Another good coach fired by the players

by Outcast on Feb 4, 2010 12:41 PM EST

Well after the proverbial "vote of confidence" a couple of weeks ago the Jackets did it. They fired one of the best coaches in hockey. Hitch basically got fired by a group of numb skulls ( i.e. the players), because to quote that moron of Filatov, he was "too defensive". Meanwhile this rookie, had only had fewer than 50 games in the NHL. But he got mad whe Hitch benched him because of his laziness(ie not coming back on D). This is the way it goes sadly. The jackets are not going anywhere, so they should have sent a mesage to the players, like the bruins did (so far anyway) about Julien, It is the easy way out for bad GM's.

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A lot of times when coaches get the axe, it’s perceived as the first step in firing the GM, unless of course we’re talking about the Rangers. I remember when the Pens fired Therrien there was a lot of talk focused around whether or not Ray Shero would be next. Hindsight, that would’ve been ridiculous. but at the time there was a lot of heat on Shero.

Hitchcock’s best days were no doubt with Dallas back in the 90s. He made the playoffs 5 out of 7 years with the team and even then his firing kinda came out of the blue midseason along the likes of Therrien.

Hitch will coach again if he wants to. No doubt about it. Teams will want to bring him on board and he’ll get the job if he wants it. But to be honest, I think firing Hitchcock will do little for the quick success turnaround for Columbus.

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by FrankD on Feb 4, 2010 2:59 PM EST reply actions

There’s no team that succeeds without a strong and committed defensive play by the forwards. It’s just ridiculous for the players to complain for such a thing.

I really think Filatov is a very gifted offensive player, but if he doesn’t develop a team-first mentality he’ll be stuck in the KHL scoring highlight reel goals for most of his career

You have to see it for yourself...

by Bla Razor on Feb 6, 2010 5:45 AM EST reply actions

Filatov weighs like 170. He’s good with the puck, but on a small rink and in a physical atmosphere, he doesn’t excel. I thought that showed from his WJC games, I didn’t even think he was the best Russian player.

There’s no doubt Filatov has talent and a ton of offensive skill, but I just don’t think his game (or mentality) meshes very well with the way professional hockey is played in North America.

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by Hooks Orpik on Feb 6, 2010 8:16 PM EST up reply actions

Agree with you Hooks, as usal you nailed it. That’s what makes so ridiculous for him to complain, when a coach with a ton of knowledge is trying to mold him to be a better player, he complains and goes to momies house(KHL). He might not make it there either.

by Outcast on Feb 8, 2010 10:36 PM EST up reply actions