Begging For Dismissal

Saw this once with the late Pat Burns back in March, 1996. Nobody knows when its all over faster than the head coach, and after a game in Denver against the Avalanche, Burns' basic reaction was a shrug of "what-can-I-do?"

He knew it was over. On the flight home, it was.

That's what Ron Wilson looked like last night after his team's ninth loss in 10. The fact that he seemed to lob a soft note of discontent at GM Brian Burke, noting sourly that the team "did nothing" at the trade deadline, just seemed to accentuate the overall impression that Wilson knows he's getting fired and has no new answers to turn this team around.

But he remains the head coach of the Leafs, and this is where the legendary stubborness of Burke, the same stubborness that insisted Dan Cloutier could lead Vancouver to the promised land when he could not, begins to switch from asset to liability.

There's still time for the Leafs to make the post-season. There's no downside at this point to letting another voice take over. The worst that could happen would be the team would disintegrate further and get a top five draft pick.

A team that made a reputation in recent years of starting slow and ending (too late) with a rush has now done the opposite, playing a cruel trick on Leaf fans. But its a young team with a future, and a team that might very well respond to a quick change of leadership.

Can't think of a GM who has so loyally stood behind a coach he didn't even hire. Burke's long-term friendship with Wilson has something to do with that, as does his general distaste/reluctance for firing coaches in general and firing them in mid-season specifically.

But Leaf fans, those who love this team and pay good money to see it play, deserve at least the sense that every option has been explored to get the team back to post-season play for the first time since 2004.

Burke could go interim coach, with assistant Scott Gordon the likely option since he has NHL coaching experience. Or he could reach out to another trusted former colleague, Randy Carlyle, and let him take over for the remainder of the season, although he'd have to commit to a multi-year contract on that. The only reluctance to hiring Carlyle might be his prickly nature with the media, something Burke has identified as a key factor in Wilson's inability to gain popularity in Toronto.

Me, I think it had more to do with all the lost hockey games.

Going interim has the advantage of being able to look at all candidates this summer. Going with Carlyle now has the advantage of being able to start on next year now.

There's no advantage in simply running the same play over and over for no gain.

 

For more, go to: DIMANNO: Leafs have no excuse for embarrassing effort 'Fire Wilson,' fans chant as Leafs fall to Panthers Five questions: Leafs turn to Gustavsson to end five-game tailspin

Comments

[Bill]

Why not Dallas from the marlins?

[Pluto]

How can there be any accountability when you have a guy on Sportsnet last night lauding Schenn for his character. And what did he do to deserve this honour? Gave the puck away causing a goal but had the character to admit it was his mistake. While it wasn't my mistake. He couldn't blame the goalie. Than I suppose even my wife has character for admitting she screwed up supper. What little does it take now a days to show character?

[Paul]

You are bang on Damien. This has gotten ridiculous. If Burke does nothing then I am left at home scratching my head and I can't even begin to say as a die hard fan how frustrated I am. You are the first to point out, even after all the analyzing Sportnet did last night, the comment that Wilson made: "Well, we did nothing at the deadline". That sentence jumped out at me, like he was trying to spread a little of the blame here. Firing him at this point is the only thing Burke has left that says he is trying every option. Doing nothing makes me wonder what the goal is here? It's sickening to watch.

[Michael]

But what if Burke's new coach is going to be Eakins and he wants to give Eakins the chance to finish with the Marlies this year first? Let the Leafs fall and get the highest draft pick possible. Wilson is done, but I would not make the move until the end of the year.

[A13276]

I agree with your assumption that Wilson knows it's over Damien and hey if Burnsie can be fired well.... But I don't see anything to be gained by firing him now - let him finish the string out. He and Burke would have had a conversation about what circumstances would force Burke to let him go. Those circumstances have now arrived - its just way too toxic to go into training camp with Wilson as Coach and he knows that better than Burke. He's gone.

[Daniel Amsler]

Honestly, I've never liked firing a coach mid season because it gives the players a sense of power and control over the organization that they should not have. For every mid season firing that seems to work (ANA) there are those that don't (MTL)

I say ride it out, if the team craters, then fire Wilson at seasons end *&* take a long look at the roster for the rot that has infected this team.

[Steelyman]

agree totally . they need to do something /anything , interim new coach or at the least bring up some of the best Marlies , this team is not responding to Wilson. At least play with emotion ... Look at where the Sens are , new coach & goalies that are playing with confidence.. team seems to be having fun , We need to get back there somehow, we do not seem to be able to master the finese game , maybe bring back the bangers like Rosehill & Orr ... crash the net like the Sens .. they seem to get a goal a game with this strategy. In the end just do SOMETHING.

[Jeff Prince]

Wilson needs to go but I'd like to be clear that this mess is in no way his own fault. I could care less if he leaves this season or not, probably better to keep him around and tank.

There is no accountability amongst the players. Not nearly enough leadership. Since the Quinn days I cant remember seeing any urgency in a leaf player.

When will one of the players step up and say enough is enough and challenge other guys on the team? Maybe its happened in the room but maybe its time to do it publicly.

Also Brian burke promised me a big physical team that "pushes" other teams around. We are the softest team on the ice every night. We have so many redundant players on the team its unbelievable....mcarthur, bozak, lombardi, kadri, grabovski...... these guys are all the same style of player. ENOUGH!

[Tiresome]

Will you cut the crap already about Burke not hiring Wilson? MLSE spent a year pursuing Burke even while he was with Anaheim. There was a lot of nudge-nudge, wink-wink going on behind the scenes and Burkes other buddy, Bettman was likely a party to it. So to suggest that Burke did not have his fingers all over the hiring of Ron Wilson is simply supporting the blather and giving credibility to all the excuses. Burke built this mess along with his equally arrogant sidekick Wilson. If he doesn't have the stones to fire his friend then he should get fired himself. Executives get paid to make difficult decisions. So make them! I used to enjoy Cox articles, but it seems he has become an apologist for Burke and his rants.

[Jonathan, Montreal]

I agree that losing more than winning has contributed greatly to Wilson's lack of popularity in Toronto. But I would disagree with the notion that his prickly nature to the media has not contributed. People like myself don't frequent post-game scrums, or attend morning skate pressers, or sit in on press conferences. People like myself get our information proxy to writers like you and from this information we formulate our opinion.
You media-types can preach you "tell it like it is" until you're blue in the face, but the truth is that you formulate opinions and pass judgment on certain individuals and that becomes reflective in your writing. Look at today's Star Sports, almost every Leaf article talks about how the fans are fed up and ready for a change with chants of "Fire Wilson". Almost anyone reading the paper today will join the popular opinion and be fed up with this team, the coach, the GM, other fans, the city, etc. Isn't this perpetuating passing the blame and pointing fingers like "Fibbin' Ronnie" or "Ron Weasley" so famously does? For a city that claims patience, the media and by proxy the fans don't seem to be too patient with the youngest team in the league or with a coach who helms said youngest team in the league.
Let's be honest, the man never stood a chance at being popular in Toronto. The first articles that were published once Wilson was hired were about if Wilson would be able to handle the Toronto media because he had a PAST reputation with the media in other towns, how he was "likeable" (the quotation marks were really necessary), and how Leaf management was backwards in hiring this coach instead of a GM first. It doesn't help that people in the media appear to prescribe to a tight brotherhood, so if a colleague is slighted or wronged then "watch out" because the hive mind will kick into action to right the perceived wrong.
I'm not saying that Wilson isn't to blame for this treatment. It just irks me the wrong way when every article I read has an obvious bias against the guy and the media just spin around and claim that they are "simply" the messenger.

[art holmes]

The Leafs have another competent man on their books that could take over the coahing reins....Rick Dudley

[glarose]

During Wilson's post game press conference he said "the Leafs are playing tomorrow night...". Saying "the Leafs" and not "we are playing" would seem to indicate that he feels (or knows) he will not be part of the team playing Wednesday.

[K Buler]

So get on with it. Make it so and let's see for the remaining games if we were right - it is the coaching - or is it something else. And while at it get rid of the goal tending coach who seems very quiet right now about his two pupils.

[Tom Foley]

Don't think for one moment that Burke didn't have a say in the hiring of Wilson. There were plenty of stories of Burke and Leafs were investigated about tampering with Burke while working for Ducks. He was pulling lots of strings before being officially hired by Toronto.

[Warren]

I agree with you but Burke will not fire a coach during mid-season after just extending his contract. This would make him look incompetent . Just wondering why Marc Crawfords name is not being is not being thrown around. He would have been the natural replacement for Burns back in the day had the Leafs not let him go to Quebec and later a Stanley Cup.

[62-63-64-67]

I think the first choice, for coac,h should be Dallas Eakins, he has done a wonderful job, with the Marlies.

[Glen]

As a long time Leaf fan it's amazing to me to look back just a short while ago and see that Pat Quinn coached the Leafs for 7 years, never had less than 90 points, and 3 times finished over 100 points. In his tenure he averaged almost 97 pts per season, yet was fired the first time he missed the playoffs. Paul Maurice was fired for missing the playoffs in the 2 seasons he coached in Toronto. Ron Wilson has been given ample time to make the playoffs as Leafs coach. It's time to go. Either the GM is not getting the right players, or the coach is not getting the best out of them. Which is it Mr Burke?

[Conn Smythe]

Wilson should have been gone in Nov/Dec. when the Leafs had their losing streak. Hell, he should have been fired at the end of last year. Oh well, at least we Leaf fans can look forward to a possible top 5/top 10 draft pick. Have to look for the silver lining, folks.

[Larry Bolton]

As a lifelong Leaf fan I've seen too many coaching (and GM) changes since the 90's and I think they should stick with Wilson to the end of the season and then make a decision. It was wrong to extend his contract in December, however, that was a clear mistake.

[Ankur]

I would hire Jacques Martin, I think a defense first approach with this club would be beneficial, and his Sens teams where always top scoring outfits when he was with them using their speed while being defensively sound. I think we have the depth on defence, however Ron Wilson has not been able to utilize it. The writting is on the wall, he is getting fired either now or at the end of the season because I cannot see the leafs making the playoffs with him behind the bench. BB allready missed on Ken Hitchcock, who is a great coach that would of been able to muster a lot more out the leafs then Wilson has. Is there any coach out there that you think top line talent thats out there ?

[Answer to Leaf woes]

The Leafs needed to get rid of Dion Phaneuf. He is lead footed and as Don Cherry showed on a video clip some weeks ago when he is lack of speed cost the Leafs a game. His leadership doesn't come close to someone like Wendel Clark even when Clark was a rookie. I find there is no leadership from the players when it comes to the Leafs. Even Luke Schenn has back off multiple invitations to scrap this season and this just motivates other teams to get tough in front of the Leaf net. No toughness what so ever. End of story.

[Bruce Allen]

The Leafs need a strong dense first coach like Hitch ,as he is busy elswhere Randy Carlyle makes sense ,Just Do It"!

[James]

How about Jacques Martin?

[Glen]

A thought on the Leafs goaltending. James Reimer has not been the same since he was run over against Montreal at the beginning of the season. Jonas Gustavsson came through for the Leafs when he was given the crease on a regular basis - despite the coach trying to ruin him by bringing Scrivens up to start some games ahead of Gustavsson. Yes lately he has been shakey, but I think that, just like a forward, a goalie has to know that he is getting the next game in order to play out of his slump. Give Gustavsson the net for the next 19 games and let Reimer use the rest of this season and the summer to completely get over being run over. Reimer will bounce back next season.

[Bill A.]

What a shame. Wilson has more far experience than any player and none of those crybabies will listen to him. He pays the ultimate price for their failure. Time to start putting performance clauses in the players contracts - at present they are paid huge money for little or no effort.