Got an email from a contact late yesterday afternoon that included a list of the people he believes will be interviewed for the head coach position. Interesting variety of names on this list including a name that nobody is talking about.
At least one name on here, Marc Crawford, has apparently already been interviewed.
Unfortunately, I can not confirm whether or not this is the actual list of candidates but considering what we already know, some of the names make sense. Also, I doubt this is a complete list of interviewees. Names like Kirk Muller, Ken Hitchcock and Craig MacTavish are all noticeably absent from this group. Also, Dave Cameron is on this list but I have been told on a couple of occasions that he is a long shot to be the next coach.
Let's call it speculation for now. Here are the names that were passed along...
- Kurt Kleinendorst - Binghamton Senators (AHL)
- Gerard Gallant - Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)
- Brad McCrimmon
- Randy Cunneyworth - Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL)
- Marc Crawford
- Don Jackson - Eisbären Berlin (DEL)
- Dave Cameron - Mississauga St. Mike's Majors (OHL)
Bob McKenzie has also weighed in on the Sens coaching situation and offered up some other names to consider. Kirk Muller, Craig MacTavish, Pete DeBoer, John Torchetti and Kevin Dineen are all on his list.
Game 1 of the Calder Cup Finals goes tonight in Houston. It has been a fairly lengthy layoff for the Binghamton Senators so I would expect to see signs of rust from a team that was red hot against the Charlotte Checkers.
No word on whether or not there will be a stream for this one but keep an eye on the comment section because there is often one posted in there closer to game time.
If you haven't already booked your spot for the Road Trip to Bingo get on it! It's filling up fast but there are still seats left. Click here for more info on how you can reserve your spot!
GO BSENS GO!!
As do I. Find it hard to believe he wouldn't be given an interview unless he has his heart set on another job. Perhaps in Dallas?
Well if he does not give young guys a lot of room... then he is not suited for Ottawa. Every time I hear of Crawford all I remember is that smirk on his face as Bertuzzi took down Moore.
I'm surprised Muller is also not on that list... unless he has already said he would not consider Ottawa.
Another name I'm surprised is not on that list is Kevin Dineen.
But of those you mentioned Chirp.... if not KK -- then it should be Randy Cunneyworth or Gerard Gallant. Probably more so Cunneyworth. Both ex-NHL players who know the game..
But it will be interesting indeed.
Let's hope the B-Sens rust only lasts one period. I think it will mostly show in Lehner than the other players.
Let go B-Sens..
Who then handed it to Chara, then to Kelly and over to GM Pete Chiarelli
hahaha
Landeskog has slid to 5th according to this mock draft, I think if he's there at 5, you gotta trade up to get him, but not worth the 2nd 1st rounder
TEAM 1200 said that they would be streaming the Bingo game tonight on their front page - www.team1200.com. Game time is 8:30pm
it wouldnt be worth a 1st rounder to trade from 6 to 2.
Is he really that much more qualified than any of the names here? I don't think so.
Of the list there, I like the idea of Crawford, I like Gallant, I like Cunneyworth, but the name I like most to be honest is Brad McCrimmon.
He's a serious NHL vet, so he knows what it takes to play in the league. On top of this, he's been Babcock's assistant in the most successful organization in the NHL over the past 20 years. Obviously he wasn't the coach there for the entire time, but he's part of that, so he probably understand how to win in the NHL.
Not a fan of Cameron, or Jackson, glad to see Hitch and MacT excluded, and I think KK is doing too good of a job in Bingo to move him on yet.
So if it's Crawford, Gallant, Cunneyworth, or McCrimmon, then I'm satisfied. Or Paul McLean, heard today he hasn't signed on with the Red Wings yet, and he's got history with Murray (Anaheim).
Now that would be hilarious.
ditto. not a crawford fan at all.
Wings fans were happy to see McCrimmon go, so I don't know if he was really all that great of a coach. On the flip side, Muller is getting his "ballwashing" because he was basically running everything that was successful for the Habs the past 2 years.
Also, KK shouldn't be moved up, Clouston was a great AHL coach too, but look at how that worked out in the NHL, so you've got to believe that Murray will be wary of that.
Agreed. Anyone who spends that much time on his hair can't be expected to be a leader of men.
Hitchcock would be the best option, he had done a great job with CBJ, a team that very much resembles the SENS situation now.
Winning the calder would be a plus, but KK and CC's personalities are opposites. The way they handle the players are opposite. If anything i would expect the opposite result of CC not a CC 2.0
Gerald Gallant as been a head coach with Columbus and also spent time as an assistant coach in NHL
Randy Cunneyworth has been an assistant in NHL with Atlanta
Don Jackson has been an assistant in NHL including with the Sens
IMO - 2 top choices for me would be Gallant and I think Muller would be good even though he has no NHL head coaching experience. Would be OK with Randy Cunneyworth or KK as well.
I would stay away from Brad McCrimmon - as a little leary that he has spent so much time as an assistant and he has no head coaching experience period even outside the NHL (at least that I can see) and please no Dave Cameron
Can you please explain how Muller is running everything on a Jacques Martin coached team that's playing exactly the same as the Sens did under him but without Muller. Gotta love the trollers!
Hitchcock or Muller. Dale Hunter maybe?
Maybe KK isn't CC 2.0 but, do we want to find out the hard way AGAIN he was???
What about St. Patrick??? lmao
I really think he is New Jersey bound. Would be an interesting fit here but I think I would prefer a little more of a player's coach this time around.
Also the mock draft says that the Senators are going to pick Brandon Saad with the Nashville pick I like that.
Thank God : )
Monday morning.
I agree I think Chirp should be the next head coach!
Chirp does not even need a interview you should be hired right on the spot!
But he's won pretty much everywhere he's been. Take the CBJ team he coached and add 2 or 3 guys and you likely have a playoff team every year.
I do fear the D/Trap system though, AND the rumors of how he treats the youngsters. Brendan Morrow turned out alright though
All in all I'm sure BM will find the right guy. Sucks it feels like an eternity for the new coach to be named and the draft to come
Go Nucks Go!
I wonder if it would have felt like an even longer wait had Bingo not made the Calder Cup.
More importantly, Landeskog has dropped to 6th. An absolute steal if the Sens can grab him there.
I googled it
As you know, Chirp, there were rumours about a month ago that Kirk would be joining the Stars. The only thing holding it back from becoming official was the ownership situation. I'm not convinced he'll be joining them for sure though.
He's a champion. What's NOT to like about him is a better question.
I've said this before, but I think we'll be kicking ourselves if we have the chance to sign him and we don't. I just feel that Muller has all the majors of an amazing coach but just needs a shot.
In short, it will seem obvious ok hindsight.
I've said this before too, but Craig MacTavish is a joke. Why don't we go after some more of other people's' mistakes? I'm confident Murray wouldn't pick CMac, but I'm surprised at all the fans here who think he's a legitimate option. Why don't we just hire paddock again, then go acquire Daigle and Yashin...?
KK appears to be communicate well with his players... knows how the handle them.
Clouston was let go because his lack of communication skill -- basically.
Now I would like either of those...
What are the numbers like now? Even though the first bus might be sold out, everyone who can make it out next Saturday should reserve their spot anyway.
CC was let go because BM and Eugy finally realized he can't coach for shit.
No AHL coaches with no experience PLEASE! Don't do it BM, don't bring in KK.
Wouldn't be surprised if Bingo made this series quick. It's their's for the taking if you ask me
Go B-Sens Go!
That said, we can probably expect Murray to go out on yet another limb, hire some unproven coach, and probably end up firing him mid-way through the season. And the wheel turns.... LOL
Ahem, cough cough. CC left with a Winning record as a coach in Ottawa. He did not suck, but he did have an issue with Vets. That's why he is gone.
If KK can take the B-Sens to glory, I say he get a chance, since he would have half the roster anyhow.
KJ
In the middle of coaching, if I am wrong the deal would be done already.
I seriously doubt they are sitting around going hmmm I wonder who at this stage.
Just like the draft they know who they want.
Is he also a defensive minded coach... when Ottawa Sens are better suited to an aggressive offensive game?
As for coach... Cunneyworth as head coach... Dineen as asst along with Kleinendorst? Crazy?
So you know they will target B-Sens top scorers... let's hope they can handle it.
42 Celcius in Houston with humidity. Ice will be crap... certainly does not benefit the B-Sens.
Good thing Bingo has 6 top scorers.
I believe the announcer is Grady Whittenburg of the B-Sens...
He has a cold as well.. and the perfume in the stands is bothering him as well.
Come on B-Sens... get 'er going.
Love to hear his wife's reaction to that "off air" comment!!!
Stream above is back on...
Attaboy Bobby Butler!
What a terrible game.
I did not see or listen to it all... did they say anything about the ice conditions. They said it was extremely hot down there today.
Ice conditions wouldn't matter since it was fair for both teams. We just got outplayed the whole game.
did you ever decide on a prize chirp?
We need a proven head coach with NHL experience. Enough with hiring guys that are not proven.
I don't see anything wrong with Melnyk voicing his "vote" for the new head coach, he said it was up to Murray so it's not like Murray will be swayed just because Melnyk recommends a guy.
Murray will get the coach that he believes will best help our team and I trust his judgement.
Houston would be use to bad ice -- Bingo not so much.
KJ
@ KJ-Sens
Ahem cough, cough COUGH! AAhhhheeeeemmmm mmmmmm
CC flatout SUCKED! he is the reason the Sens are where they are. He couldn't properly coach ANY of our stars. It started with "has been" Heatley, continued with Gonchar and finished with Kovalev, even Spezz and Alfie didn't produce as much. He was out coached night in and night out. Couldn't make a proper in-game change to save his life. Had a love affair with Ryan Shannon. He Handed the Pens the series when Dupuis scored the OT winner by sending out the 4th line after the Pens ice the puck. He probably set the record for most too many men penalties in 2 seasons, I can go on and on. PP was a joke, PP line juggling was a joke. Clouston was a joke and is HISTORY!
I know it's hard to read, but I didn't say everything, I said everything that's been successful (huge difference). Muller has been running the defense, PP and PK on Montreal. Montreal's talent was not that much greater than Ottawa's, except they got better goaltending (okay, Muller didn't run that), and TEAM defense.
Also, PP and PK were very important for Montreal throughout the season, trust me on that one, I live in the city, so after the Sens, I watch a lot of Montreal.
Clouston had his faults but to blame the season we had all on him is dumb. Paddock, Hartsburg and Clouston all had the same problems with this team so when do you begin to look at leadership as well? The same group of guys we had this season (minus Gonchar)made the playoffs last year and took the pens to a game 6 despite having MM, Kovalev and Kuba out. Interesting to see people bash clouston this year and those same people where saying he is a jack adams candidate last season. The leadership on this team should be the question just as much as clouston and BM are in question as well.
Yes clouston didn't do the greatest job but neither did BM until he started his firesale.
Yes, BM is to blame as well, for not firing CC's ass sooner. As for the leadership, tough to question Alfie and the Big Rig, they don't override the coach.
BM is to blame for also hiring 3 failed coaches as well as terrible signings. He pretty much attempted to fix his previous messups with one massive cleanup towards the end of last year.
How can you not question Alfie or Philips or Kelly and Fisher for that matter? They're not supossed to override the coach they're supossed to get the rest of the team on board with him which they clearly failed to do.
(Alfie dealt with the exact same situation when Yashin was captain.)
I admire Alfredsson a ton but next year, Spezza should be captain.
Brind'amour did it for his team.
With all the new kids on board, Alfie should take an A, give the C to Spezz. Murray needs to bring in a coach that has 2 attributes: structure and high tempo (call it energy or enthusiasm if you prefer).
With Anderson clicking , Spezza charging full bore, Neil & Smith crashing into anything that moves and the kids energized, It'll be a fun season for all
Love this post.
Lots of blame needs to go to BM for signing players who thought they already knew everything (kovalev, gonchar) and wouldn't play for their coach.
Lacklustre efforts by Phillips and Fisher were huge blows to a team that was without a number 1 goalie 80% of the time.
Clouston had problems: line juggling, line changes, never taking a time-out when he should (a skill not many coaches have mastered), goalie juggling, and refusing to sit Kovalev.
But his systems work WELL. He's not that bad, he's just a rookie coach who needed to learn lessons that only come from experience.
whoever hires him will be a lucky team if he's learned from his mistakes.
I don't understand this whole "you were captain last year, you're captain this year" mentality.
Every competitive sport I have ever played (hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, and soccer) has always started the season the same way: nominate 3 people to be captain, at the end of training/exhibi tions you have a vote amongst the players and staff. Coach makes the final decision.
USUALLY its the Captain from the previous year who gets the nod. But not all the time. and I garantee Spezza would win if this format was followed next season.
I'd agree with you if we were talking about Marleau or Luongo who clearly were not doing the best of jobs as Captains but how in the world could you question Alfie's leadership? Not only is he the longest reigning Captain in the NHL today but look at all the battles he has led us through in the past. It's an interesting take but trust me, Alfie will be our Captain until he decided to hang up the skates or move on to a contender....yo u can add a guarantee to that if you wish!
With all due respect to Alfie, I feel that fans will give him credit regardless of what he does good or bad. It's almost like everyone including the media are afraid of saying something negative about him. You can't deny that he failed to rally the players in support of the coach with CC, CH and JP. You can tell with some of the interviews that he doesn't approve of what the coach preaches.
I'm not sure if CC, CH or JP's philosophies were worth rallying behind, personally. We don't know what was said in the locker room. For all we know, Alfie and other leaders on the team may have tried to rally behind the coaches. It's all speculation, really.
CC's methods clearly worked for a while. It worked in his first year and it worked this year with the younger players. It seems that the veterans just gave up on it, we don't know what is being said in the locker room but the actions on ice speak volumes as well. Whether it's constantly benching Ruutu or Kovalev speaking out it just seems as if the veterans/leader ship on the team didn't endorse him when things started going bad.
you cant guarantee that (just like I technically can't gaurantee Spezza would get the C)
Any Coach with any kind of integrity will not inherit a Captain. Espcially not the Captain of a team that just finished in the basement of the league, who traded away a third of their roster, and a who is rebuilding into a brand new team.
It shouldn't even be a question as to whether there will be a competition for new Captaincy. It should be the first thing that is talked about on day 1 of training camp every season.
with this system, alfredsson still would have been our captain for the past 15 years. But his time is up.
It would be very interesting to see who the team would want as their captain. I agree with you there...
http://www.justin.tv/maindotc#/w/1266259408/2
On the Captain front I am all for Spezza as Captain next year but can't see it until Alfie hangs up his skates.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bingosens
Yup, but it's better than a kick in the pants...
i for now would like to see him on the team. i don't know what happened to him in pittsburg though
Lehner keeping them in the game.
Lucky saves on both ends...
SENS WIN, YAH BABY!!!
Ok, that makes more sense. Thanks for clarifying.
He had hip surgery....
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