San Jose Sharks: Thoughts on New Head Coach Peter DeBoer
By Ilya Davydov
Oct 16, 2014; Washington, DC, USA; New Jersey Devils head coach Peter DeBoer talks to his team from behind the bench against the Washington Capitals in the first period at Verizon Center. The Capitals won 6-2. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
It has not been officially announced yet, but there are hardly any doubts that Peter DeBoer will be named the next head coach of San Jose Sharks during a press conference on Thursday afternoon.
Interestingly enough, the initial fan reactions have been quite mixed so far, with the majority not being overly excited with Todd McLellan’s replacement. There are couple of reasons that may have contributed to this negative preconception.
DeBoer is no Mike Babcock…
May 21, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Toronto Maple Leafs new head coach Mike Babcock listens to reporters questions during a media conference at Air Canada Centre to announce his signing with the club. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Until Babcock was hired by Toronto Maple Leafs, there were numerous reports and speculations that Mike Babcock might become the next head coach in San Jose. The Sharks were one of the four teams that received permission to speak with Babcock, the other three being Toronto, Buffalo, and St.Louis. What ultimately makes Toronto’s hiring of Babcock so hard, is the fact that the Sharks seemed so close on this one.
Being one of the most coveted coaches in hockey, many eyes lit up with the possibility of Babcock coaching the Sharks. There were immediate conversations and hopes of the younger players becoming more mature, showcasing a better all-around brand of hockey. In the minds of some fans, the older veterans were extending their productive years, becoming tactically wise and responsible (think Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg).
Babcock has won the World Championship title in 2004, the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2008, two gold medals at the 2010 and 2014 Olympic Games, and is currently the only coach member in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Triple Gold Club. Maybe even more importantly, he earned a tremendous respect among his peers. For some, any coach other than Babcock may seem only like a consolidation prize.
…or even Dan Bylsma…
The other heavily sought after candidate for the head coach position in San Jose was Bylsma. The 2011 Jack Adams Award winner rose to fame as a coach very quickly when he guided the Penguins to the Stanley Cup in 2009.
He became the fastest NHL coach to reach 200 wins, racking up more wins than any other coach in the history of Pittsburgh Penguins, and was chosen as the head coach of the United States Olympic Hockey Team for the 2014 Olympics. Bylsma was at the helm of the Penguins for five-and-a-half seasons, before being fired after losing in the conference semifinals.
The prospect of Bylsma becoming a head coach was quite mouth-watering for several fans as well. The perception was Bylsma would be a great candidate to guide the players in teal due to his analytical approach to the game, his strong coaching record, his youth, and the way he handles the locker room, creating an atmosphere that is more inspiring rather than intimidating.
…or is he?
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When you compare DeBoer’s resume against either Babcock’s or Bylsma’s, there are certainly some gaps there. DeBoer has not won, or been a finalist for the Jack Adams Award, but he was recognized as the OHL Coach of the Year twice – winning the Matt Leyden Trophy in 1999 and 2000.
He may not have won a Stanley Cup, but that could be due to the fact that he did not have quite the same caliber of players that Babcock and Bylsma had during their Stanley Cup winning years. Let’s not forget, DeBoer did get his New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2012, and was only two wins away from the ultimate goal.
As far as experience, DeBoer actually coached in more NHL games than Bylsma, and at 46, DeBoer is only two years older than Bylsma. While DeBoer’s name does not stand out quite as much as Babcock’s, there can be an argument made as to whose coaching career has been better so far – DeBoer’s or Bylsma’s.
DeBoer’s track record with young players
On the one hand, DeBoer had success with junior players in the OHL. On the other, he had received some criticism for stalling youth development for the Devils, consistently icing one of the oldest rosters in the NHL last season.
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Diving deeper into the argument, it’s easy to be on either side of the fence. The fact that DeBoer had success in OHL, does not mean that he is an advocate of younger players. By definition, only young players participate in junior hockey – DeBoer had no options other than playing the youngsters because they make up 100 percent of the roster.
However, the fact that he did well in the OHL, does show he has the knowledge on how to work with young and developing players, otherwise he would not have been recognized as the best coach in the OHL.
In addition to that, if Lou Lamoriello assembled an old roster for the Devils – there was not too much DeBoer could do, other than ice those veterans (who by the way could still contribute well on the NHL ice). On top of that, he may not have been convinced enough by the level of play and the readiness from the prospects within the Devils organization, and one may argue – who is better to judge the prospect’s readiness than the head coach?
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, only time will tell just how good DeBoer’s appointment will be. DeBoer will have a solid roster at his disposal, with a range of young and older players to work with. Let’s hope Doug Wilson will do his part in improving the roster during this off-season.
Larry Robinson, the director of player development for San Jose, gave his thumbs up for the reported appointment of DeBoer, which is a very good sign. Robinson worked under DeBoer during the 2011-12 season when the Devils went to the Stanley Cup Finals.
There will no doubt be endless amounts of ‘What ifs?’ but we will never know that. The reality is – the Sharks are getting a well-recognized coach, with 458 regular season games under his belt, and someone who came closer to lifting the Stanley Cup than most of the individuals within the Sharks organization.
It is going to be an interesting summer ahead!