New Coach To Come In About An Hour

Over the last few months, there has been much speculation, to go along with numerous rumors, about where the Devils might have been leaning in terms of hiring a new head coach.  All of this ends today at 3:30 PM, when the team will have a press conference at the Prudential Center introducing the new man in charge.

There have been reports throughout the day…everything from Michel Therrien being out, to Ken Hitchcock as well, to Peter DeBoer being a potential candidate, and much, much more.  However, I think it would be smart of us all to hold off on the rumors, and be patient for the next two hours.  Is there a chance the name might leak sooner?  Absolutely.  But if it does not, why not let Uncle Lou be the one to let us know, or whoever it might be at the podium?

The one thing we can be pretty sure of is that Jacques Lemaire will not return as more than a consultant.  Lemaire has made it clear that he will not be the one whose name is read aloud today, although many of us would have loved to hear his name.  Lemaire brought the Devils from the NHL’s basement at one point last year up the Eastern Conference ladder in what ultimately was an exciting chase of a playoff spot.  At one point, it looked as though the Devils had a good shot at pulling off the incredible; however, a couple of losses in mid-March proved that this run might have been slightly too little, and much too late.  Nevertheless, it was incredible to get to watch a completely different team in the second half last year, and we can thank Lemaire for much of that.

Of course, the Devils’ last offseason hire was just a year ago, when the team decided to go with former Devil John Maclean, who was fresh off leading the Lowell Devils (who would move to Albany for the next season) to their first ever playoff berth.  These were exciting times in New Jersey; Kovalchuk would be “signed” shortly after (then not signed, then signed again after just a couple of nailbiting months), and the team looked to have a more offensive approach, with two of the best left wings in the sport and a more offensive-minded man in charge.  But it was not to be; the team struggled out of the gate, and continued to struggle all the way to last place in the league (after tussling with the Islanders to stay out of that spot).  At 9-22-1, the front office had decided they had seen enough, and made the decision to cut Maclean loose.

Now, the Devils once again search for a head coach.  It sounds like a broken record.  While the team may be skeptical of once again looking inward for the right guy (as they probably should be), it would be interesting to see if Larry Robinson would be up for reclaiming his former job.  Scott Stevens seems even less likely than Robinson would be, but I’m sure either one would be embraced by the fanbase.  However, after last year, I (as well as many of you, I am sure) would feel more comfortable with someone who has had experience in the past (whether it be a Therrien, Hitchcock, Carbonneau, etc.), over someone new who, while potentially impressive in other coaching endeavors, might not be ready for what the NHL has to offer.

So now, we must wait and see who the new man in charge will be.  Certainly, there are a handful of candidates who we have heard our fair share about; however, we have been surprised in the past, and if the name you hear right around 3:30 surprises you at first, take a second to think before questioning the move.  Trust me…I’m sure the front office spent much time for evaluation as well.

When the new coach is announced, I will try to put up a short article about their accolades and history in the sport.  However, I will have to go out shortly after the announcement; by some time tomorrow, I hope to have a long analysis of the man we chose on Pucks and Pitchforks.

I am also trying to find out if/how us fans can watch the announcement live.  I will be sure to post how if I hear any word of this.

-Drew