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Erik Erlendsson

Erik Erlendsson covers the Tampa Bay Lightning for The Tampa Tribune.

@ErlendssonTrib
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Barry Melrose to the Lightning?

Posted Apr 27, 2008 by Erik Erlendsson

Updated Apr 26, 2008 at 11:47 PM

Not sure how many caught this little nugget coming out of the Satellite Hot Stove segment on CBC Saturday night during the second intermission of the Montreal-Philadelphia game, but Al Strachan, who works for the Sun Media outlets in Canada, stated that John Tortorella will be fired as head coach once Oren Koules gains control of the team. Not a real shock to hear that considering some of the events that have transpired in the past couple of weeks.

But the stunner was to hear that Barry Melrose, yes that Barry Melrose of the Mullet Hall of Fame,

who has all of three years of NHL coaching experience and none since the 1994-95 season with Los Angeles, is Koules’ first choice for the team’s now coach. I can’t say I put too much stock into this. I mean, Melrose has been in a very comfortable position perched up in Bristol, Conn., as ESPN’s lead analyst. Can’t imagine he would want to leave that spot to get back into the NHL. Now, maybe 10 years ago, it might have some legs (and lest we forget that Melrose once pushed for the job before Jacques Demers was hired). But certainly, assuming that Tortorella does not return for next year, there have to be better candidates out there other than Melrose.

Pat Burns? Pat Quinn? Craig Hartsburg? Craig Ramsay?

Strachan, who also stated earlier this year that Vinny Lecavalier was going to ask to play in a larger market this summer such as Los Angeles, Montreal or New York, also said that Jay Feaster is going to remain on for the final two years of his contract, but as more of a token role because they don’t want to buy him out of the contract. Also claimed that Koules is going to be Gary Bettman’s worse nightmare because he plans on running the team like Mark Cuban runs the Dallas Mavericks.

Anybody have some thoughts on Melrose even being mentioned as a possible candidate to coach this team? Anybody you guys want to see as the next coach, assuming of course that Tortorella isn’t back (which isn’t a guarantee at this point)?

I’ll have some thoughts on the Tortorella situation here in the coming days, so check back as I continue to gather and think about some stuff.

Reader Comments

Por (Geografer) on May 01, 2008 (Suggest removal)

part 2 - Who would you have replace them? The idiots for MSG & NESN (Boston) are completely horrendous. They can never pronounce names correctly & every call their team gets is unfair & the other teams are getting away with constant penalties. To listen to them there would be 60 minutes of 5 on 3 in their favor. The even bigger idiots are in Nashville who don’t even seem to know how the game is supposed to be played or what the rules are. Tracey for Carolina makes up conversations with players & information as he goes (read the blogs in the Carolina paper & you will see the locals even saying that).