The one post in which I say Don Cherry is onto something

The Kingston Whig-Standard offers their "hometown boy" article on the ascent of Scott Arniel to the head coaching position for the Columbus Blue Jackets.  A very nice piece, punctuated by some love for Kingston's other star player, Scott Howson:

"It was a dream to play in the NHL and it's been a dream to get back as a head coach," said Arniel, a member of the Kingston and District Sports Hall of Fame, along with his granddaddy Jimmy. 

"It's something I've been aspiring to for the past 11 years. Still, when the opportunity came I wanted to be sure I aligned myself with the right GM," he added, referring to former Kingston Canadian Scott Howson.

Pleasantries accomplished, the article morphed into a commentary from Don Cherry that, surprise-surprise, I kinda agree with...

Scott Howson on XM Home Ice today

[UPDATE: Light The Lamp has the interview available in MP3 format.]

On a lark, I tuned in to listen to Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson talk with Don LaGreca and E.J. Hradek on the noon-hour "NHL Live" show.  I didn't record or transcribe the appearance, but my memory is still kinda fresh.  So I'll take a stab at sharing the knowledge.

By and large, his comments weren't extraordinary.  He's excited about Scott Arniel, pumped about the draft.  But does anyone really say anything of value in these radio interviews?

Actually, they do.

First, Howson did not appear to discount the possibility of trading down.  He said that the number one and two picks (Hall/Seguin) were pretty well etched in stone.  But then, there's about 9 slots that are up in the air.  That says to me, "Make an offer, and I'll listen."

The Blue Jackets coaching search: Winners and Losers

The long-running saga that was the Columbus Blue Jackets coaching search has now ended, and it's now time to render judgement on the many goings-on since the end of the season.

As always, this blog is just my opinion.  If you don't like it, don't read it - or block my Twitter account - or whatever.  As Martini Hockey suggests, "Hockey commentary is not meant to be filtered. Raise a little hell, y'know?" So I'll do just that!

WINNERS

The Columbus Blue Jackets: As I've been saying all along, Scott Howson lined up a stable of four strong candidates. While each had their own combination of x's and o's and personality, any of them would be worthy of a head coaching job in the NHL.  They got one of the four.  Win.

Scott Howson: This is a man of his word, which carries him a lot farther in the league than some would think. He said he had a plan and executed that plan. He waited when he had to and moved nimbly when he could. Where process adjustments were necessary along the way, he made them. First-choice coach or second-choice, it really doesn't matter when all four candidates would make great coaches.  And he stayed tight-lipped throughout, which in the end is best for the Blue Jackets.

Scott Arniel: If you knew you weren't the top choice but badly wanted to coach the CBJ, would you (1) sulk and pass on a call from Scott Howson or (2) jump at the opportunity? Wisely, Arniel chose door number two and, in the process, made him a Columbus guy in a way that being the first choice could not have done. This man wants to be in Columbus. (And why wouldn't he?)

The CBJ blogging community: If you haven't been under a rock this off-season, you've noticed that the blogging community has been getting much better integrated.  We've built a community of knowledge that started with cross-links and quickly moved to the short-order, shared research project that was the Coaching Candidate Challenge. That's right, it took the blogosphere to do the legwork that helped tell the CBJ fan base about the four coaching prospects.  And it wasn't just one blog that did it all...there were a lot of us involved!

Rick Gethin: If you're the guy who writes what Puck Daddy calls "the definitive piece on Arniel," you're a winner. Rick - and The Hockey Writers - also wisely laid low during the entire process, letting the rest of us (major media included) spout off without knowing what we were really talking about. (Also, I now owe Rick an RBar pizza.  He bet on Arniel, I took the field.  Wise man, that Gethin...)

The Blue Jackets' blue line: I can't help but think that, with the exception of Kris Russell, they were panicking at the thought of being asked to implement Guy Boucher's manic scheme.  Arniel apparently likes his defense stout, which is more up our alley.

Steve Yzerman: He let Scott Howson do the legwork in extricating Guy Boucher's emotions from the Montreal organization and then struck at the eleventh hour. What an opportunist.

Jeff Little: More and more, Jeff is becoming the go-to man for perspective on what's really going on in the minds of the CBJ front office. His perspective on the coaching search also cooled the passions of many a CBJ fan throughout the process. Read his words carefully, folks, as there's a lot to what he says.

Claude Noel: A great coach, a classy guy and, in the end, a true company man. Some team is going to make him a permanent head coach someday, and they will be very, very happy that they did.  I'm genuinely sad that it didn't work out for him in Columbus.

Todd Sharrock: The CBJ PR chief finally can stop saying "No comment" in his sleep. Poor guy...this was a long process!

Losers after the fold....

Scott Arniel's introductory press conference

If you haven't watched it in its entirety and consider yourself a Columbus Blue Jackets fan, let me suggest you stop what you're doing and invest the time right now:



Thanks to the Blue Jackets for posting (and for making the video embeddable).

You saw my thoughts earlier...what are your impressions?

Howson, Dorsett on the Arniel hire

Let's whet your appetites.  First, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson on Scott Arniel's hire:




Now, forward Derek Dorsett, who has faced Arniel's Manitoba Moose team while he played for the CBJ's AHL team:




The Blue Jackets' twitter feed is promising actual press conference video soon...

Quick thoughts on the Arniel introductory presser

The Scott Arniel press conference just concluded, and I'll embed (or at least link to) the video as soon as its available. I did watch the press conference, though, and here's what I took in while chasing the Dark Blue Toddler around...

1. He says all the right things.  There's a level of competitive polish in Arniel that screams "professional" at the viewer.

2. He doesn't care about the outcomes for the other candidates.  There are 30 head coaching jobs in the NHL, and he's got one of 'em.  I kinda like that in a competitive leader.  You need a little, "I'm going to win, period" in your top dog.

3. He said that he had Columbus circled as the place he wanted to be.  That's solid.  If he is to be believed - and why not? - then he may have been our backup choice, but we weren't his.

4. The local Columbus tv guys can actually ask a hockey question - let alone find Nationwide Arena?  Who knew?

We're off to a good start to the 2010-2011 season!

The revolution WILL be televised

Got an email from Fox Sports Ohio:

Tune in to FOX Sports Ohio or visit www.FOXSportsOhio.com today at 3pm for live coverage of the press conference announcing the Columbus Blue Jackets’ new head coach. Blue Jackets General Manager Scott Howson will introduce the fifth head coach in franchise history.

Good for FSO, and for those of us who watch live events online only because we can't see them on TV!

I'm genuinely excited to see this presser.  Less of the "circus exhibition" wonder and curiosity that would have been a Boucher event, more of a "let's hear what the coach has to say" excitement.  Arniel's a solid hockey guy, and Howson knows how to pick his talent.  Should be good.

I got the news today

So I turn on my PC this morning, open up my email, and what's in the inbox?  Look for yourself:

(Scott and me, we're tight like that.)

So we have our coach - it's official!  Can't wait to see the introductory press conference at 3PM today.

Blue Jackets are negotiating with Scott Arniel

Again, so says The Dispatch.

Before I address Scott Arniel, let me get this off my chest: Thank God for Rick Gethin and The Hockey Writers.  Working in tandem with Matt Wagner at The Cannon and me, Rick took the Scott Arniel part of the DBJ Coaching Candidate Challenge and came up with a couple great articles to explain more about Arniel, his background and his coaching style - which you can find through the links to the left.  Quite literally, if it was not for Rick, we wouldn't know anything of substance on the man.  That's right, there was zero newspaper or other major media coverage on him beyond the "horse race".  So let's offer some kudos where they are deserved!

As for Arniel himself, he sounds like another great option for Scott Howson and the Columbus Blue Jackets.  His system isn't revolutionary like Guy Boucher's (but Boucher's is largely unproven at the NHL level, making his whole candidacy a risk), but what I like about Arniel - based off of what I've read from Rick's pieces as well as some back-chatter - is that he knows how to coach.  And teach.  And get lesser players to play better.  And win.  Arniel has an AHL Calder Cup under his belt, remember.

I am not disappointed in the least that it appears that Scott Arniel could become the next head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets.  The guy's clearly got talent, and a positive resolution to contract negotiations - especially in light of not being Howson's first choice - means that he really wants to be here in Columbus.  This team - and this town - can use that vote of confidence from a winner like him.

[UPDATE: Per the Columbus Blue Jackets' Twitter feed, it's done.  Press conference tomorrow at 3PM.  Welcome, Coach Arniel!]

Guy takes a pass

(Pardon me while I get my last look at my Guy Boucher graphic.  I really liked how that turned out.)

After a whirlwind weekend of public speculation over what the parties involved surely hoped would be a private dialogue, it appears that Guy Boucher has walked away from negotiations with the Columbus Blue Jackets and will not be the team's next head coach.

My take: Hiring Boucher represented the biggest risk Howson could have taken.  From his past record with other teams, it's very possible to presume that Boucher could have taken the Blue Jackets to incredible heights in a short period of time.  At the same time, Boucher has a unique system that apparently has not been tried much in the NHL (beyond some tinkering by Dallas' reprehensible coach, Marc Crawford).  If it didn't work, and if Boucher started getting real frustrated with that lack of success, what would he do?  Where would he turn?  He's a younger man (38) and has not tasted coaching failure.  It's not too hard to see such a scenario turning sour real quickly.  But that's not an issue any longer as Boucher is out of the running.

Guy Boucher is the choice?

So says The Dispatch.

Boucher, by far, is the riskiest of the four coaching options.  He's the youngest choice, runs a system that hasn't been tested in the NHL to any degree and has no direct experience in the NHL.  He also apparently is an incredible motivator and hockey mind, working wonders with both Drummondville (QJMHL) and Hamilton (AHL).

High risk, high reward?  Regardless, the upcoming season is going to be fun to watch...

[UPDATE: And The Dispatch says Boucher passed on the offer.]

How secure is Scott Howson in Columbus?

The [Toronto] Globe and Mail offered their take on The Hunt for Guy Boucher and offered this take on some of the back-channel issues that are being considered by Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson's Hamlet:

Our spies report that one of the factors that may weigh in Boucher’s decision is term of an eventual contract, and the long-term situation of Columbus general manager Scott Howson, whose contract expires next year and reportedly contains a clause that allows either he or the team to walk away this summer. 

If neither exercises the option, Howson will be extended through 2013. 

Boucher, being a smart guy, would probably prefer not to suddenly find himself working for a new GM.

This actually is a matter for not just Boucher but any potential coach or free agent who is looking at the Columbus Blue Jackets.  Who wants to sign up for a Howson-guided club only to see Howson bail out of town?  I was unaware of this clause and - presuming it's true, as I have no reason to think it's not - am now facing what I think might be my deepest, darkest fear for the future of the CBJ: That we could lose Howson just as things are finally hitting their stride.

Who is this Claude Noel?

Perhaps the most quickly dismissed of the four Columbus Blue Jackets coaching candidates is the team's current interim head coach, Claude Noel.  And the fan media has stepped up considerably in meeting the DBJ Coaching Candidate Challenge, with the exception of anything to summarize the background and approach of the man who's been under our noses all along.  So consider this my attempt to balance the scales, a follow-up to my Defense of Claude Noel (and Scott Howson), if you will.

In fairness to those who are dismissing his candidacy for the full-time coaching job, there is a fundamental logic in suggesting that if he was the coach of choice from the outset, he would have been hired by now.  The problem with that logic is, Scott Howson said that he was going to let Noel coach out the string and then conduct a full and thorough search for a permanent hire back when Noel was appointed as interim bench boss.  And Howson has once again proven to be a man of his word.  It may very well be that Noel ends up being the CBJ coach next year, but no one will say that Howson wasn't thorough - and that he took a long, hard look at the alternatives before sticking with his man.

In researching for this piece, I forgot how little Howson knew Noel when he promoted Claude from the assistant coaching position to the top spot for the balance of 2009-2010.  A couple of games after Noel was promoted, the Associated Press' Rusty Miller drafted this fantastic piece on Noel, his style and the impression he was making on Howson.  Howson really didn't know Claude at all...

Boucher on CBJ inquiry: "It's Flattering"

So says the Columbus Blue Jackets head coaching candidate himself.

He really said nothing of consequence in this cat-and-mouse episode with the press, so I'll just offer you the Google-translated link of the RDS story and call it at that.

Yet more on Boucher's system

One of the great things about building a network of online friends is that folks start looking out for you.  Take Kathy K of the Hab It Her Way blog, who referred me to this article in yesterday's edition of The (Montreal) Gazette which summarizes Columbus Blue Jackets head coaching candidate Guy Boucher's system and coaching style from a player attending the Montreal Canadiens' development camp, which is going on as I type:

Boucher believes in pushing the puck forward during a game at all times. There's no circling behind your net to set up a rush and players are encouraged to dump the puck out of their own zone at the first opportunity.

...

"I've seen a lot of good systems. (Former Canadiens assistant coach) Clement Jodoin had a good system in Rimouski, but I think Guy's system is good. The puck is always going forward. We make sure the puck never stays in our zone."

More Dineen, Arniel background information

The DBJ Coaching Candidate Challenge continues rolling along, and we're finally getting some real perspective on the people behind the CBJ coaching search!

I've gotta hand it to Matt Wagner at The Cannon and Rick Gethin at The Hockey Writers.  Those guys know how to dig around on Scott Howson's Columbus Blue Jackets head coaching candidates.  They reached out to hockey experts in the coaches' current towns and uncovered some excellent background information on who these coaches are and what they bring to their hockey clubs.  Both of their articles are rather thorough examinations of their subjects.

First, Wagner's "The Man They Call Dino".  (Excellent use of the nickname, Matt!)  Matt, too, contacted Chris Roy at the Maine Hockey Journal (who by now has to be wondering what's up in Columbus!) but also Dan Hickling, Portland Pirates beat writer for the York County Journal Tribune.  Big takeaways for me come not from the quotes from his sources but instead from his commentary:

It's not surprising that someone who played 18 years in the league as a hard charger and leader of men (Captain in Philly, Hartford, and Carolina, and arguably should have had the title in Columbus over Lyle Odelein) would demand hard work and know how to light a fire under his players, but it's interesting to see both the positive and negative side effects. While I doubt that the team would be risking a team-wide "tuning out" as Ken Hitchcock suffered, it still would be a possible concern for the front office should Dino get the nod.

CBJ Coaching Challenge update

Just a quick note on my challenge to CBJ bloggers and media to actually give us some substance to consider about the four candidates to coach the Columbus Blue Jackets over the days ahead...

Activity is starting to pick up.  The Hockey Writers posted a piece with some information on Manitoba's Scott Arniel.  The crux of the article is right here (but go check out the real thing for the videos):

Players who have served time under Arniel have had good things to say about their coach. Jason Krog noted that Arniel was “very innovative with his coaching and the systems we play,” and also said, “He doesn’t limit creativity. I think guys respect that.” Nolan Baumgartner said, “He knows his stuff and his biggest strength is how he can teach the systems that he puts in place.”

Eric Smith of HockeyBuzz has loaned himself out to Fox Sports Ohio and offers this piece on Guy Boucher.  Here's a taste for you:

Boucher is the youngest of the candidates and the most inventive when it comes to his style of play. His 1-3-1 style is very unusual when it comes to the NHL. The way he plays it isn't done at all as he puts a defenseman on the left side of the 3 players instead of the middle. He will take risk so that he can find reward. To put it to you short and sweet, he is the opposite of former head coach Ken Hitchcock.

The only bad thing that you will hear about the red hot coaching prospect other than a lack of experience is that most have said that he is extremely arrogant. As I have never met the man, I can't say if this is over stated or not. Howson will want a very confident coach behind the bench as long as it doesn't cross the line.

Who is this Kevin Dineen?

Almost as soon as it was announced that Ken Hitchcock would be replaced on an interim basis by Claude Noel as head coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, the name "Kevin Dineen" entered the dialogue about Hitchcock's permanent successor.  It came from fans, from bloggers, from professional media members, from "hockey insiders" across the league.  Dineen was the presumptive favorite to take over as bench boss for the Boys in Union Blue.  That hasn't changed in many (most?) of these minds, too, although CBJ general manager Scott Howson's holding up the entire hiring process to interview Guy Boucher seems to have opened some minds to Boucher's candidacy.

(Side note: Claude Noel still gets nowhere near the respect his pedigree and performance as interim head coach demands, in my opinion, and Scott Arniel is functionally unknown to those watching the Blue Jackets - a crying shame in both cases.  I remain convinced that any of the four candidates would make an outstanding head coach for the Columbus Blue Jackets, with each coach having their own attributes.)

Any reader of this blog knows that I feel that the fan/media dialogue over the potential coaches of the Columbus Blue Jackets has taken place without much actual substance to back up assertions (something I've challenged fans, bloggers and media alike to address though Howson may now be too far along for all but the full-time media to conduct any research).  Absent any meaningful points of comparison, Dineen perhaps has had the greatest advantage in this "horse race" discussion due to the sense of familiarity that Blue Jackets have with him as a part of the roster from 2000-2003, and then as a Player Development Coach for the Jackets for two seasons.  I don't think it's an overstatement in Dineen's case to say that he fits the role of "favorite son" in this four-candidate pool.  Such status carries people a long way in the general dialogue, especially in a community with as storied a college athletics program as the Ohio State University's.  Columbus loves its alumni, and such a warm feeling between fans and living legends isn't limited to the Buckeyes.  We still have soft spots for (most) ex-CBJers as well.

Problem is, the Kevin Dineen of 2010 isn't the same one that left Columbus in 2005.  He became the head coach of the Portland Pirates, an AHL affiliate first of the Anaheim Ducks and then the Buffalo Sabres.  He's developed a coaching style all his own, with his own way to manage the x's and o's - not to mention the personalities in the locker room.  And I hadn't seen any discussion of this from anyone thus far.

Simply put, who is this Kevin Dineen?  What's he like today?  Are the attributes that he brings to the table what we as Blue Jackets Nation need in our next head coach?

Columbus: A great place to be an NHL coach

I've read with interest the chatter across the inter-tubes vis a vis the hiring of Steve Yzerman as Tampa Bay Lightning general manager and Columbus Blue Jackets General Manager Scott Howson's ongoing search for a (permanent) head coach.  My observation is that there is a tendency in both the fan base and media to automatically place Columbus behind other markets in terms of attractiveness to a possible coach.  This presumption of inferiority is confusing and deserves to be challenged.

I'll admit my bias toward Columbus to anyone willing to listen and honestly feel that Columbus should be one very attractive club for any prospective coach - at least as attractive as any current openings if not moreso.  Passion aside, step back from the situation and look at it objectively:

• We have one of the youngest teams in the NHL (Average age: 26.3)
• Only five players on the entire roster are 30 or older
• Our youngest players arguably are among our most talented - Nash, Voracek, Brassard, Tyutin, Russell, Stralman and Mason are all 25 or younger - suggesting that the upside potential of this club is huge
• Our prospect pool is far from depleted - Filatov, Calvert, Moore and Savard...not to mention the Blundens and Clitsomes that bounce back and forth between the AHL and the NHL
• We have another potentially great draft coming up (#4 overall and 3 picks in the top 60), which will further develop our prospect pool 
• We are roughly $10 million under the salary cap, and ownership has indicated a willingness to add salary if justified
• We have a ridiculously patient ownership history that has been reinforced through the ongoing arena ownership/lease saga
• We have a President/GM tandem that clearly has a plan and won't veer from it without...well, a losing streak of epic proportion (Sorry, Mr. Hitchcock)
• We have one of the premier arena/training facilities in the country, one that other NHL teams are lifting up as an example 
• We have a community that is one incredible sports town -- a powder-keg of a fan base that's waiting to explode in support of a consistent winner 

Another Boucher nugget

Perhaps inspired by the CBJ Coaching Search Challenge, Kathy K (Twitter's @Czechtacular and blogger at Hab it her way) offers this gem of a blog post from November on Columbus Blue Jackets candidate Guy Boucher.  To me, the big takeaway is this:

Guy Boucher is a man who values work ethic. If you don't fight hard enough to get even close to that tying goal, your level of talent (or lack thereof) immediately becomes void. He wouldn't shy away from telling letting the media know what he felt was lacking, either. In a single press conference, he can be asked just one question, "What went wrong tonight?" and be able to leave everyone with soundbytes worth an entire newscast. But he's not a man that singles out a particular player. When he's ashamed of a loss, it's because he knows his team could do better.