The naming of the next head coach of the Florida Panthers will be one of the most important decisions this franchise has had to make in it’s existence.  Assuming that off-season changes are made as has been promised, the new bench boss will have to be carefully selected not only on the results he’s achieved previously, but also on his philosophy with both veteran and younger players.  The future of this franchise will hang in the balance with this choice more than any other time before.

In today’s NHL, the dictatorship style of a Scotty Bowman, or Mike Keenan (even though he’s softened up), doesn’t always work. And if it does, it’s only for a short time.  Most coach’s have a short shelf life, and eventually are tuned out by players making millions more, and unwilling to be told what to do by some has been, or old man that’s seen the game pass him up.  For that I blame the salary cap, and the willingness of teams to coddle their players into thinking that they are above the coach.

In my formative fan years coach’s coached, players played, and there were no two ways about it.  In current times, that philosophy has been tossed out the window along with my eight track player and all the jean shorts I used to own.  There has to be a middle ground.  Yet for an organization that is starving to win, the right combination of coach, his staff, and players must be put together with precision.  The Florida Panthers have made many mistakes in this area, as have other teams, yet it’s time to make the right choice once and for all in order for this organization to move in the right direction.  Since Dale Tallon arrived in May of 2010, the Florida Panthers have terminated three head coach’s.  That’s quite the revolving door in a very short time span as the Panthers begin yet another search.  The following statement by Tallon should give you some indication of the direction he’s looking:

 “We will immediately begin an extensive search for a new and experienced coach for our franchise, who will guide the Panthers to future success”.

While the search is underway, let’s hope that the “chosen one” is someone who has the right amount of discipline, and pays attention to detail.  Someone who holds players accountable, regardless of star status, and knows just when to stir the drink, or spit in the soup.  He must be loud when necessary, firm when needed, and have fun when appropriate.  Yet find a way for his players to go to the wall for him without having to berate them on a constant basis.  He must be good with young players, and have the respect of the veterans, who can be his alter ego when times get tough and the hammer needs to be pounded.

As for me, I always have responded and respected a coach who knew how and when to push my buttons.  The same for my working life with a manager who knew exactly how to say the right things, regardless of how much I didn’t want to hear it.  And when it was time to pat me on the back.

That said, here’s a look at some potential candidates, first starting with the unemployed:

Barry Trotz: I know what you’re thinking.  But Trotz is one of the most respected coach’s in the game today, despite never making it past the second round of the playoffs.  But given the rosters that he was saddled with during his coaching years, not many could have done any better.  With no real scoring threat for most of his tenure, the Predators were forced to focus on defence, and that is exactly what the Panthers need.  In addition I don’t think there was one player who ever said they didn’t like playing for him.   Trotz it seemed every year was able to get the most out of his limited roster, as his teams never took a night off.  During Chicago’s Stanley Cup run in 2010, Nashville was the one and only team that made me nervous because of their shutdown style.  Unfortunately, they were never good enough offensively to do much damage.  That wasn’t Trotzs’ fault as he had no scoring.  Personally, I would love to see how Trotz would fair if given a team with some offence.  Which the Panthers have promised to acquire this off season.

Guy Boucher.  He’s young, but not inexperienced.  He’s determined and focused, although too much for some.  He pays attention to detail and expects the same from his players.  You may not enjoy his 1-3-1 style of play, which sometimes morphs into a 1-4, but let’s face it, this Panther team needs to pay attention to defence, and Boucher demands it.  As does Trotz.  Habs fans were screaming for Boucher to be their next coach before he was hired in Tampa.  Had that happened, he wouldn’t be on this list.

Peter Laviolette:  Laviolette likely has a list of suitors, which could get longer once the playoffs are over since there could be another coach or two that losses his job.  He’s a Stanley Cup winner having taken two different teams to the final winning with Carolina, and he has the experience.  He’s an old school type that may not work well with our youngsters, and that could be a drawback with the youthful roster the Panthers have. In addition his structure, or lack of could be a problem. If however Dale Tallon and the rest of the Panthers management feel that Peter is the right choice, then so be it.

Marc Crawford:  This is a long shot.  A  former Stanley Cup winner when he coached the Colorado Avalanche to a sweep of the Florida Panthers in the 96 finals, Crawford has had only three losing seasons as a coach (one was a partial season), and has made the playoffs 8 times out of 15 seasons.  He’s currently coaching in Switzerland, but his two-year deal ends this season.  His teams typically play an uptempo game, using their speed, while still being defensively responsible.  He last coached the Dallas Stars in 2010-2011 and that team somehow missed the playoffs despite accumulating 95 points in the very tough Western Conference.

The currently employed who could be in the running once the season ends:

Larry Robinson: One of the best defenceman to ever play the game, a Hall of Famer and a two-time Norris Trophy winner.  A Stanley Cup winner as a player and a coach, Mr. Robinson would be a tremendous choice.  Robinson is currently an assistant in San Jose, and hasn’t been a head coach since the 2005-2006 season when he was coach of the New Jersey Devils.  Stress and other health related problems prevented him from continuing on, yet maybe the time is right for him to give it another try.  He’d certainly have the respect from the players, and he definitely  knows what it takes to be a winner, and a leader.

Ken Hitchcock:  One of the most experienced coach’s in the game today, a former Stanley Cup winner whose old school, respected around the league, but is demanding.  Hitch as of this typing is currently employed as the head coach of the St. Louis Blues, however after failing to beat the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round this year after leading the series two games to none, and losing in very similar fashion to the Los Angeles Kings the year before, one has to think his days could be numbered.  He’s a very good coach who is sometimes too stubborn for his own good, but he knows how to win.

Randy Carlyle:  Was another successful defenceman during his playing days in the NHL.  He won a Stanley Cup in Anaheim in his second season as head coach.  Since then however, his playoff success has been limited.  Carlyle is the current coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs who finished 6th in the Atlantic division after a promising start to the season.  If you watched this year’s NHL 24/7 on HBO you kind of get the idea of Carlyle’s personality and style. He’s cranky, not that great with kids, and when you get on his bad side, you’re likely never getting off.  He’s on the hot seat in Toronto, and if MLSE Sports is willing to give him another chance, or at least until next Christmas, I say good.  It would prevent him from being on this list of candidates.

Honorable or dishonorable mention depending on your taste:

Dan Bylsma.  Still employed by the Pittsburgh Penguins, but is rumored to have a very short leash.

Ron Wilson.  Last coached the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Claude Noel.  Dale said he was looking for success…..so this is a no.

Terry Murray.  We already did this.

John Stephens.  Currently an assistant in Los Angeles.

Mike Keenan.  Kidding.  He’s currently in his first year of a two year deal coaching in Russia, with his team playing for the championship today.  He’s been here twice already, and while he’s near and dear to me, it’s not happening.  But don’t be surprised to find him in Washington next season.

It’s difficult to blame Horachek entirely for the team’s misfortune this season especially when the leading scorer couldn’t reach 40 points, however there were likely a few things that cemented Tallon’s decision.  One was keeping Tomas Fleischmann at the point on the power play.  The other may have been continuing to play an unproductive Scott Gomez.  Peter Horachek was a classy individual whom I hope gets another chance somewhere.

The next coach for the Panthers will be the 13th in franchise history (they’ve had 7 in the past 10 seasons) and it won’t be an easy decision for either side.  The Panthers will have to convince their choice that their intent is to assemble a team that will be a consistent playoff contender.  Something that they’ve promised before.  Whoever takes the job will have to believe that this time, they (Panthers) actually mean it.

Thanks for reading and we welcome your thoughts in the comments section below!

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