None of the succession of coaching inadequates who have been through town since Mike Keenan departed have made a bit of difference to the local hockey team. They have been merely a shared embarrassment, like an odor in an elevator.
While the Stanley Cup playoffs slide merrily along without them again, the Blackhawks are doing the usual, pointing an accusing finger. This time at Lorne Molleken, who already had been demoted from head coach five months ago. For anyone keeping an organizational chart, the next job below associate coach is scapegoat.
Poor Molleken had on his side the opinion of his players, a team that had, after all, worked its way into a winning record after Molleken’s demotion. Still, a team that has missed the NHL playoffs three years in a row–the geographical equivalent of repeatedly missing Lake Michigan from Navy Pier–may not offer the ideal testimonial.
“I didn’t have confidence that Lorne could get us into the playoffs next year,” explained Mike Smith, the man now in charge of all things hockey.
Smith is newer to his job as manager of hockey operations than Molleken was as associate demoted bench coach. If Smith really had any control over operations, he would do a few heart transplants, but doing what he could, Smith merely lanced someone else’s coach.
“Lorne is a quality individual, a classy guy and represented this organization very well,” said Peter Wirtz, team VP and heir. “Unfortunately, results speak for themselves.”
This snips the last connection to Bob Murray, whom Smith replaced, sort of, since inevitably there is always cross-wiring somehow with Bob Pulford, the head coach who is held, as usual, blameless and perpetually employed.
The Wirtzian labyrinth of Blackhawk hockey had old pro and erstwhile captain Doug Gilmour blathering when he left town about lack of communication and not knowing who was in charge of what. Gilmour and fellow departees Chris Chelios and Jeremy Roenick and Ed Belfour and Keith Carney and Gary Suter could hold a banquet on that theme alone.
Now Smith has to find his own coach and all the gossip centers around a 51-year-old Finn named Alpo Suhonen, currently an associate himself with Toronto, just off duty after being eliminated in the Stanley Cup tournament.
Suhonen has followed Smith around to various other jobs from Winnipeg to Toronto and has coached his own teams in Europe while also directing amateur theater productions. This combined experience apparently gives Suhonen the proper resume, which is that he has done this before, both the coaching, the orchestrating and the being grateful to Smith.
Suhonen was briefly coach of the IHL Chicago Wolves, although if Smith is going in a local direction, he could do worse than the guy who is there now, John Anderson.
Other possibilities might be veteran coaches Jacques Martin or Ted Nolan, possibly Denis Savard, who has been the Prince of Wales on the last couple Blackhawk staffs. Maybe Darryl Sutter, back from San Jose, where he mysteriously surfaced after leaving the Blackhawks to be with his family in Canada.
The Blackhawks have moved the furniture around before, of course, and the only difference this time is the man who is doing it. Apparently Smith is being allowed to implement his own plan, an example of which can be found with Toronto, where Smith last worked.
Not encouragingly, the Maple Leafs shot an all-time low six pucks at the goal in a Game 6 loss to New Jersey in the playoffs, much worse than the oft-inept offense of the Blackhawks.
The last few Blackhawk teams have had no real speed on the ice, a woefully ineffective defense, inconsistent goalkeeping and a reluctance to be physical, this from a team with Bob Probert on it. This can be fixed not by a new coach but by astute drafting and trading.
That the Wirtzes allowed Smith to discard Molleken with a $400,000 buyout is a substantial endorsement. Hardly anyone is allowed out of town with money due. Earlier, Smith was able to convince the Blackhawks to pay part of Gilmour’s salary while Gilmour played for somebody else, an astonishing achievement.
Possibly for the first time since Keenan took control of the Blackhawks without actual permission, someone in charge of the Blackhawks may not only be able to get something done but have the genuine vision to know what it is.
