Devils Head Coach John MacLean Fired, Jacques Lemaire to replace him on Interim Basis
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 23, 2010 11:15 AM EST
in Devils Business
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PrintAfter a 9-22-2 start to the 2010-2011 season where the Devils are the 2nd worst team in the league, the Star Ledger reports that head coach John MacLean has been fired. The current replacement is former head coach Jacques Lemaire (confirmed by ESPN's Pierre LeBrun), who will be filling in on an interim basis. Tom Gulitti also mentioned that Lemaire will be here for the remainder of the season, and MacLean will remain with the team however, though Lamoriello hasn't mentioned anything about it yet
My thoughts- It was too late. Not going to make a difference. Is Lemaire going to solve any problems at the moment? He's probably going to improve the defense, as in getting people to actually do something instead of standing around while Jay Beagle walks in and roofs one past Martin Brodeur. Is he going to turn the Devils into world beaters? I doubt it.
As for Lemaire, some might wonder if it's really necessary for him to remain with the team for the remainder of the season. If you ask me, maybe Lou's going through all the potential coaching candidates. He's probably going to be extra careful with all the candidates, seeing as he doesn't want another MacLean.
As for MacLean, he deserved it. The players looked lost out there. He had no clue of what he was doing. Defensemen were just terrible, though that could fall on Larry Robinson, who was supposed to be in charge of the defense. Don't blame the players for this season. There was talent on the roster. It just wasn't utilized properly, or it was on injured reserve. MacLean didn't know what he was doing. How else does a two time 50 goal scorer become so bad that he's getting outscored by over 20 defensemen?
Thought from the hockey world about the firing past the jump.
This is the worst thing to happen to a guy named John MacLean at Christmas since Hans Gruber held a bunch of people hostage in 1988. - Sportsnet's Ian Mendes
Sounds like the Devils are trying to out Leaf the Leafs as far as incompetency. Wow.- Chris Burton from On the Forecheck
I bet Jamie Langenbrunner is walking around all sour-puss face right now.- Carlos Figueroido aka SpeakoftheDevs
Toughest Christmas that a John MacLean has experienced since Die Hard.- Down Goes Brown
It's official, Lamoriello's turned into George Steinbrenner from Seinfeld. "Jacques Lemaire, Robbie Ftorek, Pat Burns, Jacques Lemaire ..."- Steve Lepore from SBNation New York
@NonAmericanHero Now your team is likely going to be truly unwatchable.- Carl Putnam from Five for Howling
Also, I feel like Captain Crankypants is one foot out the door now- Josh Burnett from Intent to Blow
Devils are ridiculous. Firing Johnny Mac despite NJ missing its best player Parise for 20 games & [Marty] for 10. Guess Lou cant fire himself.- Scotty Hockey
Honestly thought MacLean was going to get the axe last week.- Ryan Porth from Red Light District Hockey
I'm gonna miss Lamoriello's "status quo", "stay the course" quotes ... at least until Lemaire's on the hot seat- Puck Daddy's Sean Leahy
The Devils have fired John MacLean on Festivus. That's taking the airing of grievances to a whole new level.- NHL.com's Dave Lozo
Know who's happiest about Lemaire coming back: Martin Skoula. He knows he can find an NHL job again if things get desperate.- Pro Hockey Talk's Joe Yerdon
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Best…..Christmas……Ever. cries uncontrollably
Seriously. What took this decision so long? By the end of October, 80% of the Devils fanbase knew this wasn’t going to workout. By the end of November, probably 90% of the Devils fanbase knew Maclean was not the coach for this team. Here we’re sitting, halfway through the season and stuck in a gigantic hole, and we finally get the coach we should have had since late October. There is absolutely no chance the Devils will make the playoffs this year. Since when do we sacrifice an entire season for the sake of a rookie coach? Just doesn’t add up. This isn’t Devils hockey, nor has it been all year long. What makes matters worse is that this team is absolutely stacked with talent. Even with Parise out for the year.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
I seriously love that this was done 2 days before Christmas.
Give someone a break because it’s the holidays? Lou Lamoriello says “F that”
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
Frivolous Ornamentation
by Karina on Dec 23, 2010 11:28 AM EST reply actions
Lou was trying to unshackled Mac! Now John Maclean can start the year anew and he won’t have to stress out through the holidays about all this baloney.
But, he should hve done it a few days before Maclean’s birthday last month. Even less stress for Mac in that case.
To quote acasser: we’re the ’07 Flyers! So, the rebuild has to start now to give it a few months to warm up. And when then the holiday no-trade is over… trade Lanenbrunner two days before New Years.
by Alan Wright on Dec 23, 2010 2:20 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
The rebuild doesn’t really have to start NOW. Chances are, a lot of these contracts can’t be unloaded until we’re close to the trade deadline anyhow.
I figure there’s a month or so before any permanent decisions have to be made. Maybe Lemaire catches lightning in a bottle, similar to how Peter Laviolette did with the Flyers around this time last year. And maybe the suck continues. By the time we get to the All-Star Break, Lou should know which way the team is heading for the rest of the season. If it isn’t anywhere near the playoffs, he can declare the market is “open” and start taking offers on any and all Devils players who might be moved — to me, that’s everyone short of Kovy, Parise, Elias, and Brodeur. It doesn’t mean he has to trade any or all of the rest, but letting the rest of the GMs around the League know they can start placing bids can get the ball rolling.
I don’t see a Forsberg haul in our future (Upshall, Hartnell, Timonen). I’m not even sure Lou can pull off a Zhitnik-for-Coburn style fleecing. However, I’m sure he can cut loose some of the dead weight and create space for things going forward. We might also get a good look at some of the other kids on an extended basis.
The playoffs may be a forlorn hope, at this point, but there are things left to accomplish this season.
Alright
If memory serves, the All-Star game is January 30th and the trade deadline is the afternoon of March 2.
OK, maybe the rebuild doesn’t have to start now-now, but more generally, now as in soon. Well, I actually don’t know how long it takes for Lou to ring up his dudes to organize anything. I bet he could pull the trigger on trades right now, but that seems a bit hasty.
If Lemaire does catch lightning, the Devs might get the idea as though they’re making a run for 8th place in the conference. Would that impair the market for trading off any vets and performers, in the hope that they’ll produce for us? Maybe for this season, yes… which would be a shame if a futile attempt at the playoffs hurts a rebuild.
Anyway, I am confident than Lou will know how to strike the balance.
So, when will the Devs know definitely that 8th place is out of reach? Perhaps the All-Star Break is as good a time as any to see if Lemaire can put something together defensively.
by Alan Wright on Dec 24, 2010 12:08 PM EST up reply actions
I’m just a Thrashers fan who still likes Kovy and likes to keep up with what goes on here from time to time. It should have been done in November. At this point I figured Lou just wanted the team to be as bad as it could so he could get in the lottery for the top pick. The time for MacLean to have been held accountable has LONG been past.
I think Lou had faith in MacLean. But too much, Mac should’ve been gone way before.
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
This season is all a terrible dream brought on by too much Penne a la Pesto.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 23, 2010 11:31 AM EST up reply actions
I find it interesting that the media clamoured for MacLean to be promoted to the NHL for so long and it took so little time to demonstrate why Lamoriello was reluctant to do so.
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
Frivolous Ornamentation
by Karina on Dec 23, 2010 11:42 AM EST up reply actions
Welcome, Zontar
Your team looked impressive vs us the other night. Good to see you can give the Caps some competition in your division now. I hope Kovy can get back some of that Thrashers mojo sometime soon. There’s signs that it’s coming, but until we see the first Kovy break-out hat-trick, we are all still waiting!
LOL!
I don’t read this column very often because it is way too sanitary for my tastes but I absolutely laughed my ass off when I saw the poll. Well done!
You taste sanitary things? Like what?
by Tom Stivali on Dec 23, 2010 11:52 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
well played.
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
This season is all a terrible dream brought on by too much Penne a la Pesto.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 23, 2010 11:54 AM EST up reply actions
The quotes above criticizing this move obviously came from people who haven’t seen the absolutely dreadful hockey we’ve seen out of this bunch through the first 33 games. Clearly those of us (including myself) who wanted Johnny Mac in were mistaken, and this probably comes too late actually
I think it was because it happened early in the morning that I couldn’t get any good quotes. If it was done around 2 there might be better quality in posts seeing as everyone’s not half asleep.
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
This season is all a terrible dream brought on by too much Penne a la Pesto.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 23, 2010 11:52 AM EST up reply actions
Would it be bad to feel vindicated?
A case of schadenfreude? Is it bad that I was on the ILWT record as saying that I hated this hiring from the beginning and now I feel slightly smug about it?
I have respect for most sports fans with 2 exceptions: NY Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey, and Dallas Cowboy fans who can't name the capital of Texas.
Well, everyone’s entitled to their differences. You’re okay as long as you didn’t break any rules while being smug.
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
This season is all a terrible dream brought on by too much Penne a la Pesto.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 23, 2010 11:58 AM EST up reply actions
Believe me
I would have happily been wrong on that poll. I can’t remember being this miserable since the 1988-89 season.
I have respect for most sports fans with 2 exceptions: NY Ranger fans who grew up in New Jersey, and Dallas Cowboy fans who can't name the capital of Texas.
Don't lie
Who else chuckled @ the Die Hard jokes?
Red, Black and White until the grave or until they go back to Red, White, and Green.
I love that Lemaire hasn’t even landed in NJ yet and we’re already getting the “boring team” comments. Like they were a barrel of high-scoring laughs up until this point.
The 2010-11 NJ Devils are like the Titanic: they both looked good until they hit the ice.
Exciting team (so far) 9-22-2
Boring team’s record (last year) 48-27-7
Screw ’em
Red, Black and White until the grave or until they go back to Red, White, and Green.
The Devils are plenty exciting…. if you’re a fan of that particular night’s opposition. Considering what we’ve put up through the first 40% of the season, there’s been a lot to cheer if you aren’t rooting for the Red White and Black.
You can’t tell me Thrashers fans weren’t excited to see Eric Boulton’s hat trick. You can’t tell me Washington fans weren’t thrilled by the rocket Carlson put past Brodeur the other night. Et cetera, et cetera.
I don’t know that Jacques Lemaire can do anything about the offense at the moment…. although coming up with some set lines that make sense would probably help. If he can do something about the sieve that is our defense, that’s good enough. 3-2 and 2-1 losses are a heck of a lot easier to take, because that will be progress from 7-1 and 5-0.
Since when have the people who enjoy kicking the Devils, Lou, and Lemaire ever been deterred by simple logic?
by HockeyWeasel on Dec 23, 2010 12:13 PM EST up reply actions
I’m actually pissed at this, I swear to god if we start winning and dont get the 1st or 2nd overall pick I’m losing faith in the Devils because at this point it’s a complete waste of a season. I would rather Mac get the experience and go through all of this because we need the picks. Adam Larrson or Sean Couturier would help make us back into a Class 1 org. We need the rebuild so badly and I sweat to god if we end up getting like the 6th-14th overall picks I’m going to be upset because seriously it’s not worth it. We’ve done the calculations, we’ve made our predictions, the Playoffs ARE NOT HAPPENING. Honestly guys I thought all of you would agree with this mentality.
by AlphaSigDevil48 on Dec 23, 2010 12:21 PM EST reply actions
A rebuild doesn’t necessitate a top 5 pick.
It’d certainly help, but the more important part of it is to lose the bad contracts, under-performers and bad seeds and to scout better so that whatever picks the team does get are not flops.
The 2010-11 NJ Devils are like the Titanic: they both looked good until they hit the ice.
this, and i think it’s equally important to get the team thinking they can win again. most teams that lose horribly don’t have a lot of bad contracts involving veteran players. if the defense doesn’t get fixed, this isn’t a problem that goes away soon. and a 1st overall pick at defense isn’t going to fix the defense either; it’d likely be several years before he was an average NHL D.
there are always exceptions but you should never bet on your case being the exception.
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
Frivolous Ornamentation
by Karina on Dec 23, 2010 2:08 PM EST up reply actions
Too early to say that Larsson or others are going to be ‘stars’ yet. A Dougie Hamilton at pick 10 or 12 would be OK by me.
by Tom Stivali on Dec 23, 2010 12:41 PM EST up reply actions
Trust me, speaking as a Nets fan who has suffered the complete and utter rebuilding of a franchise from the ground up, this is the last thing you would want. What we want now is for this team to start winning again. Even if we don’t get a top pick, at least players will want to play for this team in the future if we can somehow salvage this season. Being last place in the league and getting a high draft pick doesn’t erase the fact that the rest of the team is playing beyond awful hockey. Look at the Islanders as a prime example of a team who has had high draft picks but has never recovered. Like I said, I’m a Nets fan. I suffered one of the worst seasons in NBA history last year because my team tanked completely. Nobody wants to play in New Jersey after so many horrible seasons. Winning is the primary importance for all teams; everything else will fall into place draft pick and roster wise after this.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
I’d argue that the Islanders are not a good example. They tend to rush their prospects to fill roster spots because their owner refuses to pay to attract veteran FAs except in rare cases like Mark Streit. The Devils have historically shown more of an aptitude for drafting and developing their draftees.
But I looked at the Devils drafting of recent years at the beginning of the season (I’ll cite hockey-reference as my source so forgive me if there are erorrs) and I found that after Zajac, the 1st round of 2004, no Devils draftee had played more than 100 games in the NHL with the Devils or any other team if they had been traded. That benchmark has probably been eclipsed by Bergfors by this point, but it appeared to me that there was either an organizational philosophy to bring along players at a very gradual pace or many of the draftees simply did not pan out. I’m not entirely familiar with the Devils prospect system, but has it been that much of a dry well for the past 4 or 5 seasons?
by MyFavBaseballSquadron on Dec 23, 2010 1:13 PM EST up reply actions
The best thing I’ve always liked about the Devils is generally their never-throw-in-the-towel, let’s make-a-comeback attitude. Putting everyone through the suffering of the last half-season for the rest of this one just to get a high draft pick is absolutely contradictory to that attitude. No one has ever said the Devs have no real talent. On LTIR, perhaps, but not non-existent. I would love to see them put together a 3, 5, or (dare I say it) 10-game winning streak in the near future. Won’t put them in the playoffs, of course, but maybe I would actually feel safe to turn on the TV or even buy a ticket to watch them.
Rangers fan here
Not here to gloat, because the hockey gods know for every Johnny Mac the Rangers have a Bryan Trottier, or John Muckler (using Leetch at LW against Bure, genius), Ron Low, etc.
I don’t get how Lou gets a free pass with this one from the ownership, although I know you guys as fans have issues with how he’s run the team. Not with the coaching carousel that has been going on with you guys in the past 5 seasons.
Is there any consensus amongst you guys that the Devils should drop back and punt the rest of the season to get a draft pick in the top 10 or even top 5, something they haven’t had in decades? I think getting another impact young talent for next year would only be beneficial although I realize there are only a handful of kids per draft year that can jump in and play in the NHL at 18 or 19 and even fewer that will make a significant impact.
by MyFavBaseballSquadron on Dec 23, 2010 12:35 PM EST reply actions
There is a large portion of the fanbase who would like to see them ‘tank’, but to me tanking is just not a good idea. First, the Devils will probably be picking in the top 10 regardless of how this coaching change goes. Two, the Devils will be offloading some of its veteran players, and it’s not like they’ve gotten much out of their rookies – if some of these players are as bad as they’ve shown so far, there will be a few long years in new jersey.
I can’t speak for anyone else here, but I am decidedly against punting on the season even though the playoffs are essentially impossible at this point.
I personally don’t believe that a lack of prospects/young players is the team’s biggest problem. This season’s struggles aside, Alexander Urbom is still a highly regarded prospect, and there are other young D coming up the pipeline behind him such as Eric Gelinas, Brandon Burlon, and Jon Merrill. Matt Corrente is also still young enough to bloom into a high-quality defensive player.
On the forward side of the coin, Mattias Tedenby has shown good promise at the NHL level, just as Vladimir Zharkov did last season. Jacob Josefsen didn’t get much of a chance earlier this season before he got hurt, and Adam Henrique hasn’t gotten his shot yet either.
The bigger problem I think, was putting a rookie head coach in charge of a team that was built to win now. Things didn’t start off well, and MacLean showed that he really didn’t have much of an idea how to handle it. Confidence started to erode, and things snowballed from there. Assuming the players are professional enough not to bring last season’s issues with Lemaire back to the forefront, I think we’ll get a much better idea of what this team is really made of with a steady, veteran hand guiding them.
by HockeyWeasel on Dec 23, 2010 12:56 PM EST up reply actions
I’m hearing rumours that there’s a supposed locker room schism that’s causing issues for the Devils? Does anyone put any stock in this?
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
Frivolous Ornamentation
by Karina on Dec 23, 2010 12:38 PM EST reply actions
Haven’t heard anything about it. Got a source on the rumors?
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
This season is all a terrible dream brought on by too much Penne a la Pesto.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 23, 2010 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
Langenbrunner has mentioned in the past that if anybody should be moved, its a player in the locker room – not the coach. It seems very clear to me that Kovalchuk was not a fan of Maclean, and it seems just as clear to me that Maclean putting together Kovalchuk with 4th liners on a consistent basis was a form of getting back at Kovalchuk passive aggressively. Simply my thoughts, but they lend to what was just said.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
Frivolous Ornamentation
by Karina on Dec 23, 2010 12:54 PM EST up reply actions
I believe he is talking about this, then.
Which lends to the quote above,
Also, I feel like Captain Crankypants is one foot out the door now- Josh Burnett from Intent to Blow
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
I assumed that a “locker room schism” was between players, not a coach and player.
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
Frivolous Ornamentation
by Karina on Dec 23, 2010 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
Hm I think it might just be stuff relating to Langenbrunner’s comments about a locker room change. I think he might have known that if MacLean got fired Lemaire might be the guy returning, which is why he suggested change in the locker room, instead of change behind the bench. Jamie didn’t get his wish, so that could be a problem.
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
This season is all a terrible dream brought on by too much Penne a la Pesto.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 23, 2010 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
When in doubt, fire the coach...
I, like so many Devils fans, saw this coming. But what is with Lou firing the guy two days before Christmas, and with no replacement in hand. Bad form. This seems to be just another badly planned move by the Devils front office. I will say what everyone else has been not willing to say. For many years the Devils front office has taken credit for winning season after winning season, with some people putting Lou up on this pedestal, like some kind of hockey god, but the reality is that the success of the Devils comes the same as any other team, talent and hard work. If coaching made all the difference we would have won the cup last season. The front office started making bad decisions two to three years ago, and they have gotten worse and worse. Brent Sutter left the Devils, not the other way around. Why was that I wonder? They handed over some of our best players in bad deals, and topped it off by way over spending on Kovelchuck, to the point that it has had major effects on the lineups and gotten the league on our backs again. I also would be willing to bet that has caused many players to have a bad taste in their mouth. The captain was playing the best in his career just prior to Lamaire coming in and breaking up the Parise, Zajac, Langdenbrenner line. You could tell in his interviews at the end of last season that he was not happy with the changes or the presence of Illya. Now we can see it in his playing. In fact, the whole team does not play like they are a team any more. Something happened in the locker room last season, and we are in the dark about it, and it has everything to do with this seasons lack of effort.
Then they bring in a rookie coach and expect him to take the mess they have caused and do what exactly? (we have had 9 rookies this year?) My guess is that we will see the same performance from the team that we saw at the end of last season under Lamaire. I am not saying MacLean is great, but he was handed a bag of crap and has made it into a bag of crap. Nothing more. My opinion is that MacLean was brought in to be the scapegoat of all scapegoats. This was planned, or at least somewhat foreseen. Now Lou is falling back on Lamaire like he did last season. A guy who does not even want to coach anymore. A guy who has admitted he has had enough. My guess is that the front office will not be able to find any coach that is willing to work with Lou, except for those coaches that are desperate, suck, or are retired.
I don’t have the answer. I doubt Lamire has the answer. I know Lou does not have the answer. But I do know that everyone keeps saying things need to change, and MacLean has been changing things nightly, and we are still in a sinking boat. Maybe the answer lies in some permanence, not changing anything for more than 2 periods, and giving this wholly new team a chance to get used to each other and figure out a plan, before they get yet another new head coach. It’s just too easy to place blame on him, and way too convenient for the front office to do so.
The captain was playing the best in his career just prior to Lamaire coming in and breaking up the Parise, Zajac, Langdenbrenner line. You could tell in his interviews at the end of last season that he was not happy with the changes or the presence of Illya
I believe Jamie was not happy that Lemaire was sitting him at the end of the season when he could have played a full season. The fact that Langenbrunner acted like a child by not speaking to the media for a month doesn’t exactly help his cause. Langenbrunner has been really bad for the past two years now. Quite frankly, I wouldn’t mind him being shipped out first.
Then they bring in a rookie coach and expect him to take the mess they have caused and do what exactly? (we have had 9 rookies this year?)
And what mess was this? Having the most stacked Devils team in a decade? No team with this talent should be this bad. When a coach says the team was unprepared MULTIPLE TIMES, I put the blame on the coach.
I am not saying MacLean is great, but he was handed a bag of crap and has made it into a bag of crap
Again…Maclean was handed a fantastic team. Remember the summertime when many different sources pitted New Jersey as a legitimate cup contender? Even without Parise, this team is brimming with talent. Maclean was handed a team arguably better than last year’s team, and despite the awful post season performance, they were as good as any team in the league. If we didn’t play Philly, we could have gotten past the first round, guaranteed.
I know Lou does not have the answer. But I do know that everyone keeps saying things need to change, and MacLean has been changing things nightly, and we are still in a sinking boat.
By change, I don’t believe people mean putting Kovalchuk with 4th liners. By change, we mean a team that doesn’t look completely unprepared, discouraged and lost on the ice after every single game. Say whatever you’d like, but the coach needed to go. There will be no 180 degree turn for this team this year, but to keep trudging along with a coach who clearly does not know what he’s doing and a team that is fighting to stay out of the bottom of the league is just not the right choice.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
And in regards to your quote regarding the amount of rookies we have played so far this year….did you forget about the beginning of last season? Lemaire was put in the same exact boat. He had a ton of rookies playing at their finest; top of the league quality, in fact. These rookies aren’t bad. If properly coached and put into a winning system, that is.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
But what is with Lou firing the guy two days before Christmas, and with no replacement in hand. Bad form.
It could very well be possible MacLean wanted to know before the weekend and not have to wonder all holiday weekend long.
draft
I keep hearing about a first round pick. Didn’t we lose it because of the kovy contract? Or is that in 2 years? Thanks
by zookdog on Dec 23, 2010 12:39 PM EST via mobile reply actions
The Devils have to give up a 1st round pick in one year from 2011-2014. They can choose which year to give up the pick.
by HockeyWeasel on Dec 23, 2010 12:44 PM EST up reply actions
I’ll take boring, NZT, and winning over whatever the hell we are now (Exciting, boring, seriously as an outsider what are we?) and being dead last anyday.
Red, Black and White until the grave or until they go back to Red, White, and Green.
Boring?
I don’t care what fans of other teams think about the way we play. When we lose I find it boring. I don’t care at this point if we win 7-1 or 1-0 in a shoot-out, it will be a lot less boring than the play I’ve witnessed so far this year. I think our play this year can only be described as uninspired. Lets hope that Lemaire wakes them up because they’ve been putting me to sleep.
Hey, thanks for stopping by and providing that valuable insight!
However, just to set the record straight, the Devils haven’t played a trap heavy scheme, even with Lemaire last year, since the days of Claude Julien.
As an aside, I wonder what ever happened to that guy? I guess if he’s still coaching, his team would be pretty reliant on the NZT, eh?
The 2010-11 NJ Devils are like the Titanic: they both looked good until they hit the ice.
You know what would be really funny........If we some how manage the 8th seed in the east.......then win the cup......
by letsgogiants98 on Dec 23, 2010 12:56 PM EST reply actions
Does that mean Johnny Mac is Yogi?
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Dec 23, 2010 2:14 PM EST up reply actions
Lou might get a visit from three ghosts tomorrow night.
But in all fairness the guy needed to go.
by whatjusthappened on Dec 23, 2010 1:15 PM EST reply actions
want to laugh?
go check out burnside’s article on this situation over at espn.com – how this guy gets paid to write about hockey just blows my mind. regardless of the fact that i am a devils fan, i also have at least half a working brain that recognizes good journalism and can understand negative articles about the team. this guy, however, is just absurd.
Burnside’s a hack.
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
This season is all a terrible dream brought on by too much Penne a la Pesto.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 23, 2010 1:49 PM EST up reply actions
He’s actually calling for Lou to be fired.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Dec 23, 2010 2:46 PM EST up reply actions
Oh god.
In Lou We Trust/Twitter
This season is all a terrible dream brought on by too much Penne a la Pesto.
by Kevin Sellathamby on Dec 23, 2010 3:05 PM EST up reply actions
So he’s going completely stupid instead of just shortsighted.
Oh, tomorrow’s post is going to be fun.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Dec 23, 2010 3:25 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
i wouldn’t even give him the traffic; every clickthrough keeps him in business.
suffice to say it’s typical burnside fare – rumors and conjecture accepted as fact, real facts bent to fit the same narrative he’s been pushing for the last 4 seasons…
i hope the next time the Devils win a cup Lou uses his day to drive down to Philadelphia and bash Burnside’s head in with it.
He doesn’t need the traffic to be kept in business. ESPN has a habit of employing writers of questionable talent and viewpoint and keeping them around long past their expiration date. Half of ESPN’s writers (think Jemele Hill, Snoop Jackson just for starters) get fragged and flamed every time they write, and it hasn’t changed a thing yet.
Those of you who have been around a long while (like me) have probably watched the decline and fall of journalism more-or-less in general the last two decades or so. This isn’t any different.
ya know i’d take jemele hill over burnside…even though she’d probably say maclean was fired for being black haha
by imhipabouttime on Dec 23, 2010 2:32 PM EST up reply actions
Usually, reading Burnside makes me angry. This time I just about laughed out loud…
by HockeyWeasel on Dec 23, 2010 1:56 PM EST up reply actions
I think Burnside cursed us by finally picking us to make the playoffs in his pre-season rubbish.
So this is what it's like to be an Islanders fan...
by Marty 4 Prez on Dec 23, 2010 2:00 PM EST up reply actions
Feel bad for Johnny Mac, but it was unavoidable. Some things were his fault and some (like the injurues) weren’t.
When the coach is one of the only guys that has a NMC, I guess he goes.
Good. Finally.
Now let’s laugh about it for 5-10 minutes, pretend it was a bad dream, and not make that mistake again. Lou: stop doing that! Us: stop trusting Lou. Jacques: bienvenue!
Next step: squaring up against the vicious and deadly Islanders with some very convincing smacky-face hockey and, um… scoring would be good.
by Alan Wright on Dec 23, 2010 1:52 PM EST via mobile reply actions
It seemed like Kovy and Lemaire got along well. Seen a lot of quotes from the two how they would just talk about hockey at lengths of time. I feel like Lemaire will know what to do with Kovy and I expect seeing him paired with Elias tonight. I’m thinking this could spark something in kovy, as he respected both Lemaire’s hockey sense and Lemaire as a player/person.
Plan on watchin this game tonight with excitement, a contrast to the previous portion of the season.
How can we possibly get more boring?
We’re already only scoring 0-1 goals per game anyway. The whole, we’ll get less exciting, idea is completely idoitic.
I havent commented in a while, sionce this season has been so awesome. I have to say I jumped for joy to hear theyd fired him. I do think its a classless thing to do it 2 days before christmas. I also was let a little down when they said theyd brought back Jacques, I am not sure how this will work out.
But, hey, a change is better than “status quo.” We can only go up from here.
by Chris Calabrese on Dec 23, 2010 2:16 PM EST reply actions
Vanderbeek: "Should a team that at one point had $66 million on its (payroll) be better than 20 points? Yes."
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Dec 23, 2010 2:19 PM EST reply actions
Thank god its about time.
Im happy Lemarie is comming back he didnt deserve to get fired in my opinion.He will deffinatly do much better then MacLean with all the young talent.I think it might be to late to fix this season it would take a finish simular to the start of the year the Devils had last year.
by Imperator_Celtic on Dec 23, 2010 2:28 PM EST reply actions
Lemaire didn’t get fired, he tried to retire.
"The only way out is in a body bag. Go Leafs Go." - Blinky
Frivolous Ornamentation
by Karina on Dec 23, 2010 2:29 PM EST up reply actions
If u say so
I detected a note of forced exit,I’d say a confermed by the fact he was willing to return.
by Imperator_Celtic on Dec 23, 2010 2:31 PM EST up reply actions
maybe he decided he missed the game? or that half a season at a maximum wouldn’t be too bad? or maybe his wife just got sick of having him around the house all the time, yelling at the TV when the Devils were on.
if I were forced into retirement, I wouldn’t be exactly raring to do the guy who ‘retired’ me a favor and clean up his mess of a half-season.
I wonder what the lines will be like tonight/next game?
Will Elias and Kovy be reunited? Perhaps Arnott center’s these two? Zubrus was put with Elias and Kovy towards the end of last season. Will Zharkov be called up in a couple games? Lemaire has some options on defense now.
The lines may be the same tonight so he gets an idea of where the team is at and what should change.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Dec 23, 2010 3:03 PM EST reply actions
I was just thinking…now with MacLean gone, maybe we’ll finally be able to see Zharkov back up with the team.
He played 40 games under Lemaire last season with other Albany options, so Jacques must have liked him.
So this is what it's like to be an Islanders fan...
by Marty 4 Prez on Dec 23, 2010 4:29 PM EST up reply actions
It's a Festuvis Miracle!
Oh wait, what, Lemaire is replacing him, nevermind, just another retread. I guess Larry Robinson didnt want the job? It cant get any worse that it already is.
Relax, Lemaire is just an interim.
Devils in my heart! Devils in my mind! Devils in my eyes! Devils until I die!
In Lou We Trust - The New Jersey Devils SBN Blog
by John Fischer on Dec 23, 2010 3:27 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
I know John....
I just thought if you are going to replace him, it would not have been with the guy he replaced. I do hope you know i was being sarcastic, it’s very hard to come across on here. It’s how i get my frustration out.
by TheDudeAbides9 on Dec 23, 2010 4:15 PM EST up reply actions
Thank you NJD....there is a God!!
Good riddance!!
The road to REDEMPTION begins now.
-LoNJDTechnology 2010, All Rights Reserved.
by LoNJDTechnology on Dec 23, 2010 4:18 PM EST reply actions
I like the firing, but does anyone else feel like there may be some serious issues with Langs now? He seemed to truly dislike Lemaire last year. He already isnt producing or leading and personally I think if he starts having a tantrum now we will have to do something with him. Whether it be a trade (unlikely) or taking away the “C”.
Side Topic: If we did take away the “C” from Langs who gets it? Im guessing Elias with PArise being out, but then who gets the “A”.
9-22-2
More than the one change is probably necessary. Who will it be? Perhaps White, he was Lemaire’s choice to be Captain the game he sat Langs.
Go Devils
Go Jets
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Chico is on the NHL Powerplay on NHL Network. Phil Esposito is also on.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Dec 23, 2010 4:48 PM EST reply actions
Espo – Devils dfense is extremely slow.
Chico mentions the lack of offensive defensemen.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Dec 23, 2010 4:51 PM EST up reply actions
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Dec 23, 2010 4:57 PM EST up reply actions
“MacLean! My son tells me your hockey team stinks!”
by whatjusthappened on Dec 23, 2010 5:32 PM EST up reply actions
Question for you guys from a Stars fan…
I haven’t been able to watch all that many Devils games the past few years — what is the consensus on Langenbrunner? Are the fans wanting a new captain?
Defending Big D - Dallas Stars news & analysis
Blogging The Boys - Dallas Cowboys, all the time.... since 2005
I would say the politically correct Devils fans here think that Langenbrunner was never the problem this year, he has stuck up for his teammates in the past, and he defended Maclean until the last straw. With a 2.8 million dollar cap hit, he does not cost that much and he was at one time a top line player. He’s also an UFA next year.
I think the rest of us are sick of Langenbrunner using the same excuses over and over again as to why this team has not done well this year. He’s very repetitive. And the claims he has made never worked out. He’s also dropped off the deep end when it comes to overall play, has shown very little fire, and has made some very bad and untimely passes that just have you staring in wonder. Not that its a huge deal, but I personally find it remarkable how upset he got over the crowds for booing two individual times thus far this year. I don’t think he particularly likes it here anymore to be honest with you. I sincerely doubt he will be around much longer beyond this year.
"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." -Aristotle
There are a lot of Devils’ fans out there who want a new captain. Almost as many who want Jamie sent packing to another team between now and the trade deadline. Langs did not take a night off (rest/healthy scratch) well late last season, and there are those who believe his attitude stemming from that has poisoned the well. Fair or not, he’s been a lightning rod for criticism similar to Ilya Kovalchuk.
Zach Parise is almost certainly the next captain of the Devils. The question comes down to timing at this point, and whether or not you strip Langs of the “C” mid-season (whether before or after Parise returns).
The other relevant question to Devils fans at this point is whether Jamie will waive his no-trade clause, and where he might be traded if he does. Assuming the season is lost, he’ll certainly be on the trading block considering his UFA status at the end of the year.
Forgive me if I am redundant, but I didn’t get a chance to read all 120 comments thoroughly before posting this. This firing says much more about this organization as a whole (specifically the now-inept GM who lends his name to this website) than it does for Johnny Mac. Yes, Mac was out-coached regularly, handled the media poorly, and did little to change the defeatist attitude of the locker room; however, as Scott Burnside points out in his ESPN article, this is just the end result of the Devils constant in-breeding. The reality is that the NHL is different now, a fact that Lou was able to escape for years while he held on to players who were still in their prime (Marty, Elias, Paul Martin, etc). Now that the org. has been forced to rely on its weak farm system and recycling of older, cup-winning Devils, the house of cards has started to collapse. I can’t say I predicted this year to be the year of the collapse, but I think a lot of fans and media people saw this slide coming at some point down the road.
As for the firing itself, the timing was ruthless and arbitrary. The Isles and Leafs are equally as bad as the Devs, so what harm is there in letting some of the holidays pass before doing this? Now, Mac is forced to deal with this at Christmas time, Lemaire has to leave his home and family to be with the team, and all of this to save some points against the Isles and Leafs? Although it isn’t hockey related, I think this just shows that Lou has lost the ability to see the big picture and that the stoic, business-like, outward appearance of the organization is only driving players, coaches, and fans away. A family friend of mine works for the team, with regular personal contact with the players and he assured me that a lot of the dressing room feels the same way off the record. This move has divided a locker room that quite clearly was in shambles already.
Let’s change the name of this website, please.
The GM is inept. That’s why this team was roundly expected to contend. Right.
The timing is irrelevant. Mac was given plenty of chances to prove he knew what he was doing or, at the very least, show some improvement. The team’s been awful and his decision making is ever more atrocious as the game goes on. Once Tim Sestito was trotted out as the 1st line center, there was no more excuse to let him keep his job. He had to go.
And Scott Burnside’s a hack. Go to TSN if you want mass market hockey coverage. ESPN sucks at it.
inept GM? whatever you want to believe. The reason they are constantly on or near the top of the league every year. I imagine thats why the farm system isn’t that great. Nothing like drafting near last for 15 years.
The Isles and Leafs are equally as bad as the Devs, so what harm is there in letting some of the holidays pass before doing this? Now, Mac is forced to deal with this at Christmas time
I don’t know about you but If I was John Maclean I’d be expecting it and would rather know before the holidays. This way I could make plans.
oh and you really need to stop believing anything Scott Burnside writes.
as Scott Burnside points out in his ESPN article, this is just the end result of the Devils constant in-breeding
Like bringing in Volchenkov, Tallinder, and signing Kovalchuk this season? I wouldn’t use a Burnside article for your..well..anything.
The reality is that the NHL is different now, a fact that Lou was able to escape for years while he held on to players who were still in their prime (Marty, Elias, Paul Martin, etc).
I don’t get this. Don’t you want players when they are in their prime? Martin is 29 and he’s with the Penguins this season. If you have a problem with Martin Brodeur and being in NJ for too long, I’d take a look at his career stats which are HOF (that’s Hall of Fame) numbers.
The Isles and Leafs are equally as bad as the Devs, so what harm is there in letting some of the holidays pass before doing this?
Holiday or not, this is still a business; a professional hockey team. Sorry that holidays conflict with the season, but it’s not like he isn’t going to get paid anymore. He’s still with the organization. This is a moot point. If anything, Mac has some time to be with his family and friends and let go for a bit after this harsh beginning of the season. And who cares about what the Leafs and Isles do. Imagine if Lou followed what Snow and Burns did.
Lemaire has to leave his home and family to be with the team
Lou contacted Lemaire, and Lemaire took the interim job. If he didn’t want it, he should have said no.
Although it isn’t hockey related, I think this just shows that Lou has lost the ability to see the big picture and that the stoic, business-like, outward appearance of the organization is only driving players, coaches, and fans away.
Attendance has been better the past 3 years, TV ratings have gone up. Better marketing and the continuing success of the team has drawn fans (minus this year). If players didn;t want to come back, Ilya would have ran for it. Arnott would not have wanted to be traded back to NJ, Clarkson would have left, and free agency would have been quiet. Lemaire came back (twice now). Who doesn’t want to be here?
This move has divided a locker room that quite clearly was in shambles already.
Then what’s the problem if the room was already in shambles?
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Dec 23, 2010 6:37 PM EST up reply actions
Well, then. I suppose that I will withhold my opinions for the remainder of the season, seeing as any time I have posted on this site the administrators have systematically broken them down.
However, I will try to respond to some of these counterpoints. Firstly, the question, “Who doesn’t want to be here?” Well how about: Scott Gomez, Paul Martin, Brian Rafalski, Scott Niedermeyer, Brian Gionta. Sure, the Devils have brought in players this year, but their performances have been disappointing, and their contracts further hamper the salary cap. It would appear that all these players who “want to be here” have contributed very little in terms of wins or positive play. But hey, you’re right, at least they want to be here- that must mean Lou is doing a good job.
As for Lemaire, the team’s record was well below .500 in the second half of last year and he clearly wasn’t on the same page as Langs or Kovy. I just don’t see what this hiring accomplishes. If the feeling is that he will only be around for the second half and that Lou will pursue a new coach this off-season, why not start that process now?
As for the bashing of Burnside, I really can’t respond. I read ESPN daily and his column happened to be linked to the article on the firing. That being said, he happened to raise some points that I agreed with and referenced in my post, so I’m deeply, deeply sorry that I don’t have the vast hockey knowledge that our very own Matthew Ventolo posses.
Yes, Matthew, you’re right. I should not have written about my opinions and referenced the atrocious Scott Burnside. That being said, I hope that you enjoy sleeping in your mother’s basement and breaking down innocent blog postings. Merry Freaking Christmas.
Niedermayer left because of family. He wanted to play with his brother on the Ducks. I don’t know how this is Lou’s fault. Scott Gomez and Lou had to go through arbitration the season before he left (1-year deal) and signed a very lucrative contract with the Rangers in free agency. He’s not worth the $7.357m per year contract he signed(which is more than Kovy’s cap hit mind you). Is Gionta worth $5m/yr? Is Rafalski worth $6m/yr? I’m really asking here. If you do, then I see why we have different opinions.
I agree with you on Paul Martin. I wanted him re-signed as the Devils don’t have any offensive defensemen. He tested free agency, and left (he told reporters he was never offered a contract). But you had problem with Lou holding on to Martin:
while he held on to players who were still in their prime (Marty, Elias, Paul Martin, etc)
Players want to go where they want to go. If they don’t want to be here (see Pandolfo who asked to be bought out and Lou did just that), then they will get their wish. Wouldn’t a GM want players that want to be on the team instead of wanting to get out?
Lemaire’s record was 20-19-6 after Dec. 21, 2009. If you feel that’s well below .500 (46 out of 90 possible pts) for you, so be it.
Many Devils’ fans don’t respect the negativity he brings about the team (see this FanShot that was just written and these comments right above here with some opinions on him). It’s not just me.
If the feeling is that he will only be around for the second half and that Lou will pursue a new coach this off-season, why not start that process now?
Fair question. There’s more availability when the season is complete. Lou can talk to assistants or other coaches that may be let go during the remainder of the season or when their old teams season is respectively over. There’s a longer duration where the team can be without a coach then in the actual season so Lou can perform his process in finding the next coach.
Comments are used to comment. If SBN didn’t want other people to reply and agree/disagree/argue/recommended, they wouldn’t have made that an option. I just don’t know why people insist on calling for Lou’s head or changing the site’s name. Lou changed this organization when he came in and he won 3 cups for the organization, the fans, and for NJ. He’s created the expectation of constant success to the point that this season is purely unacceptable to the fans.
We’re all frustrated because of our expectations of the team. Lou created a monster in the fans because he’s been that successful. This is a nice reality check (for us and the players) that the playoffs are earned.
Merry Christmas as well.
In Lou We Trust: SBN Blog of the New Jersey Devils
"Hockey is the only job I know where you get paid to have a nap on the day of the game." - Chico Resch
by Matthew Ventolo on Dec 23, 2010 8:41 PM EST up reply actions
HOW MANY COACHES HAVE THE DEVILS HAD NOW IN THE PAST 6 YEARS
Oh and my Vote IS NO!
BUT!!! none of really no what is going on behind the locker room doors or on the ice at practice or in Lou’s office.
we all have ideas opinions and what not…..YOU PEOPLE DON’T KNOW JACK!
I love johnny mac…..I always thought Mike Haviland would have been better for the team….
by 201Devil on Dec 24, 2010 8:40 AM EST via mobile reply actions
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