It’s only natural to see several coaches lose their jobs following the end of the season. With only 16 available playoff spots, the other half of the NHL is feeling disappointed and possibly seeking change.
One of the easiest ways to search for change is by parting with a coach and hiring a new one.
Seven coach vacancies exist after the New York Rangers took advantage of a Cup-winning coach hitting the open market, Mike Sullivan, and hired him to replace Peter Laviolette on Friday. If Sullivan can come into New York and get the best out of Alexis Lafreniere, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck, there’s no reason they can’t compete for a playoff spot next season.
There’s still a strong market of available coaches, ranging from veterans to AHL or NCAA coaches looking for an opportunity. Let’s see which coaches whose names surfaced in speculation would be a good fit for each NHL team with a vacancy.
Philadelphia Flyers: Pat Ferschweiler
Ferschweiler recently coached Western Michigan University to a national men’s hockey championship in the NCAA, shocking Boston University in the final. Without many highly drafted NHL prospects, Ferschweiler needed his players to play a fast and structured game.
Despite playing a structured style, Ferschweiler embraced flexibility, which should bode well for the Flyers. With youngsters Matvei Michkov, Tyson Foerster, Jamie Drysdale, Cam York and more, a structured game will help them on the defensive side of the puck, but the flexibility will allow their offensive creativity to flow.
Top prospect Alex Bump thrived under Ferschweiler with the Broncos and should be able to transform his game at the next level.
Chicago Blackhawks: Jay Woodcroft
The Blackhawks looked like the ideal team to sign University of Denver coach David Carle, but the 35-year-old recently pulled his name out of the running for the vacant coaching job, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
With Carle no longer an option, the Blackhawks must look elsewhere, and Woodcroft would be a great addition to their coaching staff.
Connor McDavid had the most productive season of his career under Woodcroft’s guidance, and he might be the best-equipped coach to get the same out of Connor Bedard.
Bedard has been held back by the lack of talent on the Blackhawks, but the end of the 2024-25 season saw the franchise introduce several of its top prospects. Possibly adding a top-two pick would bolster the roster further, and Woodcroft’s offensive play style could get the best out of those young players.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Rick Tocchet
The Penguins are refusing to surrender to a rebuild, and it’s understandable, considering Sidney Crosby scored 33 goals and 91 points this season and ranked in the top 10 in points.
Finding a coach who can instill a play style so strong that it can mask some of the issues a team faces is what the Penguins need, and Tocchet’s defensive style might be able to do so.
With deep roots in Pittsburgh, Tocchet is likely the favorite to land in the Steel City.
Three Paths The Pittsburgh Penguins Can Take In Their Coaching SearchThe Pittsburgh Penguins opened up a particularly appealing job after parting with coach Mike Sullivan on Monday.
Anaheim Ducks: Joel Quenneville
Quenneville hasn’t coached in the NHL since 2021, when he resigned from the Florida Panthers.
That came after a report that revealed he was aware of sexual assault allegations surrounding the Chicago Blackhawks’ video coach in the 2010 playoffs but was part of an overall lack of response by the team. He was ruled ineligible to work in the NHL until July 2024, when the NHL reinstated him, Stan Bowman and Al MacIssac.
Quenneville’s teams won the Stanley Cup three times. Although the Ducks might not be at that contender level yet, they certainly aren’t short on young NHL-proven players and prospects.
Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov and Lukas Dostal all had excellent seasons and are barely a few years into their NHL career.
With established players like Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras still under the age of 28, the Ducks are ready to compete once again, and a veteran coach like Quenneville will help them get there.
Boston Bruins: Jay Leach
Whether coaching the AHL’s Providence Bruins or working as an assistant coach for the Seattle Kraken or the Boston Bruins, Leach has done an admirable job in developing talent. He’s been patiently waiting and looks to deserve a chance as an NHL head coach.
The decision the Bruins make depends on what the organization wants to do moving forward. They may look to hire a veteran coach and try to be competitive again next season, but with the major roster turnover, that might be a difficult feat.
Vancouver Canucks: Manny Malhotra
The Canucks are trying to get younger, looking to incorporate more players from their AHL affiliate, the Abbotsford Canucks.
Jonathan Lekkerimaki, Aatu Raty and defenseman Elias Pettersson have slowly been integrated into the NHL lineup, and their familiarity with Malhotra will help them when they become full-time NHLers.
Vancouver Canucks’ Six Potential Replacements For Coach Rick TocchetIn the end, it came down to more than just money for Vancouver Canucks coach Rick Tocchet.
Tom Willander is one of the Canucks’ top prospects whose future with the team is uncertain. Hiring a coach with experience in developing players might help sway Willander to commit his future to the Canucks. Similarly to the Rangers, the Canucks are in a peculiar spot but have a deeper prospect pool, which should allow them to hire a younger coach.
Seattle Kraken: Todd Nelson
Nelson and the Kraken organization have a history. The Hershey Bears, the team Nelson coaches, defeated the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the Kraken’s AHL affiliate, in the Calder Cup final in back-to-back seasons.
Under Nelson’s tutelage, the Bears have been the most dominant AHL team, limiting the goals they allow and scoring a lot themselves.
The Kraken have been clear about what they want from their next coach, which is to develop their young players, such as Matty Beniers, Shane Wright and Ryker Evans. A coach with vast experience in the AHL seems like the perfect candidate to help a team with loads of talent in its prospect pool.
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