The difference between the good and the great in the world of sports is not only winning but winning when it counts. Alain Vigneault, the former coach of the Vancouver Canucks, is the perfect example of this divide. If one word defined his tenure with the team it would be “finalist”. He was the finalist for the Jack Adams trophy twice, winning it in 2006-07. But his most famous “finalist” appearance was in the 2010-11 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Had Vigneault won the trophy that year he would still have a job, and most likely plenty of job security to go with it.
Instead, he was fired today along with the rest of his coaching staff after being swept in the first round by the San Jose Sharks in what many considered to be his last chance at redemption. It was a pitiful final whimper in a chapter that was so impressive for so long. During his time as a head coach he had a win percentage of 0.580. He also won two Presidents’ Trophies on top of the 2006-07 Jack Adams. He was the winningest coach in Canucks Franchise history.
But a perfect look at why Vigneault was ultimately fired despite his incredible ability to win came during last season. In the first round of the playoffs Vigneault was staring down the bench at Darryl Sutter, the coach of the LA Kings. While Sutter had only been brought in half way through the season it had been an awful one for his Kings.
The Kings had squeaked into the playoffs with a record of 40-27-15. Meanwhile the Canucks had just won the second of their back to back Presidents’ Trophy championships and had a record of 51-22-9. Both of these teams had been considered cup favorites prior to the season but the Kings were dismal during the season and looked like a surefire first round elimination.
However, as they say, the rest is history. The Kings would defeat the Canucks before going on to win the Stanley Cup. Sutter had positioned his team in eighth place, Vigneault in first in the league. But it was what came in the playoffs that has given Sutter incredibly job security and what ultimately lead to his adversaries firing; and shows why postseason victories are so significantly more important than regular season.
This represents the first move that the Canucks have made, and certainly their easiest, in terms of rebuilding a team that has failed to maximize on their boundless potential. They now have to look at the longevity of many of the players who have failed to band together and win a title as well as the future of GM Mike Gillis. Those certainly require some more thought and consideration than dropping Vigneault and the rest of the coaching staff who were an easy scapegoat.
This is, however, the right move for the Canucks. In a league where coaching mentalities and styles can have a huge affect on a team’s performance it was clear that Vancouver needed a switch. A new style, maybe one with a bit more grit play could very much help the remains of what could have been the first ever Canuck dynasty. They still have the talent, now they need a fresh approach.
Now two questions are left: who will be the next in line and where will Vigneault go next. The second is less of a pressing issue, the recently fired coach still has two years left on his contract with the Canucks and therefore will be in no hurry to jump at the first offer he receives. Many teams have been brought up, even before he was let go. The Dallas Stars represent the most common rumour.
As for what will be done with the Canucks coaching staff, that is something that must be addressed sooner rather than later in order to give the new man ample opportunity to introduce his ideals. Lindy Ruff is definitely on the market but in many ways he is similar to Vigneault. Ruff had a very talented Sabres team but was unable to lead them to a championship.
If the Coyotes decide to fire him or he resigns from the club Dave Tippet becomes a clear favourite. What he has done with a poorly resourced Phoenix club has earned him plenty of plaudits league wide. He could prove to majorly help the Canucks whose goal of winning that elusive Stanley Cup will be no different in 2013-14 barring some major offseason roster changes.
Change is starting to come in Vancouver. It should be intriguing to see what else the organization is prepared to alter.
