Not a single NHL head coach was fired during the 2017-18 season, though several changes have been made since. Barry Trotz and Bill Peters resigned their positions in Washington and Carolina, and were each hired to replace the outgoing bench bosses in New York and Calgary. Those two were Doug Weight and Glen Gulutzan, who both failed to get their teams to the playoffs in year two of their coaching history (Weight replaced Jack Capuano partway through the 2016-17 season). Assistant coaches moved up the ladder in Washington and Carolina, while the NCAA ranks were mined for new openings for the Dallas Stars and New York Rangers. Jim Montgomery and David Quinn took over for Ken Hitchcock and Alain Vingeault respectively, bringing new ideas and fresh faces to the NHL coaching circuit.
It’s not new for coaches to be fired in the offseason, but seeing no one sent packing during the year is a very rare occurrence. It was the first time it had happened since 1966-67, meaning the likelihood of it happening again in 2018-19 seems very low. So then, who will be the first to feel the seat burning underneath him? The last time we asked a question like this the readers correctly guessed that Vingeault was on his way out, but also listed Claude Julien in Montreal, Jeff Blashill in Detroit and Rick Tocchet in Arizona as possibilities.
Who will be the first coach fired in 2018-19? Will it happen at all? Cast your vote below and make sure to explain why in the comment section.
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Carlyle if the Ducks start slow
I think quennville goes if the hawks have another season like last year. Also as a blues fan I don’t think yeo is in trouble of losing his job unless we don’t perform well enough to get in the playoffs.
Trying to imagine the scenario that would have to happen for Mike Sullivan to get fired.
It would have to be somewhere between Urban Meyer and Jerry Sandusky.
Bruce Boudreau has a new GM and a team that many feel has under performed (I vote for overrated, but…) for years with no real way to move the core pieces due to epic contracts. He might not last.
Blashill has Bylsma on his coaching staff now. That is a successor right next to the head coach an puts Blashill on the hot seat. Julien has to be on the hot seat. If Montreal gets off to a slow start after the season the Habs had last season, he has to be a candidate to be fired.
Q only gets fired if StanBo starts feeling the heat from all his bad trades and signings.
Hopefully Jeff