Hockey Night in Canada's Scott Morrison delivers his insights into the world of hockey, on and off the ice.
Another coach bites the dust
Comments (7)
Monday, November 27, 2006 | 03:13 PM ET
By Scott Morrison
There are two reasons why Trent Yawney is now referred to as the former head coach of the Chicago Blackhawks and the third coaching casualty of the NHL season.
One, his team wasn't winning.
Two, his team wasn't winning and it wasn't playing the style that his general manager wanted.
It is a deadly combination. And the last word generally goes to the general manager in differences.
"The bottom line is wins and losses and we needed to win more," Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon said in a statement. "We've had some injuries, but in spite of that we're a better team than our record shows. We've won three of our last 15 games and we decided to go in a different direction. We want to play a more up-tempo style game."
Yawney might argue that injuries affected both the winning and the style the Blackhawks were playing, or he felt they should play. Remember, they got off to a good start, winning four of their first six games, averaging more than four goals a night in the process. But then winger Martin Havlat, who was leading the league in scoring, got hurt and hasn't yet returned. Then centre Michal Handzus, who was off to a great start, was lost for the season. Even goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin missed a week with a finger injury.
With their three best players out of the lineup, the Blackhawks went into a predictable nose dive losing eight straight (the streak beginning the night Havlat got hurt) and 12 of 15. In those 15 games, the Hawks scored just 24 goals. One would argue the loss of the big scorers hurt the offence, which it did, but others would suggest the coach also decided to change the way the team played.
It was late last week, though, after losing three straight on the road and scoring just three goals, that there was a strong sense a change could be in the offing in Chicago. The losses and lack of offence were just part of it. Though Yawney insisted he and Tallon were on the same page, it was quite obvious and public that the GM wanted certain young players, Tony Salmelainen and Jeff Hamilton to name two, given more playing time. The coach acquiesced and afterwards offered the following: "Hopefully, everybody is happy with their ice time."
He later insisted it was not a shot at his boss.
It is obvious from Tallon's comments, though, that regardless of the injuries he didn't believe the Blackhawks were going to win playing the defensive style Yawney preferred. So now they are in the hands of Denis Savard, one of the greatest offensive stars the franchise has known. Another obvious statement.
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About the Author
Scott Morrison, the recipient of the Hockey Hall of Fameís 2006 Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, has been covering hockey for 25 years. The Toronto native began his career at the Toronto Sun in 1979. After spending more than 11 years as a hockey writer and columnist at the paper, Morrison became Sports Editor in 1991 and led the section to being named one of North America's top-ten sports sections in 1999 - the first sports section in Canada to receive the AP Sports Editors North American Award. Scott, a former two-term president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, joined Rogers Sportsnet in 2001 as Managing Editor, Hockey, and is currently both a commentator on Hockey Night in Canada and a columnist for CBC.ca.
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Comments (7)
bob mocek
Yawney had to go. The team was going nowhere under his lead, but something to keep in mind is the "culture" of this "organizaton." According to my unreliable math, the average tenure (going all the way back to Pete Muldoon, 1926-27) of a Blackhawk coach is about 2.5 seasons.
Why not join the rest of us loyal Hawk fans and point the finger at ownership and upper management, especially Bob Pulford. I often think he's really a Maple Leaf mole planted in Chicago to destroy us and make them stronger in the process!
Bob Mocek
Posted November 29, 2006 04:30 PM
Matt
Waterloo
Well, I guess my suggested blog hit the nerve I figured it would hit. Scott you blog appears to have shut down about the topic of Chicago and the blog on Team Quebec has exploded.
Might I point out that I had my blog posted at November 28, 2006 10:25 AM. The "Your View" blog "Should Québec have its own national hockey team?" was posted at November 28, 2006 | 11:00 AM ET
I am impressed with the CBC's response time.
Scott I would still love to hear your take on the issue. The blog sounds pretty negative towards the idea...let us hear from you.
Posted November 29, 2006 01:51 PM
Matt
Waterloo
Hey Scott Morrison, this is a pretty weak blog as you can see by the number of hits everyone has posted on it. I don't believe anyone really cares about the Blackhawks or their coaching issues.
Perhaps you should start a blog about your take on the possibility of Team Quebec for the 2008 World Championship. Mr. Guy Bertrand, constitutional lawyer, is back making his pitch to “Whomever” to make Team Quebec a reality.
Sure that type of blog may be a little politically charged, but I would love to hear what all of your readers would have to say about the topic.
Also, if you happen to know, you could comment on what Team Quebec would consist of. Would it be players born in Quebec? Or would it have to be French-Only speaking players born in Quebec.
From what I understand of the House motion recently passed only Québécois are recognized as a nation, which are the French-speaking people of Quebec, and not the actual Province of Quebec.
Posted November 28, 2006 10:25 AM
Chuck D
Toronto
When are the Blackhawks going to wake up and , the longer the Wirtz Family owns the team the longer they will never be a contender in the new NHL.
Posted November 28, 2006 09:02 AM
Bambino
Newfoundland
What can you say. They got off to a flying start, the red lamp was flashing often and the Bulin Wall was his old self again. Then Havlat and Handzus went down, soon after Bulin was out. How can you win when two of your top scorers are out? Havlat played 7 games and is still listed as the teams second leading scorer, tied with Smolinski who played 21 games. Go figure. Handzus played 8 games, he's third in scoring.
Certainly it isn't Yawney's fault that his stars got hurt. Something that is out of his control. Left with pluggers and a young group trying to make a name for themselves in the league, goals are going to be hard to come by. Any man is going to have trouble taking those reigns.
Good luck to Denny Savard, but he will find out soon enough that no spinnarama will turn this team around this year.
Posted November 28, 2006 08:51 AM
kid
montreal
Why does the coach have to pay if his players don't give their 100% every game...It's like the Flyers or Columbus, players don't listen to the coach, so they lose and after that we wonder what's happening and the next thing we know is that the coach is fired...Will see if it change anything to hire a new coach and let's hope that GM Tallon isn't the next to lose is job.
Posted November 27, 2006 05:54 PM
Daniel Lavigne
I think, from a fan's view (not a Hawk fan but a hockey fan) that Yawney's dismissal is unfair considering the injuries. But if you don't go with management's visions on coaching you will pay the price. I think Savard will be a great coach because he had the time to learn the coaching aspect, first with Montreal assisting Jacques Demers in the '93 Stanley cup run (while injured)and the last eight years in Chicago. Bonne chance Denis.
Posted November 27, 2006 04:43 PM