More cooks, less cooks
May 22nd, 2008 by thewordbirdThe Vancouver Canucks said goodbye to two members of its front office today at a press conference held by GM Mike Gillis at 2 p.m. PST.
Barry Smith has been an Assistant Coach with the organization for nine years (four with Vancouver), joining the club in 1999, working his way up with the minor league affiliates in Manitoba, KC and Syracuse. He was recruited from the ECHL and had cut his teeth in Europe as a player/coach. I believe Smith will rebound quickly, say, as quickly as the gel went back into his ‘do….the last time he washed that sucker.
Mike Kelly has had a shorter tenure than Smith, but his career is much more impressive. Prior to the Canucks, he was with the organization with the Manitoba Moose. He has coached at various levels, picking up Hockey Canada U18 experience, led the University of New Brunswick as a captain and Head Coach, has coached in the WHL with the Wheat Kings and in the OHL with North Bay. Kelly also returned to his home in P.E.I to coach the UPEI Panthers. I expect to see him resurface in the hockey world.
One alarming thing that was pointed out in various interviews is the fact that Mike Gillis has publicly stated that he will be doing the hiring of the replacement assistant coaches. This raises some questions. Alain Vigneault was given a one-year extension on his contract today, which is news-worthy in itself and I applaud it.
-Does Vigneault feel comfortable in having what could very well be his usurper behind the bench with him?
-Does Vigneault have much say in the hiring? I mean more than the token credit that Gillis stated in the press conference today.
-How does having the GM’s newly appointed assistant coaches leave the players feeling in everyday happenings?
And these are just off of the top of my head. This is an intricate situation to be sure and I hope to hear more in the coming days. Alain Vigneault is set to conduct an interview on the TEAM1040 AM (radio) around 8 a.m. on Friday morning. Perhaps that will shed a little more light on everything that has been going on.
May 22, 2008
Robin Keith Thompson
