Hockey fans could be forgiven for not recognizing some of the faces behind the benches of Canadian NHL teams in recent months.
Last week, the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers became the latest clubs to replace their head coaches, joining the three other squads that have made the change over the past year.
The shakeups simply show how seriously every team takes success, said Vancouver Canucks head coach Bruce Boudreau.
“There has been a lot (of change) and it just goes to prove that this is a win-now league, it’s not a development league," said the veteran NHL head coach, who took over in Vancouver in early December.
For a coach, joining a team midseason often comes with less pressure than an off-season move, Boudreau said, because a coaching swap generally means a team is struggling.
"You're trying to stem a tide," he said. "You just go in and you give them your beliefs and you just hope that the players buy into it and you start to succeed and start to have fun. And with that comes success."
In Montreal, finding success seems like a tall order for interim head coach Martin St. Louis.
The Hall of Famer was named to the role last Wednesday after the Canadiens fired Dominique Ducharme following yet another lopsided loss.
Little changed during St. Louis' first week in charge. The Habs (8-33-7) dropped three games in a row to start his tenure and are on a 10-game winless skid for the first time since 1926.
Coming into the role, St. Louis said he knows his job is to get the players excited about playing hockey again.
“I think you have to inspire them a little bit, you’ve got to motivate them," he said in his opening press conference. "I think, at the end of the day, this is the National Hockey League and every game they should put their best foot forward and be as productive as they can to help the team win."
It's a much different situation for interim head coach Jay Woodcroft in Edmonton. The Oilers have plummeted down the standings in recent weeks but remain in the playoff mix.
“With 38 games remaining, I felt like I needed to make a move because we still control our own fate," general manager Ken Holland said after dismissing former coach Dave Tippett on Thursday. "But we’ve got to get cracking here and win some games."
Edmonton is off to a solid start under Woodcroft, with wins in three straight games. With a 5-2 victory over the L.A. Kings on Tuesday, the Oilers (26-18-3) slid back into the second wild-card playoff spot.
"I believe there’s a lot of runway in this season," Woodcroft said after arriving in Edmonton. "But saying that, I’ve asked our players to keep our picture small, to worry about today, and once you start building things in the right way, I believe success is built sequentially.”
HELLO, FRIENDS
Milan Lucic played chauffeur for an old friend Monday night.
Just hours after the Montreal Canadiens dealt Tyler Toffoli to the Flames in a multi-player deal, the winger arrived in Calgary and was greeted at the airport by Lucic, his former L.A. Kings teammate. Not only did Lucic provide a ride, but he had dinner waiting for Toffoli at home, too.
Lucic is just one of the familiar faces who awaited Toffoli in the Flames' locker room. The 29-year-old forward also played with Brad Richardson and Trevor Lewis in L.A., and in 2020, he briefly suited up for a Canucks team highlighted by star goalie Jacob Markstrom and defenceman Chris Tanev. Back in juniors, Toffoli was roommates with a fresh-faced Sean Monahan.
"There’s a lot of familiarity with him already," Lucic said of his friend's move to Calgary. "There’s already a chemistry there, there’s already a familiarity there so I think he’ll fit right in.”
Toffoli quickly proved to be an asset, capping his first game in a Flames jersey with a goal Tuesday as Calgary routed the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2.
SID THE SCORER
Sidney Crosby joined rare company Tuesday, scoring his 500th goal in Pittsburgh's 5-4 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Penguins captain is just the third active player to reach the mark and joins Mario Lemieux as just the second player to put away all 500 tallies for Pittsburgh.
Crosby said it was hard to find words for what the accomplishment means to him.
"It's a cool number," he said. "You look at guys who've scored 500 goals and I think it's just a privilege to be part of that company and I appreciate the opportunity to play this long in the league. I think when you look at numbers like that, I think that's kind of where my head tends to go."
The milestone is also a big one for Crosby's parents, Troy and Tina, who were in the stands. The pair have been camped out in Pittsburgh awaiting the occasion, Crosby said.
"They've been living out of their suitcase here for a couple of weeks, wanting to be here for this one," he said with a grin. "So I'm glad I could finally get it."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 16, 2022.
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Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
