With the Paul Maurice era beginning today, there's a poll up on the website for best Leafs coach in the post-1967 era. Here's a quick rundown of the candidates and their bona fides, including their best playoff run:
Pat Quinn ('98-2006). Record with Leafs: 300-222-52 (26 OT/shootout losses) (.565); Went to conference final twice. Solid record, had a stint at GM.
Pat Burns ('92-'96). Record with Leafs: 133-107-41 (.546); Went to conference final twice. Maybe came closest to getting Leafs a Cup.
Red Kelly ('73-'77). Record with Leafs: 133-123-62 (.516); Went to Cup quarterfinal four times. Pyramid Power, and a couple of wild series with the Broad Street Bullies.
Roger Neilson ('77-'79). Record with Leafs: 75-62-23 (.541); Went to Cup semifinal. Refused to wear the paper bag, more renowned as an innovator.
John Brophy ('86-'88). Record with Leafs: 64-111-18 (.378); Went to golf course. I suspect someone is doing some leg-pulling putting him in here.
Seems like a two-horse race, doesn't it? I'll take Quinn, quite comfortably.
It was Red Kelly who first stated that coaching in Toronto was so difficult, because players are under such a microscope. They come up and score a few goals and all of a sudden they are unteachable, uncoachable, as the media has turned them into superstars. In this market it is impossible to coach. So he gets my vote.
Posted by: john myers | May 12, 2006 at 10:53 AM
I think Burns and Quinn are 1A and 1B but that's just from an outsider. John Brophy? That's like putting Gord Stellick's name on a poll for best NHL GM of the last 25 years.
Posted by: j-rich | May 12, 2006 at 12:01 PM
The best coach has to be Pat Burns, he almost beat the L.A. Kings and Kerry Fraser to make it to the Cup finals in 93 then made it again to the semis in 94. No other coach has had that kind of success since '67 with the Leafs!
Posted by: Ed Whiting | May 12, 2006 at 02:00 PM
Pat Burns. The team played hard-nosed, determined hockey at a time when the organization was not as free-spending as they later became.
Posted by: Michael Owen | May 12, 2006 at 03:22 PM
The best coach of all of them was Roger Neilson. Maybe not in terms of results he got with the Leafs, but if I had to pick one of these guys to coach my team, I'd pick him. I don't think that opinion is clouded by nostalgia and the fact that he's passed on. Maybe he was the most active in terms of looking like he was actually doing something as a coach. Quinn got results, but sometimes it was hard to tell how, exactly, he did that.
Posted by: Jlo | May 12, 2006 at 11:10 PM