by Mark Purdy
You can't stop me from speculating. I have my own theory about who will be the team's next coach. You'll have to wait until the end of the column to see it. A cheap trick, I know. But the choice is based on the clues GM Ron Wilson dropped this week at the annual "State Of The Sharks" session with fans.
Wilson said his ideal candidate would be a "blue-collar" type personality, someone the players might not look forward to being around on certain days.
"It may be uncomfortable," Wilson said, "but the reward is worth it."
Yet another hint: Wilson said he was looking at candidates from all levels of hockey - the NHL, the minor American Hockey League, the Canadian junior system and even USA college hockey.
"A lot of people we want to talk to," Wilson said, "either work for other organizations or are under contract. I don't think we want to pay a $1 million fine for tampering."
So there you have it. Taking all of those Wilson remarks into account, it's not difficult to put together a Sharks short list.
Joel Quenneville is definitely on that list, for a couple of reasons. The hockey voices I trust in Canada also say that Quenneville is the logical man for the Sharks. His record in Colorado was 131-92-23 during his three seasons there.
Before Colorado, Quenneville had great success with the St. Louis Blues. During his eight seasons there, he became the franchise's winningest coach - yet advanced beyond the second playoff round just once. Sound familiar?
That's why I'm not sure Quenneville is the right fit for the Sharks. Too much baggage. In fact, I don't think the next coach of our beloved Los Tiburones will be anyone with NHL head-coaching experience.
Who's the man, then? Go back and read Wilson's quotes. It's obvious his role model for the hiring is Randy Carlyle, the Anaheim Ducks' coach. Carlyle was a hard-nosed NHL defenseman who moved onto the bench as a kick-butt-and-take-names personality. But when the Ducks hired Carlyle in 2005, his only head-coaching job had been with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. Two years later, he led Anaheim to the Stanley Cup title.
At various times, Wilson has also expressed his admiration for other coaches with Carlyle-like backgrounds. One is Peter Laviolette, who won a Stanley Cup with Carolina and is still there - but cut his coaching teeth by winning the AHL championship in Providence. Another is Michel Therrien, who has the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Cup finals this weekend - but was hired there in 2005 after coaching the Penguins' AHL team in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
So let's think. Who most resembles those coaches among possible San Jose candidates?
One man would be Roy Sommer, the Sharks' top minor league coach in Worcester. He will definitely get an interview with Wilson. So will Tim Hunter, the able Sharks assistant coach who personified the term "blue collar" during his playing days.
There is one name, however, to which I keep gravitating:
Kevin Dineen.
In fact, it's almost scary how Dineen fits Wilson's profile. As a player, Dineen was a nose-to-the-grindstone guy and a team captain with the Philadelphia Flyers, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes. Three years ago, he was named coach of the Portland Pirates' AHL team in Maine, Anaheim's top minor league affiliate.
And how's he done? Espousing a no-nonsense ethic, Dineen won the league's coach of the year award in 2006. He currently has his team in the AHL Eastern Conference finals. Until the Pirates are eliminated, Dineen is off limits to Wilson.
The hunch here, though, is that as soon as Portland is done, Wilson will be talking with Dineen. And eventually making him an offer. Citizen journalists, if you see Dineen strolling through your neighborhood, please advise. I think he's your next Sharks coach.
Wilson said his ideal candidate would be a "blue-collar" type personality, someone the players might not look forward to being around on certain days.
"It may be uncomfortable," Wilson said, "but the reward is worth it."
Yet another hint: Wilson said he was looking at candidates from all levels of hockey - the NHL, the minor American Hockey League, the Canadian junior system and even USA college hockey.
"A lot of people we want to talk to," Wilson said, "either work for other organizations or are under contract. I don't think we want to pay a $1 million fine for tampering."
So there you have it. Taking all of those Wilson remarks into account, it's not difficult to put together a Sharks short list.
Joel Quenneville is definitely on that list, for a couple of reasons. The hockey voices I trust in Canada also say that Quenneville is the logical man for the Sharks. His record in Colorado was 131-92-23 during his three seasons there.
Before Colorado, Quenneville had great success with the St. Louis Blues. During his eight seasons there, he became the franchise's winningest coach - yet advanced beyond the second playoff round just once. Sound familiar?
That's why I'm not sure Quenneville is the right fit for the Sharks. Too much baggage. In fact, I don't think the next coach of our beloved Los Tiburones will be anyone with NHL head-coaching experience.
Who's the man, then? Go back and read Wilson's quotes. It's obvious his role model for the hiring is Randy Carlyle, the Anaheim Ducks' coach. Carlyle was a hard-nosed NHL defenseman who moved onto the bench as a kick-butt-and-take-names personality. But when the Ducks hired Carlyle in 2005, his only head-coaching job had been with the Manitoba Moose of the AHL. Two years later, he led Anaheim to the Stanley Cup title.
At various times, Wilson has also expressed his admiration for other coaches with Carlyle-like backgrounds. One is Peter Laviolette, who won a Stanley Cup with Carolina and is still there - but cut his coaching teeth by winning the AHL championship in Providence. Another is Michel Therrien, who has the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Cup finals this weekend - but was hired there in 2005 after coaching the Penguins' AHL team in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.
So let's think. Who most resembles those coaches among possible San Jose candidates?
One man would be Roy Sommer, the Sharks' top minor league coach in Worcester. He will definitely get an interview with Wilson. So will Tim Hunter, the able Sharks assistant coach who personified the term "blue collar" during his playing days.
There is one name, however, to which I keep gravitating:
Kevin Dineen.
In fact, it's almost scary how Dineen fits Wilson's profile. As a player, Dineen was a nose-to-the-grindstone guy and a team captain with the Philadelphia Flyers, Hartford Whalers and Carolina Hurricanes. Three years ago, he was named coach of the Portland Pirates' AHL team in Maine, Anaheim's top minor league affiliate.
And how's he done? Espousing a no-nonsense ethic, Dineen won the league's coach of the year award in 2006. He currently has his team in the AHL Eastern Conference finals. Until the Pirates are eliminated, Dineen is off limits to Wilson.
The hunch here, though, is that as soon as Portland is done, Wilson will be talking with Dineen. And eventually making him an offer. Citizen journalists, if you see Dineen strolling through your neighborhood, please advise. I think he's your next Sharks coach.
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