Speculation on Avs successor already under way

By Jim Benton, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Friday, May 9, 2008

It might be premature to start speculating on who will become the next Avalanche coach.

After all, general manager Francois Giguere said Friday that he doesn't yet know what kind of qualities he is looking for in the next Avs coach.

"I kind of haven't done the profile of what I'm looking for in a coach," Giguere said.

"I'm going to sit down and kind of put the things I'm looking for in a candidate, some of the qualities, and I haven't done that at this stage. I have some ideas in my mind, but it's still really early in the thought process."

Giguere doesn't have a timetable to name a new coach to replace Joel Quenneville and claims it isn't important that Colorado has another coach before the June 20-21 amateur draft in Ottawa.

He would, though, like to secure a coach who plays an up- tempo style.

So who could be on the list of possible Avalanche coaching candidates?

Pat Burns, a three-time Jack Adams winner as NHL coach of the year, wants to get back into coaching after his successful battle with cancer and might be an aspirant for the job.

Burns, 56, has coached with the New Jersey Devils, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens and is now an assistant coach with the Canadian team in the IIHF World Championships.

He has been an assignment scout for the Devils and is under contract with New Jersey until June 30.

"To get back into coaching is something that I'm going to look at, and this is like taking baby steps back into it, but I'm certainly excited about it," Burns told the Nova Scotia Chronicle-Herald when talking about coaching on the Canadian team.

Others who could be possible candidates are Joe Sacco, coach of the Avalanche's Lake Erie American Hockey League affiliate; Kevin Dineen, coach of the AHL's Portland Pirates; Avalanche assistant coach and former head coach Tony Granato; and former Colorado goalie Patrick Roy.

Roy now is part owner and head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

"Am I interested? Right now, I am very happy in Quebec with the Remparts," Roy told RDS. "I really haven't thought about one day making the move to the NHL. Right now, this is only a rumor or speculation. We'll see what's going to happen. Francois Giguere will certainly have a list of candidates that he would like to meet."

• May 10, 2008

  9:22 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  Miles writes:

  Someone please tell Giguere and the Avs they should at least TRY to stike up a conversation with Scotty Bowman. He is still helping the Red Wings DOMINATE professional hockey. This isn't a better match out there. And, he recognizes the committment of the Avs ownership to do whatever is necessary to bring back the Cup. This is an opportunity one can only hope management is pursuing behind the scenes. Although we all love and rrespect Roy's committment to winning, he isn't ready. With Scotty behind the bench look for the Avs to return to their form of old and probably a Cup final in the next two years. Is anyone listening??

• May 10, 2008

  9:40 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  drnugget writes:

  I think scotty bowman is as likely to coach the avs a I am, unless the red wings org is treating him like crap, which I doubt.

• May 11, 2008

  12:14 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  trekers writes:

  Want to lose all the fans? Bringing Bowman here would be totally insane. drnugget what are you smoking?

• May 11, 2008

  7:43 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  carmela_avs writes:

  Yup, Bowman would be a suicide. It's like Peter Forsberg's reaction about the Red Wings getting him to play for them. The people in Colorado will react the same way.

• May 13, 2008

  11:45 a.m.

  Suggest removal

  GJrodburner writes:

  I think that the hockey fans of Colorado, that know something about the game of hockey other than the highlights on T.V., would love to see Scotty Bowman come here to coach. I don't think he would do it, but it is an interesting thought given what Gigs has been saying out loud in the print media about wanting the Aves to be a puck-possession up-tempo team offensively again. Scotty can definitely coach that style. Scotty would not lose fans, the Aves would actually gain more. Although it could be argued that if Scotty ever coached here it would be franchise suicide, I think it would actually be a franchise resurrection. Still, that is a pipe dream given his loyalty to Ken Holland and Mike I.

  Another coach that could teach thay style is languishing in New York with the Islanders...Ted Nolan. If the team actually could give an M.V.P. award to a coach then Ted Nolan would have won it over his starting goalie this season in New York. Don't grade out on Ted Nolan with the Islanders season this year, go back to what he was doing in Buffalo before he was kicked to the curb. This man can coach any style, but an up-tempo game is his forte.