Thanks to everyone who has participated in the SB Nation NHL FanPulse so far. If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late! Click here and you’ll get an email next Wednesday with a new set of questions.
In this week’s FanPulse poll, hockey fans were asked which coaches they believe will be ousted first. Here are the results:
Well, it wouldn’t be Bruce Boudreau’s first time getting fired, and with the Wild dragging along in last place in the Central Division, it makes sense that angry fans are clamoring for his removal.
“Fire Hynes” is known to trend on Twitter during the especially hard-to-watch Devils games, a petition to fire Peter Deboer exists on change.org (you can sign it here) — Mike Babcock is allergic to Toronto playoff opportunities, and Jon Cooper suffered a mortifying sweep of his predicted Stanley Cup champion team by a pretty decent and relatively unexpected team known as the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2019 first-round playoffs.
Strong cases can be made for all the other coaches on this list, and in the entire league, for that matter.
So, let’s make this about us, because duh. I am a John Tortorella devotee — I don’t agree with everything he does, obviously, because no one in the history of competitive sports has ever agreed with every decision a coach has ever made — but I trust that he knows the team and their weaknesses and capabilities better than even the most critically analytic fan (MrSwift and elpalito, I may have written this sentence with both of you in mind). Plus, his sharp, intense, funny personality makes him one-in-a-million to me, but I’ve already told you I’m biased.
Okay, you’ve heard my two cents, so I want to hear yours. Let’s play mock trial for a second and make your best case for or against Tortorella’s tenure as CBJ HC.
Would firing Torts be a good strategy for the Blue Jackets right now?
| Yes | 26 |
| No | 227 |
| Undecided | 23 |
Defend your answer in the comments!