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From NBC4i.com:
Columbus Blue Jackets Fire Ken Hitchcock
By Denise YostThe struggling Columbus Blue Jackets have fired defensive-minded Ken Hitchcock, a year after the club made the postseason for the first time in history. Assistant coach Claude Noel was elevated Wednesday to lead the team on an interim basis.
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And I am not that surprised
“This season has been very disappointing for the Blue Jackets organization and our fans and the responsibility for that rests with all of us from management to the coaches and players,†said Howson. “Hitch worked tirelessly to build an identity for this team that was missing before he arrived and deserves a great deal of credit for those efforts. He earned and received the opportunity to turn things around this season, but unfortunately that has not happened and it has become apparent that change is in the best interest of our organization. Claude Noel is a good hockey coach with a proven track record in the American Hockey League. He knows our team and is deserving of this opportunity.â€Â
I have tickets for the 12th. It should be an interesting game considering the team would have had a week to shake off the shock and alter their game style under Noel’s direction. I’m just very sorry to see Hitch go. He got a bum rap from the Flyers years back, but this time it’s probably the right move.
We’re going tomorrow night. Wonder how the atmosphere in the arena will be?
I wish Hitchcock well, but the losing skid had long passed its due date – and firing 20 players is not easy.
I am not a big fan of mid-season changes like this. It is not like the new guy has much of a chance to turn this season around.
I think this is a collassal mistake by the CBJ. Yeah, it’s easier to fire the coach than the players. But this team is SOFT. Hitch bears responsibility for that, obviously. But he’s a proven winner, and the CBJ just dumped the only real head coach they’ve had in 10 years. Bad move in my opinion.
I’m not sure how much, if anything, Hitchcock has had to do with Mason’s horrible season but he’s shattered the confidence of Brassard and Voraceck and who knows where Filatov would be now with a coach that knows how and when to use his younger players. Hitch has created a country club atmosphere with the stationary biking. I’d also like to think the optional practice after the Kings game last week, when the Kings used their practice rink before heading to Boston, had a bit to do with his dismissal.
Too much on my mind to post in this thread. My take on the firing of Hitchcock can be found here.
Good read, made me feel a little more hopeful.
That was a good analysis and hits home to the very point I’ve made this entire season: apathy. How does the team expect to actually have fans care about them, when they seemingly don’t care?
Every game, I watch as they lumber around the ice and slap at the puck. Then I watch other teams, like the wings, and think, “Ahhh, now that’s what hockey is supposed to look like.”
Another thought I would add to why he had to go: the only thing that Hitch couldn’t change is backtracking and taking away the C on Nash’s jersey. As I look back, I think making him captain was the beginning of the end. At first, I (and everyone else) felt happy for Nash and thought it was a good move, but, as it played out, he’s a terrible captain. But how do you take it away from him? I can’t imagine the backlash you’d get as coach if you stripped him of captain after you, yourself, gave it to him.
He’s our best player, sure, but how do you expect him to lead a team when he says in a quiet, monotone voice, “We’re gunna goh out there and score, eh, and send ‘em hohm.” I’d love to have a captain that actually shows emotion and can show that he can lead a team – light a fire under their ass when needed, motivate them, and help to build the team, by, ahem, showing up to everything (optional or not). I’m not on the team, so I can’t say whether he’s actually looked up to and respected or not, but it’s hard for me to believe that he is.
I really think that was his first mistake that didn’t come to light until too late. The rest of his mistakes were trying to correct and cover up that big boo-boo.
Yeah, the question about Nash’s captaincy and what to do about it is very fair. The only recent precedent is with the San Jose Sharks, who demoted their captain (Marleau) this past summer. That move has worked out very, very well for them as Marleau seems to be flourishing with that weight off his chest. But the Sharks have been one of the best REGULAR season teams in the league for the past three years, their problem is they lose in the first round of the playoffs every year, so if they play poorly again in the playoffs this year, what then?
With regards to Columbus, Nash is the superstar and the face of the franchise. He also has a contract for the next 7+ years, so he’s not going anywhere. Anyone who has read the Dispatch knows that time and again the real heart and soul of the team seems to be R.J. Umberger, who takes himself very seriously and is one of the toughest guys on the team. He’s played up and down the line-up all year, on the wing and at center, and he’s never once complained. He seems to be more vocal than Nash, and maybe taking the captaincy away from Nash would let him focus on just scoring goals.
I think it’s less likely now that Nash will lose the captaincy since the coaching situation is up in the air. If we hire a new coach over the summer and then have another terrible season, maybe then we change captaincy. Nash would have to screw up in a big way off the ice to lose it now, and that’s just not going to happen because he keeps a very low and professional profile away from the rink.
Interesting. I’ve been saying all season that Umberger should be our captain. Maybe he’s an unofficial captain within the team?
What’s next for Hitch?
By Joshua A. Davidson
Published: Sunday, February 7, 2010
With Ken Hitchcock having been dispatched by the Columbus Blue Jackets, the question remains: What’s next for the Edmonton, Alberta native?
READ MORE