By Dan O’NeilPublished Oct 08, 2017 10:16:10While there are no guarantees in hockey, I think you can count on some new head coaches to take the game of hockey to a new level.
After a year in which the Philadelphia Flyers failed to make the playoffs and had the NHL’s worst record, a young team like the Vancouver Canucks were able to seize the opportunity to rebuild and get back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2009.
After that success, the Canucks were the first to call it quits.
After the Flyers’ collapse, many believed that it would be another year before the Canucks would be back.
After all, the team was one of the top teams in the league in terms of salary and prospects, but their future in Vancouver was far from secure.
However, after a solid season in the AHL, and the coaching staff of Todd McLellan (currently the Vancouver Director of Player Personnel), the Canucks are now set to have a fresh start under new head coach Bob Murray.
Murray is no stranger to coaching in the NHL, having spent four seasons as the Flyers head coach and a stint with the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010-11.
In his first season with the Canucks, Murray guided the team to the AHL’s first playoff berth since 2009, and he also brought the team back to prominence in the Western Conference, winning the Presidents’ Trophy and the Calder Cup as the league’s best team.
Murray is not a flashy coach, but he’s been known for his ability to turn a team around, and with that in mind, I can’t wait to see what he can do this season with his team.