Glen Sather is now conducting a job hunt for his 6th head coach. What is the record for most head coaches hired and fired under a GM anyway? When is this GM going to be held accountable for the failures of his many coaches?
Michael Kay of ESPN New York radio, FM 98.7, is one of the few media personalities, who has consistently been an outspoken critic of New York Rangers GM, Glen Sather. Here at the start of the podcast of his May 29th, ESPN radio show Kay tears into the "Teflon" GM, and asks why hasn't Glen Sather been fired. His sidekick and MSG radio guy, Don La Greca, does his job in carrying water for the MSG organization.
Later on (at the 35:40 mark) they discuss the coaching candidates with Barry Melrose.
ESPN Radio:
The Michael Kay Show: 5/29 --
Did John Tortorella deserve to be fired? How has Sather lasted?
Michael Kay:
You could make points on why this guy (Tortorella) should be fired... His system doesn't seem like it's a smart system, when you have a great goalie. The power play was abysmal this year. They (the Rangers) can't score. They just can't. So I get it...
But when you have a GM, who seems to be Teflon, for lack of a better word. And then he has the gall, the unmitigated gall to pretty much say Stanley Cup or bust when you haven't won anything in your 13 years running the Rangers. Many of those years without the restraints of a salary cap, when you could have got any player you wanted, spent any money you wanted and still didn't go to the playoffs. I think you have to be held accountable as well. That's my problem with his firing... not so much that Tortorella is gone, but that Sather is still there saying what he is saying. And this is a very experienced guy. He's been in hockey forever. He played for the Rangers so he knows what New York is about. For him to use that phraseology about well, you know, we're in it to win the Stanley Cup. And, you know, he (Tortorella) didn't get it done. Well, neither did you and you still have your job. Obviously he can't speak to himself being fired. And Jim Dolan doesn't talk, publicly. I'd like to ask Jim Dolan, why does Glen Sather still have his job?
Teflon is the only way to describe it. Katie Strang confirmed that the Rangers extended Tortorella's contract for three more seasons during the season so now they will be paying him for four years instead of one. Seriously? How does this guy keep his job? How in the world does he get away with throwing away so much money? He extended Tortorella's contract with a year and a half left on his existing contract proving to the world that he has no idea what is going on with his team. He goes to management, tells them this is his man, he wants to stick with this coach, he believes the coach can win but he has to trade Gaborik in order to do it. So he trades Gaby and signs the coach to a new deal only to find out that the players are done with him and don't want to play for him anymore. Now he has to go to management and tell them he was forced to fire the coach he just made a major move for but hey, you don't mind do you Jimmy? Nah Glen knows he can do whatever the hell he wants. Money is no object in NY. Unreal.
So the latest is that the teams who are searching for a new head coach are waiting it out a little to see if the Pens decide to fire their coach before they make their decisions. The thought of Dan Bylsma becoming available is very exciting but its doubtful that will happen. If Pens management is smart they will recognize that the problems they have are not with the coach and being that they went out and got Vokoun to back up Fluery, then tried to shore up their D, it seems they are aware of their weaknesses. I will be shocked if they fire Bylsma but hey, I was shocked the Rangers fired disagreeable so I guess you never know. Aside from that it seems the Rangers are focusing on Vigneault, Eakins and Messier. All three are good candidates in my opinion but I want Messier above all. My logic tells me that Vigneault will get the job but my gut tells me Mess is the man. I have a very strong feeling about Mark and I always knew he would one day be coach of the Rangers, if that day is coming this fall, I don't know. I do know that the day he lifted the French's (Mustard) Cup in London during the 1993 preseason I was 100% positive he would lift the Stanley Cup in June of 1994. Now I don't know if I have that same feeling about 2014 right at this moment but I do recall a few seasons ago somewhere around 2009/2010 saying that I thought the rangers were building for about 5 years from then and having a feeling they might win on the 20th anniversary of 1994. I haven't felt that since, but when Torts was fired and Messier said he was interested in becoming coach that feeling returned. I don't know. I'm just rambling, but that's my gut feeling. I know Mark has no head coaching experience but he's Mark Messier. Genetically built for challenge and genetically built to win. He is a born leader and born to coach. Surround him with a large coaching staff and let's see. I completely believe in him.
Jen - I share your view that Vigneault might be the logical choice of the Rangers, but Mess is the sentimental choice.
No wonder Torts was surprised by the turn of events that led to, first, a contract extension, followed by a firing. I have to chalk it up to the rapid collapse of player confidence in him from around the time Avery tweeted out his put down of Torts, to Torts saying Hags "stinks" on the PP, shortly followed by the players exit interviews all going thumbs down.
They call Bylsma the anti-Torts and for no other reason I like him based on that alone. But I don't think the Pens would let him go to the Rangers and then have to face him all the time. That's a sure way to make Pens management look dumb if the Rangers caught fire with him behind the bench.
Even though the the coaching decision looms large, I think the health of Lundqvist particularly his knees will determine if they can meet that 5 year plan. HK will be 32 next March. Marty Brodeur was 31 when he won his last cup with NJ in 2003. Whoever the coach is they will have to give the King lots of rest in the years to come. None of this playing him until he drops.
Mike, this comment has nothing to do with the related article. However, I'm not sure if you are aware of the change on on your site over the last 6 hours.
Around noon today 6/1313 I accessed the site and clicked on the usual sites I read with their specific webdesign. You're posts of these other sites always have a lead-in story.
Six hours later we just have the site name and everything has a God-awful generic design that is truly so un-appetizing to read.
I hope this ias an abberation, what is sometimes called a glitch...
I'm hoping it's a glitch, if not, whoever designed it needs serios help!!!!!!
anon - looks like it was just a glitch, because every thing looks fine now.