SLBAM: Former pros who become coaches will always have an advantage

What’s up gang. Toronto pulling out all the stops in the second round, Edmonton’s unbelievable PP and so on. I love the playoffs.

Well, that was a mistake because I didn’t get back to your question. I apologize, it slipped into my list of questions to answer.

Basically, I talk about it in my article here, but I can make a small update. Thomas Gregoire will be staying in Europe, so we can cross his name off. Hardy Haman Aktell, whom I had targeted, is now a member of the Capitals.

Otherwise, there’s no real movement at the moment. However, a number of things could move quickly with the signing of Miroshnichenko. If he was able to leave the KHL, we’ll have to see if others follow suit.

I’ve already answered this question, but I wanted to add a little anecdote that I experienced in my early days and still do when I work with former pros who don’t have 20 years of coaching experience.

I don’t remember where I was at all, but it was on the south shore of Montreal and Roman Hamrlik came on the ice for a practice with our team.

I’ll always remember that we worked in the defensive zone and worked the box out. He looked at us and asked if he could go and demonstrate. We said, oh yeah, do the whole practice if you want.

So he starts demonstrating, but he’s mute. He moves, does the right moves, does moves that I didn’t know all at the time because I was just starting out as a trainer.

But Roman, throughout, had hardly a word to say or an explanation. On the other hand, everything he did was perfect. But he was incapable of expressing it or dissecting it.

So their experience is excellent, and they’re able to take a huge step forward professionally, on top of connecting immediately with the players.

Because the technical level, even if they’re not immediately able to express it well, you just have to look at it and you’ll understand.

“A hard worker, an outstanding competitor and a passionate person like few others, Serge will have made his mark on our team’s history like very few people have done before” 💙

– Alexandre Tanguay

🌊 #MerciSerge pic.twitter.com/oofSOeaSfE

– L’Océanic de Rimouski (@oceanicrimouski) April 24, 2023

Ouff, the topic of the hour already two weeks ago. I didn’t have time to come back to it, but many people were surprised.

For my part, I can’t say whether I was surprised or not, since I don’t really follow the QMJHL anymore, so it’s hard for me to make up my mind.

One thing’s for sure: the social network rumor machine has begun. Beausoleil in Quebec, why not a Joël Bouchard in Quebec and Daniel Jacob at the helm of a team for the first time in his career.

Several positions are available within the Q and it will be interesting to see who the new faces will be.

But to get back to Serge. I don’t know him unfortunately, but from what I can hear, he’s quite a field hockey head. I’m throwing this out there, but are any organizations starting to get scared off by the witch-hunts we’ve seen in recent months?

And that as soon as there’s a little business, they’d rather get rid of it? That’s a question in passing, not a fact.

But in both Rimouski and Rouyn, the departure of the current coaching staff is a bit of a misnomer. The new generation isn’t easy either. Agents, players, coaches who want the GM’s job, or the GM who wants the coach’s job, often make for a very fine line.

But in the end, the players often get the short end of the stick. Now we have to watch every word, but we also have to be careful where we step, because there are a lot of eggs on the ground.

But to get back to Rimouski. We mustn’t forget the reality of the sport’s business. If I go to Elite Prospect and look at the results since their championship in 2014-2015. The playoff record isn’t the most spectacular.

Again, I didn’t see the teams play, players or otherwise. I was even in another province and another country. I only take the stats from Elite Prospect.

So that means that between the 2015-2016 season and 2022-2023: one series cancelled, three losses in the first round, four losses in the 1/4 finals and once lost in the semi-finals.

So, let’s get down to business: for eight years, the Océanic hasn’t won a thing, and for the last three years, they haven’t been able to get past the second round. Sometimes, as organizations like to say, the message doesn’t get through as well, and sometimes a breath of fresh air can help.

Rimouski isn’t the only team with a current coach in the same situation, by the way. I took a look team by team, and it’s easy to deduce that a few coaches could do with a meeting with the organization to thank them for their services.

Extension

I’ve still got some questions in the bank for next week, I love it. Next week, it’s going to explode.

I’ll see you next week with new questions and old ones I couldn’t answer. On that note, Go Habs Go Monday night with the lottery. Follow me on social networks @Mitch_Giguere.