Reunion?
Between 1995 and 2009, there wasn’t a more dominant hockey club than the Detroit Red Wings, who won the Stanley Cup four times and made it to the finals six times, all while never missing the playoffs. It seems as if we are reminded of this dynasty era when we see former key players such as Yzerman, Lidstrom, Draper, and Maltby now in management positions with the organization. Getting the “band” back together has been great to see…but Yzerman may not be done with assembling the old squad.
It’s been no secret that the Wings have struggled heavily in the second half of this season. There has been some speculation going around about a coaching change - but no one has really pinned down an Yzerman-worthy candidate and one that would make the most sense to this team. Recent news has tossed around a very familiar name that is near and dear to the hearts of all Wings fans: Igor Larionov.
Of course, no one is qualified for the coaching role for the sole reason that they played alongside Yzerman, but “The Professor” might actually be the best fit. Larionov was named head coach of the Russian u20 team for the 2021 World Junior Championships where they finished 4th. He also has held assistant coaching jobs with the Russian National team and management roles within the KHL.
Although unproven as a coach, Larionov has been known as having one of the brightest hockey minds ever, properly dubbing him “The Professor.” History has shown us that having a high hockey IQ as a player does not always translate behind the bench, citing Wayne Gretzky as head coach of the Arizona Coyotes. On the other hand, examples like Rod Brind’Amour and Darryl Sutter show that hockey IQ can translate as a coach.
When Gerard Gallant was available after being fired from Vegas, I thought that Yzerman would jump at the opportunity right away, but he decided to stick with Blashill for another year. I don’t think that this is because he sees Blashill as the coach of the future, but more of a placeholder until he gets the guy that he wants. Could he be waiting for someone like Larionov?
Tyler Borchers - WingSauce Pod - Olde City Sports Network
Photo credit: The Hockey Writers
