A little under a year ago to the date, the Philadelphia Flyers announced the hiring of Brad Shaw as an associate coach for the 2022-23 NHL season. Shaw had spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant coach for the Vancouver Canucks, and also served as an assistant coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets during the tenure of John Tortorella from 2016-2021.
Before joining the Blue Jackets in 2016, Shaw spent a decade as an assistant/associate coach with the St.Louis Blues, serving primarily under legendary bench boss, Ken Hitchcock. As several teams are now looking for new head coaches for the 2023-24 season, Anthony Di Marco of The Fourth Period reports that Shaw has received interest from both the Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals.
Aside from the veteran head coaching candidates available such as Peter Laviolette, Gerard Gallant, and Darryl Sutter, Shaw would represent a rookie head coach in the NHL (although serving a couple of months as New York Islanders interim head coach in 2005-06). The fact that Shaw has made it this far into interviews, especially for foundational and important times for both of these organizations, shows the respect that he has earned throughout the NHL.
However, Shaw serving under Tortorella and Hitchcock for so many years may have influenced him to be much more of a chalkboard coach, something that many NHL organizations have moved past in recent years. If Shaw is able to be flexible and adapt to the new era of NHL hockey, he should have plenty of interest in his services.
CBJ fans are still wondering exactly why Shaw didn’t even get an interview two years ago when Torts left.
Shaw was in charge of Vancouvers penalty
Kill
It was on pace for the worst in history
Bruce There it is lit the team on fire and it sort of corrected itself
Verbeek’s teammate in HFD.
I could be wrong, but I don’t think Shaw gets the Caps job over Carbery or Halpern. Carbery is familiar with the players in the organization and has a good reputation within the team. Halpern is well respected by the franchise & also has ties to the organization as a former player.
Not really a surprise that the Capitals would just go back to unproven (cheap) head coaches after one high paid one didn’t work out, however I don’t really think coaching is the problem. It probably matters little who’s coaching this team, they will be trying to squeeze blood out of a turnip. Chances of making the playoffs are still going to be very slim until team oriented goals becomes the top priority again in Washington and the team starts moving in the right direction. So long as the team’s direction revolves around one player even to the detriment of the team as a whole, it doesn’t matter who’s coaching this team. Cheap coaches may be the right decision this time.
Don’t know much about Shaw but Anaheim needs a coach that is defense first.