The New Jersey Devils formally introduced their new head coach, former Scranton Wilkes-Barre Penguins head coach John Hynes, at a news conference on Thursday. Two things make this hire unique. First off, at 40 years old, he immediately becomes the youngest head coach in the NHL. The second is that Hynes becomes the first head coach in the post-Lamoriello era, as current GM Ray Shero made the call, with Lamoriello putting the rubber stamp on it as team president.
I wouldn’t put too much weight in the first note, as Hynes’ success will probably land in between Gary Green, who coached the Caps at age 26 (!) and finished with a 50-78-29 record before being dismissed, and Marc Crawford, who won a Stanley Cup with the Avalanche at age 35. The second note is more interesting, as Lamiorello seems to be truly stepping back from the process. Sure, he’ll continue to have final say if he wants it. But it would have been extremely easy for him to “strongly suggest” to Shero that he go with Scott Stevens, a Devils legend who was part of the two headed coaching monster of Stevens and Adam Oates at the end of last season. But this signifies a truly fresh start for the Devils, who might finally be ready to move away from the perception of being that “trap” team and truly update their approach. From Shero:
The GM cited three elements to identify the Devils — Fast. Attacking. Supportive.
“When I talk about fast, I don’t mean skating around the ice fast. That’s part of it, but fast hockey is practice fast, think fast, execute fast, move the puck quickly.
“Attacking is being aggressive both offensively and defensively. Not giving the opposition a lot of room. That’s an identity. Attacking is not just thinking about scoring goals. It’s a mindset defensively that I share with the head coach here today.
“Supportive means five guys on the ice as a group trying to, as a group, do these things. Supportive is five guys in your defensive zone, five guys supporting the neutral zone. And if you can’t come out of your defensive zone in this league, you can talk all day about scoring goals and you’re not going to do it.”
The bottom line is that this hire, like most hires, will be predicated on the talent around him. Seems obvious, but it’s the same thing that makes the Oates/Stevens two headed coaching monster impossible to judge. Effort was never a problem with the Devils last season. They just flat out didn’t have the horses. (The Devils were 28th in goals, 29th in Corsi For, and 26th in Corsi percentage this past season.) The right players with the right system, or at least a system that everybody buys into, will make the difference. But it’s good to see the Devils start from scratch in this effort and not trying to hang on to remnants of the recent past.
But if you want some insight as to the future of Hynes and whether this is a good hire, look no further than Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane:
While with Shero on Monday night, Hynes received a text from Chicago Blackhawks superstar Patrick Kane, who took time away from preparing for the upcoming Stanley Cup Finals to offer congrats to his old USA National Team Development Program coach of two seasons.
“I’m like, ‘John, you should have showed me this like a week ago and it would haven’t had to take this long for God sakes,” Shero said. “Patrick texted John to tell him what he meant to him. It was great.”
High praise indeed.
