Ranking Coaches

In light of the Alain Vigneault firing, TJ & Bik examine how valuable AV actually is in the league of head coaches. After making lists on their own, here are the average rankings comparisons of the top 20 coaches in the league.

1. Mike Babcock -Detroit (445 Wins -232 Losses -90 Overtime Losses):
TJ Rank #1: The man makes the most out of anything he is given. He is a winner every where he goes. The only coach to have 5 National or International titles including Olympic, World Junior and World Championship gold, CIS National Championship and of course a Stanley Cup. I could say all I want but I think listing the hardware here is plenty. The only thing missing is a Jack Adams which is really a shame.
Bik Rank #1: As far as I’m concerned he’s the gold standard of coaching for our generation. He reached Game 7 of the Finals during his time with Anaheim with an underdog 7 seed. Then when his contract was up and he declined to re-sign with the Ducks it took the Detroit Red Wings no time at all to snap him up and he’s led them to a Cup and maintained their high level of success. Also look at the impact Babcock has had on other coaches as former assistants.

2. Joel Quenneville - Chicago (660-389-85):
TJ Rank #2: Only twice has he missed the playoffs and one of those years he was fired part way through the season. He gets the most out of good talent having coached the exceptional late nineties Blues and recently with the exceptionally skilled Blackhawks. Has never finished a season with more losses than wins.
Bik Rank #2: One of the biggest compliments to Quenneville’s legacy is that once he was hired as a scout by the Blackhawks in September 2008, Chicago waited only 4 games into the season to relieve Denis Savard of head coaching duties to promote Quenneville to head coach in October. He’s missed the playoffs only twice in his career and has won a Cup in Chicago.

3. Barry Trotz – Nashville (519-447-88):
TJ Rank #3: The current longest active streak with one team, and there is a reason. No coach has made more of less than Trotz in Nashville. Year in and year out people question whether Nashville has the talent to be a contender, yet they have only missed the playoffs twice in the last 9 years. And he does that with little to no star power. Seriously name me an offensive star from the Preds in the last 10 years?
Bik Rank #4: That record is a bit deceiving but remember that Trotz took over an expansion team starting from scratch. Since 2003 Trotz had a winning record every year up until this lockout shortened year. 7 of those season they finished with over 90 points, including 4 seasons over 100. No division titles but they’ve also found themselves in a division with Chicago and Detroit, surprise surprise, with Coach Q and Babcock in the same division. Nashville has also consistently ushered in waves of blue line talent which is a credit to their development system.

4a: (tied) Lindy Ruff – Free Agent (571-432-84):
TJ Rank #10: Another favourite of mine. His statistics don’t do him justice though. I feel most of the teams he has coached have been average to good. A two time Jack Adams nominee that isn’t afraid to speak bluntly and openly. My choice for the vacant Canucks job.
Bik Rank #3: Up until this year held the honour of being the longest tenured Head Coach in the league and has tallied over 90 points in 8 seasons which is remarkable because of Buffalo unwillingness to spend money up until new ownership came in. Also made a Stanley Cup Finals appearance only to lose out to now infamous Brett Hull skate-in-crease goal. He also had the juggernaut of a Sabres team in 05-06 that unfortunately got decimated by injuries (lost top 4 d-men and top PP scorer) by the time they reached the Conference Finals.

4b: (tied) Ken Hitchcock – St. Louis (605-382-83):
TJ Rank #5: 5 division titles in his first 5 complete NHL seasons including 2 Stanley Cup Finals appearances (winning one). His defensive style can be so frustrating to watch and play against, but it is effective. When you get opponent to play into the way YOU want, that makes you a good coach.
Bik Rank #8: A Cup winner with Dallas and a very tactical coach. In the past he was criticized for his reluctance to turn to younger players, something he even admitted to in the past and a trait he has learned from his time with Columbus. He’s leaned on younger players now in St. Louis and turned that trait into a strength and has 1 of the strongest teams going forward for years to come.

4c: (tied) Paul MacLean – Ottawa (65-48-16):
TJ Rank #8: MacLean would be top 5 if he had a few more games under his belt. What he has done with the Senators AHL team at the NHL level is nothing short of amazing. There is NOONE in the NHL getting more out of less right now.
Bik Rank #5: Already in a short time MacLean has jumped high up this list. He comes from that Detroit Red Wings pedigree and won a ring with them as an assistant. This season MacLean showcased his ability to do more with less thanks to the high number of injuries the Senators got struck down with, which is only a testament to his player development.

7a: (tied) Dan Byslma – Pittsburgh (201-92-25):
TJ Rank #7: Dan Bylsma (Pittsburgh Penguins) – I think the 24/7 broadcast is a reason I like Bylsma so much. He seems so likable both on and off the ice. I would have had him higher but feel his coaching stats are inflated due to the Crosby/Malkin combo. Seems like his best players never take a night off though and that sometimes is the toughest job of a coach.
Bik Rank #7: Sure things are a lot easier when Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are on your team before you even take the job but this team didn’t win a Cup before he got there. He’s consistently dealt with a myriad of injuries and repeatedly had to adapt to different lineups but has made the playoffs 5 straight seasons. His inventiveness and creativity offensively as a coach is what puts him above the likes of Tippett, Julien, and Hitchcock for me.

7b: (tied) Dave Tippett – Phoenix (427-252-79):
TJ Rank #4: Took a Dallas Stars team that missed the playoffs and won a division with them in his first year as a head coach in the NHL. Only once missed the playoffs while coaching some mediocre teams in the desert. Another coach that makes the most out of a small budget team.
Bik Rank #10: The poster boy for doing more with less because with the sketchy ownership issue of the Phoenix Coyotoes, Dave Tippett has consistently put his team into the playoffs including going on a deep run last year. His teams in Phoenix have been struggling offensively but some of his teams in Dallas had some offensive pop so his Phoenix struggles may be a product of coaching to his teams strengths. He’s also been instrumental in the development of Martin Hanzal, Mikkel Boedker, Oliver Ekman-Larson, Keith Yandle and Mike Smith.

9. Claude Julien – Boston (375-230-79):
TJ Rank #6: Has a way of getting his team under the opposition’s skin. His Boston team is full of bruisers with some hands and he has designed his team around that. Finds way to get a system revolved around the personnel he has.
Bik Rank #9: It actually pains me to put a Bruin this high but the consistent success plus winning a cup makes up for his previous disastrous tenures at Montreal and New Jersey. Factoring in the development in players like Seguin, Marchand, Bergeron and the seemingly endless number of defensemen that come in an succeed in his system, Julien should see his run of 6 consecutive seasons in the playoffs extended for a while.

10. Randy Carlyle – Toronto (305-208-69):
TJ Rank #15: Took over the Ducks after the lockout and quickly turned them into a Stanley Cup Champion. It was just a shame the team eroded from underneath him. But he did take the Leafs to the playoffs so I guess he should really be #1 on this list.
Bik Rank #6: He got the Toronto Maple Leafs into the playoffs.... enough said. But in reality Carlyle had previous success with the Anaheim Ducks leading them to a Stanley Cup. He’s a demanding coach but when you look at the players that have come up under him since his arrival into the NHL it’s really a foregone conclusion to include him this high. And a testament that he went all of 3 months unemployed prior to the Leafs snapping him up.

11. John Tortorella – New York Rangers (410-340-67):
TJ Rank #10: I want to interview this guy. Just once. I want to feel that lashing of words that hurts you so deep you question all your life choices. He took a Lightning team from 69 points to Stanley Cup champions in two seasons. In the 4 years he has coached the Rangers, their point totals have always increased from the year before.
Bik Rank #12: The whole being a jerk angle is ok when you win, but when you finish 8th and are about to be swept it looks worse. But it’s hard to deny that Tortorella can get results, but yes he’s very demanding which can grind on players.

12. Alain Vigneault – Free Agent (422-288-61):
TJ Rank #12: I always thought Vigneault was a good coach. He was just never a GREAT coach. He let the Canucks play an open style that was appeasing to watch yet effective to win but when it came to crunch time he was just to stubborn to change tactics. Too many times late in playoffs he got out coached or couldn’t motivate players.
Bik Rank #13: His time in Montreal was an unmitigated disaster and took him a long time to recover from. 6 division titles look nice, but it’s also been done in the worst division in hockey. He was able to adapt his style and usher in a new up-tempo skill game for 2 years for the Canucks, but back to back 1st round exits begin to show some flaws. He was often out-coached in playoff series (both Chicago series losses, and the case could be made for the series win with Chicago forcing a Game 7 down 0-3.. and badly during the Boston series), and while he wasn’t given an easy task with goalie controversy, his tendency to turn to the wrong goalie at the wrong time didn’t help matters (going to Schneider vs. LA and SJ when Luongo was best player on ice).

13a: (tied) Daryl Sutter (461-349-46):
TJ Rank #16: I wanted to have him in the top 10 on this list but I couldn’t ignore some of his earlier struggles. Another coach that was victim to the inability to get the San Jose Sharks motivated. That Stanley Cup win last year was masterpiece though. Knowing what you have and implementing a strategy that the team never deviated from to earn his only Stanley Cup.
Bik Rank #11: It’s amazing to see that Daryl Sutter has only missed the playoffs once for a team that he started the season with, and he was fired from Sharks in that year. Only he re-surfaced with the Flames who before his arrival finished in 5th place in their division, then next season went to the Cup Finals. He finally got a Cup Ring last year with a loaded Kings team that was a perfect fit his style and persona. His teams aren’t necessarily known for their skill so that hinders his player development stock.

13b: (tied) Bruce Boudreau – Anaheim (258-123-54):
TJ Rank #11: Another coach that has had the distinction of motivating “Superstars” and has done a reasonable job of it….in the regular season. Turning around Perry and Getzlaf this year was a big reason the Ducks made the playoffs but an 18-24 career playoff record is the reason he sits outside the top 10.
Bik Rank #16: He might have gotten a bad rep from his time in Washington as his bluster caused more of a stir than he needed considering he had a legitimate superstar with Ovechkin and the HBO 24/7 cameras following him around. The Ducks didn’t sit long once he was available as he waited only 2 days in the unemployment line. But now that he’s in a quieter spot like Anaheim, Boudreau is really thriving. The Ducks were one of the hottest teams down the stretch the previous year and finished 2nd this year. His season success has yet to translate to the playoffs as he’s yet to advance to the 3rd round.

15. Todd McLellan (220-108-48):
TJ Rank #14: Until last year had not had a season of fewer than 100 points. Made brilliant moves this year including moving Brent Burns to forward and getting Thornton to shore up his defensive game. 1 win in 9 Conference finals games is a scary stat and the reason he isn’t higher up.
Bik Rank #14: Another product from Mike Babcock and the Detroit Red Wings and won a Cup with Detroit. Is credited with their power play success during his time there and continued his offensive development to San Jose with the likes of Joe Pavelski and Logan Couture. The Sharks have made the playoffs all 5 years since his arrival. All that’s really missing from his resume now is a Finals appearance of a Cup ring as a head coach to vault him into the top 10.

16a: (tied) Peter Laviolette – Philadelphia (389-279-63):
TJ Rank #18: He has made the most of some mediocre teams. A Stanley Cup win with Carolina in 2006 and a surprise run with the Flyers in 2010. The reason he sits this low is because between those appearances was zero playoff games. Lots had faith after his last couple years in Philidelphia but after this year there are some question marks.
Bik Rank #17: He does have a cup to his name from 2006 and the Carolina Hurricanes, and a Finals appearance his first season on the job with the Flyers, but since then its sputtered downhill. Back to back 2nd round playoff exits (albeit both times to the eventual Eastern Champs) and then missing the playoffs altogether this season with a fairly stacked lineup. Follows a similar pattern he left in Carolina. After winning the cup, Laviolette and the Hurricanes failed to make the next two seasons until he was dismissed in the 3rd season.

16b: (tied) Michel Therrien – Montreal (241-196-50):
TJ Rank #17: That first round loss this year really hurt his stock. Especially after an over achieving season and division title. His firings have come during long losing slides and although warranted, came after hot starts. If he finds some consistency he could be closer to top 10.
Bik Rank #18: It remains to be seen how Therrien uses his 2nd stint in Montreal but after just one season things seem to be trending in the right direction. He previously got the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals only to lose to Detroit, and then was fired the next season as the team had a stalled start to the season and never got going until Dan Byslma took over and took them to the Cup.

The above 17 coaches were the only coaches to make both lists. Coaches beyond this point were ranked by only TJ or Bik:

18. Jacques Martin - Free Agent (613-481-81)
TJ Rank #13: Take out the Florida years and Martin made playoffs in 12 of 14 years he coached (one being the year he was fired). He took good teams ( 02/03 Senators) and mediocre teams ( 09/10 Canadiens) deep into the playoffs but just couldn’t get to the big dance.

19. Guy Boucher – Free Agent (97-78-20):
Bik Rank #15: It ended badly but it started oh so brightly with Boucher leading the Lightning to the Conference Finals with Dwayne Roloson as his goalie. Yes Dwayne Roloson. He unfortunately might be defined from the game vs. Philadelphia when they sat back and Philly refused to advance the puck with no pressure. He deserves a second chance somewhere with maybe more than 2.5 seasons to work with, and his stock could rise to the levels it was.

20a: (tied) Ron Wilson - Free Agent (648-561-91):
TJ Rank #19: The final of my available coaches. Before taking over as the Leafs bench boss Wilson had been to the playoffs 8 of 11 years. He too was a victim of the SJ Sharks fantastic regular season followed by annual early playoff exit. Had a chance to really make a name for himself but in nearly 4 years behind the Leafs bench he got nothing done.

20b: (tied) Peter DeBoer – New Jersey (170-154-52):
Bik Rank #19: Spent 3 seasons with the woeful Florida Panthers and actually started his time there with a winning season and the 2nd best point total in team history, but failed to make the playoffs with a 93 point season. Then the wheels fell off finishing near the bottom of the league in consecutive seasons. The Devils brought him in and he found immediate success leading them to a Finals appearance. Hard to say that the lack of success this season was on him considering the vast changes the team went through (losing Zach Parise to free agency and losing assistant coach Adam Oates).

21a: (tied) Adam Oates - Washington (27-18-3):
Bik Rank #20: It started bad and looked like he might not have made it to the midpoint of the season, but with a lockout shortened off-season implementing a new system to a new team took its time and started to show its promise by the end of it. Noted for his power play acumen, he revitalized Alex Ovechkin in the scoring power that he should be.

20b: (tied) Mike Yeo - Minnesota Wild (61-55-14):
TJ Rank #20: My wild card on this list comes in second year coach Mike Yeo. This Wild team had some expectations this year after the signing of Parise and Suter, and until late in the season they were challenging for a division title. He also did this with quite a young lineup.