Today at high noon, Rod Brind’Amour was officially introduced as the new head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes in a press conference alongside owner Tom Dundon and now official general manager Don Waddell.
The press conference is well worth the investment of your time to gain a little bit of insight into Rod Brind’Amour as a head coach on his first full day officially on the job but more significantly to feel the positive vibe emanating out from the media room at PNC Arena. Especially for those who are negative or on the fence on this move, I encourage you to watch the press conference and suck in some of the positive energy. As a Canes hockey fan, you deserve it.
I originally called for Rod Brind’Amour to be named interim coach on March 14 after one of many debilitating losses during the 2017-18 season. To be clear, my intent at that time was simply to make a statement, put a stake in the ground and move forward. One has to wonder if not for the financial situation that ultimately enabled Dundon to see Peters to the door without risking paying him for next season if in fact he would have been on in mid-March. More recently on April 25, I posted a reasonably balanced set of pros and cons on the potential for Rod Brind’Amour to be the next head coach. And yesterday after the announcement that Brind’Amour had been named head coach, I penned some additional notes on the situation.
To be clear, I stand by my original preference for a coach with more head coach experience, and the feel good vibes from Tuesday’s festivities do not magically eliminate the risk inherent in hiring a coach no experience as a head coach at any level. And my memory which is either better or more honest than some others’ fully recognizes that the positive vibe and optimism around both Kirk Muller and Bill Peters was actually pretty similar.
But when you sort through the volumes of press conference and other interview sound bites from today, I think this move really comes down to one single thing from a hockey perspective and another single thing from a hockey community perspective.
From a hockey perspective
My version
I said in yesterday’s article:
The next step up for this team has little to do with systems, tactics and Xs and Os
Building off of what I said in my original article, the next step up for the Hurricanes will not come from tactical changes. It will come when the team is able to exorcise some demons, lift some monkeys off backs and generate a new mentality. I think Brind’Amour gets this, and if he can jolt the system and effect a change in this regard, I think that alone could be the change needed and difference between another playoff miss and a return to postseason action.
And I said in my original article on April 25:
Is Brind’Amour exactly what this team needs right now?
I think that is an interesting question. One could argue that the issue the Hurricanes right now has absolutely nothing to do with systems and tactics. The team has been winning the possession metrics that should theoretically yield wins for years now. Massive improvements in this area are not the primary need. The primary need is righting the ship in terms of mental make up and attitude. If I had to pick an area of coaching where I thought Brind’Amour could excel despite lack of head coaching experience, this would be it. The team desperately needs a change in mindset and attitude. I think Peters’ struggles in this are pretty clearly show that it is not as simple as some might think to change.
And way back in my tirade on March 14, I said:
I actually think that Rod Brind’Amour could prove to be better for this stint of 12 games than the eventual coach. Right now, the team does not need systems, Xs and Os, strategy or anything like that. Very simply, the team desperately needs a change in mindset, mentality, attitude, confidence and whatever else you want to lump into the all-important mental/psychological component of the game. As a successful captain who has been lauded by absolutely everyone ever interviewed about his leadership, Brind’Amour gets the people and motivation part of this game that I think is an Achilles’ heel for Bill Peters. Brind’Amour has been in the midst of all of it with an inside the locker room viewpoint and already knows the individual players and their situations. Combining that with his leadership abilities, I think he more than any outsider has the potential to effect a change in mentality both at an individual player and team level.
Tom Dundon’s version
In a segment talking about the hiring of Brind’Amour, Tom Dundon echoed similar words. He started by saying, “The culture here wasn’t where it needed to be.” Later he said,”I do not believe that the strategy differences are as important as getting the most out of the culture.” Then Dundon followed up by saying, “The important one here in this organization is the effort.”
As a fan…
I do not deny having an inner bias in favor of our Carolina Hurricanes hockey team, but at the same time I take pride in covering the team from a middle ground that equally considers both pros and cons. But for a moment, allow me to write from the angle of a Carolina Hurricanes fan.
As this team and hockey community scratches and claws to find the elusive next round of hockey goodness after repeated restarts, failures, setbacks and tough times, Rod Brind’Amour more than any other thing possible is something that I can get behind.
Rod Brind’Amour as one of us
He is one of us, and significantly, it is in a much deeper sense than the vision of him lifting the Stanley Cup. He was part of the 2001-02 team that was truly the arrival of NHL hockey in North Carolina. And maybe more significantly, when this team was at another low from 2002-03 to 2003-04, Brind’Amour was a player who for all intents and purposes should have left. The difference between Rod Brind’Amour and fellow veteran and theoretical team leader Jeff O’Neill during that time frame was striking. Both players were veterans (O’Neill 28 and Brind’Amour 33 at tail end of 2003-04 season) who seemingly did not fit in the middle of what looked to be a rebuild. Nearly as striking as my image of Brind’Amour lifting the Stanley Cup on June 22, 2006 is my image of him doing interviews during that time frame. Whereas a murmur rose to whisper and ultimately to a loud rumbling in terms of Jeff O’Neill wanting to seek greener pastures and a chance to win a Stanley Cup, Brind’Amour’s similar questioning became equally noisy in his defiant insistence and annoyance with having to repeat again and again that he wanted to stay and help build a winner and that he and everyone else needed to play better. Two years later, Jeff O’Neill was gone to Toronto where he would play out the string on his career which ended after two more seasons. Two years later, Rod Brind’Amour was hoisting the Stanley Cup in Raleigh, North Carolina. The past week has offered a dramatic reminder of this history. Whereas Jeff O’Neill was up in Canada stating his embarassment to be an alumni of the team in a radio interview last week, Rod Brind’Amour is still, 14 years after O’Neill’s departure to pursue a Stanley Cup, in Raleigh having never left.
More significant in my loyalty to Rod Brind’Amour is not the fact that he was captain of the team that won the Stanley Cup. More significant in my loyalty to Rod Brind’Amour is the fact that he chose to stay and captain our hockey team in the down times that preceded that magical season.
In the Tuesday press conference, Brind’Amour said, “This is obviously a job, but it means more to me. This is my town. I live here. I feel like I have a connection to this community.” He then went on to talk about a ‘Hurricanes way’ of sorts and mentioned “bringing in good people.”
In Rod I trust
Rod Brind’Amour is such a good person. He is not some hockey man from wherever else. He is one of us from our hockey community in Raleigh, North Carolina.
As such, Rod Brind’Amour is someone that I can and will stand behind. No doubt, there are risks and no guarantees of success, and his tenure as head coach could end in failure. If we reach the point where this team fails with Rod Brind’Amour at the helm, I will be disappointed in the results but not in the slightest bit disappointed in my decision to hitch my Canes fandom without reservations to one of our own. In Rod I trust.
What say you Canes fans?
1) Recognizing that there are always good vibes with a new coach, is this time different?
2) What do you make of the argument that the primary and maybe only thing this team needs right now is an attitude makeover and that Rod Brind’Amour is exactly the perfect coach in this regard?
3) To what degree does it make sense to value loyalty over legitimate experience?
4) Are you in?!
Go Canes!
The grass is not always greener is exactly right. Players on the existing roster can see straight-on that Brind’Amour is the right coach at the right time. He went through down times here, he’s seen players leave unhappily and who maybe were not 100% committed, yet he still won here. Nobody can argue anything with the man…excuses will lead you to pastures that may not be greener and he will tell them this. Management has his back and aligns with this philosophy, which is the greatest thing to have.
1. I wouldn’t say the good vibes are all that different from other coaching changes.
2. I think the roster still lacks enough talent to be much more than lightly pencilled into a wild card spot. Theres still plenty of time to correct this wih a trade, the draft and FAs. However, if rod can’t bring in his own system or find a way to get more scoring out of BP’S system, I’m not expecting playoffs.
3. For me it’s nice bonus but shouldn’t have been a deciding factor in the coaching decision.
4. I’m in! It’s always disappointing when the team you follow makes a move you dont like but I’m just watching Necas, Aho and TT at the world’s and watching Svech and zadina highlight reels to keep the optimism going.
1) this time seemed very different. While I am biased – Rod Brind’Amour is my favorite hockey player of all time – his press conference was good in subtle ways that surprised.
First, Dundon said Rod was a good coach but even a better person, which is something you often hear about the great coaches. For example, go back to Jim Valvano’s speech at the ESPY’s just before he died and hear what he say’s about coach K.
Second, he made a reference to playing “the canes way” or something equivalent(. Check. He didn’t say “if we shoot more our Corsi will be higher and imply more possession and possession correlates to victory. “First man up the ice shoot” minimizes possession time while manipulating Corsi and creating a disconnect between advanced statistics and results. The advanced statistics are a trailing indicator of success only if measured against responsible behavior.
I digress. “We will do it this way because that is how we do it here” is simple and sufficient. Any other way is not welcome here and I’ll help you pack your things if you want to do it differently.
Third, combining compassion and caring about teammates is consistent with constant evaluation of their play and whether they fit. A player cannot be a champion, the best version of themselves, without both.
2) I agree that the most important thing that the team needs is an attitude makeover. Not because it is the only thing, but because it is required to accomplish the other things. The difference between winning and losing is very tiny, but comprised of a very large collection of small thiings. In order for the players to do a very large collection of smalls things correctly every shift, they have to have the right attitude. Get the right attitude and then relentlessly focus on the skills and strategies for success.
Rod isn’t studying film to figure out how to motivate.
3). Not sure. An alternate view is that Dundon valued. valued character and potential over experience. He didn’t say “this guy is over the hill and inexperienced but loyalty matters”, he said this guy has character and commitment and collaborates and those are qualities of a great coach.
In summary I am way more positive than expected, and look forward to this grand experiment.
Yes! Great explanation of how Corsi is a severely limited statistic! I’ve never been able to express it this well. Thank you.
Every great organization has a “way.” It’s how you create continuity as players come and go. I really hope they can create a Canes Way.
There were a lot of significant comments in the press conference yesterday that shed some light on what has been going on here for a long time. When Brind’Amour talked about “earning your playing time, earning your power play time, etc.” it reminded me of something. I was made aware that the front office (Rutherford and Karmanos) insisted that Alexander Semin was on the power play and it took a long time and much video to get him off said power play. When Brind’Amour said “it hasn’t been that way here for a long time” I think this is the kind of stuff he was talking about. You can’t have accountability and team cohesion when the front office is telling the coach who to play. The coach has to have that power. It’s good to hear that Dundon is behind Brind’Amour in this regard and it will give him the ability to get the right kind of culture going.
What all of them were saying at the press conference is that systems don’t mean squat if you don’t execute. The Canes execution was garbage many nights. The numerous defensive breakdowns aren’t system failures, but player failures. Matt is right that this is what needed to be fixed and it seems management has that targeted. You really don’t know if you have enough talent until you execute. It’s amazing how players point totals increase when the team plays better.
I am excited and looking forward to a new voice and a new culture around these Canes. Frankly, the Karamonos/Rutherford/Francis regime was pretty much a failure. They made the playoffs what…four or five times in 20 years? They caught lightning in a bottle with the ’06 team, but in general were a bad organization. Here’s to a new day, a new coach, and a winning organization!
1) Not really. Only results will tell us. One of my favorite quotes to use with my kids (yes, I am a father who repeatedly uses quotes to communicate with my teens) is: “Being different doesn’t make you better, but being better means you are different.”
2) As I have mentioned before, I am a big tennis fan. In this month’s Tennis magazine one of the best tennis coaches ever, Paul Annacone, has an article that argues attitude and confidence are the by-product of preparation and strategy, not the other way around. The perfect example is Roger Federer, arguably the best athlete of the 21st century. Three years ago he could not get past Nadal or Djokovic. Federer’s attitude has never been questioned. What returned him to being the World #1 was strategy, which was implemented by a new coach (Ivan Ljubicic) who isn’t exactly the tennis version of RBA. Now don’t get me wrong, Federer was said to have practiced one new shot for hours on end. So hard work was a key ingredient. But ultimately, like Annacone argues, it was preparation and strategy that won the day. I worry that many are confusing RBA’s commitment to trying harder with being better prepared. Because without strategy hard work only means you fail better in the same ways.
TD should know this better than most people. As a restauranteur, I am sure he worked hard but he went bankrupt. It was only when he realized and implemented the strategy of preying on vulnerable borrowers that he succeeded.
3) Neither loyalty nor experience are indicators of success. New ideas are. We would still be traveling in horse-drawn buggies if people were loyal to their local farrier–who for the first 20 years or so had more experience than people building autos.
4) Sure. I am crazy enough to believe that someone, somewhere with six degrees of separation from the Canes’ brain trust reads C&C and some version of one of the new strategies suggested by the creative minds here will make a difference. Otherwise, I and others are thinking/writing only to expend time. That is something I do not buy into.
You start with “Being different doesn’t make you better” but then suggest that new ideas are indicators of success. Kind of a disconnect there. There really aren’t that many new ideas in hockey. It’s a game with rules and limitations. The last real “new idea” in hockey was the intense video study brought to prominence by Mike Babcock. It’s been widely adopted throughout the league. All the new ideas, which I’m not sure who in hockey has some new ideas, aren’t worth squat if you can’t execute them.
If you really think someone connected to the Hurricanes management or coaching staff is reading this stuff and taking it seriously I think you are delusional. This is a fun website for fans to share opinions and be fans. Most here are disappointed that the Canes didn’t hire a coach with previous head coaching experience yet you think they should be looking for ideas on a fan website? No way. I enjoy talking about this stuff, but deep down I know I really don’t know squat.
1. It was a feel good introduction for sure, something that is needed. Roddy is a Raleigh North Carolina citizen which is the biggest difference. He’s got the passion to make this team great again, he is not looking for money. This doesn’t change the fact he does not have head coaching experience and needs an experienced systems man to help. If he gets one and uses his motivation this could be the start of something good. The Canes have often over reacted, from hiring only superstars to not getting any outside help at all. WE can’t take the team from great system wise but no passion to all passion and no systems. It’s the delicate balance that matters.
2. This team needs a roster turnover in addition to attitude. I think the #2 pick and promising prospects do a lot more for my optimism than the speech of the coach. I also realize that success may not come next season because of this, but if the team truly builds on these new foundations and we see a turnaround in effort, results will come, and I can suffer through another playoff miss if I see a difference, not that I am willing to give up on next season.
3. Right now the team needs credibility. The fanbase is either nervous, frustrated or apathetic. We, the fans, need reassurance, passion, commitment. Roddy does that well, I am not impressed with the rest of the staff. Donny will apparently continue being in charge of the business side of the house which has increasingly gotten out of touch with the fans and offered a lousy fan experience. But, again, Roddy’s speech yesterday is what us fans needed to hear and it felt good to watch this, really good.
4. Heck yeah! Roddy is a good man, a committed man, one of us, I have some reservations with his experience for the role but none for his drive and character. Now that he’s in charge I’ll set those reservations aside, and believe we got the right man!
It is said that Alexander the Great made the following statement- It is better to have a thousand sheep following a lion, than a thousand lions following a sheep.
Yesterday the lion showed up. RBA talked about the fight and in it together. I was ready to gear up and face down Zedeno Chara and I can’t even skate.
There has been something missing from the Canes for a while. I couldn’t put my finger on it. The coach nailed it. You play for each other, you sacrifice for each other, warriors succeed together.
How many times last year did forwards fly in on Darling and you could tell he was livid? This team has to stand up for each other. Perhaps that is why Brock McGinn is my favorite player. That guy is a warrior.
I don’t know what the Canes record will be next year. If they play together and Victor Rask punches somebody in the face for hitting the Russian, I will see progress. I am definitely more excited about the hire of the new coach today.
I’d like to hear more about why you don’t think X’s and O’s are a big part of this. Peters had a pretty extreme system. But it was a system that a lot of players are struggled to succeed in.
It seemed to focus on quantities while ignoring quality. Lots of shots on goal for, few against. But shots for were from the perimeter, seemingly by design, and shots against, were often grade A, because the defense was selling out to try to keep shot totals down instead of goal totals down, again, seemingly by design.
My opinion on this is that execution was a huge problem. First of all, the best chances come when your defense creates a turnover and an odd man situation. The Canes weren’t real good at that. In too many games they were the team making the mistakes. If players play the system responsibly they will get more grade A chances. See Washington v Pittsburgh in the playoffs. If the Caps keep this up I vote Trotz for coach of the decade. The Caps have bought in and are executing.
The second part of the issue still lies in the personnel, IMO. The team gets a lot of perimeter shots because they have a lot of perimeter players. The Canes need guys that get in the dirty areas and are successful. Staal goes there, but isn’t much of a finisher. Zykov may be a plus in this area. He is certainly good in front of the net, but the good will have to outweigh the bad of his skating a defensive abilities. I am more excited about Foegele. He looked really good below the dots in his brief cameo, and plays a solid defensive game as well.
To sum it up, I don’t think the perimeter shots were by design, but due to execution and personnel. Peter’s system isn’t any more complicated than what most teams are doing, unless Peters made it more complicated than it needed to be through his explanations and instructions.
I agree with your assessment of Foegele. I really believe he can be a difference maker this fall. Whether it be on a line with a defensive focus or a line with offensive upside.
Personally, I would like to see him with the Russian. Two really fast big wingers. We can debate who the center should be, but those two would be strong together.
Perhaps a yin and yang of defense and offense that would be a nightmare for third pairing defenseman.
Well said doc, it is better to give up 10 low percentage shots than 1 high percentage shot. That was the major problem with the BP system.
1. CTCaniac had it right. Yes Tom Dundon with shocking effectiveness blunted my anger over the Ron firing and the Waddell hiring with his selection and rationale before choosing Rod. I still question his hockey decisions, but his business acumen is clear. I’m hoping his skills translate, and I’ll give them both their shot.
2. I agree with that. Tactics don’t blow three goal leads late in games. Attitude does. That said, there is a balance that must be made implementing that culture without severely undercutting the tactical play, but I think the right choice for the last assistant spot can help that considerably. Tom basically handed Rod the keys to the car and said ‘Drive, we’re all behind you’ I’m ready to see him put the pedal to the metal.
3. I, personally, value loyalty over all else. That is why I got so mad over Ron, and have never successfully operated my own business. I recognize that loyalty has not as much of a place in professional sports, but I do think loyalty is key in establishing a workplace of trust and non-toxicity. The key isn’t so much loyalty or experience so much as cohesiveness. And I think that’s what Rod will bring in spades.
4. It’s been nine years, you think I’m going to drop out now? Hell no, I’m in.
1. Personally I am not feeling the “good vibes”, but it was clear the three on the podium shared a common perspective and good vibes amongst themselves.
2. I came to realize in the last half of the season as the blowout losses continued and the players kept reciting “we need to play better” (and then didn’t) that a change in team culture is required. But I was disheartened with the denigration of Xs/Os and system/strategy over attitude/culture. We need both. The best way to develop a winning culture is to win – seems obvious to say that but consider the layers of that sentiment.
Listening to RBA talking about becoming a coach – he sounded just like any other good-to-great player thinking they can coach. And that was disappointing to my ear. It is more than motivating the players individually, or getting them to spend more time in the weight room and other conditioning.
I am concerned that RBA will be outcoached on a night-to-night basis by teams who have players with a winning attitude already in place and coaches who know how to manage the bench and manage the game. We’ll see.
But, no, not the only thing by a long stretch. And while RBA is a perfect piece of the puzzle he is not the only piece.
3. Loyalty is important – but rewarding loyalty over experience and competency is a perfect way to demonstrate the Peter Principle in action.
4. I am “in” as a Canes fan. But I remain “in”‘ Missouri when it comes to coaching (realize that we are bringing back 75% of our coaching staff next season – is that a refresh?) and management (combining decades of mediocre experience).
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Matt – I was all “in” with you during the season on BP being fired (pick any one of the humiliating blowout losses we suffered as the reason and time) and having RBA take over. He would have been the perfect interim coach and may well have – mid-season – re-energized the team. He could even have shown what he was capable of. But that is a different situation to giving him the keys to the car for the next 3 years.
Hahahahah I hear you Raleightj, but now we’re getting into the chicken and egg argument. Does the culture come first or the winning come first lol. Well Peters tried to get the winning to come first and it didn’t, so Rod’s trying the culture first. I can support that.
I don’t think it’s as important what Rod said (everyone says things weird when they’re excited) as how he was received by everyone around the team. I highly disagree with you in that how you handle each player, and how they embrace their role on the team is how you get players to gel. We did not have a team that played in any sense better than the some of its parts. You get that through cohesion and culture.
I don’t think RBA is the only piece, but I think he was right in that we have a lot more pieces in place than we give ourselves credit for. It was a bad year. Yet we still are in a better roster spot than we are last year. In all likelihood, barring injury or idiot trade, we will be in a better roster spot the following year too.
I don’t like how Ron was handled, but I don’t see the Hurricanes taking a wrecking ball to the foundation that he built. With the #2 coming in, a few going out, and a few who might just benefit from that accountability, I think he can bring a lot to the table. Bring in a more strategy focused assistant to go along with Smith and Bales, and you have a well balanced team where Rod can focus on his strengths and his assistants can supplement where he might lack.
I agree with the chicken and egg analogy and see the merit of trying it the other way around now but I think I disagree that the team wasn’t better than the sum of its parts.
I harped on this quite a bit last off/preseason but when you have Nordstrom, PDG, Ryan and Rask making up roughly a third of your forwards, you aren’t icing a playoff caliber team. Im not saying the guys didnt give up and BP didnt have to go but i worry what would have happened if we didnt have an xs and os coach. Couple that with bottom tier goal tending(admittedly using hindsight on that one) and its hard to be surprised by the teams results.
I mean yes, but we’ve been developing that next core of forwards along the way. As Rod said in his presser, the goal isn’t to get into the playoffs, the goal is to win a Cup. And the best way to do that is to develop and don’t break it up too early trading young players for vets when the job is only half done.
Also I think you underrate Rask. Yes, he had a bad year last year. But he also had 48 and 45 points the two seasons before that. Like Darling, he’s proven he can be good in the recent past. Unlike Darling, Rask actually did it WITH the Hurricanes. To suggest that Rask can’t bounce back from one bad season to play at a level worthy of his contract at seems a bit of a stretch, especially given he’s 25.
Which is where Rod comes in. We didn’t get the most out of Rask, Skinner and who else knows what Rod has seen in his seven years of observation. They have proven higher skill levels than they displayed last year. And maybe this coach is the spark needed to get them there. Maybe. We can hope
I didn’t mean for my comment to sound pro-selling the future. I think I was in the minority last off season not expecting playoffs and being okay with that.
I think Rask is a solid 3C that can play up the lineup if needed(he hasn’t been lately but he can turn it around in my mind.) I mostly just meant we had a lot of fringe/depth guys that would struggle to keep a spot on playoff teams. Within a couple seasons Rask could be one of if not the worst player in our top 9 and that is when I think the team will be able to seriously contend. I’d also add Mcginn to that list(despite being a favourite of mine) but I think he could still thrive on a fourth line that brings energy and some scoring.
The future is brighter than ever. As far as Rask specifically, he might be one of the key players for the next two-three years if he can transfer to wing. He is versatile enough to play on either a scoring line with Necas/Svech or a balanced lined with Lindholm/Williams (and perhaps a rookie in 19-20 like Kuokkanen when Williams retires). I like Lindholm to center the balanced ine. Again the key is role and not number assigned to the line.
Which relates to the excitement that lessthan and jm have for Foegele. His skill set seems to really complement Staal on a disruption line. I will continue to argue that the ideal line is Foegele/Staal/McGinn in that both wingers can generate some offense due to their tenacity. Staal has the tools to be a top center except for his shot, so give him two wingers who are just as strong in the D-zone.
I have be taking a second look at some of the games this season (just re-watched the shutout of Pittsburgh). It is evident that Aho can be the top-scoring line center and that TT and Zykov work well on his wings. If RBA gives Necas a shot with Svech, that leaves Staal to be the center that makes life miserable for opponents when needed.
Thanks Fogger. I thought I was the lone voice who thought Rask could still be a part of the team going forward. Not the key part, but a solid player.
In all honesty, winning is a combination of skill/attitude/luck. Probably the two most successful team coaches this century are Belichick and Gregg Popovich.
There are some similarities: both were not great players; both have a system but are flexible enough to adapt it as their personnel changes; both were lucky enough to have a player who was the best in the business (Brady, Duncan).
Other coaches have had shorter runs of success–usually due to the personnel (think Golden State in basketball or the Yankees in baseball 10 years ago).
RBA might get the Canes back into the playoffs through imparting his attitude. However, if the Canes are going to become a winning “culture,” that change is more likely to come from Svech, Aho, and Necas.
Amen.
Belichick, Popovich, and, in a more current case, Brad Stevens, are able to implement systems and put their players in correct situations to thrive. That, along with their ability to identify favorable matchups and mask flaws while capitalizing on strengths, they get the absolute best out of their players. Their teams believe in them and know those coaches will put them in such favorable positions, and therefore buy in 100%. That all-in mentality and cohesiveness is what makes a team capable of pulling through the adversity of a grueling 82 game schedule. To stick with the basketball analogy, look at Jae Crowder and Isaiah Thomas. Thomas was a 5’8 MVP candidate last season. Now this year he’s played in Cleveland with LeBron and in LA with all the touches he wanted and was pretty awful even coming off the bench. He did get hurt at the end of last year but still. He was a bit player before Stevens, and he’s a bit player after. Crowder is barely seeing the floor in Cleveland, which is struggling to find ANYONE worth playing alongside LBJ (though once again he’s proving that doesn’t really matter), after being a huge contributer on a conference finals team last year. Meanwhile, Boston is down two all-stars and just whipped a team that many ESPN experts were saying would sweep or win in 5. The dude has a decimated roster of mostly rookies and backups!! Anyway. I think Rod is the perfect coach for this young team that will be a true leader in the locker room unlike Peters. If the guys in the room don’t want to listen to, show respect, and follow one of the greatest leaders the game has seen the last 20 years, they don’t need to be here to start with. It’s time for dedication and perseverance. I’m sick of watching about 25 games per year where the team just “doesn’t have it” and are out there going through the motions. I’d hate to be the guy who makes a weak, nonchalant play at our own blueline, does a fly by one-handed poke check attempt in the corner on the forecheck (looking at you, 53.. Worthless sometimes.), or shows up to camp out of shape. Good luck with that. It’s time for results, end of story. So let’s hope Svechnikov, Aho, Lindholm, TT, and the entirety of the defense corps makes a large step forward this year under his guidance and the goalie situation is solved one way or another. But like Matt and many others on here, I’m gonna try sit back, support the team, and quit b..ching. As long as I can, at least.
One thing I think Brind’Amour has in common with Pop is that he cares about people. I’ve never seen anything like all those ex and current players filling the room for a new coach. It shows his impact on people. If the Canes have some success you might see the power of Rod Brind’Amour when free agency time rolls around.
Of course I was delighted with the hiring of Roddy. I know that he recognizes the importance of the human element in hockey. In his interview after the press conference, Rod talked about how he was surprised at how much he and Tom are in agreement on team issues. He mentioned how Tom isn’t as concerned with stats as he is with a winning culture.
I am equally delighted to see my friends and fellow fans on this site talking about the human element of hockey too.
Now we’re talkin’!
The most important thing is what TD does next.
So far hehas not delivered on ‘my job is to find somebody better than you’. In the case of Rod I can justify that Rod challenged Tom enough to stay )if he gets an experienced assistant coach=.
In the case of Don and Rick I have to say Tom has not lived up to his promises. Their track records are not impressive, whatever excuses we’d like to come up with for their shortcomings.
Now he needs to focus on the players
* Add one good UFA, like JVR or Kane.
* Acquire 2 upraded top 9 forwards, either through trade or free agency.
* Upgrade at least one D.
* Upgrade the goalie.
This will lend him credibility.
Incidentally did you see that the Checkers played the longest AHL game in their history yesterday, lost in 5th overtime (6 hours of play).
Not sure Evander Kane fits the “good people” profile the Canes claim to be looking for. Just the same, who was the GM that drafted Kane?
Yep. Waddell. The guy brought in some serious talent to Atlanta. The culture there was severely broken though. Not sure who was responsible for that, but the ownership was widely regarded as awful.
This team lacks grit. I think everyone agrees. Maybe it takes a player like Kane, though he is borderline too much, to add a more assertive dynamic.
And, good point, Duddley drafted him, maybe Duddley can convince him to migrate back down south, this time to succeed. He´ll scora big point in my uneducated armchair opinion if he can land Kane for something reasonable.
Matt, well said about RBA. It is different this time because RBA is a Cane to the core and will be well-respected by the players. Just the fact that he has a captain in mind but will discuss it with the players is reassuring. From what I am reading it was BP that made the ill-fated decision to name co-captains last year.
The new attitude and culture injection is exciting, but almost lost in all of this is Waddell being named GM. Time will tell if he and Dudley can pull off some beneficial deals; TD will pay up if the deals make sense. Great coaching cannot makeup for disastrous goaltending and anemic scoring. I am worried that we are all placing too much hope on some of our very young players.
Is Steve Smith coaching the d-men next season?
Matt, for me your comments hit it right on the head! Its not about X’s and O’s, its about heart and fight. We need a leader and there is, and will never be, a better leader than Rod. I stand behind him completely and trust in his abilities to bring out what is missing. Even if he fails, I will support the move. You’re right that he is one of us and is doing this for more than money or a chance to move up in the coaching ranks. This is from his heart and I’d put money on that anyday
Well said, hatty.