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Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
The point was more about how is that any different then Geoff Ward?
Guy has been an assistant coach for 14 years in the NHL now, has never really been out there as a guy who's politicking for a head coach job, and seemed 100% content to just be an assistant here prior to the Peters incident.
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Well, what i'm suggesting here is that the organizations are different. I'm sure Ward would love to have the 'interim' title removed and just be 'head coach'. From the reporting, it's the Flames who are hesitant to do that, even though they have given Ward a bump in pay. I think considering Ward interviewed for the head coaching job with this same organization, that the Flames saw a fit in that capacity, but are hesitant to do much of anything right now.
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You seem to be making a lot of assumptions about what the Flames leadership team and coaching staff want to do and their plan for this year.
Fact of the matter is at the time of the Peters incident there really were no clear names that were more qualified than Ward to step into an interim role, and no names the Flames should have rushed out to hire.
That's changed since then and their are now some great proven NHL coaches out there, but from all account Ward has done a really good job in that place.
Those are the only facts we really know from this.
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I think the 'names' business is a bit overstated here. Jim Montgomery wasn't a 'name' hire necessarily, but he was sought after because he'd come up through the college ranks and had success on a national level. There are all sorts of guys like that around hockey.
I don't think Vegas is hiring DeBoer because he has a well-recognized name, I think it's because they saw him in action over the last couple of years and think he's an excellent coach. They appear willing to pay him as well which doesn't hurt, and they are an attractive location for an out of work coach to go to.
I just don't think the Flames were going to be involved in a Laviolette/Gallant/DeBoer hiring even if those guys were available. Dave Tippett was available when the Flames had Gulutzan and it's not like his name value sealed the deal, and yet he ended up in Edmonton.
I'm not even suggesting I would replace Ward with one of those guys either, just that if I had to put money on whether Gallant ends up in Dallas or Calgary, i'm putting money on Dallas.
I think when the Flames made Ward Associate coach it was an indication he was next in line, either in Calgary or somewhere else. This is the case for other organizations, like Reirden in Washington, Lane Lambert now with the Islanders. I think when the Stars made Bowness assistant coach they weren't really considering a succession plan from Montgomery within 18 months.
Maybe I am making a lot of assumptions, but I'm doing that based on the Flames history of coaching hires which transcends GMs. I will be shocked if Gallant or Laviolette are the Coach of the Flames...ever.
