Constantine resigns

[rinkrat]

Wow,didn't see that coming!

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/news_story/?ID=209245&hubname=nhl


Kevin Constantine has moved one step closer to a return to the NHL.

The former head coach of the San Jose Sharks, Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils has been named the new coach of the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League.

The Aeros are affiliated with the Minnesota Wild.

"A development team requires a leader who will teach the players the game, while at the same time instilling the discipline, accountability and hard work required to play in the NHL for this organization," said Wild Assistant General Manager/Hockey Operations Tom Lynn, who also serves as Aeros General Manager.

"Kevin has a demonstrated record of all of these elements. In addition, he has had success coaching at all levels of hockey, and in particular, in developing younger players."





For the past four seasons, Constantine has served as the head coach of the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League. He accumulated a 162-106-20 record with the Silvertips, winning three division titles in four seasons and guiding the team to the WHL finals in its first season of operation.

The 48 year old Constantine has coached more than 1,000 games in the United States Hockey League (USHL), International Hockey League (IHL), National Hockey League (NHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL).

[Trav]

any idea of who will take over?

[old_time_hockey]

Well the coach and GM from Lewiston stepped down too.

Sounds like he didn't want both rolls and wants to spend more time with family. Maybe if they bring in a GM and just let him be coach?

[Tipped Off]

Right after the tips elimination I was talking about moving on without KC (http://www.whlfans.ca/showthread.php?t=11874), either on his own terms or not, and that the Tips would be ok without him. Needless to say I was laughed at.

Here were my thoughts in the thread above:
"I said this before the game on an Instant Message to a friend of mine. This Tips team has been my LEAST favorite in the 4 years of Tips hockey. While the other three Tips teams seemed to over achieve fo the talent they had, this team has consistently under achieved. That's hard to say about a team that had the most points in the WHL, but it's one of those things where a should be 5-1 win turns into a 3-2 overtime/shoot out win or a 3-0 lead turns into a 3-2 hang on for dear life regular time win.


No Tips fans will agree with me, and it certainly won't happen, but I'll be a happy camper when Constantine decides to move on. Growing up in San Jose, CA I was there for the Constantine years as a Season Ticket Holder. Didn't like him then, not a fan now. That being said, I think he was a PERFECT fit for the Tips in years one and two. I just wish he's have gotten another job after that."

This is GOOD for the Tips. KC is a great expansion team coach. The tema is mature now and it's time for us to get a coach who can take this team out of it's shell and into the future.

Also, Given Constantine's pointed remarks toward Fiala when he left, about team first, etc... it will be interesting to see what happens if Fiala is assigned the the AHL by Minnesota next year:


"Among the players under Constantine’s tutelage in Washington have been Ondrej Fiala, the Wild’s second-round pick (No. 40 overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft"

[Tipped Off]

CONSTANTINE IS NEW AEROS COACH
05/29/2007 1:18 PM

New Aeros head coach Kevin Constantine
From: Ryan Stanzel
Director of Communications
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
713.361.7930 (Direct Line)


KEVIN CONSTANTINE IS AEROS’ NEW HEAD COACH
Minnesota native has seven NHL seasons, IHL championship to his credit
HOUSTON, Texas – Kevin Constantine, a former runner-up for the National Hockey League’s Coach of the Year honor, has been named the head coach of the American Hockey League’s Houston Aeros, the team announced Tuesday. Constantine spent the last four seasons as head coach of the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips. The announcement was made by Minnesota Wild President/General Manager Doug Risebrough. The Aeros are the Wild's primary developmental affiliate.

“A development team requires a leader who will teach the players the game, while at the same time instilling the discipline, accountability and hard work required to play in the NHL for this organization,” Minnesota Wild Assistant General Manager/Aeros General Manager Tom Lynn said. “Kevin has a demonstrated record of all of these elements. In addition, he has had success coaching at all levels of hockey, and in particular in developing younger players.”

Constantine, 48 (12/27/58), has been behind the bench as a head coach for more than 1,000 combined games, presiding over teams in the United States Hockey League (USHL), International Hockey League (IHL), National Hockey League (NHL) and Western Hockey League (WHL).

The native of International Falls, Minn., accrued a 159-153-66 mark in seven National Hockey League seasons with San Jose, Pittsburgh and New Jersey. Two seasons after helping Kansas City claim the International Hockey League’s Turner Cup championship in 1991-92, Constantine took over a Sharks team that won just 11 games the previous season. Constantine led San Jose to a 33-35-16 record in 1993-94 and a first-round upset of Detroit in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. He was the runner-up to current Minnesota Wild head coach Jacques Lemaire for the Jack Adams Trophy as the NHL’s top coach, after the Sharks improved a league-record 58 points. Constantine is the only NHL coach to ever lead a pair of eight seeds over a No. 1 seed, having also led Pittsburgh over New Jersey in 1998-99.

Constantine joined expansion Everett in 2003-04 and led the Silvertips to a 162-106-20 mark in four seasons. Everett won division titles in three of his four seasons there, and advanced to the WHL Final in its inaugural season, helping Constantine land Coach of the Year honors. In 2006-07, Constantine led the Silvertips to a 54-15-1-2 record and a berth in the Western Conference Semifinals. Among the players under Constantine’s tutelage in Washington have been Ondrej Fiala, the Wild’s second-round pick (No. 40 overall) in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft, and Peter Mueller, the eighth-overall pick by Phoenix in 2006.

In two seasons with Kansas City, Constantine’s Blades went 102-48-14. Constantine has also served as an assistant coach with NHL Calgary, IHL Kalamazoo, and as head coach of North Iowa and Rochester of the United States Hockey League. Constantine also founded the North American Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Forge in 2001. The Forge compiled an 80-24-8 record in his two seasons there. Eighteen Forge players earned Division I scholarships.

Constantine played amateur hockey at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in upstate New York and was Montreal’s ninth-round pick (No. 154 overall) in the 1978 NHL Amateur Draft.

Cosntantine has three sons: Mathew, Jeffrey and Nicholas.

[Triton]

Could throw Peter Anholt's name as a coach.

[Knuckles Muldoon]

Could throw Peter Anholt's name as a coach.
I don't think that works. The Tips are a young, progressive organization. They'll be going with a young guy, count on it.

[Tipped Off]

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they decide to just promote John Becanic. John was the head coach/director of operations of his Junior A team (Pitts. Forge). He's "Studied" under KC for a while now and is probably chomping at the bit to grab the reigns again at his "next level." Here's his profile:


John came to Everett from Pittsburgh where he worked as the Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations of the Pittsburgh Forge Junior “A” team of the North American Hockey League. As head coach, John led the Forge to a regular season finish of 43-9-4 and went on to win the USA Junior “A” National Championship in 2002-2003 where John was named Coach of the Year.

In 2001-2002, the Pittsburgh Forge’s expansion year, Becanic was the assistant coach and helped the Forge become the first USA Junior “A” expansion team to reach the National Championship of the NAHL.

Prior to working with the Forge in Pittsburgh, John spent five seasons as the Head Coach/Director of Operations with the Bismarck Bobcats Junior “A” team in the America West Hockey League. John compiled a 121-93-22 record with the Bobcats and led them to 3 Semi Final Appearances

In 1992-94, John was the Assistant Coach of the Soo Greyhounds of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. In 1993 they won the Memorial Cup.

John and his wife, Rhonda, have two daughters (Sheridan and Brooklyn)

[nelson951]

Big surprise but shouldn"t be a tough job to fill given the teams depth and stability

[LifelongChiefsFan]

At least now I can see the Tips play Spokane and not feel like I just took the 8 bucks and lit it on fire! (Sorry, but I had to) :laugh: :p

[Swando]

I wouldn't be surprised to find out that they decide to just promote John Becanic. John was the head coach/director of operations of his Junior A team (Pitts. Forge). He's "Studied" under KC for a while now and is probably chomping at the bit to grab the reigns again at his "next level." Here's his profile:


I sure hope not for your great fans sake..You do not want a KC clone or student coaching your team. You Everett fans are some of the greatest in the WHL and my wish is that you get a coach that will teach the offensive forecheck and goal scoring etc. Then you'll know what real hockey is all about. Mueller should have had 50 goals this season even with the WJ break. I think he was the best player in the Wub. KC did not know how to coach an offensive team.

Point made is that LeMaire is the most defensive trap coach in the NHL. The Wild are the most hated team to play against becasue of the trap. Wonder why they chose KC as the minor affiliate coach??? Like fitting into a glove one system to the next.. Bad for hockey..bad for fans.. Go Tips Go to a more wide open style of hockey...may you need to buy more cow bells and learn when to ring them..lol

[Tipped Off]

Tips' coach to leave Everett
Constantine to lead Houston's AHL team

By Nick Patterson
Herald Writer

EVERETT - It's the end of an era.

The only coach the Everett Silvertips have ever known is moving on.

Kevin Constantine, who's been behind the Silvertips bench since day one of the franchise's history, has accepted the position of head coach of the Houston Aeros, the American Hockey League affiliate of the NHL's Minnesota Wild.

And in doing so, he leaves behind the team he helped build in to a force, both in the WHL and in the local community.

"I really felt there was a strong chance Everett was going to be my last stop on the coaching tour," the 48-year-old Constantine said via cell phone from Iowa, where he stopped while driving back to Everett from Florida. "But it's not like opportunities like this come along all the time. I just felt that if I was going to make one more round coaching in the professional ranks, all the factors made this job worth looking at."

Constantine signed his contract Tuesday morning. The move could potentially lead to a return to the NHL, where he spent parts of seven seasons as a head coach between 1993 and 2001.

The Silvertips had yet to release a statement regarding Constantine's departure or his replacement, and general manager Doug Soetaert could not be reached for comment.

Constantine arrived in Everett in 2003 to take over an expansion team in a market many questioned would ever work as a hockey town.

He departs four years later having helped turn the Silvertips into one of the top franchises in the league. Under his tutelage, Everett compiled a 162-109 record with 17 ties in four seasons, winning three U.S. Division titles and one Western Conference crown.

In Everett's inaugural season he led the Tips to an improbable run to division and conference titles as an expansion team, earning the league's Coach of the Year award for his efforts. Several of the players from that team, who were deemed unworthy of protection in the expansion draft, have since gone on to earn professional contracts.

In the process the Tips also became a sensation in Everett, building one of the loudest and most supportive fan bases in the WHL.

"It was just spectacular," Constantine said about his time in Everett. "It'd be flat out inaccurate to say this wasn't the most fun and rewarding four years of my coaching career. It's what made the decision so incredibly difficult. These were years where we accomplished a lot as a team, and it was fun watching the players develop.

"And I could never have predicted the enthusiasm with which the town took to the team and the team took to the town."

Constantine also had his share of controversy during his tenure in Everett. His fiery personality behind the bench led to confrontations with referees, and he regularly appeared on the league's fine list. During this preseason he was slapped with the largest fine in league history ($5,000 Canadian) for having his players ride the bus home from Kennewick while wearing their game gear.

Still, Constantine's success on the ice in Everett was attractive to Minnesota.

"A development team requires a leader who will teach the players the game, while at the same time instilling the discipline, accountability and hard work required to play in the NHL for this organization," Wild assistant general manager Tom Lynn, who also serves as Aeros general manager, said in a press release. "Kevin has a demonstrated record of all of these elements. In addition, he has had success coaching at all levels of hockey, and in particular, in developing younger players."

Constantine, who wasn't actively pursuing an NHL job, was first contacted by Minnesota two weeks ago. He was approached with a similar offer a year earlier by a different NHL team, but didn't take it. However, this time a combination of factors, including being a Minnesota native, being closer to two of his children who live in Minnesota, and knowing members of the Wild front office, were too hard to resist.

"A year ago at the NHL draft I was approached by a team to run their minor-league team," Constantine said. "I didn't follow through and kind of let it slide. Then I was approached by a (Minnesota) a couple weeks ago. If it had been a different organization or if I didn't know people in the organization, I think it would have stopped it."

The move could eventually lead Constantine back to the NHL. Constantine spent time as the head coach of the NHL's San Jose Sharks (1993-96), Pittsburgh Penguins (1997-2000) and New Jersey Devils (2001-02) before arriving in Everett. During those years he helped San Jose set the NHL record with a 58-point improvement in 1993-94, and also guided two No. 8 seeds (San Jose in 1994, Pittsburgh in 1999) to upsets over No. 1 seeds in the playoffs.

Constantine said he had yet to consider whether to ask associate head coach John Becanic and assistant coach Jay Varady, who followed him to Everett from the United States Hockey League's Pittsburgh Forge, to join him in Houston. Becanic is also likely to be a candidate for the head coaching position with the Tips.


Kevin Constantine


Born Dec. 27, 1958, in International Falls, Minn.

Coached the WHL's Everett Silvertips since the team began play in 2003. In four seasons compiled a 162-109 record with 17 ties. Earned the WHL Coach of the Year award in 2004.

Spent parts of seven seasons as a head coach in the NHL before coming to Everett.