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Latest On Calgary GM & Coaching Search

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Although it is widely expected throughout the league that Craig Conroy will become the next General Manager of the Calgary Flames, Elliotte Friedman thinks there may be two other individuals that will join the Flames’ front office. Speaking during the second intermission of the Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights game on Sportsnet, Friedman shares that there is an expectation that both Dave Nonis and Jarome Iginla will be holding executive positions in Calgary by early next week.

Nonis was notably one of the external candidates that the Flames interviewed in their search for a General Manager, and it appears that the team may have found a different position for him. Throughout his work in the front office at the NHL level, Nonis has spent time with the Vancouver Canucks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and most recently, the Anaheim Ducks.

In Vancouver, in a span from 1998-2008, Nonis held positions such as General Manager, Director of Hockey Operations, and the Vice President of Hockey Operations. After a very short stay in Anaheim working as an Advisor to the team during the 2008-09 season, Nonis would make the move to Toronto, working as the team’s Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations as well as General Manager, being replaced after the 2014-15 season by Lou Lamoriello and, later, Kyle Dubas.

Ever since his ouster by the Maple Leafs, Nonis immediately began working as a Scout and as a Consultant for the Ducks, before making the transition to become the team’s Assistant General Manager before the 2019-20 season, working in the same capacity since.

In Iginla, there is no introduction that would fully encompass what he meant to the city of Calgary. Beginning his career for the Flames during the 1996-97 NHL season, Iginla would go on to play 1219 games wearing the flaming “C”, and score over 1000 points for the Flames alone. Being the longest-serving captain in team history, Iginla would lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final during the 2004 NHL playoffs, as well as earn two Maurice Richard Trophies during his tenure in Calgary.

Since his retirement from the NHL after the 2016-17 season, Iginla has been coaching his son, Tij Iginla, for the Rink Hockey Academy Kelowna U18 program. Adamant on coaching his son full-time before his return to the NHL, Tij was recently selected ninth overall by the Seattle Thunderbirds in the WHL Prospects Draft.

As far as coaching updates, Friedman reports that Travis Green and Alex Tanguay are available options for Calgary moving forward. Travis Green was most recently the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, having been fired midway through the 2021-22 season. Other than Vancouver, Green had spent time as head coach of the Utica Comets (Vancouver) in the AHL, and the Portland Winterhawks of the WHL.

Tanguay, who has never held a head coaching position in his career, would be a homecoming of sorts for the NHL veteran. Currently serving as the Assistant Coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Tanguay spent five years in Calgary during his NHL career (being on the same line as Iginla), scoring 284 points in 342 games. Whatever choice the team ultimately makes behind the bench for the upcoming season, Calgary will certainly have some interesting names to choose from.

Anaheim, Washington Interested In Brad Shaw

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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.

Toronto Marlies Part Ways With Coaching Staff

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As the hockey world continues to digest the news that Kyle Dubas will no longer be at the helm of the Toronto Maple Leafs, their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, also announced some executive changes as well. Coming shortly after the Dubas news, the Marlies announced that they would not renew the contract of their head coach, Greg Moore, or assistant coaches, A.J. MacLean and John Snowden, as well.

After Sheldon Keefe made the move to the NHL during the 2019-20 season, Moore immediately took over behind the bench for the Marlies. In his first season, the Marlies finished with a 29-27-3-2 record, much worse than they had performed in the previous year under Keefe. The team did not improve much in the shortened 2020-21 season, going 16-17-0-2.

Although not making the playoffs in the 2021-22 season, Moore helped the Marlies to their first winning record under his watch, finishing 37-30-4-1, which put them in sixth place in the stacked North Division. This year, the Marlies were finally able to put it all together, finishing 42-24-4-2, which put them squarely in first place in their division. The team made it all the way to the North Division Finals, losing to the Rochester Americans (Buffalo) in three games.

Due to the team’s incremental progression during Moore’s four-year span behind the bench, it would be a smart bet to expect Moore behind the bench of another team next season. Although the AHL season has not reached its end to this point, the Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit), Henderson Silver Knights (Vegas), and the Iowa Wild (Minnesota) all find themselves without a head coach for the 2023-24 season.

Coupled with the ouster of Dubas, this news seems to point to a new generation of Maple Leafs’ hockey. The team now has ten players set for unrestricted free agency this July, and will also need to make a decision on extensions for both Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Whatever the future holds for this organization, it is apparent that Toronto is set for a major shakeup this summer.

Coaching Updates: Carbery, Quenneville, Blue Jackets

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The New York Rangers are one of a handful of teams looking to secure a new head coach for 2023-24, although reports on whom they’ve interviewed for the role have been comparatively few and far between. Late last night, though, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the team had obtained permission to talk to Toronto Maple Leafs assistant Spencer Carbery for the vacancy.

Per Friedman, New York is the third team the Leafs are believed to have permitted to interview. The Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals are the others. He’s somewhat of an interesting candidate for any head coaching role – he doesn’t have previous NHL head coaching experience, nor would he be an internal hire (unless the Maple Leafs fire Sheldon Keefe and promote Carbery before another team hires him). Nonetheless, the 41-year-old has spent most of his coaching career as a head coach in the AHL and ECHL, earning Coach of the Year honors at both levels with the Hershey Bears and South Carolina Stingrays.

Carbery would be hard-pressed to find a bigger challenge than stepping into a high-pressure market like New York without previous NHL head coaching experience, though. It could prove to be a sound move for a team that needs a fresh perspective, though, and many fans would be happy for their team to step out of the normal coaching carousel.

More from the coaching rumor mill this morning:

  • In an unsurprising development after his name began to resurface in rumors, former Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville will meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman soon to determine whether he’ll be permitted to take a job in the league, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. Quenneville has been barred from league work since October 2021 after an independent investigation determined Quenneville, along with other Blackhawks staff members, had knowledge of claims that video coach Brad Aldrich had sexually assaulted Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach and failed to take any action to protect Beach, or other future victims of Aldrich after he left the organization. The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby reports Quenneville has been in a league-sanctioned program during his suspension from the league to “understand the impact of what happened.”
  • The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline says to let out your breath if you’re waiting for news on the Columbus Blue Jackets next head coach. The team is unlikely to have a successor to Brad Larsen in place by this weekend when general manager Jarmo Kekelainen heads overseas to attend the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship. However, the search is nearing its conclusion, with a handful of candidates confirmed by reporters.

Minor Transactions: Gatcomb, Veinbergs, Hanna

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The Abbotsford Canucks announced today that they have signed forward Marc Gatcomb to a one-year AHL contract extension. Gatcomb doesn’t offer much in the way of offence having put up just three goals and five assists in 45 games this season. It was the first full AHL season for the 23-year-old after he spent four years at the University of Connecticut.

The Woburn, Massachusetts native was never drafted to the NHL and had previously signed as a free agent last summer after wrapping up his college career. He had a stint in the ECHL with the Kalamazoo Wings dressing in six games and tallying a goal and three assists but wrapped up the season in Abbotsford. He was praised by Abbotsford general manager Ryan Johnson as being one of the most improved players and seemed to gain the trust of head coach Jeremy Colliton. This was evidenced in the playoffs where Gatcomb appeared in all six of the club’s playoff games.

In other minor transactions:

  • Tampa Bay Lightning 2022 seventh round draft pick Klavs Veinbergs committed to Colorado College today. The 20-year-old will begin his college career after spending last year with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League where he put up 12 goals and 16 assists in 50 games. Veinbergs has represented his country in multiple international tournaments and made a bit of noise at the World Juniors in the summer of 2022. He is the fourth Latvian drafted by the Lightning with the last one being in 2013 when Tampa Bay selected Kristers Gudlevskis.
  • Canadian defenseman Shane Hanna signed an extension today to remain in Germany and play with the Starbulls Rosenheim of the DEL2 league. Hanna, a native of New Westminster, British Columbia previously played 78 games with the Texas Stars of the AHL where he put up two goals and 11 assists. The 29-year-old has fared better offensively the past four years but has bounced around in the process playing in Slovakia, Italy, and Denmark.

Snapshots: Sullivan, Lomberg, Hainsey, Martinsen Lilleberg

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There has been some speculation recently that a possible chain reaction of hirings could eventually result in Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan being let go and moving behind the bench for the Rangers.  However, the bench boss poured cold water on that idea, telling Mollie Walker of the New York Post that he is “here for the long haul” with Pittsburgh.  Sullivan has four years left on his contract with Pittsburgh and is expected to have some sort of say in who the team brings in to fill out their front office after dismissing GM Ron Hextall and Brian Burke at the end of the regular season.  Accordingly, it stands to reason that he’ll be behind the bench when the puck drops on the 2023-24 campaign in October.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • Panthers winger Ryan Lomberg was a full participant at practice today, notes George Richards of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). The 28-year-old suffered an upper-body injury partway through the first round against Boston and missed the entire second round versus Toronto.  Head coach Paul Maurice indicated after practice today that his full team is available for the series opener tomorrow in Carolina so it appears that Lomberg will be back after missing the last eight games.
  • Ron Hainsey is moving up the ranks at the NHLPA as Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli relays (Twitter link) that the long-time NHL blueliner is now their Assistant Executive Director. Hainsey, who played 17 seasons in the league with eight different teams, played a significant role in the search new Executive Director Marty Walsh and he has been rewarded for those efforts with a promotion.
  • Coyotes prospect Emil Martinsen Lilleberg is on the move as Vaxjo of the SHL announced that they’ve signed the defenseman to a two-year contract. The 22-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Coyotes (107th overall) back in 2021 and had three goals and eight assists in 46 games with IK Oskarshamn and is currently playing in his third straight World Championship with Norway.  Drafted as a 20-year-old, Arizona only has Martinsen Lilleberg’s draft rights until June 1st so it appears that they will not be signing him based on this new agreement in Sweden.

Latest On Columbus Blue Jackets Coaching Search

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After firing head coach Brad Larsen last month, the Columbus Blue Jackets have embarked on an intensive search for a new head coach and goaltending coach, also needing to replace Manny Legace, whose contract was not renewed by the team. Things seem to be heating up in said search, as general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said today the interview process will continue throughout the week, with no immediate assumption of finalizing hires before Kekalainen’s departure for the IIHF Men’s World Championship on Sunday. His quote comes after reporting last weekend indicated Kekalainen wanted to have the hire finalized before then.

The Blue Jackets have a meticulous approach in mind, though, and Kekalainen told reporters today the hiring decisions might be delayed until after his return following the conclusion of the medal round on May 28. Yesterday, The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun disclosed reporting on who those hires might be.

Per LeBrun, at least three individuals have already been interviewed for the vacant coaching positions, including current associate coach Pascal Vincent, whom Kekalainen said the team was considering last week. The others are the experienced but extremely controversial Mike Babcock, who has previously coached the Anaheim Ducks, Detroit Red Wings, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Peter Laviolette, whose resume spanning five different clubs needs no introduction, including his most recent stint with the Washington Capitals, has also been interviewed, said LeBrun.

After an internal hire that didn’t pan out as they hoped with Larsen, it makes sense the Blue Jackets are swinging toward the opposite end of the spectrum in this round of coaching searches while still doing their due diligence on people familiar with the organization.

If Babcock is hired, the choice would immediately receive a fair amount of scrutiny from fans and media alike. Since he was fired by the Maple Leafs in late 2019, multiple revelations surrounding current and former NHL players alike have come forward about Babcock creating toxic playing environments, including Red Wings legends Chris Chelios and Johan Franzén and current Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner.

Laviolette, on the other hand, maintains a solid reputation league-wide after decades’ worth of service and also boasts multiple Stanley Cup Final appearances on his résumé (2006, 2010, 2017).

Afternoon Notes: Ruff, Teräväinen, Kase

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Ryan Novozinsky of NJ.com tweeted today that New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerard said that head coach Lindy Ruff is still the right coach for the Devils. It’s no surprise that Fitzgerard would speak of Ruff so highly as the veteran coach just led New Jersey to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and their first playoff series win since the club lost in the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012. The Devils improved dramatically this season under Ruff as they went from 14th in the Eastern Conference to 3rd this season and won 52 games this year nearly doubling their 27 wins from 2021-22.

There was speculation around the future of the 63-year-old Ruff, but Fitzgerard put those whispers to bed today saying, “”He’s still the right coach. We deserve that, we deserve him.” In his three seasons with New Jersey Ruff has compiled a 98-98-24 record with just the one playoff appearance. While that record isn’t great, it’s hard to argue with this year’s results. The Devils look to be at the beginning of what could be a very special run of hockey these next few years and it appears from the outside as though the Devils stars enjoy playing for Lindy. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of rope Ruff gets next season if the Devils were to stutter out of the gate.

In other afternoon notes:

  • Carolina Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff tweeted today that head coach Rod Brind’Amour commented on the status of injured forward Teuvo Teräväinen saying that he is hopeful that the forward will be able to dress tomorrow night for game 1. Brind’Amour added that Carolina will likely decide on the 28-year-old after the team’s morning skate tomorrow. Teräväinen has been pointless in two games in these playoffs but would provide a jolt to an already strong Hurricanes forward group.
  • Tyler Madarasz of NHL Morning Skate tweeted that he sat down with Carolina general manager Don Waddell today and the long-time NHL executive discussed Ondrej Kase. Waddell said that Kase is still dealing with issues from concussions and to this day doesn’t feel right. He mentioned that Kase may be forced to call it a career, which would be a real shame for a young player with so much career left in him. Kase dressed in just one game for Carolina this season but is just a year removed from putting up 14 goals and 13 assists in 50 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He showed the potential to be a perennial 20-goal scorer in Anaheim just a few seasons ago, but sadly it looks as though his career could be coming to an end.

Latest On Columbus Blue Jackets Coaching Search

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The first domino on the NHL’s head coaching market could fall as soon as this week. According to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen has told people involved in the team’s head coaching search process “that he’d like to have a new coach in place before he heads to the IIHF World Championships in Europe on May 21.” (subscription link)

That gives Kekalainen a seven-day window, including today, to finalize his team’s next bench boss, although Kekalainen has said “It doesn’t always go on the schedule” and that he’d “rather make the right decision than the quick decision.”

In terms of possible candidates for the team’s head coaching vacancy, two days ago we covered news that the team was considering promoting former head coach Brad Larsen’s top assistant, Pascal Vincent, to the head coaching role. This would be a similar result to the Blue Jackets’ last head coaching search, when John Tortorella’s top assistant, Larsen, was promoted.

Portzline adds that while Vincent is “held in high regard across the league, especially as an Xs and Os coach,” his appointment would “no doubt rankle many in the fan base” who have been seeking more substantive change behind the bench for the organization.

One additional aspect of this head coaching search to note is about cost. According to Portzline, “there is a pervasive question across the league” about “whether the Blue Jackets are willing to pay the freight for an established coach.”

Kekalainen did say that the team would “absolutely” pay top dollar for a head coach, and that the position of the team’s ownership has always been “about finding the right coach and making sure we get a deal done” regardless of cost.

It’s difficult as outside observers to truly get a handle on the Blue Jackets’ willingness to pay top dollar for NHL head coaches, and whether the team ends up hiring a veteran name or more of an up-and-comer ultimately isn’t a clear indication either way. They could always end up simply preferring a less experienced coach, even if they are fully willing to shell out for a proven veteran, and that preference could be entirely fair.

The status of one candidate could be revealing in terms of the organization’s priorities in experience and cost in this search: Gerard Gallant. The 2017-18 Jack Adams Award winner coached the Blue Jackets for parts of three seasons starting in 2003-04, amassing a 56-77-5 record in what was his first stint as an NHL head coach.

Portzline reports that the organization has, as of yesterday afternoon, not yet requested an interview with Gallant.

As he’s under contract with his former club the New York Rangers for another season, the Blue Jackets would need to get permission from their division rival in order to interview Gallant.

Should Gallant end up being the choice, it would be a quick turnaround for the veteran bench boss and one that further signals a desire from Columbus to compete in the standings as soon as next season.

Kekalainen has already said that the organization would “100 percent” consider dealing the first-round pick they received from the Los Angeles Kings in the Vladislav Gavrikov/Joonas Korpisalo trade in a prior interview with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun, assuming they are offered “the right piece.” (subscription link)

With the opportunity to select third overall at the draft and possibly land a player who could become the superstar number-one center the franchise has lacked for much of its existence, (such as Swedish pivot Leo Carlsson, Hobey Baker winner Adam Fantilli, or USNTDP star Will Smith) this is shaping up to be an offseason of great consequence for the future of the Blue Jackets.

If the team is indeed intent on competing quickly after such a disappointing season and giving last summer’s top free agent signing Johnny Gaudreau as good of a chance to win games as possible, this next week where the Blue Jackets will likely determine their next head coach will be a crucial one.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Darnell Nurse Suspended For One Game

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The NHL Department of Player Safety announced they’ve upheld the automatic one-game suspension against Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse for instigating a fight in the last five minutes of regulation time, holding him out of a pivotal Game 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Head coach Jay Woodcroft was also fined $10,000 as a result of the incident in last night’s Game 4 win.

The automatic suspension holds Nurse, Edmonton’s leader in average time on ice among defensemen, out of Edmonton’s most important game this season to date, with their Second Round series locked in at two games apiece against Vegas.

The incident in question occurred with 50 seconds remaining in Edmonton’s 4-1 Game 4 win, with officials determining Nurse instigated a fight with Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague. With play still going on, Nurse pinched in from the hash marks to fight Hague, who was stationed in a puck battle behind the Vegas net.

It means youngster Philip Broberg, who’s averaged under seven minutes of ice time per game throughout the playoffs, will draw back into the lineup with increased responsibility. The 21-year-old has yet to record a point this postseason but does lead Oiler defenders with a +3 rating. Mattias Ekholm, who’s been paired with youngster Evan Bouchard since joining the team at the trade deadline, could elevate to the top pairing alongside Cody Ceci.

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