(Jim Mone, Associated Press)I am not so sure this is great news for Wild Fans? Jacques Lemaire the only coach to ever coach the Minnesota Wild will return to coach the Minnesota Wild next season. After watching the Wild struggle through the playoffs I thought maybe it was a good time for the Wild to make a move and hire a new coach.
Jacques Lemaire has decided to come back for an eighth season as the coach of the Minnesota Wild. The Wild have become stale and boring to watch and have had trouble beating the elite teams in the NHL.
Lemaire, 62, announced his decision to return behind the Wild bench in a news release Saturday.
"When you are younger, it's a lot easier to make a decision. At the end of the year, I said I wanted to ask questions of [general manager] Doug Risebrough. I wanted to make sure my boss is happy with the work I am doing and with the way I manage the team. This is what we talked about in our meetings. I am reassured of my work and I want to coach again," said Lemaire.
"My satisfaction behind the bench is getting the team to play the best it can, individually and as a group. Success will come with that."
Lemaire, the only coach in the franchise's history, has been in charge of the Wild since 2000.
Under Lemaire, Minnesota posted a 44-28-10 record during the 2007-08 regular season en route to winning the Northwest Division and finishing third overall in the Western Conference.
But that success did not carry over into the playoffs, as the Wild were eliminated in the first round by the Colorado Avalanche.
Mr. Exciting Hockey himself.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt I was hoping he was going to retire or resign, now it looks like we are stuck with him. Lemaire's style has become stale and boring.
ReplyDeleteIf you ask the players they would disagree in fact almost all of them would say his style is like all the other teams in the NHL.
ReplyDeleteIMO, the Wild need to give Lemaire more skilled talent in order for the Wild to go deep into the playoffs.
I think during the middle of the season that the coach starting wearing on some of the veterans. 8 Seasons is a long time to coach a hockey team. DR needs to get the wild some players of the high end variety.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is they to much money tied to soft players like Kim Jonnson (sp)