Confirmed with Link: Head Coach Vacancy Pt III: How's your spelling? (Eakins/Vigneault/Messier/Gretzky)

[Kershaw]

I think people over estimate the amount of influence Messier has over Sather. You can say a lot critical, accurate things about Sather, but what is also accurate is that he is his own man. Right now Messier may believe he is a candidate for the job. Does not mean he is.

Sather offered Messier to be coach in 2002.

He will always bend over for Messier, just like this whole organization always do.

Messier always supported youth. Zubov.
.

Messier played an integral role in throwing Zubov out of town. Right up there with Rick Middleton for Ken Hodge.

yeah...here's his Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Watters

I don't see anything there that makes him a credible hockey source with the exception of being a former assistant GM of the Leafs.

Watters is a bumbling idiot. Pretty unbearable to watch on Hockeycentral.

 

[Mr Atoz*]

Ok after doing a lot more research these are my new power rankings:

1.) Tippett
2.) Eakins
3.) Robinson
4.) Ruff
5.) Vigneault
6.) Gretzky
7.) Messier

If Tippett or Eakins get the job I would be very, very happy. Would also be content with Robinson who knows how to run a PP.

You'd be happy with a guy who walked away because he couldn't take the pressure in New Jersey? Whatever Robinson was as a player he is not as a head coach. He could never handle the pressure of being a head coach here.

And Messier or Gretzky would be the disaster everyone knows that they would be. There's no easy way out of this. Anyone's a crap shoot.

 

[SkjeiPls]

I don't want Messier to be the head coach. Assistant, definitely. But not head coach.

 

[OrbitalDynamics]

Do not want Messier as coach, under any circumstances.

 

[aufheben]

12 months ago we were almost in the Finals as a #1 seed, now we're discussing Mark Messier as head coach? Yikes. This is an opportunity, don't blow it Glen.

#1 seed in the East. Coach gone, 7 players gone. Anarchy.

 

[Green Blob*]

This is just horrible. You know Glen is going to name him coach if Mark wants it.

 

[TheRedressor]

Gretzky for Head Coach
Messier for Associate Coach
Leetch for Associate Coach

Not sure if it would be great but at least Wayne has legit coaching experience.....heck if that trio could get a working PP and offense it might be O K

Ideally I would still prefer Tippett if he becomes available

 

[rangers5000]

i dont see why many of you are against this

messier knows this team, has been with this team on and off the ice for a long time, respected by everybody fans and players

gretzky is beloved, and doesnt have a short fuss like torts did, respected and both know and have experience dealing with new york

at the very least is both are interested messier can assistant and wayne can do something in the pr department or another role, maybe take over messier's current "special assistant"

and what ever happened to ted nolan, wasn't this guy a solid coach, why hasnt anybody taking the chance on this guy

 

[The Gloaming]

i dont see why many of you are against this

messier knows this team, has been with this team on and off the ice for a long time, respected by everybody fans and players

gretzky is beloved, and doesnt have a short fuss like torts did, respected and both know and have experience dealing with new york

at the very least is both are interested messier can assistant and wayne can do something in the pr department or another role, maybe take over messier's current "special assistant"

and what ever happened to ted nolan, wasn't this guy a solid coach, why hasnt anybody taking the chance on this guy

Really?

I'm against it because Gretzky was a terrible coach, and Messier has no coaching experience.

I don't give a damn about their names or how "beloved" they are, or how "legendary" they are. I don't want a guy who has never coached or a guy who was a complete disaster when he coached.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Well, as captain Leetch put up 50, 55, 26 (50GP) point seasons. In Messier's first season back he put up 79.

You're measuring a captain on points? And a defenseman to a forward? Isn't the better measurement how the team did? The team missed the playoffs under both.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

If Messier is hired as coach, this board will be hysterical for days or longer. I wonder how many people will talk about denouncing their fandom.

I'll go with 0.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I'll go with 0.

I don't know about that, considering this is HFNYR.

 

[MessierIsGod]

i dont see why many of you are against this

messier knows this team, has been with this team on and off the ice for a long time, respected by everybody fans and players

gretzky is beloved, and doesnt have a short fuss like torts did, respected and both know and have experience dealing with new york

at the very least is both are interested messier can assistant and wayne can do something in the pr department or another role, maybe take over messier's current "special assistant"

and what ever happened to ted nolan, wasn't this guy a solid coach, why hasnt anybody taking the chance on this guy

I agree with you. People think a minor league Marlies coach knows more about the game than a HOF. I much rather take a channce with one of our own vs some unknown. Some people here want Doug weight rather than messier - just because weight had a bit of experience as an assistant coach? And that makes him more qualify? This is almost like Yankee fans killing the yankees when they hired Torre back in 1996. And to this day, there are still people who think showalter is a better manager. Messier is a winner. Tippets and Eakins won squat.

 

[Greg02]

I don't know about that, considering this is HFNYR.

The last bastion of overdramatic declarations

 

[*Bob Richards*]

I agree with you. People think a minor league Marlies coach knows more about the game than a HOF. I much rather take a channce with one of our own vs some unknown. Some people here want Doug weight rather than messier - just because weight had a bit of experience as an assistant coach? And that makes him more qualify? This is almost like Yankee fans killing the yankees when they hired Torre back in 1996. And to this day, there are still people who think showalter is a better manager. Messier is a winner. Tippets and Eakins won squat.

Joe Torre had YEARS of managing experience before he took over the Yankees. That doesn't even compare to Messier who has 0. Absolutely nothing. It's nice that he's a legend as a player but, and its been repeated to death, he has no experience. Tippets and Eakins do. They aren't unkowns. I don't know how you can declare them that and not Messier.

 

[Zynbanejad]

Eakins for head coach. Messier as an assistant coach. Bring in a PP specialist.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

I agree with you. People think a minor league Marlies coach knows more about the game than a HOF. I much rather take a channce with one of our own vs some unknown. Some people here want Doug weight rather than messier - just because weight had a bit of experience as an assistant coach? And that makes him more qualify? This is almost like Yankee fans killing the yankees when they hired Torre back in 1996. And to this day, there are still people who think showalter is a better manager. Messier is a winner. Tippets and Eakins won squat.

The problem is, the "one of own" is also an "unknown". At least when it comes to his ability to coach.

 

[The Gloaming]

With Hank being 31 and this next year being his last before UFA, excuse me if I don't want a "Rangers legend" with an entire 0 games of pro, semi-pro, or major junior coaching experience to come in and "give it a try."

Messier? Gretzky? I wish we kept Torts for a month or so while looking for coaches. With Torts being a clown, he would fit right into the circus that's being created.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Eakins for head coach. Messier as an assistant coach. Bring in a PP specialist.

If you hire Eakins, you have to let him pick his own staff. If he wants Messier, fine. If not, it's not fair to Eakins to have Messier forced upon him and have that added pressure of having Messier as an assistant.

 

[chosen]

My point wasn't Hasek didn't hate Ruff. My point was Ruff can handle a goalie's ego and knows how to coach a hall of fame goalie. I've explained it twice already. If you don't get it or understand I'm sorry.

Maybe you didn't say anything specific, making it difficult to understand what you meant. Now that you have attempted to clarify it again, it still makes little sense. The goalies were of similar ages and didn't like their coaches is your interpretation of what happened.

What's funniest is that the reasons for these goalies disliking their coaches could not be any further apart if it was written in a novel.

Most importantly, what happened before with one set of characters is irrelevant when trying to predict what will happen with a different cast.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I agree with you. People think a minor league Marlies coach knows more about the game than a HOF. I much rather take a channce with one of our own vs some unknown. Some people here want Doug weight rather than messier - just because weight had a bit of experience as an assistant coach? And that makes him more qualify? This is almost like Yankee fans killing the yankees when they hired Torre back in 1996. And to this day, there are still people who think showalter is a better manager. Messier is a winner. Tippets and Eakins won squat.

I'm sure you're 100% objective in all of this, MessierIsGod.

 

[Ola]

Leadership qualities that we know Messier has might not be enough. His ability to analyze individuals and situations are positives for coaching, but drawing up plays and execution might not be his cup of tea.

I'd take Messier as an assistant, however, I don't think we're in a state to experiment with a Messier or Gretzky as head coach. We have a good team and with a couple of moves we could very well be contenders. Lundqvist isn't getting any younger and we can't afford to take a risk or experiment with our coaching situation. We need someone established, imo. We need someone established who can take us to the next level for that final push for the Cup.

Leadership ability is a tool to accomplish something. If that something is wrong, leadership ability can hurt you.

I would love to sit down with you with tapes from 03 and show just how idiotic we played. We could first watch like a 87' Canada Cup game. I could point out how teams forchecked and how they broke out of the zone. Then I could point out just how diffrent the game was in 03'. How teams knew what we were going to do and just where standing there waiting to pick us apart. And how extremely naive we where defensively. How we constantly lost three guys after 2-3 set plays by the other team.

Messier was fully behind Slats work in 2003.

 

[Thirty One]

Sather offered Messier to be coach in 2002.

He will always bend over for Messier, just like this whole organization always do.

To be fair 2002 was a different time. Sather took over the job that summer because no one else would.

 

[JohnC]

I always end up asking myself why I visit Bleacher Report whenever I visit Bleacher Report

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

This isn't Sather just giving someone a job in theory

In all seriousness though, Clark, Gordon, Schoenfeld, Hedberg all serve as checks and balances and will be part of the process of hiring a new coach.