Columbus Blue Jackets (Official Thread)

[ScriptOhio]

if this happens the honeymoon is over for nash, zherdev and the other young guns who have been playing real loose. hitch will not be afraid to ride thier asses...

Sounds like the kind of coach that we need. My guess is that he may be out of our price range; unless we can get him "below market value" with the Flyers picking up the difference for the 2 plus seasons they still have him on contract for.

Anyway I bought "cheap" eBay tickets for the game tonight. So far this season I'm 0-2. I would really like to see them win for a change.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

i believe wed likely have to pay the flyers something, $ or draft picks. granted pretty much every coach is under contract and it will cost you something, unless they just want the $ dump.

the boys should play thier asses off tonight. firing a coach in hockey always seems to result in a mini win streak.

 

[ScriptOhio]

the boys should play thier asses off tonight. firing a coach in hockey always seems to result in a mini win streak.

Well so much for that trend.

Nashville - 5
Columbus - 4

Decent on offense, but they had several defensive lapses including giving up a short handed goal.

 

[strohs]

0 - ~21 now
First time I have ever seen the home crowd boo a goal by the CBJ was when everyone though Nash had the hat trick, and they announced after all the hats were thrown that it was not Nash's goal.
Fun game though.
Typical CBJ loss for me.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

Doug MacLean, the GM of Columbus, called Ken Hitchcock today and asked him to interview for the head coaching job. MacLean said he would get back to Hitchcock with a date later. Hitchcock seems excited about getting a job feeler again.

"It's an attractive job," Hitch told me

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=3676


youre right guys played shitty. i dont care if nash got hosed on that goal with the early whistle. played shitty. agnew like gallant is a nice guy, but this team doesnt need a career .500 ahl coach. they need someone who has won adn is willing to get on theses guys.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

on the coaching situation i was tlaking to a non hockey friend and i boiled it down like this (it being columbus ohio and all)

they need to go out and make a safe move, someone with experience someone who has had success. i made the comparison to a glen mason type guy after cooper was fired. tressel was a reach having never been a d 1 head coach. they need someone who is a for sure, maybe not the guy with tbigest upside, but one that wont fail...

im not sure how much sense that all makes, but i think youll get the point.

 

[TexasBuck]

I was initially excited when I heard Hitchcock's name come up. But now, I'm not so sure Hitchcock is the answer. The Flyers, under Hitchcock's watch, had as many offensive problems as the Blue Jackets. Hitchcock was a great coach in the old defensive minded NHL (AKA holding and interference) but he hasn't proven he's effectively made the transition to the new style.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

last year an average at best team 100 points under his watch. he has pluses and minuses, but hes glen masonish in that regard. hes proven himself, though doubtful hes the best person hes a low risk high reward layupish type guy.

 

[Mike80]

last year an average at best team 100 points under his watch. he has pluses and minuses, but hes glen masonish in that regard. hes proven himself, though doubtful hes the best person hes a low risk high reward layupish type guy.

I agree.

Short of getting Marc Crawford or Scottie Bowman, Hitchcock might be their best bet. Sure the Blue Jackets power play needs some work, but that defense is atrocious sometimes. They DID score 4 goals last night.

They need someone like Hitchcock to steady the ship. Give him a year or two, they will have improved and then you can worry about taking the next step....

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

NHL
Jackets want only a name brand
Owners looking at candidates who appeal to fan base
Friday, November 17, 2006
Aaron Portzline
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

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The Blue Jackets? owners, who are expected to name a coach within two weeks, are said to be keen on hiring a big name who will turn heads.
And that?s not just in the dressing room.
With attendance dipping and fans reaching the point of aggravation quicker and quicker during recent games, a club source said yesterday that the ideal candidate will "energize the fan base and make a splash, as well as the obvious part, which is that he?s a great hockey coach. We?ve got to get the right guy in here."
The Blue Jackets contacted former Philadelphia Flyers coach Ken Hitchcock and he might interview early next week.
Hitchcock, a former Stanley Cup winner with the Dallas Stars, would make a splash. So, too, would Pat Quinn, fired last summer by the Toronto Maple Leafs after missing the playoffs for the first time in seven seasons.
Andy Murray, previously coach of the Los Angeles Kings, also would fit the description.
It?s likely that Hitchcock, Quinn and Murray are among the names on the short list that president and general manager Doug MacLean is compiling to turn over to the owners, but there could be some surprises.
Kevin Dineen, a former Blue Jackets player coaching in the Anaheim Ducks? minor-league system, is an outside contender, as is Mike Ramsey, a highly regarded assistant with the Minnesota Wild who joined the NHL in 2000 with the Blue Jackets.
The good news for Blue Jackets fans is that this is a good time to be in the market for a coach.
Earlier this week, owner John H. McConnell told The Dispatch that Gerard Gallant?s replacement ultimately will be decided by him, his son, John P. McConnell, the club?s alternate governor, and Mike A. Priest, president of JMAC Inc., the Blue Jackets? parent company.
Needless to say, these are strange times in the Blue Jackets? dressing room, with interim coach Gary Agnew running the ship "as well as we can, for as long as we?re told to do so."
The Blue Jackets play host to the Colorado Avalanche tonight in Nationwide Arena, their second game under Agnew.
The players are bracing. A new coach means a new philosophy, maybe a new strategy, which can lead to roster changes and role changes.
What kind of coach do the Blue Jackets need?
"We need a teacher," defenseman Anders Eriksson said. "We?re a young group. We have a lot of enthusiasm and guys who want to work really hard. But they need to learn the right way to work. Whoever comes in, we need to buy into whatever system they?re running and we need to commit to it 100 percent."
Hitchcock and Murray, mentioned in many circles as the leading candidates, are known as taskmasters. Hitchcock also is renowned as an X?s and O?s guy, with a frankness that engages some players and outrages others.
It might be a startling change. Gallant, who was fired Monday, was considered a players? coach not known to overwork his charges in practice, and he rarely aired dirty laundry with the media.
"The good cop, bad cop thing is all just a little overblown to me," defenseman Ron Hainsey said. "Really, it?s all just a matter of how a coach holds his players accountable. If he does it publicly, the media calls him a bad cop. If he does it privately, then most people think he?s a good cop.
"Trust me, everybody holds the players accountable. There?s no team in the league (that) does whatever they want and everything?s great no matter what. Out of 30 teams, not one."
[email protected]

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

Dispatch

There is speculation around the NHL that the Blue Jackets might not be able to hire Ken Hitchcock, that he is such a hot commodity that he might choose to hold out for a better job.
Respected Edmonton Journal hockey writer Jim Matheson thinks it would be a mistake for the underachieving Ottawa Senators to fire Bryan Murray. He also introduced Hitchcock?s name into the discussion.
"Tie the can to Murray? " Matheson wrote. "He?s won 571 NHL games. The Senators won 52 league games last year. Did he get dumb overnight? I don?t think so. Firing the coach is always the quick fix and maybe Ken Hitchcock, who certainly can have his pick of another job, would be harder on the players."
In a column that was reprinted in numerous Canadian newspapers, Scott Morrison, a commentator for Hockey Night in Canada and a columnist for cbc.ca, wrote that "there are other hot spots in the league where coaching changes could happen and (Hitchcock) has to determine what would be the best fit for him."
Morrison also suggested that Blue Jackets president and general manager Doug MacLean has a tough task recommending not only a coach he might not be able to work with, but one who might ultimately take his job. "MacLean has obviously taken something of a public hit in terms of lost power and influence through this process and he is also going to have to recommend a list of coaches who could potentially replace him one day," Morrison wrote. "? inevitably the names of Mike Keenan, Pat Quinn and Andy Murray will surface. Two of those guys have previously sat in a front office."

 

[TexasBuck]

I agree.

Short of getting Marc Crawford or Scottie Bowman, Hitchcock might be their best bet. Sure the Blue Jackets power play needs some work, but that defense is atrocious sometimes. They DID score 4 goals last night.

They need someone like Hitchcock to steady the ship. Give him a year or two, they will have improved and then you can worry about taking the next step....

Marc Crawford is the guy I'd like to see the Blue Jackets get. I haven't seen much mention of his name though.

 

[Fungo Squiggly]

Marc Crawford is the guy I'd like to see the Blue Jackets get. I haven't seen much mention of his name though.

Probably because he already has a job coaching the LA Kings. :p

 

[jimotis4heisman]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/columnist.jsp?content=20061116_174147_5384

If the Blue Jackets aim to have Ken Hitchcock behind the bench anytime soon, management must prove its commitment to winning.
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For Columbus, it isn't a case of whether or not the organization wants Ken Hitchcock as their coach; instead, it's a case of whether or not they can land him.

Simply put, there isn't a better coaching candidate out there right now.

Hitchcock has a Stanley Cup on his resume and has won more than 400 NHL games in his stops with Dallas and Philadelphia. Hitchcock was also a big part of the gold-medal winning effort for Hockey Canada at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. Prior to his tenure in the NHL, Hitchcock had a phenomenally successful career as a junior hockey coach; largely because of his ability to both teach players and bring out the best in their talent.

Hitchcock's resume laps the field; and Philadelphia Flyers boss Ed Snider gave up on in a fit of pique that should haunt him forever.

That said, just having a need and a vacancy isn't enough for the Blue Jackets to get Hitchcock. For starters, it's likely other teams will have openings as the season rolls along. It's also fair to say that Hitchcock doesn't need the work or the money right away as he received a multi-year contract extension just before the start of this season -- and the Flyers have to honour it. Hitchcock could easily sit back, enjoy the money, recharge and still be a hot commodity when he decides to re-enter the job market.

And although it will certainly pain Blue Jackets fans to read this, Columbus isn't exactly a glamour spot on the NHL tour. No crime there, but Hitchcock has played the big time in regards Dallas and Philadelphia. Those are well-moneyed franchises with a history of financial and on-ice success and they are major media markets. That's no small consideration for a veteran coach; especially one that wants to continue in what to date has been a high-profile career.

And Columbus has another problem: the rather large question mark hanging over the head of general manager Doug MacLean; one that ownership put there. It's not a good idea to go into a coaching situation where the GM has problems regarding his perceived long-term tenure. As most coaches (including Hitchcock) have learned over the years, their fate is often tied to that of the GM. If he goes, fairly (or unfairly) the coach is not far behind.

The new guy always wants his own man in charge. That's why Pat Quinn got his walking papers in Toronto despite being a winner there. It's why Hitchcock got the whack in Philadelphia. Claude Julian suffered a similar fate in Montreal. The list goes on and on and on.

So if the ownership in Columbus really wants to get the best man for the job, they're going to have to not just act quickly, but boldly. This includes resolving the issue before another opening comes along. Ottawa may have bought a little time for coach Bryan Murray with the 4-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres Wednesday night, but should their general losing ways continue, there's talent in Ottawa that a lot of coaches would like to inherit. One or two others are still on the hot seat (Wayne Gretzky would have been whacked in Phoenix by now if it weren't for the fact he's a part owner, an extenuating circumstance if there ever was one). As the playoff also-rans pile up in the spring, doors open in even unexpected places.

Secondly, they need to reach out with a package that Hitchcock can't help but admire. That would be a solid economic package (which is certainly within their reach), but more importantly, one that would include long-term stability no matter what happens to MacLean down the road. The offer would also have to include some say in player personnel decisions.

It's not that MacLean doesn't know talent or that he hasn't acquired more than a few good players. But ask any successful coach what's important behind the scenes and they'll tell you that it's a good working relationship with the GM, a relationship that's more than just boss and employee.

Successful teams also have successful management. Case in point being the Buffalo Sabres. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff has a say in the way his team is shaped. Sure, the final call rests with general manager Darcy Regier, but the two have been a team now for nine seasons; and the result is they come to a consensus regarding what kind of players they want, what kind of style they want to play, what players are kept when money gets tight and what kind are let go when it gets even tighter. Perhaps more importantly, Regier has Ruff's back both with the players and with upper management. Nashville's David Poile has created a similar environment for his long-time coach, Barry Trotz. Anaheim GM Brian Burke also subscribes to this theory.

In short, any good coach wants to coach in an environment that allows him to win and have a say in how the team is shaped to win. To date, that hasn't been the case in Columbus. It's not that they don't want to win, it's just that, to date, they haven't shown that they know how.

Which is why they need to be smart.

That's the challenge for the ownership of the Blue Jackets. It won't be them interviewing Hitchcock when the two meet, perhaps as early as this weekend. It will be Hitchcock interviewing them. If they want to land the best coach available, and Hitchcock is the best coach available, they'll have to convince him not only that they want to win, but that they also know how.

 

[jimotis4heisman]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/serv...ockeyblog20061117115519/WBStory/WBhockeyblog/

More on the Ken Hitchcock saga


David Shoalts, today at 11:55 AM EST

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Spoke to someone who knows Ken Hitchcock quite well, and the coach is not overjoyed at the prospect of coaching the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is willing to listen to a pitch from Jackets general manager Doug MacLean, but he will be looking for an exit line.
There are two reasons for Hitchcock’s reticence. The biggest is the sorry state of the franchise and the growing likelihood MacLean will be fired at the end of the season, if not before. No coach, even if he is currently unemployed, wants to be left in that situation, contemplating the arrival of a new GM who had no hand in hiring him.
The other reason is the one discussed here earlier, MacLean’s notorious inclination to micro-manage. If you are handed a huge challenge, which is what any coach will get with this team, you want to try your own solutions, not take orders from the guy who created the problem.
Another possibility for the coaching job is Andy Murray, who is currently working for the Montreal Canadiens. But he already turned down an associate coach’s post with Columbus last summer because he did not want to be the coach-in-waiting and he, too, is not eager to walk into a volatile situation.