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MacTavish Fired/steps down


wtpasc

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I don't see much difference between the Wolves and how Manitoba was, when it came to 'winning first.' The Moose brought in guys like Krog etc. but still had slots for Grabner and Shiro.

Tanev and Connauton were used quite a bit by the Wolves this past season. Schroeder seems to have progressed into a more complete player. And Jensen was on fire before going down to a concussion. If the Wolves will to win trumped the Canucks' plans for a player, then they would've kept Tanev for themselves. Their defense appeared to have taken a bit hit when they lost Tanev to us.

TOML

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Someone will have to eat Crow, and settle the Bertuzzi /Moore lawsuit first.

Give your head a shake. You will NEVER see Crow working for the Canucks again, just like you wont see Bertuzzi back. If you think arbitration ruins relationships, try $20 mill lawsuits?

:picard:

Or maybe Aquilini will have Crow to thank for the demise of the WCE and Canucks of that vintage, so he could pick up the team cheaper???

:bigblush:

We'll never know the circumstances of his leaving, but it doesn't matter. Obvious speculation will lead us to believe that AV's extension left MacT with no choice but to move on.

But then he didn't move on to another coaching gig. A senior VP of hockey operations? That is a filler job in Edmonton that didn't even exist there until now. Perhaps it's to keep him on as a future coach. Perhaps it's merely to fill up the old Oiler boys clubhouse. But who cares about their plans, it's ours that are more important.

Wondering if Arniel is taking his old job back or if the Wolves will sign someone else. Cheers.

TOML

"Bring back Crow!" lol

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Gillis had him coaching the Wolves so he had an experienced NHL coach in waiting to replace AV if that was the way things went. Once it was decided that AV was staying, the opportunity MacT saw was gone, so no reason to stay.

He's becoming a Senior VP, it's not like he just took a job as a stick boy...

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I lived (endured as a Canucks fan) in Edmonton during that run, knew several of the players.

Indeed Pronger controlled the room. But it was much like AV hands the room to Kesler, KB3, the Twins... MacTavish was known to be an old boys network (Pronger, Ryan Smith, Khabi...) coach and communicate little with guys he is sitting.

And yes that also became part of his demise. Pronger is a character hockey player on ice, but not exactly the "stand up" guy everybody should look up to. Pronger asked for a trade so his wife would not divorce him over the intensity of one of his affairs with an Oilers beat reporter who got pregnant. Guys like Upshaw hated that they had to kiss his arse while he paraded around like an idiot. So he lets the team down. Now your left with guys the coach does not communicate with. It destroyed the loyalty to the team and guys wanted out!

Fact was before then, MacT did a credible job of icing young players with speed and size into a high speed pressing and attacking team. But it was not particularly talented, it ruled on physical match ups starting and finishing with his behemoth defenceman Pronger, guys like Torres etc. Pronger was a calculated gamble which had had both pay off and pain for the Oil. Fact was the room was lost, are you going to regain the room with the same coach? So MacTavish got fired.

Not a players coach, you could worry that would repeat itself on any team?

But particularly strategically, he is good and a very smart hockey man!

Hmmm... Remembering vaguely now that MacT and Pronger had problems during the Oilers' season run to the finals and it was indeed Pronger who was coaching the team towards the end. Apart from that run, MacT has had little coaching success. Perhaps he's not that great a coach afterall.

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Gillis had him coaching the Wolves so he had an experienced NHL coach in waiting to replace AV if that was the way things went. Once it was decided that AV was staying, the opportunity MacT saw was gone, so no reason to stay.

He's becoming a Senior VP, it's not like he just took a job as a stick boy...

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Well the Canucks did invite the gm of the wolves to trade deadline day, they like having everyones input into team decisions. Why wouldnt the coach of the wolves not be asked for his input? Esp since he has plenty of NHL experience about players and such?

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Hey, no doubt Gillis was accorded a debriefing on his prospects and the state of the Wolves before MacT left. Guys are certainly professionals, and such courtesy's go unsaid.

Perhaps and highly likely more was discussed in year end interviews. Not just our prospects, other AHL talent which could be targetted. But MacT was not a junior scout, draft picks would unlikely to have been a major discussion.

lol, very unlikely that an ahl coach would bet any strategy info from the parent org's gm.

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