I think it's an erroneous assumption to think that just because someone is a good NHL coach, that they will in turn be a good college coach; the two positions are completely different. It's so much more than understanding the game or a system. I would like to throw out there that there are probably some High School coaches who know as much about the game as some NHL coaches. They may not have won a Stanley Cup, but they understand the game, just like a good High School basketball coach or....pick your sport. A coach has to be able to motivate players and understand how to motivate them. Professional players can be motivated in ways that collegiate players cannot. It's not easy, as is proven by the seemingly revolving coach medley on display in the NHL every year. A coach moves from one team to another rarely staying more than 4 or 5 years, there are exceptions of course, but generally speaking, NHL coaches don't stick around for the long haul. They come in, impose their system, have some success, then things change and they end up looking for another job somewhere elsewhere and the cycle is repeated. Last year's worst coach becomes this year's Jack Adams winner and around and around we go. My hope is that we find someone who #1 understands the game and #2 understands how to motivate and develop young men and teach them to play as a cohesive unit, not as a bunch of over-achieving individuals. That person, no matter where they come from, will have success IMHO.
