Minnesota Wild coaching search

by nathaneide on Apr 14, 2009 7:38 PM CDT

Well now, with Jacques Lemaire and the Minnesota Wild amicable ending their relationship, now begins the search for the next head coach. Which way will they go? Fresh new face? Promoted assistant? Retread? Internal? External? Frankly, none fo us have any clues, nor do we know the names on Doug Risebrough's short list.

Risebrough said the coaching search could take 2-2 1/2 months. Over the next three-four weeks, he will talk internally with his staff. Then he will begin a monthlong process of soliciting potential candidates, or vice versa, and then begin the interview process and due diligence.

He says he has no timetable for hiring a new coach, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be before free agency. - Michael Russo

Over the next few weeks, we're going to take a look at some of the candidates being batted around by pundits and members of the blogosphere. If you have names you'd like to add to the discussion, please let us know. We really look forward to reading your takes on some of the names and whether or not you think they'd fit with the Wild.

Here are the initial names we're going to discuss

Mike Ramsey
Kevin Constantine
Mario Trembley
Guy Carbonneau
Todd Richards
Peter Laviolette
Tom Renney
Paul MacLean

If you read anything online about the search, or would like to add your own fanposts and fanshots, please tag those with "Minnesota Wild coaching search".

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Lindy Ruff

From @cphill51 on Twitter “Personally I like Lindy Ruff from Buffalo. He has a similar style as the Wild with more of an offensive punch.”

by nathaneide on Apr 14, 2009 7:14 PM CDT reply actions

Which one is young and tuff?

I want a young, smart tuff guy. Any of these guys fit that mold?

"Baseball is the only field endeavor in which a man can succeed only three times out of ten and be considered a good performer."
Ted Williams

by RileysCannibalJct on Apr 14, 2009 8:03 PM CDT reply actions

Craig MacTavish

I’m not sure how this would work? I can think of many negatives (i.e. Edmonton’s issues xfered), but one positive: he’s aggressive as hell and that should be entertaining. Of course, this crowd would need more home wins ;)

The only other real reason I suggest this is that I know he has family in the area.

by redheadzeb on Apr 14, 2009 8:29 PM CDT reply actions

Guys who are not yet available but might be

MacTavish
Ruff
Tippett

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Apr 14, 2009 8:31 PM CDT reply actions

Ruff

Lindy Ruff is not at all like what the Wild do, then again, the Sabres have had some really good offensive talent there over the years, so maybe my view is tainted.

I’d be surprised/not surprised if they didn’t have a coach by the time the draft rolls around in June.

Ruff is a really solid coach, but I don’t know that the Sabres will let him loose there – the Sabres are annually cursed with injuries that hurt their chances. If Miller wasn’t out for as long as he was this year, they make the playoffs easily.

Gross Misconduct with yours truly

by HockeyJoe on Apr 14, 2009 11:45 PM CDT reply actions

Agreed on the last point

I’ve never looked at Ruff enough to determine what kind of coach he is, frankly. But, the Sabres had the same kind of injury issue the Wild did.

Of course, St. Louis, Philly and Vancouver will all have more man games lost than Minnesota and still make the playoffs, so there is that.

Proprietor of Hockey Wilderness - We take Minnesota hockey WAY too seriously.

by nathaneide on Apr 15, 2009 8:28 AM CDT up reply actions

True

Spot on and true there, although it’s amazing to me that the last four seasons, Buffalo has been decimated by injuries that kill their season at some point. The year they lost to Carolina in the ECF they were using their third and fourth defensemen from Rochester to fill ranks in the starting lineup. It’s always something with the Sabres.

Gross Misconduct with yours truly

by HockeyJoe on Apr 15, 2009 12:03 PM CDT up reply actions