The Wheels On The Bus Go 'Round and 'Round

According to Greg Logan's post on Newsday, Bill Guerin was less than surprised that Ted Nolan got the boot from Islanders general manager Garth Snow. I guess we now know the name of that certain Islander veteran who allegedly caught Ted in some lies about how management was running the show. If it is Guerin--and this is only my speculation--then good for him. He's the captain and he raised an issue and tried to fix it along the chain of command. He went to the coach before certain events led him to seek out the advice of the owner and GM.

To me, that is leadership. He wanted to fix a problem and went about it the right way. If this un-named Islander was, in fact, Billy Guerin, then lock the guy up with a job after his playing career is over. He wants to get things done.

Anyway, that nightmare is over. I think I speak for all of us fans when I say that I am glad this crap didn't spill over into the regular season. Now Snow can move on and begin what is now a real NHL General Manager's job. No more committee. It is all on Snow. He has to make the perfect choice to lead the Islanders out of the shadows. It ain't gonna be easy, either.

Because I care, I have a list of dudes that are probably on Garth's radar. These are all experienced NHL coaches with some pedigree and success in their rearview mirrors. Strap yourself in and feel the Gs as we take a ride on the Let's Draft John Tavares Express!

Bob Hartley: Apparently, Hartley has some sort of relationship with GM Garth Snow and after flaming out in Atlanta, all reports are that he wants to get back into the league. Hartley won a Stanley Cup and that is instant credibility to a dressing room full of young and impressionable kids. He's fiery and hates to lose. Not a bad pick and many in the media have anointed Bob Hartley as the logical and most likely choice.

The people involved with the league don't believe the words "logical" and "choice" are to be ever be associated with the Islanders, and quite honestly, right now I don't think I can stand behind those words either.

Having said that, Bob Hartley may be the right guy at the right time to turn things around for the franchise. He will rely on his leadership core and push the buttons to get the young players to achieve. He also has proven to take losses hard and by the way, walks into the job with a Stanley Cup championship ring. Never discount that piece of jewelry.

John Tortorella: The intriguing media-friendly option. I bet Greg Logan is holding rosary beads right now, hoping Johnny Torts becomes the next Islanders coach. Tortorella always speaks his mind and he sure isn't afraid to challenge his players. His combative nature and competitive streak would make Tortorella the king of the Lighthouse. The fans would love the guy. Whether he can sit in the same sandbox as Garth Snow and Charles Wang is to the big question. He seemed to do OK in Tampa and would walk into the room with a Stanley Cup ring.

In a perfect world, a guy like me on the outside would like to see Tortorella get the job. He'd bring a new element of competitiveness and aggression into rivalries with the Devils and the Rangers and he has proven to be the kind of coach who holds everyone in the room accountable. I want a coach full of piss and vinegar who is just beside himself after close games and spitting up bile after tough losses. I want a guy who cares as much as the fans do. John Tortorella is that guy.

Pat Burns: Interesting situation here. No one will argue that Burns is a Hall of Fame-quality coach. He's had successful teams and high-profile jobs in Montreal; New Jersey; and Toronto. The guy has got rings. Now he has been out of the game battling cancer for a few years and from what I read, he would like to get back into the NHL. I think if he is up to it and willing to come to Long Island, then Garth Snow owes it to the organization to consider a guy with a resume like Pat Burns. It's a tough one to beat.

Marc Crawford: Crawford allegedly ordered the hit on Steve Moore by Todd Bertuzzi. We all know that. So, right there, do we need a guy coming in here with that sort of baggage? Plus, he has that weird Kerry Fraser hair. But he does have his name on The Cup. Still, no magic in Vancouver and not a lot of progress in Los Angeles. Next.

Paul Maurice: Maurice is a good coach. We all learned that when he got the overachieving Hurricanes to the finals a few years ago. He actually was able to hack it in Toronto with all of their crazy media and constant spotlight, etc. because he has a sense of humor. Now that I think about it, his dexterity with the media in Toronto may have given him great on-the-job training to juggle in the Long Island Circus. May be a good pick if he is the kind of guy to play nice with the GM and ownership. He had a great run with the Whaler-canes and had proven to fit well into their power structure with Jim Rutherford as a strong GM and that ponytailed freak (I won't say his name) as the owner.

Maurice also has a track record with developing the kids. He was in a fairly similar situation when he took over the Whalers in the mid-1990s. Not a bad choice if it happens.

Butch Goring; Bryan Trottier: Butchie probably would love to get another crack at it and he might be a pretty good guy to keep the kids going. Then again, when he was the Isles coach it wasn't like anything was lit on fire around the Coliseum. He's good on TV with Deb between periods and has an obvious enthusiasm for the game and an affinity for the team.

Saying that, wouldn't it totally look like settling if Goring were hired?

As far as Trottier goes, let's wipe away the Rangers experience. Is this something he is ready for? Great player coming in as a savior almost always is a bad recipe. Who knows? He may be perfectly happy being in charge of player development and he may not even want to be a head coach again.

And finally, if Jack Capuano gets the job, I would suggest that many others turned it down. I am not saying that to slight Jack or the job he did in Bridgeport last season. Not at all. It's just that he does not have a lot of AHL or NHL experience behind the bench yet.

That brings us to the end of our handicapping session. Rookie camp is going on as the drama unfolds. Snow has stated publicly that he is going through due diligence when hiring the coach. If we take him at his word, he needs to reach out and talk to at least three or four of the candidates above. The coming weeks are very important for the franchise. No way around that.

Garth Snow's Painful Elimination of the Day!

OK, so it wasn't a surprise but overall, it still sucks.

Take a look at the potshots the Isles are taking on ESPN.com and The Hockey News. I know it is lazy journalism to just kick the shot horse because it is an easy target, but it still pisses me off.

The one good thing that you can say about this whole Snow-Nolan marriage is that the general manager ripped the Band-Aid off quickly and dumped the coach before training camp.

And yet, you had the team's prospects skating through practices run by Nolan's assistants yesterday. How weird do you think that was for the kids yesterday? Welcome to the team! You should maybe listen to this guy who is telling you what to do...or maybe you shouldn't! Who knows how long he is going to be here?

I have a message for all of the guys at the Islanders rookie camp: just try to get through the week.

Now, presumably, Garth Snow has to turn his attention to getting a coach for these precious young players. Speculation is that he will look to interview noted taskmaster Bob Hartley; loquacious and combative John Tortorella; and deposed Leaflander Paul Maurice. There are probably going to be other candidates that I will have to assign adjectives to, but for right now, those three are a good start. Whether or not any of those guys would want to hitch a ride to the Goodship Lollipop is another separate matter.

Let's not forget about Nolan. Just a year ago, the guy was being hailed as a genius who was doing his darndest to restore Islander pride. In his three years with the Islanders, Nolan led the team to a record of 75-68-21; which is pretty incredible considering the players he had to work with. The fact is that Ted Nolan was able to conjure magic out of the guys he had on the roster and the Islanders made 2 it to two playoff appearances that they really had no reason to expect before each season began. Let's also remember that the team was right there in the proverbial thick of things until the avalanche of injuries hit the team in February and March.

See, right there, something doesn't feel right. Nolan really was into his second chance. He arranged the Al Arbour 1500 game and did a lot to try and resolve the disconnect between Islander alumni and the organization. And then, almost as quickly, the whole thing crapped out.


Who do we blame? Where can we point the finger? Did Nolan just throw his hands up over how things were being run? Did he just give up? Does Garth Snow really hate Ted Nolan?

These are valid questions, people! And you know what? Because the organization is in lock-down full-control of how information gets out there, we may never actually know. We may never know.

The only thing for sure is that the Isles are light years away from becoming a contender. Light years. They're officially the dumping ground for older players looking to hang on and cash in one more time before setting off for the rest of their "real" lives. And it totally sucks.

Oh--and this is not exactly going to eradicate those pesky rumors that Nolan is a difficult GM-killer. Still, the guy has proven himself capable of pulling rabbits out of his hat so all bets are that he will find another job in the league.

They may as well put a huge tent around the Coliseum this afternoon because the circus is most definitely in town...and that sucks too.