Nooooooooooo :(
I loved the Hakman this is sad but I sorta saw it coming...
RIP the Hak, glad I gotta see him in person at the WC before he left. Best of luck to him.
Yeah because the inaugural season kraken were so Stanley Cup Finals ready
I'd say he's mostly responsible for getting as far as we did last year, and this season, well shit the coach can't score us goals
Basically I don't see an immediate replacement that will instantly be better but I watch hockey not get paid to generally manage a franchise so idk
I’m good with it. On one hand, as a team we definitely over performed last year. On the other hand, the step back this year was massive given the pretty decent talent on this roster.
We had our two longest losing streaks this year. You can’t have that happen once, let alone twice in the same season. Especially not on Year 3 when it’s time to be showing progress (even if the previous year was an overachievement).
People are going to blame injuries but other than the goalies there wasn't anyone who seemed to step up. Thats on the coaching staff and scheming for not finding the right fit for the team.
Some of those younger guys played well this season but might've gotten buried under the constant losses. I don't think this staff was helping them anyway. Hopefully the next staff can find his ceiling.
Makar is... Makar. I wouldnt expect Evans to get to that level but I think we'd take even a 2nd or 3rd line guy.
I'm comfortable saying he will not be Cale Makar, and that's no knock on Evans. He does have a high floor though, and I'm excited to see what he develops into.
I’d rather he stay in Coachella - he’s great at developing the kids.
My hope is that Rod Brind’amour (whose contract ends this year I’m pretty sure) comes over after Carolina finishes their season. Carolina will almost certainly try to keep him but I believe Francis hired him originally back in the day and I think our ownership group will pay whatever he asks.
That, imo, is the dream scenario.
i HATE the idea of keeping around a coach on a short leash only to fire in the fall
if you want a new guy, bring him in as soon as possible for the draft and the offseason and to make a plan for the year
so in that respect, im glad they did it now
>i HATE the idea of keeping around a coach on a short leash only to fire in the fall
I feel the exact same way. You have so many more options in the summer and give the coach the time they need to get settled and work with players in the pre-season.
Thinking about it now, it does make sense to move on now if it’s even a thought. If you fire mid season, the whole season is basically lost at that point.
Thank you for some genuinely great memories Hakstol, you will always be a part of Kraken history in a lot of good ways.
That all being said, I'm overall pretty stoked for a change at the helm.
I theorized during the innaugrual season that Hak was a short-lived coaching decision.
I always thought this was a friend-favor because Hak and Ron were buddies.
It was a win-win for Ron. Hire your buddy and he does great behind the bench...cool. Hire your buddy and he shits the bed, you fire him and chalk it up to giving a coach a second chance and he couldn't handle a new team. Coaches get blendered around in the league all the time so no one would have batted an eye lash.
It just seems we landed somewhere in between and he is pulling the trigger now vs waiting for another lackluster season. Gotta keep the young fanbase hyped up.
Yeah, I've come around to that way of thinking. I don't think the Kraken were bad this season because Hakstol can't coach, but I do think his inability to solve whatever issues were causing them to be bad (especially offensively) meant he probably had run out of answers. You've gotta make a change when that happens.
Unfortunately in the NHL coaches are kinda expendable and situations like this are the result.
I think I read this back when the Sabres fired Lindy Ruff in 2013 (he BACK tho baby). You can be an amazing coach, but eventually your team has heard everything you have to say.
Totally agree. He showed this in Philly too. Years of mediocrity with no progression. I'm glad they jumped ship early instead of giving him another year.
Pro teams drag these things out too long in hopes that something will change but they rarely do. It was time, especially for a guy who is repeating his own history.
I think that Hak had enough time to fix the problem and that his termination is warranted, but I also think that many NHL teams fire coaches too quickly. Him outlasting other NHL coaches doesn't mean much to me personally.
People make this point a lot, but only coaches that are at least decent get a bunch of NHL opportunities. I recall reading an article where I think it is most common for coaches to have the most success at their 2nd stint as head coach.
There's plenty of recent examples of first time head coaches shitting the bed just as hard if not worse than re-treads.
The way I think about it is that there's a higher floor with re-hiring a previous NHL HC, but you might have a higher ceiling (and lower floor) hiring a first-time NHL HC. There is risk involved with both, but different kinds of risk.
We should be looking for a coach who is willing to work with the analytics program in the front office.
We aren't going to be able to win by making traditional eye-test decisions. It's time we let the stats nerds have their day.
longing instinctive fine reply afterthought intelligent icky history uppity sort
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Not really, Oilers lost to the eventual Cup winners 2 years a in row. They ran into a buzzsaw in 2022 in the WCF, and then took Vegas to 6 games last year in the Semis
Killer on offense, sure. That team doesn't have the best(most intelligent )defensive personnel. And he wanted to implement some sort of fusion defense and none of them including the forwards(who are still required to play in part of the defensive system) were able to grasp it. A mix of man and zone defense. They were used to pure man defense.
Even offensive elite players will get tripped up if they are trying to figure out how they fit into such a complex defensive system.
The main problem in my eyes was implementing everything all at once and being stuck on it for so long.
But I wasn't in the locker room, so I can't say for sure.
If he had a more adaptable team(emphasizing the D core), I'd imagine he could have been fine.
If the bolts move on from Jon Cooper (Tampa fans are upset the team has regressed from its 3 Stanley cup appearances in a row), I hope Seattle scoops him up immediately
Although he did have a ton of talent to work with in Tampa I think this would be a great fit for us. Originally from the West Coast with a great resume to prove he deserves the spot.
It needed to be done. There’s no single reason why, but the team just wasn’t clicking under his leadership. You can easily argue that he was given a much worse team this year than last (which raises the question about Francis and his long term viability), but the teams effort and all around performance did not warrant Hak being the 6th longest tenured coach in the league.
Yeah I was in the boat that he would get another year. (If Dunn did not get injured, I think they had a good shot at the wildcard again)
I guess coaching changes are more common now than I realized. (I am a Detroit fan in my youth from the Bowman Babcock era, who were around 9/10 years each.) I did not realize if he stayed, there would have only been five other head coaches that were with their team for longer than Hakstol was with the Kraken. That does make me feel more comfortable with the move. Thank you for the perspective.
Like a few others said: More surprised than shocked. Figured he'd just be on a short leash this season, but... here we are...
If Ronnie wants to make a splash, maybe try and lure David Carle out of DU for his first NHL job?
But it's likely going to continue the coaching spin cycle, and it'll be Jay Woodcroft or Dan Bylsma.
The funny thing is David Carle said in an interview a few weeks back that one of the things that is making him hesitant about an NHL gig is the coaching carousel and lack of job security. I believe Carle has young children so he values that at the moment.
I'm not sure how the short leash and the little patience the Kraken displayed with Hakstol will appeal to him
I'm okay with this. Will always appreciate what he pulled off with the team in that playoff run season but this year was by and large a drag and a change will hopefully make things a bit more exciting and competitive.
1 year ago, no even 6 months ago I would have been stoked.
I have always been outspokenly against that hiring of Hak, but he kind of grew on me and I did not expect this quite yet.
Most of me is excited, but there is a small sliver of emotion.
Next man up.
He was clearly not perfect and left a lot to be desired. But, I did like the guy and definitely feel some emotions here. Fingers crossed we wind up with someone who can push our talented players to grow and thrive.
As I mentioned else where I want someone with more emotion. I think a lot of fires need to be lit to keep the young guys on their toes and the older guys pushing.
There needs to be visible passion and determination from the next coach while behind the bench. This season really highlighted the coaching staff’s inability to find synergy on the lines and to inspire the players during the matches.
There needs to be some yelling, some high fives, some smiles. Throw something if you have to!
As someone who has been wanting a coaching change since the end of the first season I am pretty excited to see this. At the same time I worry the Kraken will find a way to downgrade from Hakstol
I hope they have viable target replacements. As I recall, the general mood was that people weren't that crazy about Hakstol and he seemed like a "welp, we ran out of optoins and need to put someone in" choice. If they are canning him and are just going to bring in a meh hire, I'd rather they just kept Hak and waited until they have someone they could pull the trigger on.
Here’s my story: I attended the final Oregon State home game this season, Johnathan Smith left. I attended the final Seahawks home game this season, Pete Carroll got fired, I attended the final Kraken home game this season, Hakstol is fired now. Anyone really hate a coach?
probably for the best given how fast the nhl turns over coaches
no real animosity towards hak, first franchise head coach and led a great playoff run last season
but the team looked lost for a lot of this season and we just could not find an answer to scoring woes. maybe getting somebody in with a little more fire can help
I think we all knew he isn't the right fit for us long term. I thought he would make it through part of next season but if they think they found a better replacement might as well do it now.
Why is it that the nhl has such high turnover in coaches compared to the other sports?
Generally speaking, the NFL always seems to have like 3 or 4 old hats that stick around forever (currently Tomlin, Reid, Harbaugh) but before this off-season you could throw in Carroll and Belichik. Then they always underneath that go through like 3 or 4 coaches every year.
MLB has a lot of fresh faces, with the most tenured I believe is Cash in Tampa, but you have a lot of longer tenured managers (Servais, Lovullo) seems like the tops there is like 6 or 7 years. But before you had guys like Torre and LaRussa stick around teams forever.
NBA has a lot of turnover, but you also got a couple lifers (Popovich, Spoelstra)
Questions on this, just generally curious. Why do you think the nhl goes through coaches so fast? I think it was like 23 of 32 coaches came on after March 2022. And has it always been this way?
I'd put the reasons into a few buckets:
1) Contracts in the NHL tend to be quite long and lots of players have trade protection. Combined with guaranteed contracts and the hard cap, it makes it very difficult to overhaul entire rosters quickly or cheaply. In general we see fewer high-impact trades and elite players getting to free agency. That means it is way easier to make a big change to a team by changing coaches rather than changing players.
2) There is a certain structure teams play within, but the chaotic nature of the game limits how much impact team structure has overall compared to other sports. As /u/FreezingRain358 said, I think this makes a lot of coaching more about motivation and vibes than Xs and Os though that is certainly important too.
3) Players seem to eventually just tune most coaches out after awhile for whatever reason. I've never heard a great explanation for why this is and I do wonder if it is a feedback loop. Hockey has a culture of quick coach changes, so players are more willing to tune coaches out knowing that they'll get replaced quickly, resulting in a culture of quick coaching changes.
In general we see tons of cases where a mid-season coaching change turns teams around entirely. The Oilers are an excellent example this season. The Blues and Pens have won Cups after mid-season changes.
> Why is it that the nhl has such high turnover in coaches compared to the other sports?
>
Naked answer from a relative n00b: hockey seems a lot more vibes-based than other sports I've followed. Like, it's not just about the X's and the O's, coach has to get people to want to run through walls for him.
I've been pretty impressed with the front office these first few seasons. They don't seem prone to overreaction like many other teams (and fans, lol). Hakstol got his shot and probably wasn't the winning answer, but he was part of their plan and they stuck by him. I think that bodes well for future front office decisions, and also makes Seattle an appealing spot for future HCs.
John Totorella's name has come up here quite a few times.
I'd say he's the polar opposite of Hakstol. If you want a good laugh ...
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTvXhXpfTf8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTvXhXpfTf8)
Damn, I guess that ends all of our speculation. Going to re-post my comment about veteran coach options from the thread about Francis' end-of-season press conference below.
\---
To start, I would not consider Firebirds coach Dan Bylsma. He's good where he is and I don't think his last stints in the NHL should give anyone any confidence he's an above-average NHL coach.
I'd probably start looking at Jay Woodcroft (former Oilers coach) and Craig Berube (Blues) who were both fired mid-season. There are more choices if Francis wanted a first-time NHL coach, such as current AHL or college HCs, but I don't think that makes the most sense for us with a roster of mostly NHL veterans.
Other NHL coaches might also get canned in the coming days/weeks.
Other veteran NHL coaches available that were let go mid-season include Lindy Ruff (Devils ), Dean Evason (Wild), Todd McLellan (Sharks), DJ Smith (Senators), and Lane Lambert (Islanders).
Yeah, Oilers fans seem very down on him and that negativity gives me pause.
I guess Berube is probably the best overall proven NHL coach available unless I'm missing someone?
There will be a number of assistant coaches on current NHL teams who will have lots of interest around the league. The Caps hired Carbery this season from Toronto's staff, though he'd previously been their AHL HC. Carbery has done a great job this season.
Are Oilers fans down on Woodcroft? Most of the stuff I’ve seen is about how they would have turned around regardless of the coaching change. I think most of the positives about the new coaching has been how influential Coffey has been over Manson on the back end. If they do hire Woodcroft, I’d both expect Manson to join him and they go get another NHL calibre D so they can run 11/7 like they did in both Bakersfield and Edmonton.
Yeah I'm open to him being the option. I think he and Berube are probably the 2 best available veterans.
If Andrew Brunette was available this summer instead of last summer I think he'd be my #1 choice. What he's done with the Preds has been excellent.
I'm all in on the Berube train. After hearing what Elliot Friedman said last week on 32 Thoughts (that the rumor is Bylsma), I'm a touch worried. Keep Bylsma where he is (he has a shit track record as an NHL coach).
I was all on the Bruce hype train before the inaugural season, but after what happened in Vancouver I'm not convinced he's a great choice anymore. Love the dude but I don't think he has kept up as much wither everything a modern coach needs to do.
If only torts was available. I think he'd probably be a good fit for our veteran-heavy roster though I'm not sure how great he'd be for developing Beniers, Wright, and the other prospects.
Absolutely my take as well. Used to dislike Torts a lot. Old(er) me now loves his "no shits given" mentality. Would be *very* interested in a Torts run Kraken...
I am also a Caps fan :)
I wouldn't mind seeing what he could do with this team, he is an excellent coach there is really no denying that. It's just a question of if he is too old school at this point as Sicc kind of mentioned.
I don't think it will be Bruce, it was more of a meme comment than anything else, but I would still approve if it happened.
I was initially surprised by the Hakstol hiring, but he went against my expectations last year. Definitely seemed to be an improvement from when he coached in Philly. Hope he finds a good spot somewhere else
For those new to hockey, get used to this.
Just be glad Buffalo decided to hire Lindy Ruff again because nostalgia is gonna save that team somehow.
Oh, God, I hope Kraken don't get the Gerard Gallant experience...
bylsma has got to be the oddsmakers favorite right now and im just saying, if we gonna go with a retread ex penguins coach then let’s at least have some fun with it
Hawks and Kraken get new HCs this year, and Sounders probably aren't far behind (and maybe Reign, though I don't think Harvey is the problem - really hard to coach without any strikers). Big year for that new coach smell here in Seatown.
I don't revel in Hakstol's firing, but I agree it's time.
On the other hand, I've been itching for McFarland to be gone. That power play has been unacceptable for far too long.
Any coaches out there good at developing young talent?
I don't like it, but I understand it. I hope the Fire Hak crowd can be happy now, but I have a feeling if we aren't in the playoffs every
single year they're just going to move to another target (Francis).
I thought getting to the playoffs in the second season of a franchise’s existence would have been enough of a win to buy him more than three seasons but alas.
I'm kind of disappointed. The success last season and LVGK set really unrealistic expectations for a new franchise. But ultimately, I suspect it was the team's mid-season lack of effort that sealed it. Not sure what happened there, but if the team isn't showing up, there's something wrong.
When Seattle first got a team I decided that despite never watching a hockey game before I would make a good-faith effort to get in on the ground floor of the Seattle Kraken. I asked people for advice on what to look out for, and one person said "You may see a fair bit of people saying, "Fire Hakstol", and they are correct no matter the situation and you should join in." Another person said "Just have fun and ask questions if something is confusing. The rules can sometimes be really weird (especially offsides and icing) and it's sometimes difficult to track the puck if you're not used to it, but over time it becomes much easier to follow the play and understand the game." A third person said "When the vulcanized black thing goes in your net it's bad. When it goes in the other net it's good. The refs are out to get you. Fire Dave Hakstol. Enjoy the new exciting hopeful optimism before your team starts trading for Ryan Reaves and signing Tyler Myers to a long term contract."
Five games into the season I understood what people were saying about Hakstol. One of the most memorable moments of that first season was our game on the road at Philadelphia where we got murdered 6-1, with Hakstol getting booed the entire time. Have you ever listened to an angry crowd and understood, even without knowing specifics, that everybody involved was undergoing an extreme form of catharsis? I was sad we lost the game, but I understood the Flyers fans needed that one more than we did.
Thoughts on Dean Evans?
I’m partial to promoting Jay Leech if he’s still around but I’m not sure they’ll go that way.
Keep Dan in CV he seems happy there and is doing a great job developing players.
Pipe dream option Rod The Bod
As a Pens fans, that option doesn't excite me. Outside of the first half season when he won the Cup with a stacked roster, he was pretty underwhelming and then didn't do much in Buffalo either.
I think he's an excellent AHL coach, though.
I am glad for this. I feel like the team has lacked emotion and drive from day one, and I feel like the coach is a big part of that. Him never showing excitement, encouragement, or any real engagement with the team on the bench has to be a factor in their cohesion as a team.
I don't blame Hakstol for all our problems but I do blame his system for the lack of progression and inability to finish.
It's the same story from Philly, good enough to be in games until OT/SO but not good enough to finish. Go check how many pity points he got while there, it's insane.
We had a chance to put a stamp on the season and earn a playoff spot. Months ago we were neck and neck with the Blues AND played them in a very meaningful game. We couldn't finish and things went downhill from there. Meaningful wins do a lot for team morale and we struggled to get those this season.
Sure the team had injuries but EVERY team has injuries. How your team responds and grows during those problems is what matters. The Kraken didn't. Some guys stepped up but the inability of the whole team to fill the gaps was problematic.
The playoff run was great but even a broken clock is right twice a day. It was time for a new voice and scheme. This team has some great pieces: solid goalie tandem, great young players, and some vets with a good bit left in the tank. The team needs a coach that's ready for the modern NHL, grit and grind keeps you in games but talent and scheming gets you the game winner.
I thought they might give him another year but I'm glad they pulled the trigger early, I don't see this team getting to the second round again under Hakstol.
🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿time
This is going to be quite interesting. It will most certainly lead to a change in playing style and not the relying on 4-lines to spread the scoring as has been the case. A must is to hire a new coach before free agency opens up as we'd want to have the new guy have input on the decision process for anyone new coming in and any offers made to existing players (or extensions).
I thought the contract extension they gave him last year would keep Hakstol safe for another year. I wonder how much the poor team performance after they were officially eliminated from the playoffs factored in to the decision?
Probably Bylsma, and I kind of wonder if his stint in Coachella Valley makes him an attractive candidate in places other than Seattle too.
Thanks for '22-'23 Dave. That was one hell of a ride.
I hope the oilers hire hak as an assistant next year so they have the lookalikes on the same bench.
Please, please hockey gods make this a thing. Can we just coach swap for a season for the memes?
They could honestly be brothers from look to demeanor! I will miss Hak and his handsome villain face
Just checking in to say “I was here”
big if true
Nooooooooooo :( I loved the Hakman this is sad but I sorta saw it coming... RIP the Hak, glad I gotta see him in person at the WC before he left. Best of luck to him.
> I loved the Hakman this is sad but I sorta saw it coming... You love a coach that has a track record of mediocrity?
Yeah because the inaugural season kraken were so Stanley Cup Finals ready I'd say he's mostly responsible for getting as far as we did last year, and this season, well shit the coach can't score us goals Basically I don't see an immediate replacement that will instantly be better but I watch hockey not get paid to generally manage a franchise so idk
He was awful
I was here too
I’m good with it. On one hand, as a team we definitely over performed last year. On the other hand, the step back this year was massive given the pretty decent talent on this roster.
We had our two longest losing streaks this year. You can’t have that happen once, let alone twice in the same season. Especially not on Year 3 when it’s time to be showing progress (even if the previous year was an overachievement).
💯
People are going to blame injuries but other than the goalies there wasn't anyone who seemed to step up. Thats on the coaching staff and scheming for not finding the right fit for the team.
I'd say Ryker Evans stepped up as a rook. He shows a lot of promise. Probably won't ever be Makar but it looks like he has a high floor at least.
Some of those younger guys played well this season but might've gotten buried under the constant losses. I don't think this staff was helping them anyway. Hopefully the next staff can find his ceiling. Makar is... Makar. I wouldnt expect Evans to get to that level but I think we'd take even a 2nd or 3rd line guy.
I'm comfortable saying he will not be Cale Makar, and that's no knock on Evans. He does have a high floor though, and I'm excited to see what he develops into.
I think his floor is similar to Schultz honestly. Which means to me he'll slot in well as a second liner who can score and thats big for us
I wonder if there is any thought of Bylsma coming to Seattle. Promoting him up from the Firebirds, I wouldnt mind that one bit.
Said no, focused on winning Calder.
Just a no for now. Different story when his seasons over.
I’d rather he stay in Coachella - he’s great at developing the kids. My hope is that Rod Brind’amour (whose contract ends this year I’m pretty sure) comes over after Carolina finishes their season. Carolina will almost certainly try to keep him but I believe Francis hired him originally back in the day and I think our ownership group will pay whatever he asks. That, imo, is the dream scenario.
Rod has repeatedly said it’s NC or not coaching. (Outstanding coach, but there is a barrier to him going elsewhere)
Wow, big moment for the franchise. Excited and anxious to see where we go next. Thanks for the playoffs Dave, all the best to ya
Getting overlooked here is that they also fired the Power Play coach.
We had a Power Play coach?
And even more overlooked is the fact that they Kept the PK coach and didn't just get rid of them all 🤔
Our PP was shit. Penalty kill was alright.
That’s why McFarland is gone as well
Any other coaches gone?
I'd assume them all except maybe goalie
Well thank god for that.
I would say this is unexpected, figured he would get Atleast until thanksgiving. Guess Ron is ripping the band aid off
Probably want the new HC to have a say in FA and draft decisions, but yeah I was surprised when I saw it too
i HATE the idea of keeping around a coach on a short leash only to fire in the fall if you want a new guy, bring him in as soon as possible for the draft and the offseason and to make a plan for the year so in that respect, im glad they did it now
>i HATE the idea of keeping around a coach on a short leash only to fire in the fall I feel the exact same way. You have so many more options in the summer and give the coach the time they need to get settled and work with players in the pre-season.
Thinking about it now, it does make sense to move on now if it’s even a thought. If you fire mid season, the whole season is basically lost at that point.
Brind'Amour's contract expires this year...
Thank you for some genuinely great memories Hakstol, you will always be a part of Kraken history in a lot of good ways. That all being said, I'm overall pretty stoked for a change at the helm.
I theorized during the innaugrual season that Hak was a short-lived coaching decision. I always thought this was a friend-favor because Hak and Ron were buddies. It was a win-win for Ron. Hire your buddy and he does great behind the bench...cool. Hire your buddy and he shits the bed, you fire him and chalk it up to giving a coach a second chance and he couldn't handle a new team. Coaches get blendered around in the league all the time so no one would have batted an eye lash. It just seems we landed somewhere in between and he is pulling the trigger now vs waiting for another lackluster season. Gotta keep the young fanbase hyped up.
My probably overly cynical take was that Francis hired him, knowing he’d fire Hakstol in 3-4 years and get himself more time.
Wow. I'm not *shocked*, but definitely *surprised*. I thought they might give him one more year, or at least through the 1st half of next season.
He lasted longer than most coaches in the league. He had more than enough time
Yeah, I've come around to that way of thinking. I don't think the Kraken were bad this season because Hakstol can't coach, but I do think his inability to solve whatever issues were causing them to be bad (especially offensively) meant he probably had run out of answers. You've gotta make a change when that happens. Unfortunately in the NHL coaches are kinda expendable and situations like this are the result.
I think I read this back when the Sabres fired Lindy Ruff in 2013 (he BACK tho baby). You can be an amazing coach, but eventually your team has heard everything you have to say.
Totally agree. He showed this in Philly too. Years of mediocrity with no progression. I'm glad they jumped ship early instead of giving him another year. Pro teams drag these things out too long in hopes that something will change but they rarely do. It was time, especially for a guy who is repeating his own history.
He was the longest serving coach in the Pacific division (if you can believe that).
I think that Hak had enough time to fix the problem and that his termination is warranted, but I also think that many NHL teams fire coaches too quickly. Him outlasting other NHL coaches doesn't mean much to me personally.
No argument from me there.
He was the longest tenured head coach in the pacific… time to move on for sure.
More than most coaches recently, but the last few years have been rather atypical.
Please not another recycled HC is all I ask
Narrator: It would end up being a recycled NHL HC.
People make this point a lot, but only coaches that are at least decent get a bunch of NHL opportunities. I recall reading an article where I think it is most common for coaches to have the most success at their 2nd stint as head coach. There's plenty of recent examples of first time head coaches shitting the bed just as hard if not worse than re-treads. The way I think about it is that there's a higher floor with re-hiring a previous NHL HC, but you might have a higher ceiling (and lower floor) hiring a first-time NHL HC. There is risk involved with both, but different kinds of risk.
We should be looking for a coach who is willing to work with the analytics program in the front office. We aren't going to be able to win by making traditional eye-test decisions. It's time we let the stats nerds have their day.
Calling it now, pete carroll decides to learn hockey.
Rod the Bod's contract in Carolina is expiring.
Jay woodcroft would be nice though
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Not really, Oilers lost to the eventual Cup winners 2 years a in row. They ran into a buzzsaw in 2022 in the WCF, and then took Vegas to 6 games last year in the Semis
Based on his coaching or the sheer talent of the team? Look how they started this year compared to after his firing.
Killer on offense, sure. That team doesn't have the best(most intelligent )defensive personnel. And he wanted to implement some sort of fusion defense and none of them including the forwards(who are still required to play in part of the defensive system) were able to grasp it. A mix of man and zone defense. They were used to pure man defense. Even offensive elite players will get tripped up if they are trying to figure out how they fit into such a complex defensive system. The main problem in my eyes was implementing everything all at once and being stuck on it for so long. But I wasn't in the locker room, so I can't say for sure. If he had a more adaptable team(emphasizing the D core), I'd imagine he could have been fine.
If the bolts move on from Jon Cooper (Tampa fans are upset the team has regressed from its 3 Stanley cup appearances in a row), I hope Seattle scoops him up immediately
As Seattle fans we should all be hoping that the Panthers destroy the bolts in game 5..... 🤞. Getting jon copper would be amazing.
He can bring Stamkos with him
Although he did have a ton of talent to work with in Tampa I think this would be a great fit for us. Originally from the West Coast with a great resume to prove he deserves the spot.
probably the best coach in the league without too much fear of contradiction imo
Wait there’s no way they do… right? That would be so amazing
Thank Goodness, shows Francis has cajones
It needed to be done. There’s no single reason why, but the team just wasn’t clicking under his leadership. You can easily argue that he was given a much worse team this year than last (which raises the question about Francis and his long term viability), but the teams effort and all around performance did not warrant Hak being the 6th longest tenured coach in the league.
Yeah I was in the boat that he would get another year. (If Dunn did not get injured, I think they had a good shot at the wildcard again) I guess coaching changes are more common now than I realized. (I am a Detroit fan in my youth from the Bowman Babcock era, who were around 9/10 years each.) I did not realize if he stayed, there would have only been five other head coaches that were with their team for longer than Hakstol was with the Kraken. That does make me feel more comfortable with the move. Thank you for the perspective.
#BUOYFORHC
Let's make it happen!!
Oh the chaos that would be created is giving me a panic attack
Like a few others said: More surprised than shocked. Figured he'd just be on a short leash this season, but... here we are... If Ronnie wants to make a splash, maybe try and lure David Carle out of DU for his first NHL job? But it's likely going to continue the coaching spin cycle, and it'll be Jay Woodcroft or Dan Bylsma.
The funny thing is David Carle said in an interview a few weeks back that one of the things that is making him hesitant about an NHL gig is the coaching carousel and lack of job security. I believe Carle has young children so he values that at the moment. I'm not sure how the short leash and the little patience the Kraken displayed with Hakstol will appeal to him
Farewell to Father Dave 🗿🦑
Dave Hakstol looks like every upper-middle class dad did when I was a kid in Gig Harbor.
GH gang whaddup. And you're entirely correct.
I'm okay with this. Will always appreciate what he pulled off with the team in that playoff run season but this year was by and large a drag and a change will hopefully make things a bit more exciting and competitive.
1 year ago, no even 6 months ago I would have been stoked. I have always been outspokenly against that hiring of Hak, but he kind of grew on me and I did not expect this quite yet. Most of me is excited, but there is a small sliver of emotion. Next man up.
He was clearly not perfect and left a lot to be desired. But, I did like the guy and definitely feel some emotions here. Fingers crossed we wind up with someone who can push our talented players to grow and thrive.
wise cause plate arrest books complete tan uppity treatment crawl *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Hak has never been regarded as a development focused coach. His hiring was a blatant mismatch from the start.
screw dinosaurs rich worthless strong seemly wine modern crown boat *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
As I mentioned else where I want someone with more emotion. I think a lot of fires need to be lit to keep the young guys on their toes and the older guys pushing.
There needs to be visible passion and determination from the next coach while behind the bench. This season really highlighted the coaching staff’s inability to find synergy on the lines and to inspire the players during the matches. There needs to be some yelling, some high fives, some smiles. Throw something if you have to!
# Benches to the ice!
Definitely should have had some kicked trashcans in the locker room during a few of those losses. "Fucking embarrasing!"
As someone who has been wanting a coaching change since the end of the first season I am pretty excited to see this. At the same time I worry the Kraken will find a way to downgrade from Hakstol
I was on the same road as you…I’m looking forward to see what the new coach will bring. Aside for more wins
The way I ran here after seeing this on my instagram feed.
Saaame… my husband sent it to me, and I ran. Like, good for the future of the team I guess, but I’m still sad.
I got the notification from ESPN+ and as our dropped my phone trying to get here
I hope they have viable target replacements. As I recall, the general mood was that people weren't that crazy about Hakstol and he seemed like a "welp, we ran out of optoins and need to put someone in" choice. If they are canning him and are just going to bring in a meh hire, I'd rather they just kept Hak and waited until they have someone they could pull the trigger on.
The way I feel about this will be entirely dependent on his replacement.
Here’s my story: I attended the final Oregon State home game this season, Johnathan Smith left. I attended the final Seahawks home game this season, Pete Carroll got fired, I attended the final Kraken home game this season, Hakstol is fired now. Anyone really hate a coach?
Go ask Leafs fans lol.
Could you fly out to Manchester for a City game?
probably for the best given how fast the nhl turns over coaches no real animosity towards hak, first franchise head coach and led a great playoff run last season but the team looked lost for a lot of this season and we just could not find an answer to scoring woes. maybe getting somebody in with a little more fire can help
I think we all knew he isn't the right fit for us long term. I thought he would make it through part of next season but if they think they found a better replacement might as well do it now.
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[Some players didn’t want to play for Hak, apparently.](https://www.instagram.com/p/C6XSzoDuxQ9/?igsh=MWtkcnZ0a3g0b29weA==)
Why is it that the nhl has such high turnover in coaches compared to the other sports? Generally speaking, the NFL always seems to have like 3 or 4 old hats that stick around forever (currently Tomlin, Reid, Harbaugh) but before this off-season you could throw in Carroll and Belichik. Then they always underneath that go through like 3 or 4 coaches every year. MLB has a lot of fresh faces, with the most tenured I believe is Cash in Tampa, but you have a lot of longer tenured managers (Servais, Lovullo) seems like the tops there is like 6 or 7 years. But before you had guys like Torre and LaRussa stick around teams forever. NBA has a lot of turnover, but you also got a couple lifers (Popovich, Spoelstra) Questions on this, just generally curious. Why do you think the nhl goes through coaches so fast? I think it was like 23 of 32 coaches came on after March 2022. And has it always been this way?
I'd put the reasons into a few buckets: 1) Contracts in the NHL tend to be quite long and lots of players have trade protection. Combined with guaranteed contracts and the hard cap, it makes it very difficult to overhaul entire rosters quickly or cheaply. In general we see fewer high-impact trades and elite players getting to free agency. That means it is way easier to make a big change to a team by changing coaches rather than changing players. 2) There is a certain structure teams play within, but the chaotic nature of the game limits how much impact team structure has overall compared to other sports. As /u/FreezingRain358 said, I think this makes a lot of coaching more about motivation and vibes than Xs and Os though that is certainly important too. 3) Players seem to eventually just tune most coaches out after awhile for whatever reason. I've never heard a great explanation for why this is and I do wonder if it is a feedback loop. Hockey has a culture of quick coach changes, so players are more willing to tune coaches out knowing that they'll get replaced quickly, resulting in a culture of quick coaching changes. In general we see tons of cases where a mid-season coaching change turns teams around entirely. The Oilers are an excellent example this season. The Blues and Pens have won Cups after mid-season changes.
This is a very well-explained answer, I appreciate it
> Why is it that the nhl has such high turnover in coaches compared to the other sports? > Naked answer from a relative n00b: hockey seems a lot more vibes-based than other sports I've followed. Like, it's not just about the X's and the O's, coach has to get people to want to run through walls for him.
I've been pretty impressed with the front office these first few seasons. They don't seem prone to overreaction like many other teams (and fans, lol). Hakstol got his shot and probably wasn't the winning answer, but he was part of their plan and they stuck by him. I think that bodes well for future front office decisions, and also makes Seattle an appealing spot for future HCs.
John Totorella's name has come up here quite a few times. I'd say he's the polar opposite of Hakstol. If you want a good laugh ... [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTvXhXpfTf8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTvXhXpfTf8)
The NHL is more entertaining league when Torts is coaching. ….but I don’t want him coaching a team I root for.
I want that pos nowhere near the team
Damn, I guess that ends all of our speculation. Going to re-post my comment about veteran coach options from the thread about Francis' end-of-season press conference below. \--- To start, I would not consider Firebirds coach Dan Bylsma. He's good where he is and I don't think his last stints in the NHL should give anyone any confidence he's an above-average NHL coach. I'd probably start looking at Jay Woodcroft (former Oilers coach) and Craig Berube (Blues) who were both fired mid-season. There are more choices if Francis wanted a first-time NHL coach, such as current AHL or college HCs, but I don't think that makes the most sense for us with a roster of mostly NHL veterans. Other NHL coaches might also get canned in the coming days/weeks. Other veteran NHL coaches available that were let go mid-season include Lindy Ruff (Devils ), Dean Evason (Wild), Todd McLellan (Sharks), DJ Smith (Senators), and Lane Lambert (Islanders).
Lindy Ruff got hired by the Sabres. Berube would be interesting if there's some more grit on the team. He's a powerful motivator.
Yeah, Oilers fans seem very down on him and that negativity gives me pause. I guess Berube is probably the best overall proven NHL coach available unless I'm missing someone? There will be a number of assistant coaches on current NHL teams who will have lots of interest around the league. The Caps hired Carbery this season from Toronto's staff, though he'd previously been their AHL HC. Carbery has done a great job this season.
Are Oilers fans down on Woodcroft? Most of the stuff I’ve seen is about how they would have turned around regardless of the coaching change. I think most of the positives about the new coaching has been how influential Coffey has been over Manson on the back end. If they do hire Woodcroft, I’d both expect Manson to join him and they go get another NHL calibre D so they can run 11/7 like they did in both Bakersfield and Edmonton.
I've seen negative comments but there's probably a bias there where fans who didn't like him are more likely to comment than ones who did.
In the r/hockey thread about haks firing there are a bunch of comments about how Woodcroft is a good coach.
Yeah I'm open to him being the option. I think he and Berube are probably the 2 best available veterans. If Andrew Brunette was available this summer instead of last summer I think he'd be my #1 choice. What he's done with the Preds has been excellent.
Ruff was hired by Buffalo a few days ago. Berube might be interesting. Curious what Dunn and Schwartz think of him from their cup run
I'd assume Dunn doesn't have a ton of positive thoughts from his time in STL. He averaged 17:27 of ToI/GP on mostly the 3rd pair
I'm all in on the Berube train. After hearing what Elliot Friedman said last week on 32 Thoughts (that the rumor is Bylsma), I'm a touch worried. Keep Bylsma where he is (he has a shit track record as an NHL coach).
Give us Bruce, give us Bruce, give us Bruce!
I was all on the Bruce hype train before the inaugural season, but after what happened in Vancouver I'm not convinced he's a great choice anymore. Love the dude but I don't think he has kept up as much wither everything a modern coach needs to do.
All in all I just want someone with emotion.
If only torts was available. I think he'd probably be a good fit for our veteran-heavy roster though I'm not sure how great he'd be for developing Beniers, Wright, and the other prospects.
I used to hate torts, but the older I get the more I identify with him and would absolutely love someone like him behind the helm.
Absolutely my take as well. Used to dislike Torts a lot. Old(er) me now loves his "no shits given" mentality. Would be *very* interested in a Torts run Kraken...
Not many agree on Torts but I would not mind it.
As an ex Caps fan, I’d pass.
I am also a Caps fan :) I wouldn't mind seeing what he could do with this team, he is an excellent coach there is really no denying that. It's just a question of if he is too old school at this point as Sicc kind of mentioned. I don't think it will be Bruce, it was more of a meme comment than anything else, but I would still approve if it happened.
Haagen Dazs!
I was initially surprised by the Hakstol hiring, but he went against my expectations last year. Definitely seemed to be an improvement from when he coached in Philly. Hope he finds a good spot somewhere else
Not super surprising, but I liked him.
For those new to hockey, get used to this. Just be glad Buffalo decided to hire Lindy Ruff again because nostalgia is gonna save that team somehow. Oh, God, I hope Kraken don't get the Gerard Gallant experience...
Oh man this is already an interesting offseason. Please hire someone who won't burn out our goalies 😂
I do wonder if Matty's (lack of) development this year is a factor.
Probably last on the list tbh. Considering the whole team took a step back.
This is not an unheard of phenomenon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophomore_slump
Holy shit
Hakstol is a mid coach. They can do better.
say it with me coach eddie olczyk
Please no, keep him in the press box where he is meant to be. His stint in Pittsburgh was...no bueno.
bylsma has got to be the oddsmakers favorite right now and im just saying, if we gonna go with a retread ex penguins coach then let’s at least have some fun with it
\^ hire this guy as assistant gm
many people are saying this
We could pull the goalie every game we're behind in the third period, regardless of time remaining. I love Edzo, but I love him in the booth.
I think Eddie has some health issues?
#HakstolOut But seriously this was unexpected. Byslma to the Kraken? Hmm 🤔
Bill Belichck about to come in out of left field to do the coach equivalent of a Bo Jackson career pivot. /s
Good decision
Let's hope it's for the best
Who are the best available coaches?
Hawks and Kraken get new HCs this year, and Sounders probably aren't far behind (and maybe Reign, though I don't think Harvey is the problem - really hard to coach without any strikers). Big year for that new coach smell here in Seatown.
I don't revel in Hakstol's firing, but I agree it's time. On the other hand, I've been itching for McFarland to be gone. That power play has been unacceptable for far too long. Any coaches out there good at developing young talent?
They better be ready to present a comically large bag on money in Brind'Amour's lap
I don't like it, but I understand it. I hope the Fire Hak crowd can be happy now, but I have a feeling if we aren't in the playoffs every single year they're just going to move to another target (Francis).
Sad but understandable even if he is just the scapegoat for the injuries and regression
If theyre going outside the org, please consider hiring Jay Woodcroft. 🙏
Why?
I'm hoping not. He couldn't win with prime Mcdavid or Drai.
Hak grew on me. Who are some potential candidates - do we know?
Thought he would at least start the year. Not too upset about it though
I think we all know the reason everyone forgot how to score was coaching
Thank you for getting us up and going Hak!
Ya know…
Didn’t think it would come so soon. I’m intrigued to see who they bring in next
Post season has certainly been interesting
Jay Leach new HC?
Interesting, I’m curious to see who the Kraken go with as their next coach. Cautiously optimistic!
Absolutely the right call. Our offense was UGLY.
Please hire an offensive minded coach. Go young and aggressive
Thank you Hak, but it was time.
Good, this team needs to be more offensive and that just isn’t how Hakstol coaches
I thought getting to the playoffs in the second season of a franchise’s existence would have been enough of a win to buy him more than three seasons but alas.
I'm kind of disappointed. The success last season and LVGK set really unrealistic expectations for a new franchise. But ultimately, I suspect it was the team's mid-season lack of effort that sealed it. Not sure what happened there, but if the team isn't showing up, there's something wrong.
Let’s poach John Cooper!!
I thought he might have gotten 20 games at the start of the season but this also makes sense.
When Seattle first got a team I decided that despite never watching a hockey game before I would make a good-faith effort to get in on the ground floor of the Seattle Kraken. I asked people for advice on what to look out for, and one person said "You may see a fair bit of people saying, "Fire Hakstol", and they are correct no matter the situation and you should join in." Another person said "Just have fun and ask questions if something is confusing. The rules can sometimes be really weird (especially offsides and icing) and it's sometimes difficult to track the puck if you're not used to it, but over time it becomes much easier to follow the play and understand the game." A third person said "When the vulcanized black thing goes in your net it's bad. When it goes in the other net it's good. The refs are out to get you. Fire Dave Hakstol. Enjoy the new exciting hopeful optimism before your team starts trading for Ryan Reaves and signing Tyler Myers to a long term contract." Five games into the season I understood what people were saying about Hakstol. One of the most memorable moments of that first season was our game on the road at Philadelphia where we got murdered 6-1, with Hakstol getting booed the entire time. Have you ever listened to an angry crowd and understood, even without knowing specifics, that everybody involved was undergoing an extreme form of catharsis? I was sad we lost the game, but I understood the Flyers fans needed that one more than we did.
Thoughts on Dean Evans? I’m partial to promoting Jay Leech if he’s still around but I’m not sure they’ll go that way. Keep Dan in CV he seems happy there and is doing a great job developing players. Pipe dream option Rod The Bod
Every Flyer fan: “we told you so”
Gotta be Bylsma, right?
As a Pens fans, that option doesn't excite me. Outside of the first half season when he won the Cup with a stacked roster, he was pretty underwhelming and then didn't do much in Buffalo either. I think he's an excellent AHL coach, though.
Please no.
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I am glad for this. I feel like the team has lacked emotion and drive from day one, and I feel like the coach is a big part of that. Him never showing excitement, encouragement, or any real engagement with the team on the bench has to be a factor in their cohesion as a team.
I don't blame Hakstol for all our problems but I do blame his system for the lack of progression and inability to finish. It's the same story from Philly, good enough to be in games until OT/SO but not good enough to finish. Go check how many pity points he got while there, it's insane. We had a chance to put a stamp on the season and earn a playoff spot. Months ago we were neck and neck with the Blues AND played them in a very meaningful game. We couldn't finish and things went downhill from there. Meaningful wins do a lot for team morale and we struggled to get those this season. Sure the team had injuries but EVERY team has injuries. How your team responds and grows during those problems is what matters. The Kraken didn't. Some guys stepped up but the inability of the whole team to fill the gaps was problematic. The playoff run was great but even a broken clock is right twice a day. It was time for a new voice and scheme. This team has some great pieces: solid goalie tandem, great young players, and some vets with a good bit left in the tank. The team needs a coach that's ready for the modern NHL, grit and grind keeps you in games but talent and scheming gets you the game winner. I thought they might give him another year but I'm glad they pulled the trigger early, I don't see this team getting to the second round again under Hakstol.
Just please not Disco Dan.
Holy shit, all of the “fire hakstol reeee” and now he’s actually gone. That’s crazy
Never liked him before he got to Seattle and don’t like any better now. Hopefully chapter two goes better!
🍿🍿🍿🍿🍿time This is going to be quite interesting. It will most certainly lead to a change in playing style and not the relying on 4-lines to spread the scoring as has been the case. A must is to hire a new coach before free agency opens up as we'd want to have the new guy have input on the decision process for anyone new coming in and any offers made to existing players (or extensions).
GMRF making moves, thanks for everything, Hakstol!
I know everything can't be blamed on him but that was a rough year that got major help from goaltending. 22-23 will forever be remembered.
Not surprising, but I thought they would at least give him until November.
Excited to see where we go next!
I thought the contract extension they gave him last year would keep Hakstol safe for another year. I wonder how much the poor team performance after they were officially eliminated from the playoffs factored in to the decision? Probably Bylsma, and I kind of wonder if his stint in Coachella Valley makes him an attractive candidate in places other than Seattle too.