Kukla's Korner Hockey
The Right Man For The Job In San Jose
by Paul on 05/06/10 at 12:42 AM ET
Comments (3)
from Pierre LeBrun of ESPN,
McLellan believed he was ready. He paid his dues. The Western Hockey League’s Coach of the Year in 2000, McLellan led the Houston Aeros to the AHL’s Calder Cup title in 2003 before his apprenticeship in Detroit.
Red Wings University is never a bad place to upgrade your skills.
“It’s like leaving high school and going to college. I got to go to Harvard,” McLellan told ESPN.com during a sit-down interview Wednesday. “The people around here, the tradition that exists, you’d walk into the coaches’ office after a game and it’s like the Hall of Fame, but they’re all there in person. To hear Scotty Bowman talk about his past, Stevie [Yzerman], Pat Verbeek, Mr. Howe, Mr. Lindsay, Mr. Delvecchio—they’re all around all the time. You can’t help but listen and learn. I was real fortunate that way.”
Wilson and McLellan had never met before they sat down for the interview in early June 2008. By then, the Sharks GM had spoken to 20 other candidates. It didn’t matter. Wilson was sold right then and there.
Filed in: NHL Teams, San Jose Sharks, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: todd+mclellan
Comments
+1 Osrt. Ted Lindsay is one of the only people I’ve ever felt the need to call “Mr.” purely out of respect. I’ve never had the chance to interact with either Mr. Howe or Mr. Delvecchio, but I suspect it’d be much the same.
and Todd - there’s an assistant’s job for you in Detroit (I HOPE) if you get tired of the California sun.
Posted by redxblack from Akron Ohio on 05/06/10 at 02:39 AM ET
+2, Osrt. The constant presence of Red Wings luminaries and the histories they bring with them in the dressing rooms, administration offices, etc. just commands that kind of respect.
Why, Todd? Why you gotta leave, man?
Posted by SYF from a viewing moratorium of NBC's hockey coverage on 05/06/10 at 03:55 PM ET
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Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
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Good man.
Posted by Osrt on 05/06/10 at 02:17 AM ET