While the Habs\u2019 rebuild remains a work in progress, St. Louis has survived. Fellow Hall of Famer Patrick Roy has the New York Islanders<\/a> off to a competitive start. Rod Brind\u2019Amour has been a staple in Carolina<\/a> for eight seasons. All told, there are 21 former NHL players in NHL head coaching roles today.<\/p>\n But we can\u2019t forget Wayne Gretzky\u2019s four seasons of frustration in Phoenix. Or Adam Oates\u2019 unceremonious stint in Washington<\/a>. It triggers the question: Do great players make great coaches? Are lesser NHL players better fits? How about coaches without flashy playing careers? Today, we\u2019re finding out which type of former player has the most success behind NHL benches.<\/p>\n NHL Coaching Tiers<\/p>\n So, how will we sort our modern NHL coaches?<\/p>\n To keep it simple, I\u2019ve created four tiers based exclusively on NHL playing experience. First, you\u2019ve got your high-end NHL players (the \u2018Stars\u2018) \u2014 anyone who played 1,000 career games. This is the tier of elite players turned coaches that launched today\u2019s burning question. Hall of Famers Bill Barber and Jacques Lemaire were added to the tier with fewer than 1,000 games given their exclusive status.<\/p>\n Next are your NHL staples (the \u2018Veterans\u2018) \u2014 more than 400 but fewer than 1,000 games. The third tier comprises the guys that never quite stuck in the big leagues (the \u2018Journeymen\u2018) \u2014 at least one NHL appearance but less than 400 caps. Last, but not least, is everyone else \u2014 a tier of coaches that never reached the NHL as players (the \u2018Career Coaches\u2018).<\/p>\n TierName# of CoachesNHL Games as PlayerAStars311,000 or moreBVeterans30400 to 999CJourneymen421 to 399DCareer Coaches500<\/p>\n We\u2019ve only included coaches that have: (i) been behind an NHL bench in the 21st century; and (ii) debuted in 1984 or later. This intentionally excludes the likes of Scotty Bowman (Tier D, if curious), Glen Sather and Pat Quinn, famous bench bosses of a different era of total organizational control. There\u2019s also a 30-game cutoff to weed out current rookie coaches and past interim or emergency coaches. That\u2019s a total of 153 modern coaches tiered in today\u2019s exercise.<\/p>\n Here are the 32 current NHL head coaches under these criteria based on playing careers:<\/p>\n With the goal posts set, who are you betting on as the most successful coaching tier?<\/p>\n Tier A: Stars \u2b50<\/p>\n Average NHL Playing Career: 17.6 seasons How They Got Here: To play 1,000 NHL games, you\u2019ve had a long career and made some serious money. Thirteen of the 31 coaches in this tier are Hall of Fame players. These guys didn\u2019t need to coach. But each wanted a post-playing career and strong organizational ties presented opportunities. Many players in this tier thoroughly apprentice first (Randy Carlyle, Kirk Muller) but some cut the line on name recognition (Gretzky, Kevin Lowe).<\/p>\n Current Coaches in Tier (7): Berube; Brind\u2019Amour; Brunette; Roy; St. Louis; Tocchet; Rookie: Foote<\/p>\n What does this tier do well?: Quit coaching. No, seriously. Twenty of 31 star coaches spent four seasons or fewer as NHL bench bosses. It\u2019s often been a short stint with a single team (Denis Savard, Eddie Olczyk, Phil Housley, Bryan Trottier, etc.), then quickly moving on to another accessible role in hockey given their status. Former stars enjoyed long, successful playing careers and typically don\u2019t want the stress if head coaching isn\u2019t an immediate fit.<\/p>\n Shortest Average Coaching Career, by Tier<\/p>\n TierAverage NHL What does this tier do poorly? Communicate. Now, there are excellent communicators among the group \u2014 Tocchet famously connects well with players. But the undoing of many former greats is communication style. That\u2019s a logical result given talented players often needed less direction in their own careers, a well-cited excuse for Gretzky\u2019s dismal run in the desert. But the gap is often amplified from getting head coach gigs without enough past experience. It\u2019s frequently assumed great players will just \u2018figure it out\u2019 since they know locker rooms. But like Coach Bombay learned, it\u2019s not that simple\u2026<\/p>\n Best of the tier: Jacques Lemaire \u2014 the longest-tenured in the tier \u2014 coached 17 seasons and won the 1995 Stanley Cup in New Jersey<\/a>. His former teammate, Larry Robinson, is the last Hall of Fame player to coach a Cup winner. That was 25 years ago. Carlyle (Anaheim<\/a> \u201907) and Craig Berube (St. Louis<\/a> \u201919) are the only other 1,000-game players to win a ring head coaching since 2000.<\/p>\n Tier B: Veterans \u2708\ufe0f<\/p>\n Average NHL Playing Career: 11.7 seasons How They Got Here: These types of players (400 to 999 career NHL games) were fixtures in the league. Fixtures, but not superstars up for awards or cashing big in free agency. They spent a lot of time at the highest level but never got too cozy. Most were done playing in their late-20s or early-30s, so there was a lot of life ahead of them without assured post-playing careers or generational wealth like Tier A guys.<\/p>\n Current Coaches in Tier (7): Arniel; Evason; Green; Quenneville; Ruff; Sullivan: Rookie: Sturm<\/p>\n What does this tier do well?: Win Cups. Pound for pound, the veteran player tier of coaches has had the best Cup frequency. Maybe it\u2019s the deep NHL playing experience \u2014 without the star treatment \u2014 that has helped this player type be relatable and close the deal on postseason opportunities.<\/p>\n Best Stanley Cup Title Efficiency, by Tier<\/p>\n TierNHL Seasons CoachedStanley CupsSeasons per CupVeterans216827Career Coaches3841232Stars147437Journeymen287472Total1,0342837<\/p>\n What does this tier do poorly? Stay in one place. Unlike many one-and-done star coaches, these stubborn veteran players solider on. They earned a lot of respect in their careers, often have ties to multiple franchises, and aren\u2019t packing it in after one head coaching gig. One-third of this tier has coached for at least three teams already, led by Quenneville (five), Gerard Gallant (four), and Brian and Darryl Sutter (four each).<\/p>\n Best of the tier: Only five head coaches have won multiple Cups this millennium and three are in this tier: Quenneville (three in Chicago<\/a>); Sullivan (two in Pittsburgh<\/a>); Darryl Sutter (two in Los Angeles<\/a>). Dan Bylsma (Pittsburgh \u201909) is the other Cup-winning coach in the tier. It also features hockey lifer Lindy Ruff (37 seasons as an NHL head coach or player).<\/p>\n Tier C: Journeymen \ud83d\ude8c<\/p>\n Average NHL Playing Career: 4.4 seasons How They Got Here: This player tier got a taste of the NHL, ranging from cups of coffee (Ryan Huska) to frequent call-ups (Dallas Eakins) to short bursts of regular work (Brad Shaw). On-ice careers didn\u2019t deliver financial security to this tier. So, you have two kinds of coaches: ones that pivoted to coaching young like Keefe and those that played in the minors forever like Lambert.<\/p>\n Current Coaches in Tier (7): Cassidy; Hiller; Huska; Keefe; Lambert; McLellan; Montgomery<\/p>\n What does this tier do well?: Survive. Much like the journeymen identities built in their playing careers, this coach archetype grinds their way to relevance. Whether long stints in the minors honing their coaching crafts or hard-earned reputations as long-time assistants worthy of a shot, these coaches typically don\u2019t have the pedigree as players to be unprepared or make mistakes.<\/p>\n What does this tier do poorly? Playoffs. No tier has a bigger drop in performance from regular season to postseason. Now, every coach\u2019s points percentage drops in the playoffs as there are no three-point games. That\u2019s a given. But the extent of the gap is revealing. Notable examples include Bruce Boudreau, Keefe, McLellan, Montgomery, Alain Vigneault, and Ron Wilson. Each led high-performing groups to recurring postseason disappointment. A lack of big-game NHL experience revealing itself or bad luck with underachieving cores?<\/p>\n Biggest Decrease in Points Percentage in Playoffs, by Tier<\/p>\n TierRegular Season Best of the tier: In 287 seasons, this tier has won just four Cups: Cassidy (Vegas<\/a> \u201923); Claude Julien (Boston<\/a> \u201911); Peter Laviolette (Carolina \u201906); and Marc Crawford (Colorado<\/a> \u201996). But there is no shortage of solid, successful coaches already named in this section. Add Terry Murray and Rick Bowness to the list.<\/p>\n Tier D: Career Coaches \ud83d\udccb<\/p>\n Average NHL Playing Career: Zero NHL games How They Got Here: Coaches in this tier were not all \u2018bad\u2019 hockey players or athletes. Far from it. Nearly all played junior, college, or in pro leagues. Many had other professions before coaching \u2014 Pat Burns (policeman) and Jon Cooper (lawyer), for example \u2014 that offers unique perspectives. The majority started at low levels given few connections and without the blind trust afforded to elite players. These are dedicated students of the game, uber-motivated to stick in the big leagues.<\/p>\n Current Coaches in Tier (11): Bednar; Blashill; Carbery; Cooper; Gulutzan; Hynes; Knoblauch; Maurice; Tourigny; Warsofsky; Rookie: Muse<\/p>\n What does this tier do well?: Long careers and postseason success. This tier honed their craft young, not tied down by playing careers. 30% of them last at least 10 NHL seasons, highest of any tier. The ones that break through are exceptional, having needed to win early and often to build careers from scratch. The career coaches have the top playoff winning percentage (.512) and most Cups (12) \u2014 a testament to experience and a lifetime of pouncing on opportunities.<\/p>\n Percentage of Coaches With 10+ Seasons, by Tier<\/p>\n Tier20+ Season Career10+ Season CareerCareer Coaches10%30%Journeymen2%24%Veterans10%23%Stars0%13%Total6%24%<\/p>\n What does this tier do poorly? Show weakness. When you haven\u2019t played in the NHL, you don\u2019t get there through self-doubt. Confidence is a prerequisite to rise through the ranks and earn respect in the hockey cult, heavy on alphas. Among the longest-tenured in the tier, we find serious swagger that is some combination of effective, endearing and infuriating: Maurice (28 NHL seasons); John Tortorella (23); Barry Trotz (23); Ken Hitchcock (22); Mike Keenan (20); Jacques Martin (18); Pete DeBoer (17); Mike Babcock (17); Pat Burns (14); Cooper (14); Bob Hartley (13); and Michel Therrien (12).<\/p>\n Best of the tier: The hockey lifers with a dozen-plus seasons above delivered 11 of the tier\u2019s 12 Cups \u2014 a who\u2019s who of 21st-century coaches. Bednar (Colorado \u201922) is the other non-NHL player with a title in the modern era. Career coaches are hot these days, having won six of the last eight Cups.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udca3 Answering the Question<\/p>\n Every coach and their individual background and skill set is different. We\u2019re grouping them together to try to find objective answers today. But each coach deserves the opportunity to create their own narrative. That said, here are my takeaways from the analysis on which player type I\u2019m hiring (or passing on):<\/p>\n Not Worth the Risk: The Stars arrive late to coaching, rarely get the requisite experience, aren\u2019t typically in it for the long haul, and lean more miss than hit, featuring a handful of strong coaches and many quick flameouts. Few have thrived in the salary cap era. Great players rarely make great coaches. I\u2019m passing.<\/p>\n Move your Franchise Forward: The Journeymen provide big boosts to organizations as hungry, hardworking coaches that help teams level up. Perhaps it\u2019s the grinder\u2019s approach or challenges adapting under the bright lights, but journeymen coaches have rarely gotten teams over the top.<\/p>\n Low Risk, High Reward: The Veterans often draw well on NHL familiarity without all-world skills or paychecks. These hires are sellable to fans and locker rooms as credible, known commodities. The group is top heavy when it comes to success as veteran NHLers presided over all three multiple Cup-winning franchises of the 2010s. It\u2019s an archetype worth betting on.<\/p>\n Some Risk, Biggest Reward: The Career Coaches are committed and relentless. The odd one just won\u2019t translate to the NHL, but that\u2019s true of any rookie coach. I\u2019m taking a promising career coach above all other options to deliver a Cup. History says you\u2019re most likely to get a sharp hockey mind that thrives in the playoffs. An NHL playing career? It\u2019s not needed. Just ask Scotty Bowman.<\/p>\n POST SPONSORED BY bet365<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Average NHL Coaching Career: 4.7 seasons<\/p>\n
Seasons PlayedAverage NHL
Seasons CoachedStars17.64.7Journeymen4.46.8Veterans11.77.2Career CoachesNone7.7Average7.16.8<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Average NHL Coaching Career: 7.2 seasons<\/p>\n
Average NHL Coaching Career: 6.8 seasons<\/p>\n
Points %Playoff
Winning %DecreaseJourneymen.553.482.071Stars.537.492.045Veterans.539.498.041Career Coaches.548.513.035Average.546.500.046<\/p>\n
Average NHL Coaching Career: 7.7 seasons<\/p>\n