Much has been said of Sean Couturier continuing to “bad mouth” former coach John Tortorella. That he needs to move on and lead this team, not dwell on the previous coach benching players for little to no reason, pullng them from the power play or penalty kill, what have you. Now, none of us were in that locker room, however; I have had that kind of boss. The screamer, the boss that would call out the smallest mistake in front of the rest of the team. The boss that would move you from project to project, never allowing you time to settle in. Questioning every decision you make, and then questioning why you hesitate to make a decision. It’s unnerving, and the kind of confidence bashing stays with you. For a long time.
I personally think that Coots IS being a good Captain. By defending his team mate to the press, letting the public know that confidence, like a winning team, needs to be built Brick By Brick. This is, for the most part, a very young team. Look up and down the roster…I’ll wait. Yes, four. Four players, including Coots are over 30 years of age. One of those is the mythical Ryan Ellis, another is Risto, neither of whom is expected to lace up the skates this year. I happen to think Ryan Ellis is the equivalent of a hockey unicorn….often spoken of but never actually seen. And when Risto is your best and most experienced DMan…well, that’s a WHOLE lot of green.
Coots is pulling the heat from those youngsters, and that IS leadership. He knows what it feels like to have the press hound him. To get benched, just days after having the coveted C placed on his sweater. He understands how the endless questions about an injury can make the rehab process that much worse. He understands being reluctant to even try and talk to a coach.
Yes, I understand that these are all professional athletes, but a job is a job. Being a professional coach is a job as well, basically a manager. Every manager that I have has that has been a success in that position had an open door relationship with their direct reports, and all Coots is doing is letting the press know that his team needs time to get used to that relationship. Let him do his job, mkay?
By: Phyllis Ceci (@flyersfan1129)
Photo Credit: PhiladelphiaFlyers.com
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