can make a good roster great (see gallant in vegas and sutter with the 04 flames).

fyp - neither of those rosters were/are bad!

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Table 5

I have feeling Hithcock's retirement party was pushed up due to AV becoming available.

Its like they had his cake and retirement party all ready to go.

"Thanks for everything Hitch! Happy retirement!"

"Wait....what?"

[the2bears]

Originally Posted by Badgers Nose

Highly unlikely they were considering a multi-million dollar coach like Boudreau (Cherry suggested that Bruce makes more than Babcock), I think you are right about that. That's why AV is highly unlikely to be on any Calgary list.

Someone (Francis?) said GG makes $400k - at least I think I heard that, in reference to GG having one year left and firing him (and paying that year) was not a big deal to ownership in his opinion.

That seems awfully low to me, much less than league minimum for a player. Don't think I've seen the actual number, though.

[Fire]

Originally Posted by the2bears

That seems awfully low to me, much less than league minimum for a player. Don't think I've seen the actual number, though.

Yeah, very unlikely it's that low. Basically the minimum for a coach these days would be $1 million.

[chummer]

Originally Posted by Fire

Yeah, very unlikely it's that low. Basically the minimum for a coach these days would be $1 million.

Blashill makes 800k. But yeah 400 seems low.

https://www.capfriendly.com/coaches