Don Hay Leaving Giants to coach Blazers

[Lucic]

Should be an official announcement tomorrow.

[Priceisright]

Yeah, time are a changing in giants land. Heard that this morning. I am not surprised.

[Lucic]

Nor am I. It was time for a lot of different reasons.

[Swando]

As the paper said today..players have demanded a trade as they were tired of Hay's defense first and second approach. Quite frankly I hated seeing our drafting be so dismal but I found out from some of the scouts that Hay's position as head coach was a big reason many high profile bantam picks were passed by as they and their parents would not play for a Don Hay coached team

[Giantsfan]

For several years now, players have refused to play for Hay. Parents have told Bonner not to draft their kid because they won't report. None of this is news. It's been an ongoing issue for years. But because Hay was successful, people brushed it under the rug, but now that the team has been the pits for a few seasons, & the fan base has dropped considerably it's more of an issue. The main problem is the disconnect between Hay & Bonner. It hasn't been a good relationship since Craig Bonner left for Kamloops. I've been calling for Hay to go for several seasons now & I'm glad it's done. His system was stale here & just like when he arrived, it's time for a new face, fresh ideas & a new voice to continue with the rebuild. You know it's not going well when Mike Charters & Paul Lucrezi were relived of their positions with the Giants. I won't be surprised if the scouting department is juggled around either. I, like so many, looked at the Giants as the number one organization in the WHL, & one of the best in Canada, but for several years now, there has been internal struggles & so many issues that this team took a few steps back & is a ways away from the organization that the fans got to know. Letting Hay out of his last year of his contract is the right move. I'm looking forward to seeing who they appoint as coach & a new beginning for a team that has been treading water for a few seasons.

[Priceisright]

I guess the GM stays?

[Giantsfan]

No reason for Scott Bonner to leave. Hay wanted out of the last year of his contract so they parted ways. Thank God, it was about time. Hay & Bonner not getting along for 2 years made the relationship dysfunctional & you can't have that & expect to run an organization properly.

[Priceisright]

Whose are coach going forward?

Jack the Giant?

Here nothing from the secretive Giants PR.

[Lucic]

Nobody knows. There doesn't appear to be any rush. The most recent name thrown out there is former Tri-City and Chilliwack coach Jim Hiller. I'd rather see someone else hired. We'll have to wait and see.

[Knuckles Muldoon]

Don't know about you guys, but Hiller doesn't interest me.

[Lucic]

Don't know about you guys, but Hiller doesn't interest me.

Ditto. If the Giants are interested in hiring a recently fired WHL coach (and not a bigger name NHL guy or another pro coach) I'd rather hire former Hitmen coach Mike Williamson. Although it's been suggested Williamson will be hired by Tri-City to replace Hiller.

[Priceisright]

Thank u for your thoughts :)

Stay tuned I guess.

I guess it is early.

[Lucic]

It's very early. There really shouldn't be any rush to hire anybody anytime soon. The bantam draft is already over and Bonner should be able to call the shots and build the team the way he wants without any interference or hindrance. I would wait until the hockey season is over for all leagues and then take a wider look at any and all potential candidates.

[Knuckles Muldoon]

The Giants head coaching position still represents a plum job in junior hockey circles. With lots of young talent coming up the right coach could come in and make a lot of hay in the next 5 years. It's not the time to rush into anything...Scott should have lots of qualified individuals dropping off their resumes for the job, so patience and getting the guy he really wants is paramount. Doesn't matter if it takes a little while to play out.

[Lucic]

As expected Mike Williamson was hired today by the Americans to replace Jim Hiller. So you can scratch him off the Giants list.

[Giantsfan]

I don't believe that Williamson was ever in the running for the Giants. I'm sure Scott has a short list of 3 guys he's interested in.

[Lucic]

I don't believe that Williamson was ever in the running for the Giants. I'm sure Scott has a short list of 3 guys he's interested in.

Maybe not but he should have been. Especially if Jim Hiller is. Not really sure why he would even be considered.

[Priceisright]

Watched a story on the lunch hour news global.

Apparently the giants had 100 applications for the head coach job. They narrowed it down to five.

2 are apparently in the memorial cup and 3 from the American hockey league.

[johnnyradiant]

Watched a story on the lunch hour news global.

Apparently the giants had 100 applications for the head coach job. They narrowed it down to five.

2 are apparently in the memorial cup and 3 from the American hockey league.

wonder what the current positions are of the current 5 on the list.

wonder if all 100 were for the 'head' position or if any were for an assistant position.

wonder if any of it matters - will the talent pool and style be enough to keep us entertained and the team moving up in the standings

if they keep adding to the ownership group they're gonna end up having nothing but owners filling all the positions so that they can get a return on their investment, or the front office will end up being filled with cheaper staff negating 1/2 the entertainment value or tolerance for lack of entertainment.

[johnnyradiant]

Hay apparently was leaving a lot of baggage to be dealt with by the team, with the lack of strong team performance it makes the departure good. I have no doubt he will continue adding to his win column. I hope not at Vancouver's expense. I think change will be good in the grand scheme of things. There were many times I thought our team could have done a little more with the puck but seemed limited to sticking with the coach's plan. We certainly were not good enough to carry the puck in every time but we also weren't good enough to expect to get much success in scoring let alone reclaiming that dumped puck. If the coaching change means I don't have to watch the puck go 'round the boards every time a Giant carries the puck near the blue line I'll be happy with the coach change.

[Lucic]

Apparently the giants had 100 applications for the head coach job. They narrowed it down to five.

2 are apparently in the memorial cup and 3 from the American hockey league.

Steve Ewen mentions some of the names in this (http://blogs.theprovince.com/2014/05/22/speculation-heating-up-regarding-giants-coaching-gig-pearn-and-hamilton-among-names-to-know-now/) article.

[Priceisright]

Thanks for the info/link :) your always on top of things.

I think Steve named about 100 in his article lol

I will be interested in finding out who that person will be running our bench :)

Glad there looking for a more offensive minded person.

I was kinda tired of the Hay game. It was wearing on me. Along with my buddy whom I go to the games with.

[johnnyradiant]

Latest banter has Hunter interviewing. Having a stop in Toronto does nothing for resume when I look at it unless it goes onto explain that he moved on because he saw the light.

[Lucic]

Hunter would make sense with the Pat Quinn connection. I'm always biased when it comes to the tough guys so I wouldn't be opposed to seeing Hunter behind the bench although I'm not entirely sure that would be the best option. I would prefer Tim Hunter over Perry Pearn.

Someone like Steve Hamilton would probably be the best choice (out of the lower profile potential coaches) but that may not be an option especially if Derek Laxdal leaves the Oil Kings. The Giants seem to want a guy like Travis Green which would make sense given they want a more offensive minded team but I don't see why he would return to junior soon after recently taking a pro coaching job. And on a personal note I'm not a big Green fan either way so I wouldn't shed any tears if he isn't behind the Giants bench.

[dondo]

Interesting discussion - Giants hockey has been frustrating to watch the past few seasons and although I don't necessarily buy all of the rumours regarding Hay, it did feel like his time was done.

I suspect he gets along better with Craig than he ever did with Scott and oddly enough in my mind the Giants began to slip and sit back around the time of Craig's departure.

What I also find odd is that Don Hay hockey was never defense first, but an aggressive forecheck and aggressive back-check. I recall the seasons where the team had their best years that the excitement came from the offensive pressure, but also in how hard the boys hustled back.

It's sad that a bunch of hand-wringing bossy parents can influence their kids and the scouts and ruining the system by sidling up to a bribing Portland Winterhawks, while dismissing the possibility of playing for a tough, but fair coach.

Frankly, if kids don't play for the teams that draft them then the system is broken and maybe it's time for the league(s) to step in and punish players who decide they are not going to play for the teams who could use their talent so the league has parity, but prickish agents and parents with entitlement complexes are currently making that impossible.

I suppose I am still too old-school for the game today. And possibly naive in the mechanations of the business of hockey.

That said - it would be refreshing to see some more exciting hockey and maybe witness a hungrier team and possibly, just possibly to not ruin young goaltenders by overplaying veterans and not allowing the rookies to develop with meaningful games.

[Giantsfan]

What rumors of Hay aren't you buying?

[johnnyradiant]

Interesting discussion - Giants hockey has been frustrating to watch the past few seasons and although I don't necessarily buy all of the rumours regarding Hay, it did feel like his time was done.

I suspect he gets along better with Craig than he ever did with Scott and oddly enough in my mind the Giants began to slip and sit back around the time of Craig's departure.

What I also find odd is that Don Hay hockey was never defense first, but an aggressive forecheck and aggressive back-check. I recall the seasons where the team had their best years that the excitement came from the offensive pressure, but also in how hard the boys hustled back.

It's sad that a bunch of hand-wringing bossy parents can influence their kids and the scouts and ruining the system by sidling up to a bribing Portland Winterhawks, while dismissing the possibility of playing for a tough, but fair coach.

Frankly, if kids don't play for the teams that draft them then the system is broken and maybe it's time for the league(s) to step in and punish players who decide they are not going to play for the teams who could use their talent so the league has parity, but prickish agents and parents with entitlement complexes are currently making that impossible.

I suppose I am still too old-school for the game today. And possibly naive in the mechanations of the business of hockey.

That said - it would be refreshing to see some more exciting hockey and maybe witness a hungrier team and possibly, just possibly to not ruin young goaltenders by overplaying veterans and not allowing the rookies to develop with meaningful games.

Pretty much agree with this.

I kinda think Hay shifted his game style based more on the players he was dealt and the cooperation to his system they would give him. Not because he wanted the team to bore our asses off.

One thing I think shows that Don was no longer getting full cooperation though was the hustle the team showed as they skated off at the end of their shift. In those exciting years we also saw players give a full shift and a race to the bench not a coast back like that was witnessed more times than I would have liked and not because the play was dead or at a stalemate.

[Giantsfan]

Totally agree about the hustle to the bench after their shift. So glad Franson is gone. He's one of the laziest players this team ever had. Yes, he had skill but he was also so predictable. Come down the left wing, gets to the faceoff cirlce & lets a weak wrist shot right on the goalie crest. I won't miss him at all. Rarely did he ever go to the net hard & he had no balls. Won't miss him at all.

[dondo]

What rumors of Hay aren't you buying?

Being rumours that I have no way confirming one way or the other I distrust all of them. There's always two sides and the resultant reasons for a decision or direction involves a lot more grey area than it does black and white.

I had a good discussion with Steve Ewen recently though and he clarified a few things. Craig might have been the buffer between Scott and Don and when he departed the relationship got more strained. I also believe that Scott and Don were at opposed ends philosophically as to the direction of the team and the type of play.

It disappoints me to believe that there are parents who are request their player not be selected as they will not report. I have a harder time believing this rumour at face value. And if even a portion of it is true then the system truly is broken.

To this day I despise Eric Lindros because of the same kind of crap he and his Daddy pulled in the minors and in the NHL not reporting to teams he felt were beneath him. This is the most arrogant specious bit of bull and the only cup he ever won was one for the Avalanche (Nordiques) - when he was the key component of a monster deal that succeeded in burying Philly and elevating the Nordiques. Nice come-uppance. The league should have stepped in and said if you don't report to the team who drafted you then you don't play in the NHL - full stop. But they were gutless.

[Giantsfan]

Craig was the glue that held the team together. Hay & Scott Bonner are both stubborn & want it their way. The team hasn't been the same since Craig left for Kamloops.

I get a lot of first hand knowledge from people in the know so most of the time I post something it's because it is going to happen no because it's a rumor.

[Giantsfan]

News1130 Sports ‏@News1130Sports

Hearing #WHLGiants coaching search may be down to 2 guys - former #Canucks forward Tim Hunter and EDM Oil Kings assistant Steve Hamilton.

[Priceisright]

Movement :)

Go with whoever is younger. Hunter is a dinosaur. I didn't realize he was 54. Dinosaur in coaching I mean. :)

Hamilton has experience at junior level, knows the league and teams.

I know very little about him other than that. Hope he gets hired.

[johnnyradiant]

I once met a guy that at 71, working with youth, had a better repoire with youth than those working with the same youth in their 20's.

Hire the guy that is going to work with those above him, and can work with the players given him, to achieve team targets and a chance for me to sit in my seats and watch another Mem Cup.

[Lucic]

It disappoints me to believe that there are parents who are request their player not be selected as they will not report. I have a harder time believing this rumour at face value. And if even a portion of it is true then the system truly is broken.

Those rumblings certainly aren't rumors. And if you have talked to Steve Ewen he'll even confirm that (if you don't want to believe GIANTSFAN or anybody else). I can also vouch for that.

Anyway that is old news now. As for Hamilton or Hunter I'm not against bringing in either guy. Hunter is a lot more experienced but I think Hamilton would be the better choice. There are Giants connections with both guys I think it'll come down to what Hamilton wants. If the Oil Kings lose Laxdal to a pro coaching job one would think the Oil Kings would want him taking over as head coach. The question is how long is Hamilton willing to wait for that to happen (assuming it does happen as that isn't a given)? Or does he say screw it and take the Giants coaching gig as it's a guaranteed head coaching job? There are a few other WHL teams looking for head coaches as well including the Hitmen. Maybe they offer him a job and coaching staying in Alberta is more appealing to him? Who knows. He certainly has options. Hunter on the other hand seems to want the Giants coaching job and his connections with Pat Quinn might make it easier to bring him on board.

[Giantsfan]

It was no co-incidence that Bellerive was reacquired by the Giants the same day Hay rejoined the Blazers. Eric Comrie was another.

[johnnyradiant]

Matt may not have been a coincidence but it certainly made Bonner's role as GM look a little weak. It would be nice if they could get admin/coaching/support group all on the same page and the ability to reset those positions such that they all stay on the same page as much as they expect the players to do.

[Lucic]

Matt may not have been a coincidence but it certainly made Bonner's role as GM look a little weak.

It completely hindered his ability to do what he thought was best. In theory he is supposed to be in charge of what happens with the roster but let's be realistic here, Don had a lot of say (than most head coaches) in what happened while he was here. And if he won't play a certain player it really ties Scott's hands. Not that I'm trying to make excuses for Bonner. Don't get me wrong. There were mistakes made by all and there is more than enough blame to share amongst everybody.


It would be nice if they could get admin/coaching/support group all on the same page and the ability to reset those positions such that they all stay on the same page as much as they expect the players to do.

Totally agree. And a coaching change (or GM change) was needed in order for this to happen, IMO. Some may believe Bonner should have been the one to go but that is a moot point now.

[Priceisright]

News1130 says Hamilton out of the running for giants job. Dunno why? But they say it's down to Tim hunter or another person lol, funny.

Another person? No name

[johnnyradiant]

Another candidate - does that mean they are waiting for the next round of 100 applicants, or are they waiting to see who blinks first? :)

I realize that there is give and take with an HC and GM but why re-up his contract last time if there were 2 different directions? It just makes the GM's position look weak with him either having his hands tied by either ownership or coaching staff. Maybe ownership needs to restate what the GM's role is and adhere to it themselves? Too many cooks me thinks.

Moot or not about which one shoulda left here's hoping this post season's shakedown in the office and coaching staff allows the on ice product to move forward more than just baby steps, which is what we should be expecting if we drink their kool-aide about their talent pool.

[Giantsfan]

I believe the other guy is Travis Green.

[Lucic]

That's disappointing about Hamilton. I thought he was the best fit. At least out of the known candidates.

[johnnyradiant]

So after reading the DubHub and Taking Note. It seems like maybe the first 100 apps weren't quite enough if I read between the lines about a recent interview or two. It was also stated that no coach will be, at least publicly, presented until after the NHL draft. With the Winterhawks now looking for both, in some form or another, a head coach and GM, I hope they don't end up missing the boat on their 'right' candidate.

[johnnyradiant]

After Lucic's stick to the groin incident I'd be more tempted to go with Kassian or Hunt as opposed to Lucic as a handle.

[Lucic]

After Lucic's stick to the groin incident I'd be more tempted to go with Kassian or Hunt as opposed to Lucic as a handle.

That's present day hockey for you now. Players don't fight anymore, everybody is "tough" behind a visor (and/or hiding behind the officials or the instigator rule) and there is zero accountability and cheap shots are an end result. Not justifying the action but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to understand why that happens. And when fighting is more or less eliminated entirely in the soon to be future it's only going to get worse. But the sport is better than ever right...? At least that's what the media tries to shove down our throats....

Anyway back to the topic at hand I think the guy they really wanted was Hamilton. Now that he is out of the picture it seems like Travis Green is their ideal guy. Based on the type of style they claim they want to play. I'm not a fan of Green personally and I would rather see someone like Hunter in charge. But at this point who knows what will happen. If Green isn't brought back as the coach of Utica it would make a lot of sense for him to return to Portland.

[Giantsfan]

I just don't see Green taking a demotion back to jr. Bonner & Toigo have a list a mile long & it's anyone's guess as to who's the front runner, who hasn't he yet talked to & when this will be resolved. :confused:

[Lucic]

I don't either...except I read that his future with Utica or more specifically the Canucks is questionable right now. New brass might want to bring in someone else instead. That second year on his contract is optional. So if he isn't back in Utica and doesn't have another pro job lined up going back to junior might be his next best option. I would have to think he would rather go back to Portland than go somewhere new like Vancouver. Especially considering the fact Portland should still be a pretty good team. The Giants on the other hand it's much harder to predict what they will be. It's really a toss up.

[Giantsfan]

According to reports from 1130, it's basically down to Hunter & Hiller. Bonner will speak to Hiller at the NHL draft tomorrow.

[Lucic]

According to reports from 1130, it's basically down to Hunter & Hiller. Bonner will speak to Hiller at the NHL draft tomorrow.

Meh. If that's the case I hope it's Hunter. Watch it be Hiller. :laugh:

[johnnyradiant]

I'm not sayin I hope it is Hunter. But to sorta follow Lucic's logic I will say I hope it is Hiller.

[Giantsfan]

I think they still want Hamilton & that may be in play. I believe he's the guy they wanted all along, & he may still be available. Also, Hunter & Hiller are still in the mix. Get it done already!:burningmad:

[dondo]

Camp's a couple of months away so they have time. I for one have no problem with them taking their time to get the right guy. That said, they also have to make sure they don't miss out on their choice simply because they were dragging their heels on making a decision.

[Giantsfan]

Yup, the longer they wait, the less they will get the guy they want.

[Lucic]

Travis Green decides to stay as head coach of Utica rather than join Mike Johnston as an assistant in Pittsburgh. I know the Winterhawks were hoping to sway him to return to Portland. And with Mike Stothers leaving the Warriors to coach in the AHL now there is another WHL team with a head coaching vacancy. It seems these select few candidates will now have more opportunity elsewhere. If the Giants really want one of these guys they will have to act quickly.

[johnnyradiant]

With Portland about to announce their replacement it makes the Giants look weak at getting the job done. Of course in due course we could find out that the 'hawks rushed to their decision and got a dud or we could find that the Giants had somebody in the bag for awhile now but were just waiting to dot the i's and t's and they weren't in a position of loosing out on their candidate in the interim. Don't know if I'd buy it but it could play out that way, and in the mean time - they look weak on front end decisions.

[Giantsfan]

The Giants will be naming the coach this week.:clap:

[johnnyradiant]

That's good because two or three weeks ago they were reporting it like they were gonna be naming last week.

[dondo]

Hamilton is off the table - now the new head coach of the Oil Kings -- maybe we'll go commune style with the players coaching players .. :p ;) - any time now Bonner .... give us something to talk about

[Giantsfan]

My guess is Jim Hiller. I think anyone else interested in the job would have been named coach by now.

[rednex50]

My guess is Jim Hiller. I think anyone else interested in the job would have been named coach by now.

Good luck with that...:groovy::groovy::groovy::groovy:

[johnnyradiant]

another day and weaker or weeker.

Is Bonner harder to work for than Hay? Is Toigo too interfering in his own team? Are they building their own coach?

Sutter's laying down the gauntlet for the Mem Cup. Not much point in renewing next year if the Giants don't have that announcement land their way in the fall. Reason for renewing this season was a two-way tie between something like glutten for punishment/afraid of change and locking in my seats and seniority for Mem Cup seats.

[Giantsfan]

Ron Toigo said that they have to have a bid in by July 15th if they want to apply for it. :clap:

He also said that no coaching announcement will be made this week. He didn't name names but a person or persons they are interested in is or has applied for an NHL job.

Geez...this is the best kept secret ever! :burningmad:

[Priceisright]

LOL Whose the GM? :D I though Bonner was. How come Toigo seems to be managing the team.

Strange team dynamics if you ask me.

Maybe Jack the Giant for coach? Perhaps he's been busy this summer.

[johnnyradiant]

I thought it was Buble or Quin

[Swando]

1.Giants will announce a coach this week.

2. Don Hay's time was up here but also his wife did not move to Vancouver the last 1 or 2 years he coached. If that's not a strain to make a change what is!! Family and lack of winning and whining:) I think he made the move to be closer to family and settle for the long haul. I still think it was time for him to go (see #3)

3. Bonner "could" handle Hay. Not many could. When draft picks that were by passed due to the Hay coaching mentality (this is a given!) it began to take its toll. Many of of us recognize that star players were by passed in the 1st rounds and we take Ast, etc?? Why - they do not want to play for a Don Hay. For example, do you think that a Portland forward scoring 40 goals will be drafted higher than a Hay forward scoring 15? Ist round vs 4/5 round makes a huge chunk of change. That's why we have not being able to get any quality Euro's as well!!

4. I'm old school - I would like to think it is the Kids that want to play and so they should BUT the Parent s and the agents get involved and everything goes to crap!

[Giantsfan]

When Bonner & Hay aren't talking for over 2 yrs it shows how dysfunctional this has become. What kind of role modeling is that setting for the players on the team as well as for the families of these kids?

Hay's time was up here in my opinion 2 yrs earlier. Things were stale. The on ice product wasn't getting results & you can only live on past reputation for so long. He did a great job during his first 6-7 yrs here but I'm glad he's gone. It's time for a change of strategies, a new game plan.

There were many players who didn't want to play for Hay. The Giants aren't the only team. How many players wanted out of PG & Lethbridge over the years? Only difference I believe players/families wanted out of PG or Lethbridge wasn't solely based on the coach like in Vancouver.

To me, the Giants used to be the model franchise, the team that others tried to emulate but it seems it hasn't been that way since Craig left for Kamloops. The Giants have a lot of work ahead of them to become that team that players league wide want to play on. The empty sections game after game is also a sign that the fans were fed up with a losing product & why a change in the front office was made.

[Giantsfan]

According to Jay Janower the Giants will announce their new coach sometime this week. Toigo interviewed Kevin Dineen on the weekend but he took an assistant coaching job with the Blackhawks.

[johnnyradiant]

"it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas"
and it is starting to feel like that is how long it is going to take them to figure out who needs to make a decision or three and do it.

One has to wonder just how turned off of working for Vancouver the 5 minute candidates are.

[johnnyradiant]

Maybe a former NLL coach?

[Lucic]

Sounds like Thursday will be the day.

[Knuckles Muldoon]

They'd better get on the stick.....regular season opener is 9 weeks away. Not much time for the new guy to get to work if you ask me.

[Giantsfan]

JAY JANOWER ‏@DOUBLEJGLOBALBC 25m

Troy Ward had lots of Coaching offers on the table and chose Vancouver Giants. Says a lot for Giants Ownership group and GM Scott Bonner.

Former Heat coach Troy Ward. He always uses his middle initial...Troy G. Ward. If anyone has listened to him being interviewed, he made Darryl Sutter sound exciting & full of life.

[Knuckles Muldoon]

Who?
This oughta be fun. :rolleyes:
Okay Troy G.....let's see what you got.

[MeszarosFan]

Found this online this morning: http://blogs.theprovince.com/2014/07/15/after-much-searching-the-vancouver-giants-at-last-have-a-coach-landing-former-abby-heat-boss-troy-ward/

[Priceisright]

JAY JANOWER ‏@DOUBLEJGLOBALBC 25m

Troy Ward had lots of Coaching offers on the table and chose Vancouver Giants. Says a lot for Giants Ownership group and GM Scott Bonner.

Former Heat coach Troy Ward. He always uses his middle initial...Troy G. Ward. If anyone has listened to him being interviewed, he made Darryl Sutter sound exciting & full of life.

Wheeeee, Troy who? Never heard of him lol

Good luck Troy and welcome to the giants.

[Priceisright]

I have a feeling 2-3 guys giants wanted, said no for whatever reasons.

[Giantsfan]

Absolutely, it came down to money. It usually does. Toigo wasn't going to pay anyone what Hay was making. I've heard of at least one candidate turned it down for that exact reason.

[Lucic]

I have a feeling 2-3 guys giants wanted, said no for whatever reasons.

Definitely. I think they wanted Hamilton but he didn't want to leave Edmonton. It was clear the Giants wanted Travis Green but he didn't want to leave the pro ranks after just recently moving up to the AHL. After those two it seemed there were a lot of guys interested but nobody that really stood out.

I have mixed feelings on this hiring. I don't really know what to expect. It does seem bizarre they would hire a guy that has experience coaching alongside Kevin Constantine and shares some similar views yet they claim they wanted a more offensive minded coach? I'll reserve judgement for a later date but that reality boggles my mind.

[Priceisright]

Absolutely, it came down to money. It usually does. Toigo wasn't going to pay anyone what Hay was making. I've heard of at least one candidate turned it down for that exact reason.

We got the cheapest guy by the looks of things lol, bargain bin?

Oh well , let's see what he can do with kids.

[Priceisright]

Ya, omg if they play Everett hockey from the yrs past, yikezzzzzzz.

I think Everett has changed over the past yrs.

[Lucic]

Ya, omg if they play Everett hockey from the yrs past, yikezzzzzzz.

I think Everett has changed over the past yrs.

I can live watching defensive minded hockey but only if the team is very physical. Constantine teams typically aren't. And that leaves zero incentive to want to watch that brand of hockey, IMO.

Anyway as I said before I'll reserve judgement for a later date. Obviously we all have to give him a chance and see how it goes.

[Priceisright]

Yes indeed. As I know nothing about him other than whats in this thread. A no name to me.

[Giantsfan]

The Heat played an up tempo game & were one of the top teams in the AHL in scoring. Just because he was an assistant with Constantine, it doesn't mean they shared the same view on a style of hockey.

Toigo said they were going to hire a coach who played an offensive brand of hockey & I'll take their word on that.

I guess nobody really knows how things will turn out but they needed a fresh face & a new voice.

[Lucic]

It's funny how Hunter gets hired by Moose Jaw on the same exact day.

[johnnyradiant]

It's funny how Hunter gets hired by Moose Jaw on the same exact day.

Broken record - but it really just adds to the question of why it had to take so long. Even if they didn't want Hunter it sounds like they spent a fair bit of time with him to just get nowhere. I'm more than willing to reserve judgement but in the mean time my "impartiality" is going to have a bent in the "it took this long for this result - WHAT were they thinking!?!?" direction. Now I'm just as curious to see how things shake down for the Warriors.

[Lucic]

I have to think Hunter's lack of head coaching experience had something to do with it. Not that I'm suggesting he isn't qualified enough to be a head coach at this level he absolutely is. Anybody that has coached in any capacity at the NHL level is more than qualified to be a head coach in the WHL. But it is a much different responsibility being an assistant coach and a being the main guy.

On a personal level I think I would have preferred Hunter running the bench but I'm trusting the Giants did their homework and got the guy they feel is best. I just hope Ward doesn't play a brand of hockey I don't want to see. I get the feeling he will fit into that mold. I have nothing against offensive hockey but I still want my teams to be big and physical...something the Giants don't appear to be. But who am I kidding? The game is changing...far too fast for my liking. Soon enough that brand of hockey will be a thing of the past. :(

[johnnyradiant]

But who am I kidding? The game is changing...far too fast for my liking. Soon enough that brand of hockey will be a thing of the past. :(

It already has been for the last few seasons here

[Lucic]

It already has been for the last few seasons here

True enough. That was part of Hay's demise here trying to win playing a different style. If it ain't broke why fix it? Anyway the style of hockey I love is becoming obsolete. No surprise my interest in the sport is fading fast...:boring:

[dondo]

Found this online this morning: http://blogs.theprovince.com/2014/07/15/after-much-searching-the-vancouver-giants-at-last-have-a-coach-landing-former-abby-heat-boss-troy-ward/


Thanks for that MF - an illuminating read - as least it sounds like he's got some chops and a wide range of experience - that could be good or bad -- as in he worked for everyonem because he could find a steady gig where they wanted to keep him. I hope he infuses some life into this team whihc has been sleepwalking the past few seasons

[dondo]

True enough. That was part of Hay's demise here trying to win playing a different style. If it ain't broke why fix it? Anyway the style of hockey I love is becoming obsolete. No surprise my interest in the sport is fading fast...:boring:

Yes I find myself losing interest as well with what is being done to the game.

We have taken responsibility out of the players hands, added more rules and let the refs dictate how the game is played including the level of intensity.

The death knell of old time hockey really started to the ring when the "whining at the ref" unsportsmanlike calls started being made -- it started before then, but this is when I noticed a decided shift in control of the flow and intensity level of the game being "managed" by sh*tty thin-skinned refs who haven't even read their own manuals

[Giantsfan]

I'm so glad Hay is gone. He had a great run, took the team to the top of the WHL & top of the CHL. He did a great job that not many coach's can do.

The last few seasons though have been really tough. Not because of the losses but because Hay didn't want to change his style & he didn't seem interested in being the aggressor. The team was tiny year after year & I blame Hay. I've spoken with Scott many times & he says it's Don that wants a small team.

Now that he's gone, it'll be interesting to see what type of players Bonner acquires. I'm sure hoping big, aggressive guys. Tough guys that won't take a back seat when the going gets rough, & let's face it, that's not very often anymore.

Training camp is just under 2 weeks away. Bonner has a TON of work ahead of him, especially on the back end.