Bruce Cassidy Signed; Who’s Up Next For the Red Wings?
By Evan Mead
Who’s Next Up for The Red Wings?
The Detroit Red Wings coaching position is going to be a process given they are in rebuild mode. Not many coaches want a team that doesn’t have the peices in place to make a run for the cup, but there are a couple out there. But, when you look at Yzerman’s coaching hire of Jon Cooper, that one seemed to work out alright for Tampa. So, who’s going to be the Red Wings ‘Jon Cooper’? Well, I have money on Jim Montgomery.
Why Jim Montgomery?
The Jim Montgomery expeiment in Dallas was short-lived. However, it was an incredibly productive tenure and nobody can say it wasn’t either. Now, the one argument I’d accept was that it was a weird year when he was coaching and that his time in the playoffs is *tainted* of the sorts. Nonetheless, he did get them there after three years of poor played hockey.
The reasoning behind this hire is the success he had as a head coach, but it’s also what he did as an assistant coach behind Craig Berube on the Blues bench. Leading a top notch power play unit, he did what he was asked to do.
He has had success on all levels of coaching and has done well everywhere he has went and coached. Not to mention the most appealing part of all this- he is not in the mindset to retire. So, hiring him onto a rebuilding team gives him a chance to really understand the players strengths, weaknesses, and build a tight-knit locker room that all wants the same thing- to win the Cup.
Why Not Jim Montgomery?
Jim Montgomery’s tenure came to an end rather quickly after being fired/quit. By that I mean Montgomery was fired for “unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League.” That was later found out to be alchol abuse.
He went and checked himself into rehab before returning behind the bench to be an assistant coach to the Blues. Now, there hasn’t seemed to be a relapse, but that doesn’t mean the stress of being a head coach wont get to him again. Which, in the case, might as well just look elsewhere because we could be wasting time. And I feel that’s what will scare most people.