If you intend to retain long-term employment, then being one of the 32 NHL head coaches may not be a good choice. There have been 8 head coaches fired during/after the 2024-25 season. They include:
Dan Bylsma – Seattle Kraken
Jim Montgomery – Boston Bruins
Drew Bannister – St. Louis Blues
Luke Richardson – Chicago Blackhawks
Derek Lalonde – Detroit Red Wings
John Tortorella – Philadelphia Flyers
Greg Cronin – Anaheim Ducks
Peter Laviolette – New York Rangers
Many head coaches are let go after or near the end of the season. From the list above, three were fired within the last week, including Cronin, Laviolette, and Bylsma. General managers and/or owners decide it’s time to make a change based on an evaluation of the concluding season.
Bylsma was in his initial season with the Kraken after replacing Dave Hakstol on May 28, 2024. They went 35-41-6, finishing seventh in the Pacific Division and missing the playoffs for the third time in their four-season history. When results become unacceptable, it’s usually the head coach’s fault.
Laviolette coached the Rangers for two seasons after being hired on June 13, 2023. He went 94-59-11, but New York failed to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy and reaching the Eastern Conference Final last season. That was enough to give him his walking papers.
Cronin was in his second season with the Ducks, replacing Dallas Eakins on June 4, 2023. The Ducks (35-37-10) failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the seventh consecutive season. They were sixth in the Pacific Division and finished 16 points behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card from the Western Conference. While Anaheim made some progress, it wasn’t enough to save his job.
How do NHL head coaches feel about the constant turnstile changes made behind the bench?
Needless to say, the NHL is a very competitive business. With just 32 teams (for now), when a head coaching opening occurs, there is a line of applicants. Every team wants to win it all. There usually is no room for failure for whatever reason. Even if a team experiences injuries to top players, the NHL head coach usually gets the blame for not performing up to expectations.
Then, when there is an opening, the rumors start as to who the replacement may be. Right now, a prime example is Rick Tocchet. He is negotiating to see what kind of contract the Vancouver Canucks will offer him to stay behind the bench. Many factors go into his decision to stay or leave. Will he be paid as much as Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, who is receiving a reported $4.5 million? Perhaps not, but Jim Rutherford will get as close as possible to that figure to keep Tocchet.
What complicates his decision is that star defenseman and captain Quinn Hughes has made it known that he wishes to play on the same team as his brothers Jack and Luke Hughes. That is an almost impossible request, yet Tocchet is smart enough to know that if he agrees to a contract renewal and Quinn Hughes leaves, his future in Vancouver may be harmed big time.
Tocchet is a talented enough NHL head coach to allow the market to give him what he seeks. He could be hired as the New York Rangers’ next coach, but there are rumors that John Tortorella may get that gig.
According to SI.com, here is how the openings for NHL head coaches may be filled.
Anaheim Ducks – Marco Sturm
Boston Bruins – David Carle
Chicago Blackhawks – Jay Woodcroft
New York Rangers – Mike Sullivan
Philadelphia Flyers – Rick Tocchet
Seattle Kraken – Jessica Campbell
Some of these are no-brainers, but others are very controversial. Will Mike Sullivan make the jump from the Pittsburgh Penguins? Or how about Jessica Campbell being the first female NHL head coach? Carle in Boston makes perfect sense, and he deserves to be elevated to the NHL level.
An NHL head coach can only guide his team to success. The players must do their part, or the head coach gets the blame for failure. Now, with the season ended and the playoffs happening, the empty NHL head coaching positions will be filled…eventually. That does not mean that they will find success or that they will mesh with the team.
And, it may not be the end of the firings. As teams that missed the playoffs evaluate their needs, there could be more NHL head coaches looking for work. It’s a cycle, and with the NHL salary cap increasing to $95.5 million, teams will have more flexibility to improve rosters. That, too, is not a formula for success, as proven by the dismal performance of the Nashville Predators.
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