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Denis Savard fired


JoeLassister

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I did like Chicago, but now this? Great way to treat a legend especially considering that the teams he has coached have been up until now - unbalanced.

I think this is premature.

I'll say. They stumbled out of the gate, sure, but he gets fired after winning his first game? And only 4 games into the season? Very strange.

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I'm not surprised, they hired Coach Q to scout Colorado area prospects but everyone knew he was really there to take over for Savard. I think Dreger or MacKenzie wrote about it.

I didn't think they'd make the switch this quickly though especially since they won last night.

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I'm not surprised....
I hear you loud and clear jetsniper, but why maintain Denis at that position before camp? They should have done this over the summer and started with Quenneville in the 1st place. This could cause a disruption for the club when it didn't have to. Perhaps the new coach (typically is what happens) gets them fired up for a win streak. But, if not...?

Release from 8/9/2007 3:16:59 PM

Chicago Blackhawks head coach Denis Savard has signed an extension that will keep him behind the bench through the 2008-09 season.

''I'm delighted and excited to be a part of what we all feel will be an exciting team this season,'' said Denis Savard. ''I believe we have a good combination of youth and experience to make this a very exciting team to watch. I can't wait for training camp to start.''

''We were very satisfied with the job Denis did last season and we feel he has earned this opportunity,'' said general manager Dale Tallon. ''Denis has been a part of the Blackhawks organization for a long time. We know that he will put his heart and soul into coaching this team just as he did as a player.''

Savard was named the 36th head coach in Blackhawk team history on November 27th of last season. He finished the season with a record of 24-30-7 in the 61 games he coached. He posted victories in his first three games, 2-1 over Dallas, 5-2 over St. Louis and 4-3 over Nashville.

Alot of faith in a guy can sink in 14 months eh?

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I hear you loud and clear jetsniper, but why maintain Denis at that position before camp? They should have done this over the summer and started with Quenneville in the 1st place. This could cause a disruption for the club when it didn't have to. Perhaps the new coach (typically is what happens) gets them fired up for a win streak. But, if not...?

Oh, I totally agree with you. Personally I thought they'd wait till next season since they only hired Q about a month ago. Smack in the middle of pre-season seemed like a stupid time for a coaching change to me.

This is probably even worse.

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Idiotic managment. Quick fixes, quick fixes...thank God we have Bob Gainey, is all I can say.

I don't think that it was a quick fix ... as jetsniper said, as soon as they hired Quenneville it was somehow clear that he'll become coach. I'm sure Bowman also had something to say there and that's never a bad thing.

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Star players tend to make terrible coaches. Look at that idiot behind the bench in Pheonix!

How can such a great hockey player be such a losing coach?

Carbs of course is the exception that probes the rule!

Good move but should have been done preseason.

Don't expect a quick turn around, but at least now they have a coach!

It will take a while for his system to kick in.

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Star players tend to make terrible coaches. Look at that idiot behind the bench in Pheonix!

How can such a great hockey player be such a losing coach?

Carbs of course is the exception that probes the rule!

Good move but should have been done preseason.

Don't expect a quick turn around, but at least now they have a coach!

It will take a while for his system to kick in.

Actually after learning on the job for a little while, Wayne Greztky is doing a much better job now. The team is starting to form an identity, the players work hard and together, their play is much more structured, and Gretzky is now getting his team to execute his game plans.

Gretzky's coaching will actually be a huge factor for Phoenix this season. The team is loaded with very young offensive talent, and the Great One will need to find ways to limit the ups and downs, and to keep all these kids focused on playing as a team, and within the game plan for the best interest of the team.

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Actually after learning on the job for a little while, Wayne Greztky is doing a much better job now. The team is starting to form an identity, the players work hard and together, their play is much more structured, and Gretzky is now getting his team to execute his game plans.

Gretzky's coaching will actually be a huge factor for Phoenix this season. The team is loaded with very young offensive talent, and the Great One will need to find ways to limit the ups and downs, and to keep all these kids focused on playing as a team, and within the game plan for the best interest of the team.

Gretzky does have two distinct advantages, mind you. First, he's Wayne Gretzky, and firing him would be awkward to say the least. Secondly, he part-owns the club. Let's be honest here, Gretz is in the perfect situation for a coach. He knows he's going to get all the time he needs to learn on the go and develop his coaching skills. In another location, he might not have been given such a long leash.

Take Carbo as an example. If it hadn't been for Gainey's patience, it's quite possible that Guy would have been fired after his first season behind the bench. He made more than a few errors and was even called out by one of his star players (Kovalev's complaints of the time-out usage). On another team, Carbo gets fired after that first season. Gretz has that same advantage - the ability to learn on the job.

Other, lesser-name coaches who are on the job in their first year? Not nearly so much leniency. Denis Savard, for example. I mean, he was basically fired the day they hired Quenneville. It just wasn't official yet.

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Star players tend to make terrible coaches. Look at that idiot behind the bench in Pheonix!

How can such a great hockey player be such a losing coach?

Carbs of course is the exception that probes the rule!

Watch out for the Coyotes this year. They appear to be a little weak on D, but they've got a lot of talent up front this year. They're probably still a year away with all that youth, but they're heading in the right direction.

As for star players not typically making great coaches, there's a very simple reason for that. Star players have tons and tons of natural talent. They don't have to spend as much time learning the game as typical players. They can just pick up a stick and make things happen. Because of this, it is difficult for them to teach the game to players who have only a fraction of the abilities the former star has. In some ways, those coaches finally have to learn the game from the perspective of someone who can't make anything happen on the ice. This is pretty much true in any sport - stars typically make lousy coaches. A guy like Larry Bird is an exception, not the rule. And when you think about it, the reason Bird was a good coach because his talent wasn't natural. He had to work his ass off to get as good as he was, he wasn't the most naturally talented guy by a long shot.

As for Carbo being the exception that proves the rule, that is a false statement. Carbo was not a star by any means. He was an excellent two-way player who knew how to play the game. Pure talent didn't make his career, hard-nosed two-way hockey did.

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As for Carbo being the exception that proves the rule, that is a false statement. Carbo was not a star by any means. He was an excellent two-way player who knew how to play the game. Pure talent didn't make his career, hard-nosed two-way hockey did.

Also, Carbonneau still has a lot to prove before he should be considered a good coach. He completely lost control his first season (good thing he had a highly respected Bob Gainey behind him to put the train back on track over the summer), and despite the end-result I don't think the team played that well last season either as the team was carried by Kovalev, a high talent level, the powerplay, and some pretty good goaltending. Overall that team didn't look like a top team in the NHL. Carbonneau was also overly outcoached in the playoffs.

Still this season I don't think we're playing as well as we should, however we're not that far, and the very high talent level, the team chemistry, and the strong work ethics easily made up for it so far. We've obviously been the superior team every game so far, we just need a few adjustments to keep it this way... and with so many injuries during training camp, it's also quite normal...

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