[Rumor] Canucks interested in Krueger for Head Coach

[Hairy Kneel]

Kruger sounds like a motivational expert in team chemistry sort of way. Not sure if we have as much a chemistry issue as a generation gap issue. No young guys want to disrespect the Sedin's or say anything negative about their elders here in their swan song years. When this team is all young guys and Bo is the captain I don't think team chemistry will be a problem.

[bobbyg43]

9 hours ago, two drink minimum said:

For the love of Pete. Ralph Krueger???. I'd rather see Freddy Krueger be  the head coach. Just pitiful. Why even fir WD if that's their plan

Totally agree 

thanks Ralph for interest but no thanks .

He is set up nicely over there !

why would he leave that for Van?

I am not drinking this koolaid no matter how it's mixed.

[Neko]

On 4/17/2017 at 9:59 PM, Kaner said:

I wouldn't be too surprised if Quenneville was fired. 

If the Hawks get swept 4-0 yeah he'll probably be sitting in a very hot seat.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

Canucks Army has a more detailed profile on Krueger (compared to their earlier one):  https://canucksarmy.com/2017/04/19/coaching-candidate-profile-ralph-krueger/

 

Not much in there that hasn't already been covered in this thread.

 

However, one point they make that had escaped me in my earlier posts is the fact Krueger brought in and/or expanded some impressive corporate sponsorships while at Southampton and he's very connected. This would be value added for Vancouver (and something that might offset his salary--which I would expect to be quite high), should they look to hire him on the management side.

[JM_]

38 minutes ago, SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME said:

Canucks Army has a more detailed profile on Krueger (compared to their earlier one):  https://canucksarmy.com/2017/04/19/coaching-candidate-profile-ralph-krueger/

 

Not much in there that hasn't already been covered in this thread.

 

However, one point they make that had escaped me in my earlier posts is the fact Krueger brought in and/or expanded some impressive corporate sponsorships while at Southampton and he's very connected. This would be value added for Vancouver (and something that might offset his salary--which I would expect to be quite high), should they look to hire him on the management side.

If they are looking to him for a front office job, thats great news too. It can happen post soccer season. It would be nice to have him here for a coaching hire decision, but even so it would be a nice addition.

 

And of course he may want to leave post-Brexit if he's hit with more taxes.

 

It makes me think this may also just be ownership and Linden making this hire as well. It makes a lot sense though to have someone like this focused on team building and coaching, and if he brings some sponsorship stuff thats great too but I don't know how that all meshes with the NHL biz side.

[Noseforthenet]

5 hours ago, ice orca said:

Krueger is Canadian born of German ancestry.

The birth place doesn't matter. How he communicates with his players is what does. I may be wrong about where he was from exactly. Maybe his ancestery from the German side of Switzerland? Not that it matters. What matters is if he has had success with European players!  That happens to be where we have had alot of success drafting from.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

1 hour ago, S'all Good Man said:

If they are looking to him for a front office job, thats great news too. It can happen post soccer season. It would be nice to have him here for a coaching hire decision, but even so it would be a nice addition.

 

And of course he may want to leave post-Brexit if he's hit with more taxes.

 

It makes me think this may also just be ownership and Linden making this hire as well. It makes a lot sense though to have someone like this focused on team building and coaching, and if he brings some sponsorship stuff thats great too but I don't know how that all meshes with the NHL biz side.

I think the great thing about Krueger is how damn versatile he is. He can basically float between any department and be helpful. Business/operations side, promotions and sponsors, roster/personnel decisions and acquisitions, leadership and team culture, coaching, scouting, etc.

 

Whatever you need--he can help.

 

He'd almost be like adding a Pat Quinn type (although to be clear: nobody compares to the legend Pat Quinn). But the point is, he can be a "corporate" guy, a day to day management guy, a liaison between departments, a face for the press, a motivator (both for the players and staff), an advisor, a strategy/systems guy, or step in and seamlessly take over behind the bench.

 

We don't have anybody like that right now (and really haven't since the Quinn days).

 

And I really think Trevor hoped that Quinn would be around for advice and mentorship when he agreed to take over as President. We all kind of expected "The Big Irishman" would live forever. I think Trevor needs another voice in Hockey Operations. And while nobody can replace Pat Quinn, Krueger might be able to provide some measure of the knowledge and support that was lost. 

 

Neither Trevor nor Benning have coaching experience. And this can sometimes create something of a disconnect between management and the coaching staff (and we saw some of this with Desjardins).

 

Also, when they fired Lorne Henning, they lost an executive who understood the game from the coaching side (Henning coached for years in the NHL through the 80s and 90s, mostly as an assistant and briefly as a head coach).

 

IMO this remains an issue in the front office and one that hopefully they can rectify, whether through hiring Krueger or another similar addition.

[SID.IS.SID.ME.IS.ME]

Also, re: the above post. Just to be clear, and to hopefully preemptively address the inevitable backlash that comes whenever I suggest management might benefit from changes:

 

I'm not saying the current regime is doing a bad job. There are a bunch of talented people in the front office. And they are very good hockey people. 

 

I just think the current regime could use some tweaks. Even the best organizations should always be looking for ways to improve. And I strongly believe that adding someone like Krueger would strengthen this regime. He just has a "very particular set of skills" (couldn't resist the Liam Neeson reference) that could bring synergy to the overall management/leadership structure and likely help Linden, Benning, Weisbrod, and the rest of the team perform even better than they are already. 

 

Obviously I'm a big fan of Krueger and probably a little biased and overly optimistic about the impact he'd have. But at the same time, I don't think anyone who looks at his CV objectively can deny that this is a guy who would be an asset to any NHL organization. 

 

I still think it's a bit of a long shot he leaves Southampton, unless the ownership starts to become a factor again (and a report today suggests a second unnamed bidder is waiting in the wings following the Lander group pulling out of the sale). But if we can somehow hire Krueger, in whatever capacity, I'm confident in his ability to step in and be a significant player in helping this team achieve a timely return to competitiveness and respectability.

[Honky Cat]

1 hour ago, Noseforthenet said:

The birth place doesn't matter. How he communicates with his players is what does. I may be wrong about where he was from exactly. Maybe his ancestery from the German side of Switzerland? Not that it matters. What matters is if he has had success with European players!  That happens to be where we have had alot of success drafting from.

It's good to see that he has had success with European players... but that isn't the NHL though...and his sample size of NHL coaching is pretty small..IMO

[Noseforthenet]

34 minutes ago, Honky Cat said:

It's good to see that he has had success with European players... but that isn't the NHL though...and his sample size of NHL coaching is pretty small..IMO

I know it isn't, however if some European players are part of the plan going forward, having Kruger as an asset would be a good thing. THAT was my point. Why really look at him otherwise...?

[xereau]

6 hours ago, Hairy Kneel said:

Kruger sounds like a motivational expert in team chemistry sort of way. Not sure if we have as much a chemistry issue as a generation gap issue. No young guys want to disrespect the Sedin's or say anything negative about their elders here in their swan song years. When this team is all young guys and Bo is the captain I don't think team chemistry will be a problem.

We need a coach that implements a system that does not entail passing around the perimeter until you lose the puck, instead of having this current system 'trickle down' that permeates the entire culture from the 'first line leaders'.  Yeah, I sound bitter against the Sedins, and I am, to a point. Their game is old, tired, and stale, and it IS what the young guys see coming from the 'first line leaders' and whether or not you like their game or not, it is becoming increasingly ineffective and for the young guys to emulate it is a serious recipe for disaster.

[Calvin's Dog]

I think when a guy is the chairman of an EPL team which is very prestigious you have to look into his interest in returning to NHL. Seems like he loves hockey as much as soccer from what I have heard.

 

As a coach, he also brought together a team at the World Cup of hockey the players on which had pretty little experience playing together.

 

If you have ever played (in any sport) at a select level, you do, after awhile get a familiarity with the other players as I suspect Canada and USA etc did in World Cup, from Olympics and World Championships etc.

 

Or another way to put it is that those national team players know each other to some degree, having played previously together, whereas team Europe would have had little to no previous chemistry.

 

I think if TL can hire him as a Lou Lamarillo figure, you can also feel more secure hiring Travis Green to coach knowing that you have a great head coach with some NHL and World Cup (and Olympic?) experience waiting in the wings. He would have have a tone of knowledge of the player personnel if Green doesn't work out, he could slide in to coach as well as he seems to have the coaching bug!

 

If the Aquillini's are willing to bank roll it, I think hiring Kruger is a 'no-brainer'!

 

He'll help Hockey ops. and if necessary the coaching side too!

 

Sorry if I repeated a bunch of stuff I don't have time to read the whole thread!

 

 

 

[cdubuya]

Krueger is the best hockey coach out there. He is exactly what we need. I am floored to find out we want him. This is excellent news. Get it done.

[cdubuya]

On 4/17/2017 at 9:41 PM, drummerboy said:

Not really.  

He was under .500.  

 

he almost made the playoffs with Edmonton. They faultered hard for their next few years (all the while getting better) without him. I think that in itself speaks volumes.

[Hank Moody]

Tim Murray and Dan Bylsma out of buffalo.

Murray and Lombardi would make a great GM tandem, IMO. Bring in Krueger to coach and all of a sudden this team is respectable again. 

[Dumb Nuck]

Freddy? Could turn into a nightmare.

[B53]

On 4/19/2017 at 10:16 PM, cdubuya said:

Krueger is the best hockey coach out there. He is exactly what we need. I am floored to find out we want him. This is excellent news. Get it done.

Exactly. Im shocked  that so many ppl are not in favor of this. The way he had his Swiss teams playing was unreal. No talent except Hiller, yet they were upsetting everyone, including Canada. Edmontons last good season before this year was with Kruger. They played great. Only reason he was fired by surprise was cuz the overhyped top young coach Dallas Eakins chose Edmonton over 10+ other teams.

 

Team Canada hired him during the Olympics cuz of how smart the mofo is. Help them with preperations for matches. I believe he is a master motivater of his players as well. Thatd be fantastic for the youngsters. 

 

It is very possible he would leave Southampton, no matter how set up he is there. Southampton are a team that the Whitecaps are trying to be like. Build from the youth system, find bargains purchases, get everyone on cheap contracts. Southampton does the same with their coaches as well. They always find a coach for a great deal, that after few years, moves on for more money (Pochettino, Koeman, and now Puel). So something tells me, he doesn't make anything close to the $2,000,000 salary he would recieve with us. Probably something like 25% of that

[mll]

46 minutes ago, B53 said:

Exactly. Im shocked  that so many ppl are not in favor of this. The way he had his Swiss teams playing was unreal. No talent except Hiller, yet they were upsetting everyone, including Canada. Edmontons last good season before this year was with Kruger. They played great. Only reason he was fired by surprise was cuz the overhyped top young coach Dallas Eakins chose Edmonton over 10+ other teams.

 

Team Canada hired him during the Olympics cuz of how smart the mofo is. Help them with preperations for matches. I believe he is a master motivater of his players as well. Thatd be fantastic for the youngsters. 

 

It is very possible he would leave Southampton, no matter how set up he is there. Southampton are a team that the Whitecaps are trying to be like. Build from the youth system, find bargains purchases, get everyone on cheap contracts. Southampton does the same with their coaches as well. They always find a coach for a great deal, that after few years, moves on for more money (Pochettino, Koeman, and now Puel). So something tells me, he doesn't make anything close to the $2,000,000 salary he would recieve with us. Probably something like 25% of that

This is this weekend from Willes in the Province after speaking to Trevor Linden:

One, Freddy Krueger has a better chance of being the Canucks’ next head coach than Ralph Krueger, and, two, Travis Green remains the leading candidate to coach the Canucks next season.

[Hypocritical Cranium]

Krueger would be a great choice but why would he want to leave the job he has. That is a dream job for him. He has political and business influence. I just don't see him coming here. I would think Chicago if they were to fire JQ but to come to this dumpster fire that is currently fizzling out doesn't make sense. 

 

Travis Green also doesn't seem to make sense, from an ownership position. FA, as the owner, had Trevor pick a coach with no NHL experience, success in the AHL but no NHL track record. Travis is the same but a younger version. Travis should serve as an assistant coach prior to being given the NHL job. 

[HerrDrFunk]

6 hours ago, mll said:

This is this weekend from Willes in the Province after speaking to Trevor Linden:

One, Freddy Krueger has a better chance of being the Canucks’ next head coach than Ralph Krueger, and, two, Travis Green remains the leading candidate to coach the Canucks next season.

Too bad; I went from not remembering who Krueger was to thinking he was a very intriguing choice. Great quote though.