BREAKING: PATS TO HIRE PADDOCK
The Regina Leader Post is reporting the Regina Pats will name John Paddock as their new head coach some time this week. Here’s Paddock’s bio from Wikipedia:
John Paddock (born June 9, 1954) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach and former player. He is a former head coach of the Winnipeg Jets and Ottawa Senators. During his long career in the American Hockey League he won five Calder Cup championships (two as a player, three as a head coach) and was inducted into the AHL’s Hall of Fame in 2010.
Selected in the 1974 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals, Paddock only played 8 games with the Capitals before he was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers. He played a memorable role in the 1980 Stanley Cup Finals, scoring the tying goal to send game 6 of the Finals into overtime. Unfortunately for the Flyers, Bob Nystrom scored at 7:11 of overtime to win the Stanley Cup.
Throughout his career he had a difficult time trying to crack the lineup on an NHL team. Playing primarily in the minors, in particular the Maine Mariners, Paddock retired as a player in 1983–84 and moved to the coaching side.
Paddock began coaching with the Maine Mariners of the American Hockey League. He later coached in Hershey, Pennsylvania, winning the Calder Cup as coach of the 1988 AHL champion Hershey Bears. He was named head coach of the Winnipeg Jets in 1991, becoming the first Manitoba-born coach of the franchise. Later he would also become general manager of the Jets, and would relinquish his coaching duties in early 1994. He remained as the general manager, even after the Jets relocated to Phoenix, until December 1996.
After two years as a scout with the New York Rangers, Paddock would return to head coaching in 1999, primarily in the AHL. He was head coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack from 1999–2002, winning his second AHL Championship in the 1999–2000 season.
Paddock joined the Ottawa Senators organization in 2002 as coach of the AHL Binghamton Senators from 2002–2005. In 2002, he was promoted to the assistant coach of the Ottawa Senators. When Ottawa head coach Bryan Murray was promoted to general manager in July 2007, Paddock became head coach of Ottawa, the sixth head coach in modern Senators’ history.
Paddock’s term with Ottawa started extremely well. In the first 17 games of the season, the club set records for the best start in NHL history, winning 15 of their first 17 games. In the 2007–08 season, Paddock was the head coach of the Eastern Conference team for the All-Star game as Ottawa had the best record in the East.
However it was not to last. On February 27, 2008, Murray fired Paddock after several lackluster performances by the team in February, and a generally poor record since the first 17 games of the year. Murray would serve as head coach for the remainder of the 2007–08 season and playoffs, with a 7-9-2 record. The Senators were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Paddock did not stay out of work for long. In August 2008, Paddock returned to the Philadelphia Flyers organization. He was hired to be head coach to their AHL team the Philadelphia Phantoms, returning Paddock to the league where he has had his most success. On July 9, 2009, he was appointed assistant General Manager of the Flyers.
On June 18th, 2014. Paddock was released by the Philadelphia Flyers organization.
Okay you hire a guy with this much experience, proven winner, and textbook ability to develop players?
Never mind coaching, this guy will be the Regina GM by Christmas time guaranteed.
hahaah you make it sound like Lang is a terrible GM (which he is not by any means)
he hasn't been allowed to trade assets to gain the prospects/picks needed to rebuild his full rebuild has been thru the draft and by listing players. Right now our Protected List is strong with good size among it.
This is a great hire by the Pats if this in fact is true
Will be the GM too very soon. Resume in incredible.
Chad Lang gets the whole year. Then probably replaced.
Where are all the doom and gloom folks on here?? I thought all the good coaches were gone??
reading Harder's report on the LP site looks like Paddock is controlling some of the hockey operations right from the get go…. I cant wait to hear more about this in what it actually means. Sounds like Lang is out the door but has nothing to do with his abilities as he is a solid GM…..everyone in their right mind knew that eventually the new ownership group would want their own guys in charge and looks like it is happening sooner rather then later
Good hire – strong coach and will get results. Ownership said Lang responsible for hiring the HC, and they are "hands off"… Really ? will see how this plays out…. I'm from Missouri – "show me"
WOW!!!
I'd have to agree with those who say that this could mean Chad Lang will have one foot out the door with this hire. John Paddock has spent a lifetime in the business and has been a coach/GM at the NHL level. You can't have two GM's in one organization, it just doesn't work that way. Bet the ownership group threw some serious coin Paddock's way to bring him in.
Gunderson's Yorkton
Darren Mackennie as Assistant Coach. Hard to believe he would give up cushy job with Regina City Police.
James
Hope the Pat players respond to old-school methods (screaming, etc.) – that's what John was known for in Winnipeg. (once a Flyer, always a Flyer 🙂 ) When he was quickly dispatched as coach in Ottawa, there was a lot of speculation that the game had passed him by somewhat. That was quite a few years ago now. Yes, he's a good man and has had success in the AHL. Trouble is, the guy they just fired (for bogus reasons, and far too late) worked wonders with a team that little was expected of, got them playing exciting hockey, and… Read more »
On-paper a good hire, but I don't know much about this guy.
If the Pats fan base is feeling a little negative, I think it will pass. Cameron did a good job last year, and the Pats organization has a very troubled history with change.
Regina goes out and hires the biggest name available. This is the new ownership group trying to look awesome. A political hire that may translate into wins. This guy can coach men, but can he coach kids?
"This guy can coach men, but can he coach kids?"
Bingo. In Winnipeg, he was known to lose patience with younger, flakier guys, and had the desire to replace them with known veterans like Dave Manson, who by 1994 was arguably declining.
That's all fine, but won't work at this level for obvious reasons. (Can only make so many trades for 20 year-olds). The modern coaches find a way to relate to goofy teenagers and get more out of them. This is not at all what John is known for.
Yeah, maybe letting the goofy teenagers be goofy teenagers is a prime example as to why this franchise never wins.
Paddock and guys of his ilk with 5 Championships know what it takes to win, and that's sacrifice.
Unfortunately they bring in guys that are not mentally capable of adhering to that concept.
Chad Lang is out the door and for anyone to think otherwise is naive
No, it's about working with what you've drafted (not as many trade options in WHL), and finding ways to help boys develop into young men.
John had done some solid work at the AHL level, with older guys, but again, is not known for some of the micro-managing and articulate communication that is needed at this level.
And yes, it would be naive to think that John would bother coming to Regina without having an eye on Chad's job. It'll likely happen soon.
These prima dona teenyboppers better get their heads straight, he is a pro coach and if only commited kids play then so be it, they can plan in Melville or LaRonge instead.
This may result commitment every game, a professional like environment.
Typical negative comments from the average know it all Regina sports fans. The guy hasn't officially been announced yet and already they have him doomed for failure and the owners don't know what they are doing. It wouldn't have mattered who was hired because it wouldn't be good enough or the right decision for these negative nellies! How about you keep your thoughts to yourself until he has a chance to prove himself.
Ask Don Hay or Brent Sutter how much they care about catering to the personalities of "goofy" teenagers. You can also ask them to show you their Memorial Cup rings.
If you think that every one of Hay's or Sutter's guys have been Ritalin-fuelled, dead-consistent foot soldiers, that would be a mistake. Those 2 have obviously been able to push the right buttons in *young* guys – that's what John's adjustment will be. (having a good organization like Hay/Sutter have would also help)
Same thing when Hay took a crack at the pros, didn't work out.
I won't ask about the rings, thanks, I enjoy my novelty Hercules ring too much to bother with other guys' jewellery 🙂