Pats fire Cameron/Dixon and McGuigan not returning

[chopper]

I did not see this coming! Holy Hanna I was expecting a significant trade to give us something to talk about. I feel bad for Cameron as he was a hell of a coach and a nice guy. I suspected the other guys were not coming back. But wow!

Sillinger or Heward...no way!!!! Neither have enough credible coaching experience at this level. Sillinger has none and Heward a couple seasons in SC. Josh Dixon is a better option if they were looking for a great young coach. Something else is brewing I'm sure.

The new guy will be someone with a great track record of winning at this level OR higher. He will be a very recognizable name because they will want to reassure fans after this move. Cameron was a very well liked coach by the fans.

There are some big names with great experience out there. The firing of Cameron wasn't Lang's work I'll bet. I wouldn't be surprised if the next coach has the abilities to be a GM at some point. With all this house cleaning I doubt Lang is feeling too secure.

[patsdude114]

Sillinger or Heward...no way!!!! Neither have enough credible coaching experience at this level. Sillinger has none and Heward a couple seasons in SC. Josh Dixon is a better option if they were looking for a great young coach. Something else is brewing I'm sure.

Its not that im fully against a possibly of Sillinger as a Head Coach (which I doubt will happen anyways) I mean look at other past NHLers who have had success as a Head Coach with no/to little coaching experience before guys like Patrick Roy, Scott Walker as examples. But I doubt Sillinger will give up on his Oilers job

The new guy will be someone with a great track record of winning at this level OR higher. He will be a very recognizable name because they will want to reassure fans after this move. Cameron was a very well liked coach by the fans.

There are some big names with great experience out there. The firing of Cameron wasn't Lang's work I'll bet. I wouldn't be surprised if the next coach has the abilities to be a GM at some point. With all this house cleaning I doubt Lang is feeling too secure.

A proven track record would be great to have a solid name in the hocket world. This firing of Cameron makes a lot more sense now due to the information that was release during the press release and on Sports Cage from Lang.

[chopper]

There are a few instances where NHL players go directly into coaching and do well, but they are few. Guys like Babcock, Hitchcock, Gallant, Dejardins, Vignault, Trotz etc etc, and many more cut their teeth in Junior, minor pro and then the Show. In some instances some of them want to return to junior. I have a feeling that the next coach here will have a pedigree and history of winning. They tried that with Derkatch with bad results and no Pats Alumni has ever done well here as a coach, except perhaps Bob Turner. As I said I believe the next HC will have very notable accomplishments, and may soon be the GM as well.

[Some_Arrogant_Jerk]

im not all that surprised.

This is not necessarily an indictment of Cameron's job. We all know goaltending primarily killed our playoff hopes. When you get new ownership, youll usually get new coaches and some new players.

...But when you have a franchise that has become famous for losing, and somehow consistently found new ways to lose over almost 20 years, you want to do what you can to wash away any perceived stain left behind from the last mess. I doubt this is all they end up doing, and its about time too.

[chopper]

im not all that surprised.



...But when you have a franchise that has become famous for losing, and somehow consistently found new ways to lose over almost 20 years, you want to do what you can to wash away any perceived stain left behind from the last mess. I doubt this is all they end up doing, and its about time too.

I have no doubt that your spot on regarding that point...... Lang hired Cameron and it was painful listening to him try to defend todays developments. I think it was equally hard for him to try and explain how his bosses went over his head to dismiss his guy. Usually if the GM is happy with the coaches performance that's the end of it. Not with these guys. He was stammering and sounding pathetic. I'm sure he sees the writing on the wall. The GM is supposed to run the club but it's clear the owners are. Not a good business model.

[Crofter]

I have no doubt that your spot on regarding that point...... Lang hired Cameron and it was painful listening to him try to defend todays developments. I think it was equally hard for him to try and explain how his bosses went over his head to dismiss his guy. Usually if the GM is happy with the coaches performance that's the end of it. Not with these guys. He was stammering and sounding pathetic. I'm sure he sees the writing on the wall. The GM is supposed to run the club but it's clear the owners are. Not a good business model.

It's too bad for Lang, but working for the Parkers he was the public face of some other questionable decisions. That said, I can also see the case for Cameron's dismissal, even though he did a good job. At some point a new regime makes changes, and maybe it's best that they happened quickly.

I suspect a credible coach and a center ice scoreboard will soothe the hardcore fans, and maybe attract some of the softer supporters. At the same time, I hope the new ownership group understands that they really need to fix the culture of this team - and part of that is recognizing that rolling out a new coach every year-and-a-half is something that has to stop.

I just hope the coach isn't some retread that was here before. Most of them were part of that culture of losing.

[Bighat]

Strike 1 for the new owners stepping on your GM'S toes. Horrible desicion to fire Cameron and if the reason is he has 1 year left and new assistants that's bs. He has been the best coach we have had in years, should have gave him a new 3 year deal. This year is going to be a gong show ( will the real gm please stand up) whose really running this team. Chad lang may aswell step down tomorrow and save face because there is no way he will survive the year. By the looks of today jerry jones is running the pats.

[patsdude114]

Chad lang may aswell step down tomorrow and save face because there is no way he will survive the year. By the looks of today jerry jones is running the pats.

Easy for fans to say that but I can assure you hes making a 3 figure salary and it puts food on the table for his family.

Im going out on a limb and saying that im sure the Parker's told Lang to promote within and hire a cheaper assistant last season. So that would leave a pick between Cameron and Dixon last year, im sure this time around the ownership group will be willing to put their money where their mouths are to hire a good name coach.

Lets see what we get for a Head Coach before we really start calling out the owners and or GM....imo we are going young this year anyways so lets grow the team within with a younger type of a coach a guy like Struch (or however the hell you spell his name the guy who coached Saskatoon last year) could be a prime candidate for the job, imo he had the Blades playing an up tempo game last year but just lacked talent to win games.

[chopper]

This isn't about putting bread on the table, it's about running a hockey organization. Hockey people are often hired to be fired. Any credible organization hires a GM to run hockey operations, and he in turn hires his staff. He selects, hires and fires his staff. Ownership doesn't interfere and go over his head to fire people unless they have no confidence in their GM?? Lang couldn't justify anything in his presser yesterday. It was ludicrous plus he sounded totally ridiculous; pressed by reporters he couldn't justify his own statements.

If we wanted a young coach to go with the youth movement, we had Dixon who is recognized by many (including Hockey Canada) as one of the brightest young coaches in the business. That assertion looks like bs to most. Bill Gallacher who owns the Portland Winterhawks did it right. He hired a coach/GM and turned the hockey over to him to produce results. They were a young group but hired a 45 yr old coach. I would say the results have been good. It had nothing to do with a younger type coach as we had one in Dixon!

I believe this was the start of a purge which many think isn't over and I concur. One has to believe that the Pats know this was a somewhat unpopular and questionable move. The new HC will likely be someone with a proven record of winning coaching at this and perhaps the NHL level. Most would be terribly surprised if it wasn't a bigger name. He has likely already been picked and the announcement should be pretty quick. I would expect he will be bringing a coaching staff with him. Time is of the essence to a great extent.

[Shooter]

It looks like the writing is on the wall and evident the ownership is in control and has a plan. The next step may be scouting staff and GM and then the engine is overhauled or rebuilt. This is normal in the hockey business and I expect the table to be wiped clean and the announcements happening shortly with the new ownership and strategic operations plan. This action had reason and looking forward to the upcoming Pats NEWS.