It's ironic that on the same day that current New York Ranger coach John Tortorella finds himself being criticized for his (non)relationship with the media that the guy he replaced Tom Renney made the news himself. Only for Renney the news was that he was out as coach of the Edmonton Oilers.What made this ironic is that we're looking at two totally opposite personalities when it comes to coaching methods, as well as people methods. While John Tortorella comes across as hating the media, Tom Renney on the other hand will talk for hours to the media and really anybody who wants to talk about hockey.
I have my own bias here because Tom Renney was kind enough to take time out of his rare free time to talk to me and teach me about how to handle players as well as how to evaluate them. It was an education that you couldn't find anywhere else
In 2005 after bumbling and stumbling over myself trying to figure out what exactly I was trying to do evaluating Ranger prospects, I asked the Rangers if I could talk to somebody about player development.
I expected to talk to Don Maloney, but I was surprised that the coach of the Rangers, Tom Renney was the one who offered to speak with me. Want to talk about a crash course in everything hockey, that is exactly what I was lucky enough to walk away with.
Say what you will about Tom Renney the hockey coach and it would be hard to disagree with you. But Tom Renney the hockey mind, is one of the smartest people I've ever met in hockey.
Having said that though, Tom Renney should be behind the desk not behind a bench. The problem when you're really smart is sometimes you over-think situations or you analyze it so deeply that by the time you respond it's way too late.
Still as much is my appreciate and all I owe Tom Renney at the same time to me. It was clear that his best talent is not behind an NHL bench, but rather in a front office someplace.
It's a shame that people will think that because Tom Renney has been fired from three NHL coaching jobs that would be his legacy. As a junior coach Tom Renney has won every trophy, every championship and every award at that level.
If I was starting up my own hockey franchise then Tom Renney would be at the top of my list for director of hockey operations. I would let him build the program but I wouldn't let him coach that program.
I hope somebody is smart enough to bring Tom Renney in as such a person. More importantly, I hope Tom Renney as badly as he wants to coach in the NHL takes a front office job rather than an NHL coaching position.
I hope somebody is smart enough to bring Tom Renney in as such a person. More importantly, I hope Tom Renney as badly as he wants to coach in the NHL takes a front office job rather than an NHL coaching position.
It's ironic that on the same day that current New York Ranger coach John Tortorella finds himself being criticized for his (non)relationship with the media that the guy he replaced Tom Renney made the news himself. Only for Renney the news was that he was out as coach of the Edmonton Oilers.
What made this ironic is that we're looking at two totally opposite personalities when it comes to coaching methods, as well as people methods. While John Tortorella comes across as hating the media Tom Renney on the other hand will talk for hours to the media and really anybody who wants to talk about hockey.
And to be honest, I have my own bias here because Tom Renney was kind enough to take time out of his rare free time to talk to me and teach me about how to handle players as well as how to evaluate them.
In 2005 after bumbling and stumbling over myself trying to figure out what exactly I was trying to do in evaluating Ranger prospects, I asked the Rangers if I could talk to somebody about player development.
I expected to talk to Don Maloney , but I was super surprised that the coach of the Rangers, Tom Renney was the one who offered to speak with me. And he was kind enough to spend over an hour on the phone giving me an education on subjects such as scouting, development, and developing chemistry with players.
I was lucky enough to be able to do that on a couple of occasions while Renney was the coach. It was an amazing and eye-opening crash course on how to build (or in this case, rebuild) a hockey program from scratch.
Tom Renney's a great guy and now say that because of what he did for me but because of he really is a great guy. If there ever was a PhD in hockey operations then Tom Renney would be the perfect person.
Still as much is my appreciate and all I owe Tom Renney at the same time to me. It was clear that his best talent is not behind an NHL bench, but rather in a front office someplace.
It's good to be ashame that people will think that because Tom Renney has been fired from three NHL coaching jobs that would be his legacy. As a junior coach Tom Renney has won every trophy, every championship and every award at that level.
If I was starting up my own hockey franchise then Tom Renney would be at the top of my list for director of hockey operations. I would let him build the program but I wouldn't let him coach that program.
His biggest weakness is that because he thinks out every possible situation that by the time he reaches a solution, it is too late. On the other hand, Tortorella does the opposite; he is too rash with his decisions to shuffle lines and at times will get caught in poor match ups because he has shuffled the lines too many times.
I hope somebody is smart enough to bring Tom Renney to run their hockey operations or even accept a position coaching at an NCAA school. Renney is a great teacher who would do a great job preparing a player for an NHL career as well as for life too.
I sadly hope he does take another NHL coaching position as I just don't see him being successful at it. At least he will talk to the media.
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The other "big story" centers around ESPN radio host Colin Cowherd and his rant about hockey coverage being amateurish among other things. Anyone who has ever wasted any time listening to ESPN radio already knew that when it came to saying stupid things; Colin Cowherd is a Hall of Famer in stupidity.
If you had any doubts then "Google" Colin Cowherd Stupid and you actually get 86,000 results. See it's the difference between a real journalist such as those who do cover sports at the events as they happen versus a bozo like Cowherd who sits in a booth and rants away not knowing what he is talking about.
That's why Cowherd said what he did about hockey journalists at the NHL level. You have to be a journalist to know what one is and trust me Cowherd will never be accused of being a journalist.
I for one would love to see Colin Cowherd walk into a Ranger press room and ask John Tortorella a question. The under/over on how fast Tortorella calls him stupid is 10 seconds.
Cowherd couldn't last covering the New York Rangers.
(S/T to Puckdaddy)
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Friday night offers the beginning of the 2012 Memorial Cup with the host team, the Shawinigan Cataractes with New York Islander prospect Kirill Kabanov (NYI 2010 3rd) taking on the WHL Champions the Edmonton Oil Kings with Ranger prospect Michael St. Croix (NYR 2011 4th).
On paper, this really should be a mismatch because the Edmonton Oil Kings are bigger, stronger and have a deeper lineup than the Cataractes. The Cataractes failed to make it out of the QMJHL second round so they haven't played in almost a month.
But this is hockey and we should know never to take anything for granted. The NHL Network in the USA will be covering the Memorial Cup and it's actually an event worth taking the time to watch.
The favorites going in have to be the Saint John Sea Dogs of the QMJHL as they are the defending Memorial Cup Champions (and two-time QMJHL champs). They returned most of their lineup from last season and added Charlie Coyle when he left Boston University.
We're looking forward to the Sea Dogs when they take on the London Knights of the OHL. The Knights are coached by Mark Hunter and quietly assisted by his brother former Washington Capitals coach Dale Hunter.
The Knights basically play the same kind of style that the Washington Capitals did so will be interesting to see what happens when two power teams like the Sea Dogs and Oil Kings take on the Knights.
The biggest winner could wind up being Edmonton coach Derek Laxdal as he could come away with a head-coaching job in the NHL after the season his Oil Kings had.
Our loyalty blinds us to the Edmonton Oil Kings. They have played their way against some of the best junior teams in the CHL and were tested along the way. The other teams seriously were too dominant in their leagues to be challenged.
Edmonton had to deal with a ton of adversity especially in the WHL finals so they are in our eyes best prepared for the challenges ahead.
(Renney- New York Rangers)
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