According to Mike Chambers of the Denver Post, Jim Montgomery will interview a second time with the Florida Panthers for their head coaching vacancy. Montgomery has four years left on his contract at the University of Denver, and according to Chambers the school is doing everything it can to attempt to retain him.
After firing Tom Rowe at the end of the season, GM Dale Tallon and the Panthers’ front office have been looking at several different names to possibly fill the position. San Jose Sharks assistant Bob Boughner has been linked, as has veteran coach Michel Therrien. Pierre LeBrun of TSN recently reported that the team is also waiting for some of the assistant coaches still working in the playoffs to finish their seasons. Those could include people like Nashville assistant Phil Housley, Ottawa assistant Marc Crawford or Pittsburgh assistant Rick Tocchet.
Instead though, Montgomery will apparently come in for a second visit after initially meeting with the team on April 26th. Fresh off an NCAA National Championship with DU, Montgomery is among the hottest coaching prospects in the country at the moment. Interestingly, Chambers notes that several players including Henrik Borgstrom, Florida’s first-round pick from last summer, would consider turning pro if Montgomery were to leave. Will Butcher, the reigning Hobey Baker award winner was originally recruited by Montgomery and has spent his entire career under the coach. Butcher will become a free agent in August of this year should he not reach an agreement with the Colorado Avalanche.
For several reasons, Montgomery might be an excellent coach for the Panthers going forward but he doesn’t come without his warts. Despite playing 122 games in the NHL, he’s never worked as a coach in the league at any level, as he headed into the college ranks as soon as his playing career had ended. While he coached the USHL’s Dubuque Fighting Saints for three years—winning two championships thanks in part to a young Johnny Gaudreau—he’s never coached in a professional league.
Johnny Hockey
Jimmy Montgomery was an incredible player with University of Maine, and though his natural talent wasn’t enough to make a solid NHL career as a player, his hockey IQ has led him to be an awesome coaching talent. If Florida were smart, they would jump on this opportunity. University of a Maine should have hired him years ago when he interviewed. They haven’t been the same since Shawn Walsh passed.