John Stevens is similar to other assistant coaches in the NHL, one that aspires to be head coach.
Stevens is a prime candidate to be a bench boss next year, especially since he was head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers from 2006-09 (record of 120-109-34 with one Conference final appearance) and is currently an assistant with the LA Kings. He became Darryl Sutter’s main assistant when the Kings won their first Cup in 2012.
Last year at nearly this same time you may recall Stevens was a leading candidate to become coach of the Vancouver Canucks, but that was before John Tortorella became available. This year Stevens was considered a front-runner to replace Torts (and he still may be), however, Dan Bylsma emerged on to the scene following his release from the Pittsburgh Penguins last week.
Is it possible that Stevens will lose in consecutive years to a head coach with a ring? This is not to compare Bylsma to Tortorella in terms of style, however, circumstances are similar as both can boast of coaching a Cup champion.
The Canucks GM may be different, going from Mike Gillis to Jim Benning, but Bylsma is looking for work, just like Torts was in June of 2013. Tortorella, who won his Cup with Tampa in 2004, took over the New York Rangers in February of 2009. His next job was in Vancouver. Bylsma became coach of the Penguins, you guessed it, in February of 2009. So will his next job be in Vancouver?
“He’s an interesting name, for sure. We’re going to wait until the NHL is done and the AHL is done. We’re going to do our due diligence on this. We want to make sure we pick the right guy that’s right for this group. So we’re going to take our time and do the work. It has gone good so far and I expect it to keep going good,” Benning told the Vancouver Sun when asked about Bylsma, who is also on the Florida Panthers short list.
The Canucks are waiting for the AHL to conclude because reportedly they want to interview Willie Desjardins, who is coaching the Texas Stars in the Calder Cup final against the St John’s Icecaps, a series that could drag on until June 23rd (the date of game 7). Junior hockey fans may recall that Desjardins was the coach of the Medicine Hat Tigers when they won the WHL Championship in 2004.
Speculation for these type of high profile jobs never ends. The Vancouver Province even reported that former Canucks coach Marc Crawford, who desperately wants to return to the NHL, (after coaching the last two seasons in Switzerland) is a dark horse candidate for a second stint behind the Canucks bench. That may be a stretch since the Canucks are promoting a new regime with Benning and Trevor Linden and hiring a recycled coach would not fit the image. Crawford coached Vancouver for seven years before Alain Vigneault took over in 2006.
I am not sure what the odds are for each of these candidates landing the Canucks job, but would it be fair to suggest in John’s case that it would be Even Steven(s)?
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The Vancouver Canucks are trying to change their circus like atmosphere image, which is why Linden and Benning were hired. Even though it may not seem like a huge priority at the moment, with the coaching search on going and the NHL Draft scheduled for June 27-28, the Canucks need to act quickly on the Ryan Kesler front. The last thing Vancouver wants is something similar to the Luongo-Schneider fiasco which lingered far too long. It ended with both goalies getting traded which played a huge role in the team digressing.
Media reports indicate that the 29-year-old premier power forward still wants to be traded, a request he apparently made before the March 5th trading deadline. Rumours suggest that Kesler, who has two more years left on his contract at an attractive $5 million per season, has a list of six teams he’s willing to be traded to.
Of course the Canucks do not want to give him away, but it would be wise for the team to make a statement he is staying put for the next two seasons or send him to the highest bidder this summer.
By being pro-active, Linden and Benning will garner the respect of a decision that is decisive and hopefully in the team’s best long term interest.
From the Quote Rack:
At the MLB first-year player baseball draft, Bud Selig twice added 18,000 years to the date when he kept saying the ‘20,014’ Draft. Between picks, he must’ve been reading Wilt Chamberlain’s autobiography.
California Chrome co-owner Steve Coburn regrets his post-Belmont rant–he now wishes he’d have first consulted with Richard Sherman.
Contributor Bill Littlejohn of South Lake Tahoe, California
California Chrome owner Steve Coburn’s rant after the Belmont Stakes may have cost him and the colt some endorsements. But maybe they’re still in line for a deal with California wine.
Lebron James says “I know I’m the easiest target that we have in sports, I’m aware of it.” And A-Rod responded “Who am I, chopped liver?”
Contributor Janice Hough of Palo Alto, California www.leftcoastsportsbabe.com
LeBron James was voted a first team all star on 124 of 125 ballots. The disapproving vote was cast by Lennox Air Conditioners.
When California Chrome’s trainer prepared him for The Belmont with a nasal strip, he should have also slapped duct tape on owner Steve Coburn.
Comedy writer TC Chong of Vancouver (http://alwaysfunny.com/)
Police in China hired a 7-Foot-6 retired basketball player as a traffic cop because his size gets the attention of motorists. Effective? It’s already cut down on lane violations.
Rice’s football team got a commitment from quarterback JT Granato by sending a recruitment offer to his cat. So if Granato makes the team, he’ll be starting from scratch.
Comedy writer RJ Currie www.Sportsdeke.com
And in case you missed it:
The San Antonio Spurs are selling a special “3 Pointer” sandwich in the finals which is made up of three barbecued meats, three cheeses, onions and sauce on Texas Toast. Otherwise known in Texas as “breakfast.”
Jim Barach of WCHS-TV in Charleston, W.Va. http://jokesbyjim.blogspot.com/
Hartley Miller is the sports director for radio station 94X. His column appears Fridays on hqprincegeorge.com. Send along a quote, note, or anecdote to [email protected]
Follow him on twitter: @Hartley_Miller