BureisBest Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Mike Kitchen Current role: Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach (3rd season) Here's why he will be named our next head coach, imo: 1) He is Chicago's #2 behind Joel Quenneville, and as we all know, the Blackhawks just recorded one of the most successful seasons in NHL history. It was ridiculously dominant. I don't care how talented they are, to win that many games in a row, and overall, you need extraordinary coaching. In fact, it actually made some of those "Be a GM" seasons you dominate on XBOX seem a little more realistic. 2) All the noise says Ruff and Tippett, or even Eakins, but when has Gillis ever gone with the crowd and made the obvious decision? He's too arrogant to pick one of the front-runner candidates; he wants to pick someone out of the lesser-known crowd, not who the media talks most about. 3) The Blackhawks play exactly the style of game that Mike Gillis and ownership wants. Despite his flip-flopping between "big, physical, dump-and-chase hockey", to "up-tempo, puck possession, offensive hockey"...(the guy can't make up his mind), he has said time-and-again that at his very core, he will always believe in offensive hockey. Kitchen, despite the fact that he was a defenseman in his playing days (not sure how much that matters anyway), has been part of the group that has set the offensive standard, and he has been together with Quenneville for most of their coaching careers. It would be a big blow to our biggest rivals to steal Kitchen away. 4) Kitchen and Gillis played together for the Colorado Rockies, and in case you're wondering why Ron Delorme still has a job as our Chief Scout despite his below-average results, he was on that team as well. Gillis has shown that he lets personal relationships and emotions interfere with his ability to make hard business decisions, being loyal to a fault, imo. Don't be surprised to see his ex-teammate behind the bench. With the tremendous success of the Blackhawks in recent years, Kitchen is in line for another head coaching gig in the near future, and I'm putting my money on Gillis to be at least setting up an interview, and wouldn't be surprised in the least if Kitchen was named our next coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eagleeyedak Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Well played...seems very reasonable Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheRussianRocket. Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Smart perspective...never even thought about it and yea, MG is too arrogant to do the obvious and always wants it his way.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monty Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 He'll throw everything but the kitchen sink at the opposing team. Right? Am I right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angry Goose Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Could be right about this one. Good insight on #4- there being some familiarity between the two. CHI and DET are closest in terms of style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangosteens Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Tippet would be a great hire. Look what he has done with very little talent in Phoenix. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gonz Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 i would love to but our bone head GM has saddled everyone with terrible contracts no other team wants and handed out NTCs like it was candy on halloween. we are stuck with pretty much the same team for atlessed 1 more year... and this core that has been around for 7 years needs to learn a new system or play the same crap hockey either way it doesnt look good for next year. Luongo is the only contract gillis signed; booth and Ballard wasn't gillis contract Ntc if you were gm u can ask the players to waive their. Ntc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Burrows 14 Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Trevor linden??? Players would listen. He know the sedins well. Just a thought. And also I would choose a young coach with next to no experience. Mike johnston maybe? Ok just thought of this. What are your thoughts? Nicklas Lidstrom. He's swedish like some of our best players, he could teach edler the ways as a defensman and they r both swedish. Maybe hire two veteran assistant coaches to help him. He's youngish, understands the game very well, a seasoned vet, been there done that. Only reason I could see it not happenning is if he didn't want to leave detroit. But if he did would you say yes? I would Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TOMapleLaughs Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 He's been around forever though, and he has been a head coach before. (Dismal failure in StL) While it's nice that he's involved with this seasons' Hawk team, he was involved with quite a few sub-par teams before this season. So the question is if he's more an 'assistant' guy than a 'head' guy. There are a lot of guys like that. But who knows, the noted Gillis connection could be a factor. If we make a hire before the Hawks are outed, this is moot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robongo Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Botchford is a total clown. I don't understand why anyone even takes what he says with more than a grain of salt. The guys opinion is worth less than the crap that comes out of my ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neversummer Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Old chiche ... so if you can't beat them (Chi) .. join them? Or in this case, steal their secrets by hiring their 2nd in command. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldnews Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 I'd agree that there's a chance he's one of the 'off the radar' options.... Although his only head coaching stint was slightly dismal, albeit with a terrible Blues roster at the time. But he's also small and he's 57. Gillis is looking to get bigger and younger. But seriously, I can't necessarily agree with 2). I don't think Gillis will make a decision based upon needing to go off the map to satisfy/qualify his ego. I don't disagree that Gillis is inclined to ignore what the "crowd" expects of him (the "crowd" isn't particularly convincing anyhow), but I think there's just as good a chance he goes with Tippett if he turns out to be a real option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barry_Wilkins Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Good post, OP. I've always wondered why Kitchen never got another chance as head coach. Wouldn't be my first or second choice, but we could do a lot worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ginu Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Something which actually makes sense on these boards and yes you're right about all the facts stated in the OP. I still think the core of this team still has what it takes with the help of a few missing pieces and obviously a new voice behind the bench. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CroSen Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Kudos to the threadstarter, I think there is a case to be made for Kitchen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neversummer Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Look ... whoever accepts this coaching job knows that MG is on a short leash. If there is no success in 1 year, MG might be turfed and if new GM comes, you as the HC might get the heave as well. This is a tough gig to do knowing the circumstances. You have 1 year to prove yourself and to get this team to at least the 2nd or 3rd round in order to consider it a success. Missing playoffs or losing in round 1 means you better not have bought a house here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoneypuckOverlord Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Give him an interview. See what happens. Kitchen should be a candidate for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VicNuckleHead09 Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Hopefully he doesn't go too far off the radar (Russia), where a certain Mike Keenan just got hired lol Lets not even joke about this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lui's Knob Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Didn't he coach at St. Louis at one point? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Apples Posted May 23, 2013 Share Posted May 23, 2013 Tippett can win with a crappy team. I want to see what he can do with a team with star players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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