Wings home opener 10/9 vs. Babcock, coaching staff set

Submitted by justingoblue on

SAVE THE DATE: #RedWings Hockey is only 106 days away! #LGRW #IsItOctoberYet pic.twitter.com/BSmLkwJpLs

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) June 24, 2015

The coaching staff for 2015-16 is set, with Tony Granato staying on and Pat Ferschweiler coming from Grand Rapids to join head coach Jeff Blashill behind the bench. Chris Chelios will be a full time coach (though not on the bench) focusing on player evaluation, Dave Noel-Bernier is coming from Grand Rapids as video coach, and longtime organization goalie coach Jim Bedard returns for his nineteenth season.

I can't express how happy I am that Chelios is coming on full time. Great guy, great work ethic, great (player) resume, great hire.

http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=771739&Cmpid=nhl-twt

This will be the first Babcock vs. Red Wings matchup since 2004, when he was coaching Sergei Federov and the Anaheim Ducks.

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mich_hockey_6

June 24th, 2015 at 6:26 PM ^

Babs did a good job for a while, but things got kind of stale towards the end. Seemed like we got content with continuing the playoff steak, but didn't have that extra "something" to make it deep into the postseason. I also think his loyalty to older players that were not helping with their scoring (Franzen) or creating a spark by mixing things up (Clearly) anymore, hurt the team. Especially after a long season. Blashill knows how to win league championships and he's familiar with a lot of the kids coming up. He knows how to push the right buttons with them already. Having a hungry, young coach will do a lot for the overall "attitude" of the team. I'd really love for them to get a premiere defensemen. Maybe two. Someone who can contribute offensively and another guy who's incredible defensively. When Lidstrom was playing, he made the ice so much smaller for the other team. If course, Lidstrom could do both those things really well. It was like paying two guys, one guy's salary. I wonder what Lidstrom is doing. Retirement can't be THAT much fun!

Joined: 01/20/2015

MGoPoints: 1902

rob f

June 24th, 2015 at 7:06 PM ^

seeing Babcock resurrect the Maple Leafs and turn that snakebit franchise into a contender.  Babs was a good head coach for the Wings for a lengthy run, he seems to be a good guy in every sense of the word, and I see no reason to start hating him just because he coaches elsewhere now.  I don't hate Scotty Bowman (and I doubt many of you do, either) even though I hate the Blackhawks as much as any franchise in the NHL, so why would I dislike Babcock?

No, I don't want the Maple Leafs regularly bettering the Red Wings, but that having that Original 6 franchise be competitive in the East seems to me to be in the best interest of the NHL .  It sure would make the Wings-Leafs rivalry matter again, like it did decades ago. And I'd much rather have them taste some success than see the Blackhawks (and the 90% of their "fans" who just happened to find the bandwagon over the last half-decade) ever win another Stanley Cup.

Joined: 11/11/2010

MGoPoints: 194270

GoBlueBill

June 24th, 2015 at 7:11 PM ^

Was anyone else hoping Jim Bedard wouldnt return ?

I just dont see him as doing enough to help the Red Wings goalies .

Maybe its just me because I think the goalie should stop almost everything.

 

Joined: 12/30/2014

MGoPoints: 11999

justingoblue

June 24th, 2015 at 7:57 PM ^

For anyone interested, Zetterberg won the King Clancy trophy for his humanitarian efforts/leadership at the NHL awards in Vegas tonight.

Yzerman won General Manager of the Year for his work with the Lightning.

Joined: 11/16/2010

MGoPoints: 29741