Barry Melrose fired

Millz · #1 11-14-2008, 02:48 PM

Barry Melrose fired

source: http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=2558...=topStory_main

Quote:

The Tampa Bay Lightning have relieved head coach Barry Melrose of his duties and named associate coach Rick Tocchet interim head coach.

''This was a tough decision to make,'' Executive Vice President & General Manager Brian Lawton said. ''Barry is a good man and we have a great deal of respect for him. We wish him nothing but success. However, the results were unacceptable and the players have to understand that we need to be better. Hopefully this change helps push them.

The Lightning are in the midst of a three-game slump and are 4-5-1 in the past 10 games, dropping them to fourth in the Southeast Division standings. Under Melrose, they won just five of 16 games to open the season (5-7-4).

Owners Len Barrie and Oren Koules were guests on Off The Record in late October and when asked by host Michael Landsberg if the coach was safe, Koules was clear and concise.
''Very safe,'' he said.

Melrose, 52, was named the sixth head coach in Lightning history on June 24, and compiled a 5-7-4 record this season. He spent three seasons as the head coach in Los Angeles, leading the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 1993.

Melrose began his coaching career in 1987 when he led the Western Hockey League's Medicine Hat Tigers to a 44-22-6 record and the Memorial Cup title. Melrose also coached the Seattle Thunderbirds for the 1988-89 season and the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League for three seasons (1989-92). Melrose guided the Red Wings to the Calder Cup championship in 1991. Prior to joining the Lightning, Melrose served as NHL studio analyst for ESPN and ESPN2.

Tocchet is in his 25th year in the NHL as either a player or a coach. He played 18 seasons with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington and Phoenix, appearing in 1,144 career games and recording 440 goals, 952 points and 2,972 penalty minutes.

''As for Rick Tocchet, we think this is a great opportunity for him and we believe he's the type of coach who can take the team to the next level. Our players have a great deal of respect for him.

padd · #2 11-14-2008, 02:50 PM

about time, Barry is god awful @ his job.

Babe_Ruth · #3 11-14-2008, 02:52 PM

Wow that didn't take long, I knew from the get go that it was a horrible move by the Lightning when they appointed the coach position to Barry Melrose.

I am really surprise Tocchet was named the interim coach, especially that a few years ago, he was in a gambling case.

Millz · #4 11-14-2008, 02:55 PM

They didn't give him much chance to succeed did they haha

Tocchet I agree is a very questionable replacement given what happened with him.

Turbo · #5 11-14-2008, 07:17 PM

this took longer than i thought. not really fair to melrose since he was handed a very young team. i think they have a good shot at the Tavares sweepstakes.

OverLoad65 · #6 01-07-2009, 05:19 AM

I think Melrose screwed up the team. He wasn't coaching during practice, he ignored the owners, and he verbally assaulted many of the players. Tocchet has been doing pretty well. Hopefully he's the right man for the job. Anyone is better than Melrose at this point.

I know Tortorella took the team to the Stanley Cup on '04, but he is not cut out for the style of play the NHL has evolved to since that season. So I am glad he's gone.

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