Jeff Blashill is a candidate for Michigan Hockey job per Spath
If Red comes back, just lol.
What I get from this is those are the two candidates, if Michigan misses on both, Red will come back.
Source told me the 3 best candidates to be #MichiganHockey coach next year are Red Berenson, Mel Pearson or Jeff Blashill. (in no order)
— Michael Spath (@MichaelSpathITH) March 22, 2017
March 22nd, 2017 at 12:44 PM ^
it would be great for the Wings to be free from Blashill. Don't know how great it would be for UM.
March 22nd, 2017 at 12:54 PM ^
Blashill has disappointed at the NHL level. But what he did in college and in GR speaks for itself.
He's the victim of Ken Holland's incompetence. I, for one, would welcome Blashill.
I'm not convinced of that. If one or two Wings were regressing from expectations, I'd blame the players. Pretty much the whole team is underperforming. Nyquist, Tatar, Sheahan (especially Sheahan), and former players like Jurco too - the power play sucks and the guys who were supposed to be building blocks of the offense are thin shadows of what we thought they'd be when Babcock was coaching.
This points to Blashill. Maybe he's a better college coach than NHL coach, but I've been completely and totally unimpressed by him and if it didn't hurt Michigan I'd love the opportunity for the Wings to go find someone else.
"If I sign someone and it doesn't work out, don't worry about it"
"Less can be more exciting!"
-Ken Holland, 2016
I think it's more the team is crap, and Blashil is left polishing a turd. Blashil I don't think has even been able to polish it, but the end result would still only have be a polished turd.
Holland is the one making the team crap and needs to go.
I am not absolving Holland of blame by pointing a finger at Blashill. But Blashill has not shown he can coach in the NHL.
March 22nd, 2017 at 10:16 PM ^
When Blashill was in GR and Babcock in Detroit prevailing board wisdom was Babcock underachieved and Blashill would be an improvement.
In fact, many on the board celebrated Babcock signing with the Leafs mocking him in that move and celebrating Blashill's promotion.
Things sure have changed....
A lot of what Blashill has done is disciplinary shit that would work well with prospects but simply is no good at the NHL level.
WD, Maizen and TIMMAAY are the same person
Tatar is pretty much right in line with his career numbers. Yeah some players have regressed and the team stinks, but don't forget he lost his best player last offseason. And some players have gotten better. Athanasiou has improved, Vanek was having his best season in years. Does Blashill get credit for those guys?
Regarding Vanek, I think it's really more the case he got back to his usual self after finding a bad fit in Minnesota. Minny was the only place where his scoring was down.
Tatar has taken a pretty clear step backwards after his 14-15 season. He was 24 then. Most players don't step backwards or generally even plateau at 24.
Correct. The Wings need to 86 Ken and offer Yzerman...
...per month to be the general manager.
your Best Post Ever.
Your opinions of coaches around here has taken a bit of a hit lately. You were perhaps the most out-spoken opponent of Beilein this season. I personally would say the most outspoken.. but others may disagree.
that the current state of the Red Wings is primarily the fault of Holland, I'd still much prefer Mel as our next Michigan Hockey Head Coach.
So after 20 years of presiding over the longest playoff streak in professional sports, Ken Holland is now incompetent?
To look at a failed NHL coach. Regardless of his success at Grand Rapids. Blashill has one year of experience as a college head coach. There are coaches with great college resumes who would jump at this job. Mel Pearson is just one. Break out the money cannon and get the best college coach we can attract.
And what exactly did he do that was all that special at WMU. What he did in GR was nothing Wings have been stacking their minor league system for years. Know several guys who played for him at WMU and one who still plays for the Griffins and they can't stand the guy and think he's nothing special at all as a coach. TIFWIW.
Only reason Red would come back at this point is if he wants to drive the program further into the ground. Red is Michigan hockey and a living legend but enough is enough already.
What guys at WMU?
March 23rd, 2017 at 11:27 AM ^
You need talent to win, Blash is working with Larking, Z, and then a lot of aging or mediocre players.
I know nothing of Blashill, but a NHL coach who had good success in college, can be a real success upon return.
Does anyone think or know if Pearson has the job to refuse ?
Blash is a good coach, just not an NHL one now. Everywhere he has gone he has won. Western, USHL, AHL. It could very well be that Holland is interfering with how Blash wants to coach, or that he simply wasn't ready for the NHL level. He would be a very good hire.
March 22nd, 2017 at 12:47 PM ^
Red needs to go on his terms when he wants. Pearson is the obvious choice. Blashill would be excellent too.
March 22nd, 2017 at 12:51 PM ^
Some great memories watching his teams at Yost, and had the fortune to have been there when they were good. But given that is no longer the case, time for Red to skate off into the sunset...
Thanks, Red, please help the program to move on
March 22nd, 2017 at 12:57 PM ^
Missing the tournament 4 of the last 5 seasons shouldn't be fine with anyone.
This is akin to Alabama Football going 5-7 in 4 of 5 years with the talent we've pulled in.
Dylan Larkin never made the tournament here. Neither did Jacob Trouba, both first round picks.
We lost the season series to last place MSU. That right there should be enough to wake some people up who still think this is what we should stick with. Got blown out at Yost by a 7-win MSU team, TWICE.
We've lost 3 of the last 4 at Yost to them. This after not losing to them once at Yost from 2009-2014.
Red is a legend. So was Bobby Bowden. Both of them stuck around way too long.
He deserves to do whatever he wants, not what you want.
By the way he is not stupid or senile. He knows his performance has slipped and will likely retire on his own. I don't see a JoePa ego.
Does your support of Red doing "whatever he wants" include continuing to run the program at its current level of performance for more than next year, or is it your assumption that "whatever he wants" is to retire after next year at the latest?
If we are having this conversation next year and he hasn't announced his retirement and we are cellar dwellers, I obviously will change my mind. I think the Blashill theory has credence and it wouldn't make sense to announce anything until after the Wings season is done.
Red has seriously thought about quitting before and has been talked into staying by the Administration.
So, it's not so much a license to do anything he wants like staying years too long a la Bobby Bowden. Rather its your faith that he will do the right thing. He'll retire now or next year, so just let him do one of those two things -- "whatever he wants to."
March 22nd, 2017 at 10:42 PM ^
I really believe after listening to him for many years that he will do the right thing and has all his faculties to make that decision. This year was the tipping point for me but I think it would be disgraceful to preemptively fire Red.His love of UM will be greater than any ego he has.
How long is he going to hold on for? He's getting close to 80 and Joe Pa territory as it is.
to make any kind of comparisons between him and Paterno.
I'm going to nitpick here. Your opening statement is absolutely correct, 4 misses out of 5 is atrocious. But the statement that Larkin and Trouba "never" made the tournament is misleading, because both of them left after one year. Just stating simply that they "did not make the tournament" would be accurate and more faithful to what actually happened, without implying that either had multiple misses.
Especially since they probably (Trouba) and certainly (Larkin) make the tournament if they stay for another year.
I personally think that the general program issues are part of the reason why they left so quickly, but I doubt we'll ever know.
I think he wanted to go at the end of last year...
This is a tough situation, but at some point the argument that he's hurting his legacy has to be made. It's not a fun conversation and it doesn't feel particularly good, but the decline in performance is notable and something has to be done before the rebuilding job becomes too big to bring in a good coach.
I'm fine with two, but another year fro Red means he's holding the program hostage. Respect must be paid to the man for all that he's done for Michigan hockey and how great of a coach he is, but respect is a two-way street.
No man is bigger than the team. No coach is bigger than the team. The team. The team. The team.
Recent performance and Michigan/Bo values would say it's time for Red to retire so the team can perform at it's best.
Do you mean, like Lloyd? No.. not at this point. The pause and uncertainty can sink the program if the move is the made now.
March 22nd, 2017 at 12:53 PM ^
Michigan hockey can't have another down year. Blashill is intriguing and he did a great job at WMU. Either him or Mel I don't care it is just time for a change.
March 22nd, 2017 at 12:59 PM ^
Blashill would be better than Peason in my opinion.
I'm not as familiar with Blashill since I don't follow the NHL too closely. I certainly am aware of Pearson. What are the reasons behind your preference for Blashill over Pearson?
as well as successful USHL experience, exactly where a college coach might recruit from. Not to mention he brought the Calder Cup to my Griffs. He's an awesome dude too, having had the chance to get to know him a bit during his time in GR.
I miss the days of excellent Michigan hockey. Yost used to be a blast when the team was going really strong. I agree that it's time for Berenson to step down. He wanted to step down last year, so I don't think it's about "going out when he's ready." He's ready. It's just a matter of finding the right guy to replace him.
Yost isn't going to be the same anymore even when we get really strong again. It makes me sad.
when Yost was at it's peak (1990-1998). Great place to watch a hockey game, but with all the changes, not so much.
It's incredibly sad how much the old barn is pretty much a caricature of everything that made it great back in the day. Yost was a wild place to see a game in the mid-90s. Now? Not so much.
The first time I went to Yost, an MSU game in about '93 or so, the usher took my dad aside on the way in and told him if things got too rough, just ask, and he'd find us new seats. He wasn't far off--it was insane. Of course, as a little kid, I loved every second of it. We got season ticket the next year. Those days are long gone.
You guys are way too hard on Yost. It's still a great place that kicks the tail of almost every other hockey venue in the country.