The Devils have promoted all-time leading goal scorer John MacLean to head coach. Last year MacLean led the Devils AHL team to an all-time best record and prior to that he had been an assistant coach with the Devils for 7 years.
I think this is a great hiring and one that is similar to what the Mets are doing these days - surrounding the current guys with greats from the past. I think the thing that we need to worry about is whether Johnny Mac is only there because he is a Devils great. I mean, who knows if he can make it as an NHL coach. Everyone needs a break once in a while, but I worry if the this is the right franchise to start with. With the recent track record of coaches, this isn't exactly a stable situation.
That being said, I think this has potential to be good. For Johnny Mac's sake I really hope it turns out good. Having former greats coach the team they once played for is a risky proposition. It's awesome if it works out, but if the former player can't cut it as a coach, the relationship between fans and the coach will never be the same. There are a lot of examples, but the one I always think of is what happened to former Detroit Tigers great, Alan Trammell. Trammell spent 19 years as the Tigers SS and was then hired as manager in 2003. In three season, Trammell had a winning percentage of .383 which included a 119 loss season in 2003. As imagined, he was fired by the team and replaced by Jim Leyland (who had a 24 game turnaround and made the WS in 2006). While he may have gotten aa standing ovation in his first game back, his relationship with the team and fans has never been the same.
It's a tricky situation and one that I hope Johnny Mac can be successful in. The one thing he does have going for him is the stability of this team - no matter how many times we count them out, we know they will again finish in the top 4 in the conference. Where he will make his money is come playoff time. Johnny Mac's last season with the Devils ended in a first round loss - let's hope for better this time around.
No comments:
Post a Comment