Bob Hartley Fired
Just this morning I made a joke about first coach of the season being fired and pools and Bob Hartley. I shouldn’t have joked. Bob Hartley was fired by the Atlanta Thrashers today.
The Thrashers started the season 0-6-0, but one could argue this stems from last year’s playoffs when the Thrashers traded away valuable picks to boost up for their first ever playoff run, then went out in 4 games against the New York Rangers.
That left the Thrashers with their best talent gone, few high-round picks, and a disappointing playoff run. However that’s not entirely a coaching problem, that’s an organizational problem.
Hartley may have simply been there too long. Hartley was head coach since the 2002-2003 season. Only a handful of current coaches have lasted as long as or longer:
- Lindy Ruff (Buffalo’s head coach since the 1997-1998 season)
- Barry Trotz (Nashville’s head coach since the 1998-1999 season)
- Craig MacTavish (Edmonton’s head coach since the 2000-2001 season)
- Jacques Lemaire (Minnesota’s head coach since the 2000-2001 season)
- John Tortorella (Tampa’s coach since the 2000-2001 season)
- Ron Wilson (San Jose’s coach since the 2002-2003 season)
- Dave Tippett (Dallas’ head coach since the 2002-2003 season)
Yeah, my betting money would have been on Barry Trotz. I just don’t think anyone expected Atlanta to get off to such a brutal start, despite the fact that on paper they certainly didn’t look like a team building on their success.
So now the replacement debate begins. Assistant coach Brad McCrimmon ran the practice, is it time to give him his first NHL shot? The fact the coaching staff wasn’t completely cleaned out makes one think the Thrashers might be leaning that way.
And, just for more debate, does this just prove the Hartley haters right, that his success in Colorado was due to the talent on the team, and not the coaching?
Bob Hartley, Atlanta Thrashers, New York Rangers, Lindy Ruff, Barry Trotz, Craig MacTavish, Jacques Lemaire, John Tortorella, Ron Wilson, Dave Tippett, Brad McCrimmon

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