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Columbus Blue Jackets News Clips

May 19-21, 2015

Columbus Blue Jackets PAGE 02 Columbus Dispatch: Original Blue Jacket Chris MacFarland leaving for Avalanche PAGE 04 Columbus Dispatch: Nick Foligno to be named Blue Jackets captain PAGE 06 Columbus Dispatch: Blue Jackets: Captain's 'C' fits Foligno PAGE 08 Columbus Dispatch: Michael Arace commentary: Blue Jackets get it right by

promoting Foligno PAGE 10 FOXSportsOhio.com: Yes to Foligno: Blue Jackets name left wing captain PAGE 11 Columbus Business First: CBJ coach on new captain Nick Foligno: 'Leaders

become really visible' during adversity PAGE 12 NHL.com: Foligno named sixth captain in Blue Jackets history PAGE 14 Associated Press: Blue Jackets tap Nick Foligno as first captain in 3 years Lake Erie Monsters/Prospects NHL/Websites PAGE 16 USA Today: Flyers' Dave Hakstol hire a shrewd, outside-the-box move PAGE 18 Sportsnet.ca: Why Lightning vs. Rangers is good for hockey PAGE 20 USA Today: Mike Babcock chased money, but he's well-prepared for scrutiny

with Maple Leafs PAGE 21 YAHOO Sports: Big risk, big reward: Mike Babcock takes the money as Maple

Leafs' boom-or-bust bench boss

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http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2015/05/19/blue-jackets-chris-mcfarland-moves-colorado-avalanche.html

Original Blue Jacket Chris MacFarland leaving for Avalanche

By Aaron Portzline – May 19, 2015

Chris MacFarland, who talked his way into a job with the Blue Jackets in 1999 and worked his way up to become the club’s assistant general manager, is leaving the organization to join the Colorado Avalanche in a similar role.

MacFarland, 45, was one of the few remaining original Blue Jackets employees.

“Sixteen years is a long time, and I have nothing but great things to say about my time in Columbus,” MacFarland said. “The McConnell family (majority owner) made my dream come true of working in the NHL. I’ve been so fortunate to work and learn from some great people.”

MacFarland sent resumes to all 30 NHL clubs in the late 1990s and was on the verge of giving up his dream of working in hockey to take a “Monday through Friday” job at a national law firm after earning his law degree at Pace University.

Instead, MacFarland’s resume was pulled out of a stack of hopefuls by then-Blue Jackets assistant GM Jim Clark and granted an interview in 1999, one year before the Blue Jackets joined the NHL as an expansion franchise.

MacFarland was hired as manager of hockey operations, then became assistant to the GM in 2007 and assistant GM the following summer.

He’s performed multiple duties in the front office, from contract negotiations to pro and amateur scouting, but his main duty the past eight seasons has been overseeing the roster of the minor-league affiliate.

“I didn’t know him very well before coming to Columbus,” GM Jarmo Kekalainen said. “But he has a reputation as a hard-working guy who takes good care of the affiliate, and a guy who worked his way up through the organization.

“I’ve always said that we’ll never stand in the way if one of our guys has an opportunity to move on and move up, and this is really good for Chris and his family.”

MacFarland began talking with the Avs three weeks ago after they sought and were granted permission by the Blue Jackets.

The Blue Jackets will not be compensated by the Avs for losing MacFarland; that’s only for club presidents, head coaches and general managers.

He will be GM Joe Sakic’s “right-hand man,” with a heavy dose of pro scouting.

“It’s a great situation,” MacFarland said. “Obviously with Joe Sakic and (coach) Patrick Roy and (assistant GM) Craig Billington, it’s a heck of a front office, and it’s a really good, young team, too.

“I’m excited to get started on a new challenge.”

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MacFarland’s role with the Blue Jackets began to change when president of hockey operations John Davidson hired Kekalainen as GM and Kekalainen, in turn, hired Bill Zito as an assistant general manager two summers ago.

Zito, a former agent, was hired to handle the club’s major contract negotiations, including the recent extensions signed by forwards Nick Foligno, Brandon Dubinsky and Ryan Johansen and goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.

Kekalainen said he planned to play a bigger role with the American Hockey League roster now that the Blue Jackets’ top minor-league club will be based in Cleveland.

He also hinted there could be more front-office hirings this summer, and perhaps some shuffling of roles.

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http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2015/05/20/0519-jackets-capt.html

Nick Foligno to be named Blue Jackets captain

By Aaron Portzline – May 20, 2015

After nearly three years without a captain, the Blue Jackets finally have their man.

The team will name forward Nick Foligno as its sixth captain at a news conference this morning at Nationwide Arena, several sources told The Dispatch.

Foligno, 27, had a breakout 2014-15 season, highlighted by his being named to captain one of the teams at the NHL All-Star Game in Columbus. And his status in the Jackets’ dressing room took the same trajectory.

The Blue Jackets would not confirm the news, and Foligno, who was traveling to Columbus on Tuesday for today’s announcement, could not be reached for comment.

Naming a captain is “the next step for our organization, and it’s the right time for us to take it,” coach Todd Richards said earlier this week, not speaking directly about Foligno. “We’ve been a very young team for three seasons now, and we’ve talked a lot about waiting for one player to emerge, how that player — when he’s ready — will be obvious to everyone.

“Well, now there’s a really good option for us and everybody sees it. So we’ve got to take that step.”

The Blue Jackets have not had a captain since Rick Nash was traded to the New York Rangers on July 23, 2012.

The club was overhauled that summer, including a trade to acquire Foligno from Ottawa for defenseman Marc Methot.

With so many young players and new faces joining the organization, then-general manager Scott Howson opted to hold off on naming a captain. That feeling was shared by John Davidson when he took over as president of hockey operations later that fall and by new general manager Jarmo Kekalainen when he was hired the following February.

“When the right guy is in the room, we’ll know it,” Davidson said at training camp last fall. “You won’t be able to miss it.”

Speaking late last month to Business First, Davidson said one player has emerged.

“He’s popped,” Davidson said. “He’s a person that’s carried himself with outstanding leadership.”

Nobody fits that bill quite like Foligno, who signed a six-year, $33 million contract extension with the Jackets on New Year’s Eve.

On the ice, Foligno had 31 goals, 42 assists and 73 points, all career highs, while playing in 79 games. Off the ice, he has become a spokesman for the team and the city, never more so than at the All-Star Game in January, when he and Chicago’s Jonathan Toews selected teams and served as captains.

Foligno has become active in the community and involved with several charities, including the Janis Foligno Foundation, which honors his mother, Janis, who died of breast cancer in 2009.

He and his wife, Janelle, have also worked to raise awareness for an experimental heart surgery that helped save the life of his infant daughter, Milana, who was born with a congenital heart defect.

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The Blue Jackets are expected to name as many as four players to be alternate captains to Foligno in the fall.

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http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2015/05/21/0521-foligno-official.html

Blue Jackets: Captain's 'C' fits Foligno

By Aaron Portzline – May 21, 2015

Shortly after Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno arrived at Nationwide Arena yesterday, he was handed one of the club’s jerseys — the home version, in dark blue — to wear for the upcoming news conference.

Just above the Blue Jackets’ crest was a single letter — a block “C” — that carries so much weight in the world of hockey.

“I stared at that letter a little bit before I put it on,” Foligno said. “I know what that means. I know what it says.”

Foligno, 27, was named the sixth captain in the Blue Jackets’ history yesterday, ending nearly three years — 1,031 days, to be exact — since the Blue Jackets last had a captain.

“It’s something you dream about as a kid,” Foligno said. “To have this be a reality with a team I care so much about, it’s a huge honor.

“It’s been gradual since I got here. I feel like it’s come naturally, which is what I’m most proud of. I never felt forced into this, or that I was trying to be something I’m not. I just tried to be a good teammate, a good person, a good player, and naturally, this is where it’s ended up.”

General manager Jarmo Kekalainen and coach Todd Richards said Foligno’s meteoric rise this past season — on and off the ice — made him an obvious choice. When Foligno signed a six-year, $33 million contract extension in December, the seeds were planted that maybe Foligno would be in line for the captaincy.

Kekalainen peppered him with questions.

“Is he ready? Is he ready for the challenge? Is that something he would look forward to?” Kekalainen recalled. “Nick kept fitting the right criteria. He kept meeting the requirements that we expected from that guy who rises from the group.”

More meetings followed, including a 90-minute sit-down at Port Columbus in April before Kekalainen flew to Switzerland for the Under-18 world championships.

“I think after that he knew where this was going,” Kekalainen said, though Foligno wasn’t told that he was the captain until about 10 days ago.

Foligno immediately called his father, Mike, who had a 15-year NHL career and was captain of the Buffalo Sabres for two seasons (1989-90 and 1990-91).

“It’s pretty cool that we’re both going to have this experience,” Nick said.

He also called five or six other members of the team to tell them before the news conference. He’ll call the rest of the team in the coming days.

“It’s a big honor to be considered by the organization as a captain, but it means nothing if your teammates don’t believe in it,” Foligno said. “That makes me feel really good about the situation, that I’m a guy they trust and believe in and can follow.”

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In the 2014 playoffs, Foligno’s Game 4 overtime playoff winner against Pittsburgh is one of the biggest goals in franchise history.

This season, Foligno set career highs in goals (31), assists (42) and points (73) while playing in 79 games. Now comes a bigger test, one Richards called a “huge responsibility.”

“There are times he’s going to have to stand out by himself (in the room),” Richards said. “From what I’ve seen, I don’t know if it’s come to a point where he’s had to be really confrontational. But I’ve heard his voice in the room. I’ve heard him challenge people in the right way.”

As of yesterday, the Blue Jackets gift shop had “C”s to sew on the road whites or the club’s third jerseys, but they were out of “C”s for the home jerseys.

Hey, it’s been a while.

“I know the fans here and the organization have waited a long time to find the right guy,” Foligno said. “I’m so thankful and so honored that they’ve given me this responsibility. I don’t take it lightly. I’ll need help along the way, and I’ll make mistakes, I’m sure. But I’ll work hard to represent this city and our fans the best than I can. I want to make them proud.”

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http://bluejacketsxtra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2015/05/21/arace-commentary-jackets-get-it-right-with-foligno-promotion.html

Michael Arace commentary: Blue Jackets get it right by promoting Foligno

By Michael Arace – May 21, 2015

The line of succession of Blue Jackets captains is not as awful as, say, Caligula to Nero to Commodus, but it is not sterling, either. Managerial mistakes and miscast personalities combined with abject mediocrity to make for a cast of misfit captains.

Lyle Odelein did something that so alarmed the front office he was shipped out of town at the trade deadline. Ray Whitney could not reach terms on a contract extension and left via free agency. Luke Richardson had the “C” ripped off his chest and was traded at midseason. Adam Foote, signed specifically for his leadership skills, quit on the team and begged to be sent back to his beloved Colorado. Rick Nash, the face of the franchise, requested a trade under the auspices of making the Jackets better.

These are not bad people, but they were not impactful, not in that captain’s sort of way.

Yesterday, in a news conference at Nationwide Arena, Nick Foligno was introduced as the sixth captain in the 15-year history of the franchise. He admitted that his heart soared when he was handed his No. 71 jersey with the “C” stitched on the chest.

“It’s pretty cool,” he said. “What, are there only 29 or 30 of us? It’s pretty special. It’s something you dream about. When I was a kid, I always made myself captain. ‘I’m captain! You’re on that team!’ I taped the ‘C’ on with black electrical tape.”

One press-box wag said the Jackets had a chance to make William Wallace — Brandon Dubinsky — the captain, and they blew it. Counterargument: Every game is not the Battle of Stirling Bridge.

Foligno, 27, gets that. He is the son of a captain (Mike Foligno had that honor for the Buffalo Sabres from 1989-91). He has eight years in the league behind him. He cited Daniel Alfredsson and Richardson in Ottawa, and Adrian Aucoin and Derek MacKenzie in Columbus, as influences. Those are tough-minded men who command respect without screaming for it.

John Davidson, president of hockey operations, and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen for three years demurred naming a successor to Nash. They said a leader would emerge and become the obvious choice. One could argue that they waited so long that it hurt the team. In the end, they got it right.

Foligno is a natural. His numbers (31 goals, 73 points in 79 games last season) made him an All-Star. Meanwhile, his voice rose above others and struck the right notes, in good times and bad. He is intelligent, eloquent, humble, humorous and serious. There is nothing phony about him.

No doubt, his teammates are relieved. Many of them have worn an “A.” All of them were waiting — some of them were even calling — for somebody to get the “C.” None of them will have a problem with Foligno.

“This is the team we’re going to go with, which is the cool thing about this,” Foligno said. “I take a responsibility and pride in that. We’re going to try and win with this group of core players. I think we know we have a pretty special team. Now, for us to be the team we envision, (naming a captain) is the

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next step. It’s being a playoff team; it’s becoming a contender every year; it’s hopefully being Stanley Cup champion.”

Foligno was asked, cheekily, whether his lot would turn out like the Jackets’ captains who preceded him, who were traded out of necessity, or insulted with low-ball contract offers and left, or who begged to be moved to a bigger market.

“Hopefully, I’ll never move,” Foligno said with a laugh. “Never, never, never, because we’re going to be winning a lot around here, so I don’t want to leave.”

The franchise has long cried for locker-room leadership, and it has long lacked it. Maybe it was never quite ready for it. It may now be ready, and Foligno is just the front man for the job.

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http://www.foxsports.com/ohio/story/columbus-blue-jackets-captain-nick-foligno-052015

Yes to Foligno: Blue Jackets name left wing captain

By Connor Kiesel – May 21, 2015

After three years without a player wearing the "C" on his chest, Nick Foligno will have that honor for the Columbus Blue Jackets .

The team officially announced the new title for Foligno Wednesday morning.

“Over the past three seasons, Nick Foligno has distinguished himself on the ice, in the dressing room and in our community," said Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. "He has earned the respect of his teammates, coaches and our fans through his work ethic on and off the ice, as well as his passion for the game and compassion for others."

Foligno scored 31 goals and notched 73 points, 34 more than the year before, in a breakout 2014-15 season.

"Nick this season took some big steps forward as a leader in our group," head coach Todd Richards said.

When Columbus hosted the All-Star Game, Foligno got his first taste of being a captain, selecting his "Team Foligno" squad and leading them in the skills challenge and game.

"It's been an awesome ride," Foligno said Wednesday. "But there's still so much more to do."

At the end of the regular season, Foligno discussed what being a captain entails: "It's one guy to go to. One guy for coaches to talk to, one guys for management to come down and talk to. He really has the heartbeat of the team in mind, I think it's really good, that's why every team has one."

Now is the time for the Blue Jackets too to have their sixth in team history, Rick Nash being the last in 2012. Prior to that, Lyle Odelein (2000-2), Ray Whitney ('02-'03), Luke Richardson ('03-'05) and Adam Foote ('05-'08) donned the captain's "C."

This captaincy could last longer than any of the ones before, as the Blue Jackets made their long-term commitment to Foligno clear when they signed him to a six-year, $33 million extension on New Year's Eve.

Foligno is obviously respected by his teammates, which is further exhibited in this cool video produced by the Jackets after fans voted the 27-year-old their 2014-15 team MVP.

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http://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2015/05/20/cbj-coach-on-new-captain-nick-foligno-

leaders.html

CBJ coach on new captain Nick Foligno: 'Leaders become really visible' during

adversity

By Evan Weese – May 21, 2015

The Columbus Blue Jackets finally have a captain.

The team held a press conference Wednesday at Nationwide Arena to introduce Nick Foligno as the

sixth captain in franchise history, filling a vacancy left after longtime team leader Rick Nash was traded

in 2012.

“He produces points, sticks up for his teammates, plays hockey the right way, competes, plays with big

heart. Also (it’s) what he does off the ice in the community, with our team,” General Manager Jarmo

Kekalainen said. “It took a while but we just wanted to make sure that we do our due diligence and see

that somebody really rises from the group and earns it.”

Foligno, 27, scored 31 goals and recorded 42 assists last season in what proved to be the best of his

eight-year National Hockey League career. He led the team in goals, points and plus/minus rating and

served as a captain during the NHL All-Star Game in Columbus.

The Blue Jackets in December signed Foligno to a six-year contract extension reportedly worth $33

million.

Coach Todd Richards said it was during the Jackets’ up-and-down season marked by injuries that Foligno

proved himself worthy of wearing the C.

“For me, it’s the evolution of our team, our group, as an organization going forward,” Richards said.

“Nick, to me, this season took some big steps forward as a leader of our group. (There was) lots of

adversity we faced – leaders become really visible in times like that.”

Foligno, a native of Buffalo, New York, was the 28th overall pick in the 2006 NHL draft by the Ottawa

Senators. He spent five seasons in Ottawa before joining the Blue Jackets in July 2012. Foligno’s brother,

Marcus, plays for the Buffalo Sabres. His father, Mike, was captain of the Sabres from 1989-91.

“So it’s pretty cool to share that with him,” Foligno said.

Perhaps the one knock against Foligno as Jackets faithful took guesses at who would be named captain

is his mild demeanor. But the seemingly always-happy Foligno said he’s not afraid to light a fire under

teammates.

“There’s obviously times you need to be stern,” he said. “I very much understand that now, having a

kid.”

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http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=768216

Foligno named sixth captain in Blue Jackets history

By Craig Merz – May 21, 2015

COLUMBUS -- Nick Foligno was named the sixth captain in the history of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

The Blue Jackets had five captains since joining the NHL as an expansion franchise for the 2000-01 season but were without one the past three seasons. That was in part because leaders were still emerging from a crop of young players but also there was the lingering distaste after the past two captains, Adam Foote and Rick Nash, orchestrated trades to get out of Columbus and relinquished their captaincies.

Blue Jackets management took its time in selecting a sixth and Foligno was introduced Wednesday.

"We were waiting for the right moment for the right player," coach Todd Richards said. "It's a huge responsibility. You don't want to make the wrong choice at the wrong time.

"If it's not the right decision then it becomes another distraction to the team and the players. It's about getting the right guy. The players have to believe in him. The organization obviously does. There's a lot of factors that go into that decision and you don't want to make the wrong one because then it's going to lead to a lot more problems."

Foligno, 27, was the obvious pick according to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen.

"We had a list of qualifications, if you want to call it that, and Nick's the one that kept checking off the list both on and off the ice," Kekalainen said. "He produces points and sticks up for his teammates; plays hockey the right way. Competes. Plays with a big heart but he also leads us off the ice in the community with saying the right things and knowing when not to say anything."

Foligno's third season with Blue Jackets and his eighth in the League was his best. He set career highs with 31 goals, 42 assists and 73 points. He has 116 goals and 279 points in 545 NHL games.

He was also named one of the captains for the 2015 NHL All-Star Game in Columbus and proved to be a popular ambassador for his adopted hometown during the weekend of Jan. 23-25.

There were other possibilities to be the Blue Jackets' captain including Brandon Dubinsky, Scott Hartnell, Boone Jenner and Jack Johnson but Foligno got the call 10 days ago from the front office that he was the chosen one.

"It's pretty humbling," Foligno said. "It's a huge responsibility but also a great feeling when you're looked at that way. I'm welcoming that. It's come naturally, which I'm most proud of. I've never felt like I was forced into it or trying to be somebody I'm not. You can't become a leader unless you have the respect in the room."

Foligno's first call upon hearing the news was to his father, Mike, who captained the Buffalo Sabres from 1989-91.

"He's always been the constant in my life," Nick Foligno said. "He's a guy who has led all his life. I look at him as such a great leader."

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Foligno then tried to contact as many of his teammates as possible.

"It's important they hear it from me," he said. "We're such a close group that whoever was going to be captain the other guys were going to be happy for that guy. It's about moving forward and becoming the team we envisioned."

Kekalainen said assistant captains will be named in the fall.

Previous captains were Lyle Odelein (2000-02), Ray Whitney (2002-03), Luke Richardson (2003-05), Foote (2005-08) and Nash (2008-12).

Foligno was acquired in a trade with the Ottawa Senators for defenseman Marc Methot in July 2012. The Blue Jackets were coming off a season in which they had the worst record in the League so envisioning then that he would embrace his time in Ohio was unfathomable.

"Thank God I came to Columbus," Foligno said. "I really enjoy it here. It's been an unbelievable place to live and raise a family and to play.

"I really like where we're headed. I love this team and when I got here that was something I really wanted to do. I knew they weren't where they wanted to be, and I wanted to be a part of bringing respect and credibility back to this organization."

The Blue Jackets made the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season and Foligno scored the overtime goal to tie the Pittsburgh Penguins at two games apiece in the Eastern Conference First Round, which the Penguins won in six games. Columbus did not make the playoffs this season and several players said in their exit interviews with the media that a captain was needed, but Kekalainen said naming Foligno now was not based on results.

"This had nothing to do with how we played," Kekalainen said. "I said the whole time, when the right time comes and we get convinced about someone we'll name a captain. It could have been the middle of the season. It could have been the end of the season. It could have been the offseason.

"We reached a decision and that's when we named a captain. That was the plan all the way."

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http://www.foxsports.com/nhl/story/columbus-blue-jackets-name-nick-foligno-captain-052015

Blue Jackets tap Nick Foligno as first captain in 3 years

By Rusty Miller – May 21, 2015

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Like father, like son: Nick Foligno now is an NHL captain just like his dad was.

Foligno, who served as a captain for the NHL All-Star Game in Columbus in January, was introduced

Wednesday as the first Blue Jackets player in three years to wear the ''C'' on his jersey.

His dad, Mike, a former captain for the Buffalo Sabres and now an assistant coach in New Jersey, found

out about Nick's appointment via a phone call. So did Nick's brother, Marcus, a current Sabres forward.

''Obviously, my dad and brother are really happy for me,'' Nick said. ''My dad's actually been a captain in

the league, so it's pretty cool to be able to share that with him. Marcus is really excited for me as well.

It's been pretty special.''

The Blue Jackets had been without a captain since Rick Nash was dealt to the New York Rangers in July

2012. Foligno becomes the sixth captain in the franchise's 14 seasons. Previous captains were Lyle

Odelein (2000-02), Ray Whitney (2002-03), Luke Richardson (2003-05), Adam Foote (2005-08) and Nash

(2008-12).

Foligno was acquired not long after Nash was dealt, with Columbus sending defenseman Marc Methot

to Ottawa for him. He is coming off a career year with personal bests of 31 goals, 42 assists and 73

points.

Midway through the year, he signed a six-year, $33-million contract on Dec. 31, 2014.

The left wing came to a team mired near the bottom of the NHL. The club, the youngest in the NHL,

made the playoffs in 2014 and just missed this past season despite more than 500 man-games lost to

injury.

''Did somebody say, `Finally?''' Kekalainen said Wednesday. ''As we said all along, somebody will arise

from the group and earn it the right way.''

There were several top candidates on the team, including defenseman Jack Johnson and forward

Brandon Dubinsky.

Foligno handled his ceremonial All-Star Game responsibility in January on the Blue Jackets' home ice

well. It was a minor trial run for what he'll face with the Blue Jackets.

''Nick, to me, this season took some big steps forward as a leader with our group,'' coach Todd Richards

said. ''Lots of adversity (due to the injuries) we faced and usually the leaders become really visible in

times like that. Nick has matured as a player and as a leader. And he's ready for this next step.''

With the title comes added responsibility. But Foligno said he feels up to the task. He knows the job

description.

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''A captain is the guy who has the pulse of the room, and understands what's needed and at what times

and how to get the most out of each player,'' he said. ''You need a guy who can read people and can

understand what's needed more from the team and try to get the most out of them to help the

coaching staff.''

Kekalainen said alternate captains will be selected during training camp.

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/flyers/2015/05/18/dave-hakstol-college-coach-north-dakota-ron-hextall/27530623/

Flyers' Dave Hakstol hire a shrewd, outside-the-box move

By Kevin Allen – May 19, 2015

When Ron Hextall played in the NHL, he was impulsive and prone to volcanic emotional outbursts. Now as the Philadelphia Flyers general manager, he has proved to be calculating and prone to creative solutions.

Hextall showed he can think outside the box with the hiring of University of North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol to be their new head coach.

Hakstol is the first college coach to step directly into an NHL head coaching job in 28 years. Herb Brooks was the last to do it when he left St. Cloud State to coach the Minnesota North Stars in 1987, however that situation isn't the same because Brooks had previously coached in the NHL.

The last similar situation was in 1982 when "Badger" Bob Johnson left Wisconsin to coach the Calgary Flames.

Hakstol, 46, might be an ideal choice for the Flyers because he is coming from an environment where he had to be a teaching coach. The Flyers' future depends significantly on the coach's ability to inspire younger players such as Sean Couturier, Brayden Schenn and Shayne Gostisbehere to take their games to a higher level.

The Flyers could also use a coach who will be demanding in his expectations. Hakstol made the NCAA tournament in all 11 seasons he coached at North Dakota.

He won 65.4% of his games during the regular season and 69.2% of his games in the postseason.

Although he never coached in the NHL, Hakstol sent 20 players to the league, including Jonathan Toews (Chicago Blackhawks), Matt Greene (Los Angeles Kings), T.J. Oshie (St. Louis Blues) and Travis Zajac (New Jersey Devils).

Many fans wanted Hextall to fire coach Craig Berube during the season, but reacting to public sentiment has not been his management style. He seems to prefer to watch and analyze for a lengthy period before he makes his move.

Although reviews were not favorable on Hextall's first major trade in moving Scott Hartnell to the Columbus Blue Jackets last summer for R.J. Umberger, he did seem to hit a home run by landing a first-round pick, a third-rounder and defenseman Radko Gudas from the Tampa Bay Lightning for Braydon Coburn this season. Getting a second-rounder from the Blackhawks for Kimmo Timonen was also considered a coup.

Hextall's biggest accomplishment thus far might have been to persuade owner Ed Snider to be more patient, and less impulsive, about trying to make the Flyers a winner.

The evidence of that is in the hiring of Hakstol. The Flyers were initially interested in getting into the Mike Babcock sweepstakes. That certainly would have fit Snider's history of doing whatever it takes to acquire the best available talent.

Which NHL coaching vacancies are the most attractive?

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But after investigating the situation, Hextall believed Hakstol was the right man for the job in Philadelphia. He obviously has Snider's support in that decision.

"Most of all, this is a tribute to Dave's abilities and his history of having coached several players who moved on to successful NHL careers," said USA Hockey executive director Dave Ogrean. "But it also speaks to the respect that college hockey has earned as a development ground for players at the highest level."

This was a big day for the Flyers and college hockey. Hakstol is only the fourth college coach to move directly from a school to an NHL head coaching job.

"It is surprising that it hasn't happened more often given the success that NCAA coaches are having in helping prepare so many players for careers in the NHL," said Mike Snee, executive director of College Hockey Inc. "…Many other college coaches have had an impact very similar to Dave's so I don't think it will be another 28 years before it happens again."

Ned Harkness became the first when he left Cornell, where he coached Hall of Fame goalie Ken Dryden, to join the Detroit Red Wings in 1970. Glen Sonmor (Minnesota) and Jack Kelley (Boston University) left college jobs to join the World Hockey Association in the 1970s.

Today, about 30% of all NHL players have a college background, and the college coaching ranks have long been an untapped well of talent. That well was finally tapped Monday.

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http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/why-lightning-rangers-series-is-good-for-hockey/

Why Lightning vs. Rangers is good for hockey

By Chris Johnston – May 21, 2015

TAMPA, Fla. — It was like stepping out of a time machine and getting another look at hockey before the invention of the neutral zone trap.

Blinding speed. Skilled plays. Goals galore.

The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers challenged the notion that scoring is dead on a wildly entertaining evening at Amalie Arena, with each erasing a two-goal lead before Nikita Kucherov froze the clock by scoring 3:33 into overtime.

The final score, fittingly, was 6-5. Some of the best games this sport has ever seen ended with that scoreline and from a pure entertainment standpoint this was a classic.

"I like it," beamed Lightning forward Ondrej Palat. "I think it's good hockey for fans. It's up and down, it's just fun to play."

The story once again was the trio of Palat, Kucherov and Tyler Johnson.

They scored four more goals and have now accounted for 25 of the 47 the team has in these playoffs.

What made the Lightning particularly dangerous on Wednesday was the fact the Alex Killorn-Valtteri Filppula-Steven Stamkos trio also had its legs, and if they can continue to have two forward groups this lethal they're going to be awfully tough to beat.

Of course, it wasn't a perfect game for either side. And that's kind of the point.

The Lighting fell behind 2-0 before rallying in the second period, but still allowed Dan Boyle to tie the game with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.

"I'm glad this one ended early (in overtime)," said Stamkos. "There was a pretty crazy pace to this game tonight and I'm not sure how much gas we had left."

This was not Rangers hockey. They've played nine 2-1 games in these playoffs and aren't particularly comfortable with a run-and-gun track meet.

A seed of doubt certainly seems to have been planted between the ears of Henrik Lundqvist, who has uncharacteristically allowed 12 goals on 66 shots in the last two games of this series. Kucherov's winner came on a seeing-eye wrist shot from 35 feet out.

"For some reason I couldn't pick it up," said Lundqvist. "It comes at me and looks like it's coming towards me and then I'm just late reacting. I don't know why I didn't pick it up. It's a tough one, it really is. ...

"Honestly, you're not going to win if I give up six goals."

The good news for New York is that it only trails 2-1 in the series. And right now no one should be surprised to see the Eastern Conference final go the distance.

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For the good of the sport, let's hope they don't find a way to choke the life out of the remaining games. There's no reason to expect 6-5 every night, but watching two teams as skilled as these wind up and go is really something to see.

"I don't know how it looks on TV, but when you're standing there (on the bench) it is, pardon the pun, lightning fast," said Tampa coach Jon Cooper. "It's just amazing how the skill level and the speed, and how these guys can play the way they do at that high pace."

It's pretty rare at this time of year to see teams making so many plays. Jesper Fast buried a nice breakaway deke early for New York before Stamkos finished a 2-on-1 with Killorn. Both of Palat's goals were beauties while Kevin Hayes made a great pass to set up Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh for a goal in the third period.

You really didn't know what was going to happen next.

Even before Kucherov scored in overtime, Lightning winger J.T. Brown broke in alone and was stopped by Lundqvist.

After just three games, Tampa's 13 goals are more than either of the Rangers' previous opponents managed. Washington scored 12 times over seven games while Pittsburgh managed just eight in five.

The Lightning forwards are all over the offensive zone and seem to be creating space in the middle of the ice. What's more, they're not easily discouraged. There was a time the youngest team left in these playoffs wouldn't have rallied from 2-0 down.

"It's the growth of this team," said Cooper. "They don't think 'oh, poor us' anymore. It's 'we don't care. Let's just go out and win this game,' and that's what they did."

The Lightning were the NHL's highest-scoring team in the regular season. New York produced the third-best total. This should be

free-flowing entertaining hockey despite what's normally on display in the playoffs.

The only hint of disappointment to be found in the Lightning dressing room came from Palat, who ended a shift just as Kucherov scored the overtime winner on a 1-on-2 rush.

"I was so tired so I went to the bench with (Johnson)," said Palat. "Then I turned my head and he shot the puck and scored. I was thinking 'it's too bad I couldn't celly."'

What fun.

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http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nhl/2015/05/20/mike-babcock-toronto-maple-leafs-money/27657029/

Mike Babcock chased money, but he's well-prepared for scrutiny with Maple Leafs

By Kevin Allen – May 21, 2015

When it comes to employment, most people have a salary in mind at which point the money becomes too much to turn down.

That's the simplest explanation for why Mike Babcock left a coaching job he loved with the Detroit Red Wings to become coach of a Toronto Maple Leafs team with myriad roster problems.

Several media outlets are reporting that Babcock, 52, will receive $50 million over eight seasons, with much of the deal front-loaded.

That $6.25 million average salary is more than three times what Babcock ($2 million) earned this season in Detroit, and it is more than twice the salary of Chicago Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville, who was the highest paid coach at $2.75 million per season.

Undoubtedly, Babcock, a proud Canadian, is intrigued by becoming the coach of one the NHL's most storied franchises and the challenge of helping team president Brendan Shanahan build a team that could win the team's first Stanley Cup since 1967.

He chose the Maple Leafs over the Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks.

If Babcock was going to leave Detroit, the Sabres seemed to be the most attractive destination because next month the team likely will be selecting Jack Eichel with the second overall pick in the NHL draft. Eichel is considered the best American center prospect since Mike Modano.

But Babcock chose to take a job where the scrutiny of his performance will be relentless and unforgiving. In addition, the Sabres have a stable of top young players, including Sam Reinhart, son of former NHL player Paul Reinhart, Zemgus Girgensons, Rasmus Ristolainen and Evander Kane. And owner Terry Pegula is a billionaire, sports-crazed owner who recently bought the Buffalo Bills. He was reportedly willing to pay Babcock $5 million a year.

One of the many reasons Shanahan wanted Babcock is that he will have no difficulty handling the pressure of coaching in Toronto. He handles the media as well as, or better than, any coach in the NHL. He seems to enjoy the pressure, shown by the job he did in leading Team Canada to gold medals in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Could a coach face more pressure than Babcock in 2010 when Canada was favored to win the gold medal on their soil in Vancouver?

Babcock is also a perfect fit for the Maple Leafs because he seems to do his best work when his team has the most problems. The Maple Leafs ranked 27th in goals-against per game last season, and they were one of the worst possession teams in hockey. Their Corsi rating, which measures puck possession, was 46.4%, 27th in the league.

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One of Babcock's best seasons in Detroit came in 2013-14 when, because of injuries, he essentially had a junior varsity team playing in a varsity tournament. At various times, half of the Red Wings were made up of call-ups from the minor leagues. Yet Babcock found a way to push that team into the playoffs.

He has a reputation as one of the league's most prepared coaches. He gets to work early, and he stays late.

Players will tell you that he is uncomfortably demanding of them. He lets players know how he feels about their performance level. He holds players accountable. He has a doghouse, and it's easy to get in it, and sometimes it's hard to get out.

That's probably the main reason why the Maple Leafs wanted him. The Maple Leafs had a 30-44-8 record, 27th in the NHL, and in the second half of the season the players looked unmotivated and uninterested.

That won't happen on Babcock's watch. He gets results. He always has.

The Red Wings offered Babcock a significant raise, reportedly around $4 million a year over five years, but they will not look at his departure as a major crisis for the franchise.

They gave their highly regarded Grand Rapids (Mich.) American Hockey League coach Jeff Blashill a raise last summer to prevent him from seeking other NHL jobs. He's the favorite to replace Babcock. The Red Wings wouldn't give other teams permission to talk to Blashill about their head coaching jobs because they knew it was possible Babcock would leave.

Blashill is similar to Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper. Blashill is an innovative coach with strong communication skills. The Red Wings believe he has the potential to be another Babcock, the kind of coach who always finds a way to get results.

The Red Wings' view is that 13 years ago they had to replace the greatest coach in NHL history, Scotty Bowman, because he retired. They ended up landing another exceptional coach in Mike Babcock.

Now they have to replace Babcock, and they feel comfortable they will hire someone who can continue their streak of 24 consecutive seasons in the playoffs.

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http://sports.yahoo.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-lure-mike-babcock-away-from-detroit-red-wings-with--50-million-deal-204220492-nhl.html

Big risk, big reward: Mike Babcock takes the money as Maple Leafs' boom-or-bust bench boss

By Nicholas J. Cotsonika – May 21, 2015

He took the money: reportedly $50 million over eight years. He took on perhaps the biggest challenge in hockey: turning around the Toronto Maple Leafs. Even if he is the best coach in the NHL, is he worth more than twice as much as anyone else? Can he win with a roster full of holes? Can he remain patient through the rebuild? Can he put up with the BS in the Centre of the Hockey Universe? Can he get the job done?

This is boom or bust. If he succeeds and the Leafs win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 1967, ending the longest drought in the NHL in one of the most passionate hockey markets on the planet, he will be a legend. We’ll rave about his ability and belief in himself. If he fails, he will be the latest in a long line of big-money, big-name disappointments. Maybe we’ll say even Mike Babcock couldn’t win in Toronto, or maybe we’ll talk about his ego and hubris.

But this is what he’s all about.

“I’m not a gambler, but I love ‘going for it,’ ” Babcock wrote with friend Rick Larsen in his book ‘Leave No Doubt: A Credo For Chasing Your Dreams.’ “That’s true in everything I do. And there have been many times in my life when I came face-to-face with doubt, but ultimately I learned how to push past it. I’ve learned that putting yourself out there is a great way to learn and grow. The more you push yourself the more you grow.

“Whether I’m waterskiing at Emma Lake or hunting big game up in Alaska, I love pushing to the edge. I love risk. Not stupid risk, but calculated risk that makes you better. The kind of risk that gets you activated – functioning in a way that pushes you beyond the limits of where you are to the next level of where you want to be.”

Staying with the Detroit Red Wings would have been safe. Babcock spent a decade in Detroit, won a Stanley Cup and went to Game 7 in another Cup final. His family liked it there. He had a good relationship with general manager Ken Holland. He had a roster with good players with more prospects on the way. The Wings made him a fair offer a long time ago. They were willing to make him the highest-paid coach in the NHL. He could have accepted it and avoided a year of speculation about his future, but he didn’t.

Let’s be real: money mattered. The Wings were willing to pay only to a point on principle, because no man is bigger than their program. They knew they had won before Babcock, and they figured they could win after Babcock, especially with Jeff Blashill – AHL champion, AHL coach of the year – ready and waiting. Babcock knew he could make more elsewhere.

The situation mattered, too. The Wings had made the playoffs for 24 straight seasons, the longest active streak in the NHL by far. But they hadn’t advanced past the first round three times in four years and each of the last two, and their best players were aging. Babcock’s message hadn’t gone stale, and the roster had turned over. But the results had stagnated, and it was unclear if the Wings had enough elite talent coming to contend for the Cup again.

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Going to the Buffalo Sabres would have made sense. They had a singular owner in Terry Pegula with deep pockets and deep desire to win, not unlike Wings owner Mike Ilitch. They had a general manager, Tim Murray, with whom Babcock had worked before in Anaheim. They had a terrible team but a bunch of young players and prospects, plus the No. 2 overall pick this year that could be used to draft Jack Eichel. By all accounts they made an aggressive push, but it didn’t work out.

Going to Toronto seems crazy. They have a corporate owner. They have no general manager. They have a terrible team – a few good assets, but lots of problems – and a circus-like media environment. But they do have president who played for Babcock in Detroit, Brendan Shanahan, and he has cleared out the front office, coaching staff and scouting staff. He has made smart hires, including Kyle Dubas and Mark Hunter. He has the resources of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment.

Babcock has done a lot. What he hasn’t done is build a winner in the NHL. When he took Anaheim to the Cup final in his first season in 2002-03, goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere was so good he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player in a losing cause. The Ducks missed the playoffs the next season. Then came a season-long lockout. When he took over the Wings, they already had won the Cup in 1997, 1998 and 2002. They already had players like Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg and Nicklas Lidstrom. The Olympics? It’s easier said than done coaching Team Canada. He deserves credit for gold medals in 2010 and 2014. Still, he guided stacked teams in two-week tournaments.

Don’t say the Leafs made Babcock an offer he couldn’t refuse. He absolutely could have refused it – the money, the challenge, the pressure, the hassle of TO – and still set a record for coaching salaries and had a better chance to win. He played the market and used all his leverage. He chose to accept the offer and everything that came with it. People will doubt him. He might have some doubt himself. But this is a chance to push to the edge. While we can argue whether it’s a stupid risk or a calculated one, it’s the kind that will activate him. His goal will be to push himself beyond the limits of where he is to the next level, to where he wants to be. And he wants to be the best.

Once upon a time, Babcock was not a hot-shot free agent. In 1993, he was fired by the Moose Jaw Warriors of the Western Hockey League. He and his wife had a three-month-old at home. They had no money and few prospects. They started looking for teaching jobs. Nothing came of it. He ended up accepting a business consulting job – and then got an offer to coach at the University of Lethbridge in Alberta. The team had never made the playoffs and was in danger of folding. He took the coaching job and won a championship, and the rest is history.

“The consulting job offered a lot more money, greater stability and a clearer career path,” Babcock wrote in his book. “Ultimately, I chose to take a risk.”

The greater the risk, the greater the reward.

That’s why Babcock is where he is today.