Lightning fire Barry Melrose

[DanOregon]

Just read the story on SI.com. Is the GM the same Brian Lawton who was the No. 1 overall draft pick many years ago?

And, the Lightning was 11 games under .500 last year, I'm still trying to figure out how a 5-7-4 start under a new coach is "unacceptable."

I'm STILL trying to figure out how Denis Savard got canned four games into the season. The Blackhawks simply need some veteran leadership.

Because they had a better coach in the organization. I think it was totally unfair to Savard if they were going to do it they should have done it in the summer

Hell, I think it's great that Chicago gave Savard "a chance" this season. Anyone know how long the average coach's contract is? I figure at least two years right? And how can you have any confidence in a GM who cans a coach he hires after such a short time?

 

[JC]

One could use this firing as another reason why hockey STILL has yet to grab the American sports scene as a whole.

Yes, because a coach being fired is why a lot of Americans don't like hockey. Ridiculous.

 

[hockeybeat]

One could use this firing as another reason why hockey STILL has yet to grab the American sports scene as a whole.

This might be the most ridiculous argument I've read in some time. Yes, it's a stupid firing. But to equate it with hockey's lack of popularity in the United States is silly.

 

[typewriterhill]

Drip - You can leave the hockey bashing party at any time.

Hockey doesn't have the mainstream media or tv deal in the US because there is virtually little interest in the sport by a huge segment of the population (i.e. African-Americans, Hispanics). The sport is too expensive for kids growing up in the ghetto or whatever you want to call low income housing/projects/neighborhoods. The kids who have $25-50 to spend, will buy a baseball, bat, and glove or football or soccer ball or basketball. There are more small neighborhoods with a sandlot to play baseball/football/soccer or a basketball court than ice skating rinks. It is economically impossible for hockey to ever reach the level of the big 3 or the southern love affair that is NASCAR.

 

[Smasher_Sloan]

I never understood why hockey fires their coaches so quickly, until I read a story about soccer in SI where a soccer guy explained that coaches don't do much during the game. The players play, there really aren't many moves a coach makes during a game. I figure hockey is the same way. Most likely the GM felt the style of play Melrose was encouraging wasn't suited for the team he put together. Which is really odd for a coach just hired. That said, I wonder how much of an impact a coaching change really has besides making the GM feel better.

Soccer coaches don't do much because nothing ever happens in soccer.

Coaches are always at the mercy of player performances, but hockey coaches do a lot. It's the one sport where personnel changes are made while the game is in progress. You're able to match defense to offense more easily than you can in other sports.

The Penguins of the late '80s were missing the playoffs with a boatload of talent. Bob Johnson got there, established some order and they won the Stanley Cup.

 

[Drip]

For the record. I like hockey. I have covered it. However, firing a coach who hadn't been a coach for about 12 years after such a short return stint in an area of the country where you are trying to establish a fan base, isn't a great move. But I'm not the one paying his salary. I'm just voicing my opinion.

 

[Dickens Cider]

Soccer coaches don't do much because nothing ever happens in soccer.

And the award for most ignorant statement of the day goes to ...

 

[Captain_Kirk]

I just wonder if he had lost the locker room already, and that's why the change was made.

Don't know, just surmising.

 

[Drip]

I just wonder if he had lost the locker room already, and that's why the change was made.

Don't know, just surmising.

I think that one is obvious Cap. My question is HOW can you lose a team so early in the season? Also, I wonder if Tochett may have undermined him. Just wondering.

 

[JC]

For the record. I like hockey. I have covered it. However, firing a coach who hadn't been a coach for about 12 years after such a short return stint in an area of the country where you are trying to establish a fan base, isn't a great move. But I'm not the one paying his salary. I'm just voicing my opinion.

Hopefully you're not covering it now with opinions like that.
Maybe having people like you cover hockey is part of the problem.
The move is ridiculous, I think everbody agrees but to say that it is one of the reasons Americans don't like hockey is insane.

 

[Gomer]

Hockey doesn't have the mainstream media or tv deal in the US because there is virtually little interest in the sport by a huge segment of the population (i.e. African-Americans, Hispanics). The sport is too expensive for kids growing up in the ghetto or whatever you want to call low income housing/projects/neighborhoods. The kids who have $25-50 to spend, will buy a baseball, bat, and glove or football or soccer ball or basketball. There are more small neighborhoods with a sandlot to play baseball/football/soccer or a basketball court than ice skating rinks. It is economically impossible for hockey to ever reach the level of the big 3 or the southern love affair that is NASCAR.

There's also less ice in the U.S.

Pond hockey in Florida, Texas or 26 other states I could name off the top of my head? It's as much to do with climate as economics. A pair of skates, a stick and a puck is all you really need, and if you buy the skates second-hand it's inexpensive.

 

[hockeybeat]

I just wonder if he had lost the locker room already, and that's why the change was made.

Don't know, just surmising.

I think that one is obvious Cap. My question is HOW can you lose a team so early in the season? Also, I wonder if Tochett may have undermined him. Just wondering.

Thinking back to the opener in Prague, Melrose made comments to the effect that his best players needed to learn when to carry the puck into the offensive zone and when to dump it in; he also suggested that the Lightning needed to learn how to play hard every night. Could he have lost them during training camp and preseason?

 

[Beaker]

Soccer coaches don't do much because nothing ever happens in soccer.

And the award for most ignorant statement of the day goes to ...

Yep, that takes the cake, no doubt.

And yeah, seems juuuuuuust a bit early for a firing.

 

[Angola!]

Hockey doesn't have the mainstream media or tv deal in the US because there is virtually little interest in the sport by a huge segment of the population (i.e. African-Americans, Hispanics). The sport is too expensive for kids growing up in the ghetto or whatever you want to call low income housing/projects/neighborhoods. The kids who have $25-50 to spend, will buy a baseball, bat, and glove or football or soccer ball or basketball. There are more small neighborhoods with a sandlot to play baseball/football/soccer or a basketball court than ice skating rinks. It is economically impossible for hockey to ever reach the level of the big 3 or the southern love affair that is NASCAR.

There's also less ice in the U.S.

Pond hockey in Florida, Texas or 26 other states I could name off the top of my head? It's as much to do with climate as economics. A pair of skates, a stick and a puck is all you really need, and if you buy the skates second-hand it's inexpensive.

What's weird to me is this: Hockey is really popular in my Texas city. In fact, behind football, it is the second most popular sport. They have a couple of hockey rinks and a thriving youth league.

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Soccer coaches don't do much because nothing ever happens in soccer.

And the award for most ignorant statement of the day goes to ...

Can you honestly say you're surprised at soccer slander on SportsJournalists.com?

 

[Gomer]

There's also less ice in the U.S.

Pond hockey in Florida, Texas or 26 other states I could name off the top of my head? It's as much to do with climate as economics. A pair of skates, a stick and a puck is all you really need, and if you buy the skates second-hand it's inexpensive.

What's weird to me is this: Hockey is really popular in my Texas city. In fact, behind football, it is the second most popular sport. They have a couple of hockey rinks and a thriving youth league.

Is your Texas city affluent? I mean, yay, but I just don't see how the sport gets to be popular down there. Maybe I don't give plain old street hockey as much credit as I should.

 

[forever_town]

One could use this firing as another reason why hockey STILL has yet to grab the American sports scene as a whole.

This might be the most ridiculous argument I've read in some time. Yes, it's a stupid firing. But to equate it with hockey's lack of popularity in the United States is silly.

They have stupid, non-sensical firings in other sports too, ya know. Daniel Snyder, I'm looking at YOU.

 

[Angola!]

There's also less ice in the U.S.

Pond hockey in Florida, Texas or 26 other states I could name off the top of my head? It's as much to do with climate as economics. A pair of skates, a stick and a puck is all you really need, and if you buy the skates second-hand it's inexpensive.

What's weird to me is this: Hockey is really popular in my Texas city. In fact, behind football, it is the second most popular sport. They have a couple of hockey rinks and a thriving youth league.

Is your Texas city affluent? I mean, yay, but I just don't see how the sport gets to be popular down there. Maybe I don't give plain old street hockey as much credit as I should.

Oh, I wasn't disagreeing with your post, I guess I was just thinking how weird it is that it is popular in my city.

And no, my city isn't affluent. There is a lot of oil money, but you wouldn't know it by driving through it.

 

[Boomer7]

Youth hockey is wildly popular in parts of SoCal, too (the Valley and O.C., specifically.)

The NHL's often-maligned decision to put teams in places like Anaheim, Dallas, Tampa, etc., is starting to pay dividends in terms of growing the player pool for USA Hockey. Give kids a big-league team to follow and see what happens...

To Drip: Tampa's fan base is already established. The Lightning didn't need a coach with an ESPN pedigree or another gimmick. They're not the Rays, after all.

As for Melrose, the guy waited, what, 14 years to get back into coaching, and this is what he got? Oy.

 

[SoCalDude]

-- The team's mistake was hiring him in the first place. There was a reason he couldn't get another job for so long after reaching the Finals.
-- Football and hockey coaches do more coaching during games than basketball coaches do in a month, and baseball and soccer coaches do in a year.