Author Archive: Ida Allen

Rick Tocchet Signs onto All-Star Game

Gerard Gallant, The Head Coach for the Las Vegas Golden Knights, has been removed from the All-Star Game coaching staff. This follows after the Golden Knights terminated him on Wednesday, January 15th, 2020. This followed after multiple allegations regarding Gerard’s actions to players. Peter DeBoer was immediately hired to replace Gallant with the Las Vegas Golden Knights. However, when it applies to the upcoming NHL All-Star game, Rick Tocchet was selected for replacement.

Rick Tocchet is the head coach for the Arizona Coyotes. When he first signed on with this organization, they were performing at levels that wouldn’t reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tocchet implemented new coaching techniques, which have allowed them to reach the 1st position in the Pacific division. Their standings are two points ahead of the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers, making Tocchet the perfect selection to replace Gerard Gallant in the NHL All-Star game. This marks the second time that a head coach from the Arizona Coyotes will engage with an All-Star game. The additional coaching staff confirmed for the upcoming All-Star game include Bruce Cassidy, Todd Reirden and Craig Berube. These coaches work for the Boston Bruins, St Louis Blues and Washington Capitals, respectively. Fans can view the NHL All-Star Game on January 25th, 2020.

Troy Ryan becomes Canadian National Coach

There was another surprising shift in coaching staff this weak. It was revealed that Perry Pearn had been terminated from the Canadian Women’s National Hockey Team. This mid-season announcement shocked analysts, with it already being confirmed that Troy Ryan will replace Pearn by January 20th. This announcement comes three months before the women’s world hockey championship is slated to begin in Nova Scotia. Hockey Canada’s Director expressed that this was a mutual departure, with a strategic changing required.

This announcement was confirmed to the Canadian Press, where Hockey Canada – Women’s Division noted that players respond to different leaders. Necessarily, Perry Pearn didn’t react appropriately to these athletes and made them feel uncomfortable. The fact that male coaches are governing over female players doesn’t make any sense, which often creates issues amongst teammates. It should be noted that when Perry Pearn operated as head coach, this national team couldn’t pass the semi-final events. The results from the 2019 world champion were Canada winning bronze against Finland. Hockey Canada hopes that Troy Ryan will have the required components necessary to lead these women to a golden championship victory.

Keefe Renovating the Toronto Maple Leaf’s

Decades have passed since the Toronto Maple Leaf’s were contenders for Stanley Cup Championships. Things could be on the mend for this historically bad team with Sheldon Keefe, the latest Head Coach to lead this organization. Keefe doesn’t have any previous experience coaching in the National Hockey League, which is why sports analysts and fans were shocked when Keefe won fifteen of his first twenty matchups. For the first time in his career, Keefe was thanked by fans at Nathan Phillips Square. Cheers came after the Maple Leaf’s held an outdoor practice session in Toronto.

The History of Sheldon Keefe

The dramatic turnaround that Sheldon Keefe has inspired into TML is incredible. Their previous head coach was Mike Babcock, who stood at a record of 9-10-4. When he was terminated earlier this season, and Keefe was hired, those stats jumped to 24-15-6. Sheldon received this position after winning the Calder Cup with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Since taking this position, not only has Toronto received more wins, but they’ve also improved on power-play percentages. All of these statistics provide the Maple Leaf’s a strong chance at winning the Stanley Cup. However, they’ll have to defeat the likes of the Washington Capital or Boston Bruins to acquire this championship title.

Sheldon Keefe maintains a long history with professional hockey. He first stood as a former player with the Toronto Maple Leaf’s, where he would eventually take the position of head coach for the Marlies. Keefe is one of the few to experience the evolution of modern hockey, adapting to unforeseen circumstances. It’s these qualities that make Sheldon the perfect coach and saviour for the Leaf’s. Coaching-wise, he’s known for having incredible transparency and communication with his players. It creates an open environment that promotes active growth amongst players.

Old Drama Returns for Keefe

This doesn’t mean that the historical drama surrounding the Toronto Maple Leaf’s has ended though. Sports analysts are beginning to debate the capabilities of Keefe after they’ve faced five losses in his leadership. Analysts claim that the Toronto Maple Leaf’s don’t have the strength in offence of defence to acquire the Stanley Cup. However, both the General Manager and Head Coach for the Toronto Maple Leaf’s defended this ridiculous claims. Both expressed that new strategies and in-camp developments will push the team forward to the Semi-Finals. Subsequently, fans of the Maple Leaf’s could receive their first Stanley Cup is more than several decades.

All GFA Coaches Fired

All national coaches with the Ghana Soccer Association have been terminated in what is being claimed as an unexpected and drastic move by respective officials. Those without jobs include all coaching staff for the national teams for both the male and female divisions, leavin nine coaches terminated. When prompted for an immediate response, the association claimed that this action was meant to dissolve the technical staff for all national teams to make for new members with innovative ideas. The GFA did express their gratitude towards the national team. Technically, no official reason for the decision was provided to reporters and it was seen as more a professional excuse.

One of the most notable members that now stands as a free agent is Kwesi Appiah, who acted as the head coach for the Men’s National Senior team. This marks the second time that he’s been terminated for unreasonable accounts. However, Appiah couldn’t acquire a championship title for the African Cup of Nations in 2019. This Egyptian campaign saw the Ghana Blast Stars lose to Tunisia, resulting in them coming dead last. Additional coaching staff with the three other national teams didn’t perform to expectations as well. This would be the most logical reason why they were terminated, but no official account was provided, so it isn’t conclusive. This decision could be biased, with a new General Secretary taking over the Ghana Football Association. With previous bribery thefts within the GFA, it wouldn’t be surprising if the new coaching staff secretly paid under the table for their positions. It would explain why the GFA didn’t provide any insight into future coaches for 2020.

Ghana’s History

The Ghana Football Association has acquired numerous championship titles since the 1980s. Their first of four titles with the Men’s National team came in 1982, which came after losing the championship during the finals three consecutive times. Their history extends to recent memory, with them being a spotlighted team for the 2010 World Cup. They became the third team in South African history to maintain a position in the quarterfinals. However, they lost to Uruguay in the semi-finals from the result of penalties. The organization’s positive history has been clouded over by the recent scandal in 2018, which saw the Ghana Football Association entirely disbanded on the executive level. There were numerous allegations of large-scale corruption, which later would be found accurate. Subsequently, numerous individuals were banned for life from FIFA. This included the previous president of the GFA.

Chicago Fire FC Hires New Head Coach

Major League Soccer has changed drastically in the last twelve months, with new announcements regarding future teams and other stories on staffing changes. The most recent information coming from MLS is that the Chicago Fire FC have hired their new head coach. Raphael Wicky was retained on Friday, December 27, 2019, and brings significant experience to the team. He has twenty-seven years in professional soccer, playing as an athlete, and coaching the younger generations. Raphael has coached in Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and the United States. Wicky is the ninth official coach for CFFC, which comes after a decade of working with Chivas USA.

Wicky was asked to speak with reporters on his new employment, where he expressed how honored he is to become the head coach for Chicago Fire FC. This 42 years of age coach noted that this position has an incredible degree of responsibility, with him promising that he will do everything in his power to acquire a championship going forward. Raphael also noted that his vision for the team follows suit with the team owners, with this premiere coach hoping to accomplish a new era for the organization.

Raphael’s History

Raphael Wicky didn’t have any issues transitioning from player to coach, where he spent a significant period in the European Union. He became highly respected for his efforts with youth players, which is how this head coach met the owners of Chicago Fire FC. The efforts displayed when coaching Serviette and Basel FC were formidable, allowing for both teams to enter playoff contention. His time with younger players including training individuals in the Under-18, Under-19 and Under-21 Leagues. Eventually, he would coach in the UEFA Champions League and Premier League, creating teams that defeated Manchester City and United. Additional champion victories include the FIFA Under-17s World Cup and 2nd in CONCACAF. Acquiring the MLS Playoff Championship would make him an international-winning coach.

2020 MLS Schedule Released

Raphael Wicky takes this coaching position on the same day that the 2020 MLS Schedule was released publicly. Subsequently, he can now adjust his training strategies for the upcoming timeframe. It was revealed that February 29, 2020, will mark the first matchup. This will be the 25th Season Opener for Major League Soccer, which will be held at the AT&T Arena. Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF will battle it out in this year’s first bout, setting the pace for months to come. The 25th season is slated to be the most fierce year in Major League Soccer to date. Each time will experience 34 matchups before the playoff season begins in early September.

Zidane Disappointed with Real Madrid’s Results

Zidane, one of the most infamous football players in the 21st century, now coaches Real Madrid. However, he became noticeably frustrated by the results of their matchup against Barcelona. This frustration came after the rivalling team score multiple shots on net, with one of Real Madrid’s goals being terminated for an offside penalty. Barcelona was an elite unit, displaying capabilities not seen since 2003 – 04. Both teams played admirably against each other, which ended in the ultimate draw between Real Madrid and Barcelona. Subsequently, Barcelona remains five points ahead of their rivals going forward in La Liga. It also marks the first time that Real Madrid hasn’t scored since 2002.

Zidane made sure to take his comments to the public forum immediately after the matchup. He spoke with reporters, where he mentioned that his result wasn’t good enough for his liking and that more could’ve been done to accomplish a better result. He noted that when you have chances to score, you have to in professional leagues like La Liga. However, Zidane did notice that it was a formidable match of football that saw a classic game take place. The only thing this match lacked was goals, where Zidane mentioned this is a better result than Barcelona defeating them in their hometown.

Zidane’s Positive Remarks

Gareth Bale was the only player for Real Madrid that had an influential factor in this matchup. He performed admirably in the first half, competing with Barcelona’s top scorers to keep the odds even. Zidane was pleased with the results displayed by Gareth after eight games this season, with the former champion mentioning that the Welshman performed better than his teammates with significantly less playing time. The Head Coach for Real Madrid finished his comments to reporters by mentioned other players that performed to his expectations. Those included Raphael Varane, Toni Kroos, Sergio Ramos, and Fede Valverde. Zidane noted that the team handled the shifting tactics properly but could’ve acquired a goal with just a bit more pace. It will be interesting to see how Zidane’s side reacts to his comments with their upcoming match on the 22nd against Athletic Bilbao.

The Real Madrid will have the opportunity to get back into their groove on December 21st when they will face off against Ath. Bilao. They then will have a week off to celebrate the holidays with their families before returning to face Getafe on the 4th of January, Valencia on the 8th, Sevilla on the 18th and Real Valladolid on the 26th.

Ray Edwards and Geoff Ward Promoted

The Calgary Flames provided more insight on their 2020 coaching staff, which has been speculated since the NHL Playoffs were complete. After considerable deliberation, it’s been announced that Ray Edwards will be taking on the role of assistant coach for the Flames. The former professional hockey player has experience with Minor-Professional leagues and as a General Manager. Subsequently, he is the perfect individual to oversee this team until the arrival of a new Head Coach.

Ray Edwards has a distinguished history with the Calgary Flames. He’s worked with them in a development role for the last four seasons. The ageing professional has more than three decades of history in professional hockey leagues. Those include two seasons with the San Angelo Saints in Texas. Throughout that period, he became the Central Hockey League’s Coach of the Year, which promoted him to General Manager of the now-disbanded organization. However, that hasn’t stopped Edwards from pushing forward in his coaching career. That can do anything attitude will benefit not just himself throughout the NHL, but also assist his players as well.

The question going forward is who will replace Bill Peters, the former Head Coach of the Calgary Flames. He retired with his resignation on good terms, after successfully having a four-decade-long coaching career. It was rumoured that Geoff Ward could take the role, but he was ultimately promoted to the Interim Head Coach

Geoff Ward

It made perfect sense that Geoff Ward was promoted to the Interim Head Coach. He has a long history coaching in the National Hockey League, with him winning a Stanley Cup for the Boston Bruins as Assistant Coach. Geoff Ward also coached the New Jersey Devils as an assistant, before moving over to the Calgary Flames. This Waterloo, Ontario-Native, started his career in coaching after taking a teaching position with the University of Waterloo. Eventually, he would be asked to coach the Waterloo Siskins, where he won them a championship title.

Afterwards, he became the Head Coach for the Kitchener Rangers in the Ontario Hockey League. Geoff Ward wouldn’t begin his National Hockey League Coaching Career until 2007. After twelve years on the job, he finally has acquired his first head coaching job. Ward gaining a Stanley Cup Championship as Head Coach for the Flames would cement his career for another two decades. However, Ward only has one season to accomplish a championship title before his coaching position could be in jeopardy.

Florida State Gets New Head Coach

Mike Norvell was the initial trainer Florida State talked to for its football job. The search took college managers around the nation; they maintained returning to the male running Memphis’ program. Norvell stated he had admired the Seminoles program, given that he was a child. He said as a 12-year-old maturing in Dallas, the first item of university souvenirs on his wall surface was a 1993 Florida State championship game permit plate. Simply a day after Norvell directed Memphis to the American Athletic Meeting title, he got on an aircraft to Tallahassee. There he was presented as the Seminoles’ 11th permanent coach, changing Willie Taggart. The 38-year-old Norvell has accepted a six-year offer. He will take control of a Seminoles program that has become battered. The team dropped while he was assisting Memphis right into a Team of power.

Florida State is 6 years eliminated from a championship game and also requires an overhaul. The program battled late in the Jimbo Fisher’s period years as well as went 9-12 under Taggart– consisting of a mixed 0-3 mark vs. Florida, as well as Miami, before he was discharged on Nov. 3. Florida State managers got out to various other coaches throughout the search. However, the college Head of state John Thrasher claimed Norvell was the only individual that was used the task.

The Background of Norvell

Norvell leaves Memphis having published the most significant gaining portion in Tigers’ background. When he left the Tigers for Virginia Technology, and he led the Tigers to the initial 12-win period in college background, he developed on the structure left by Justin Fuente. Called Memphis’ head Dec. 4, 2015, Norvell won a minimum of 8 video games in each of his four years below and also got to double figures two times, including this year.

Memphis completed its program-record 12th success at the Freedom Dish Memorial Arena on Saturday in the American Athletic Championship game gain Cincinnati. He brought a creative strategy to Memphis, where he called the mass of the group’s plays also as he had various coordinators each period. Norvell’s offense ended up being understood for its volatility, leading to huge plays. While Norvell does not have head training experience at the Power 5 degree, he has been the offending coordinator at Arizona State. He has also been a co-offensive coordinator and receiver’s instructor at Pittsburgh.

Thrasher claimed that Norvell’s name showed up two years back when Florida State was seeking to change Fisher, that left for Texas A&M. The search in 2017 took much less than a week. This time around, Thrasher stated authorities wished to take our time. Norvell merely has 4 years of experience at a Team of 5 institutions. Florida State head of state said there is one unique distinction between Norvell as well as Taggart, that he is inevitably far better.

Darryl Sutter Under Fire

The Los Angeles Kings has been shrouded in controversy since Daniel Carcillo revealed that the former head coach, Darryl Stutter, had committed numerous instances of verbal abuse against his players throughout the 2013-24 seasons. Daniel noted that throughout his time with Stutter, he noticed the head coach berate players in front of the full team. Daniel Carcillo played 26 professional games of hockey with the Los Angeles Kings, during which he said Stutter displayed the worst coaching ever seen.

When asked to elaborate to reporters, Daniel confirmed that this abuse didn’t specify to only the players. After losing a significant game for the LA Kings, Stutter wouldn’t allow for the team to eat and screamed F*** off to the female flight attendant when she tried to serve the players. There was even an instance where Darryl Stutter kicked Matt Greene on the lower back in front of the entire squad before a team meeting. To make matters worse, Matt Greene had a concussion at the time. This behaviour is unheard by an NHL Coach and would surely have him lose his professional career if he wasn’t already retired.

Since Daniel Carcillo made his public statement, other players have come forward and confirmed these situations. When the female flight attendant didn’t clear their food in a fast enough order, Darryl Stutter continued to demean her in front of dozens of men. These kind of actions were consistent throughout his coaching career with the LA Kings, with Daniel Carcillo noting he was shocked they ever had won a Stanley Cup.

Stutter Refuses to Respond

Multiple news organizations have tried to contact Darryl Stutter through his former teams, those being the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings. Both organizations refused to comment on these allegations, but this isn’t the first time Daniel Carcillo has made statements regarding former members of the NHL. Each time he revealed unknown information, someone close to the first entity would inevitably confirm it.

Daniel has demanded that the National Hockey League enforce a new level of locker room culture. Advocating for hazing shows the ignorance that the NHL still displays regularly, which was confirmed with additional allegations of racial abuse league-wide. It should be noted that Daniel Carcillo has campaigned for this cause because his best friend and fellow teammate, Steve Montador, passed away from suicide after numerous concussions to the brain.

Maple Leaf’s Hire New Coach

Brendan Shanahan, the President and Alternate Governor for the Toronto Maple Leaf’s announced that they had fired Mike Babcock as the head coach. This decision comes after Babcock underperformed this season and had a six-game losing streak. He is now replaced by Sheldon Keefe, which has shocked sports analysts and fans of the Maple Leaf’s alike.

Sheldon Keefe was the former head coach for the Toronto Marlies, the American Hockey League version of the Maple Leaf’s. He’s coached more than 300 games, with 200 of them being wins. He is considered to be the top coach in the AHL, even at 39-years-old. It’s expected that whatever strategies he implemented at the American Hockey League will be brought over to the National Hockey League. It should also be noted that Keefe won the Marlies their first championship Calder Cup title in 2018.

Before coaching in the American Hockey League, Sheldon Keefe was the Head Coach for the Sault Marie Greyhounds in the Ontario Hockey League. This Brampton, Ontario-Born Hockey Player led this OHL Team to two playoff titles before being picked up by the Toronto Marlies. During his team with the Greyhounds, he coached them to 100 victories. Throughout his career, Sheldon Keefe has coached 300+ winning games. After more than a decade of experience in coaching, this upcoming figure in the NHL will bring his formidable talents to the Maple Leaf’s. Subsequently, we could see the Leaf’s win their first championship in decades.

Coaching Positions

Sheldon Keefe hasn’t just coached throughout his formidable career in professional hockey. He has also acted s the General Manager for the Pembroke Lumber Kings, leading them to five consecutive championship victories from 2007 to 2011. Keefe’s professional experience came when he was asked by Team Canada’s Men’s Summer U18 Team to be an assistant coach.

Sheldon Keefe played professional hockey between 1998 and 2000. He played more than 125+ National Hockey League games but ultimately found himself in a better position with coaching. However, he holds numerous titles to his record, like the Ontario Hockey Leagues Rookie of the Year. The Toronto Maple Leaf’s confirmed that there wouldn’t be any other changes to the coaching staff made in the 2020 Season. The Toronto Marlies will now be co-coached by Rob Davison and AJ MacLean.

Wayne Gretzky’s Possible Return to Coaching

It has been ten years since Wayne Gretzky coached professional hockey, however, fans have been clamouring for the champion to return since leaving a decade ago. The Canadian General Manager of Hockey, Sean Burke, announced that he had been actively pursuing Wayne Gretzky for a new coaching position. Sean’s announcement noted that Gretzky could become the head coach for the Spengler Cup Tournament.

Gretzky has already responded to his potential return with reporters. The former champion mention that it was a shocking but pleasant surprise when Burke called him. Wayne noted that he thanks the general manager and was immediately excited at the prospect, with Team Canada holding a special place in his heart. The Spengler Cup is the oldest tournament in professional hockey, and being named the head coach is a significant honour. Wayne iterated to Sean Burke that he would need time to evaluate the decision, considering that the cup takes place over Christmas.

Gretzky’s History

This would be the first time that Wayne Gretzky ever coached Team Canada, but not the first time he’s interacted with the sporting organization as he has represented his home country multiple times with Team Canada. However, Wayne participated in the selection of players for the 2002 and 2004 Olympic Teams. Both franchises would go on to win Olympic Gold Medals.

Wayne Gretzky has coached before the Spengler Cup. He was the Head Coach for the Arizona Coyotes from 2005 to 2009. The club was incredibly successful under his leadership, but after requiring more time with family, Wayne stepped down ahead of the 2010 Season. The last attempt Wayne had at coaching was at the Metropolitan Division All-Star Competition. He coached other legends like Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby while coaching the all-star team.

The Spengler Cup

Those interested in viewing the 2019 Spengler Cup can watch the competition unfold between December 26th and 31st. This tournament has taken place since 1923 in Davos, Switzerland. This competition was created for Professional German Hockey Players who wanted to play in European games after World War One. The event exceeded expectations and is now one of the more prestigious hockey events worldwide.

The 2019 Spengler Cup will be broadcasted through multiple television stations, such as TSN in Canada and SportsNet in the United States. European Fans can witness the tournament through Eurosport 2. Viewers from the United Kingdom can watch on the Free Sports Channel and Sport1 Station in Russia.