Roy Named Avalanche Coach

As most hockey fans know by now, Patrick Roy was named head coach and vice president of hockey operations of the Colorado Avalanche. The announcement was made ten years to the day that Roy announced his retirement from the game of hockey. Roy became the 7th coach in the history of the Avalanche. So with this announcement it lead to a great debate of the best and worst players turned coaches in the history of the league. And with that here is what we have come up with.

Best Players Turned Coaches:
Larry Robinson 
Robinson played 20 seasons in the NHL, he won six Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens and won two Norris Trophies as the league's top defenseman. He received his first NHL coaching job as an assistant with the Devils in 1993, and he was on staff when the Devils won their first championship in 1995. Later that year, he was hired as head coach of the Los Angeles Kings, where he spent four seasons. Robinson returned to the Devils as coach and led them to a Stanley Cup title in 2000, but he was fired less than two years later. The Devils rehired Robinson in July to replace Pat Burns, who has been diagnosed with cancer for the second time in a little more than a year. Robinson holds a career coaching record of 195-210-64, including 73-49-19 with the Devils.

Bryan Trottier 
Drafted by the New York Islanders in 1974, "Trots" put up 95 points and won the Calder Trophy as the best rookie in the NHL. His offensive numbers were consistent through the next decade and was an integral part of the Isles' four straight Cup wins from 1980-83. After 15 seasons in New York, he signed with the Penguins and helped them win back-to-back Cups in 1991-92. He retired following the 1993-94 season. After torturing the rival Rangers as a player with the Islanders, Trottier was named the Blueshirts' 30th coach before the 2002-03 season. After only 54 games, the rookie NHL head coach was fired by the Rangers as the league's highest-paid team posted a 21-26-6-1 record. Trottier was an assistant coach with Colorado from 1998 through 2002 and spent three years as an assistant with Pittsburgh. He was also with Portland of the AHL in the 1997-98 season.

Jacques Lemaire 
Jacques Lemaire scored at least 20 goals in all 12 of his seasons with the Montreal Canadiens, topping out at 44 in 1972-73 and totaling 366 in all. He’s in the Hall of Fame for that, and for the fact that he was an integral part of the Canadiens dynasty that won the Stanley Cup eight times during his career. Lemaire was arguably even better as a coach. Why arguably? Because although his 617 regular season wins puts him 9th on the list of all-time winningest coaches, he only has one Stanley Cup from behind the bench. That lone championship came with the Devils in 1995, the year after they lost a double-overtime Game 7 to the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals. After that, however, it’s a long list of major disappointments in the postseason: second round loss in 1997 despite 104 points; first round loss in 1998 despite 107 points; first round loss in 2007 despite 104 points; first round loss in 2008 despite 98 points, first round loss in 2010 despite 103 points…you get the idea. Still, those 617 wins and that one Stanely Cup make Jacques Lemaire a great coach, and definitely the best Hall of Fame player-turned-coach in NHL history.

Gerry Cheevers
If there is one case to look to for a prediction for Patrick Roy as coach of the Avalanche, this would be it. Why? Because Gerry Cheevers was also a Hall of Fame, Stanley Cup-winning goalie. He won Cups in 1970 and 1972, and he was inducted into the Hall of Game in 1985. As a coach? Cheevers was pretty good. In four full seasons as coach of the Bruins they had two second-place finishes and two first-place finishes. Then, during his fifth season, he was fired 56 games into the season with a record of 25-24-7. So while the Bruins didn’t give the guy a long leash, he certain earned one.

The guys listed above have had great careers behind the bench after their playing days ended. Now we look at a few guys who didn't have that great a time behind the bench after their playing days were done.

Worst Player Turned Coaches:
Wayne Gretzky
Everybody knows what Wayne Gretzky did as a player. The guy holds every major offensive record in NHL history. As coach of the Phoenix Coyotes, however, Gretzky was far from Great. He wasn’t bad, but he wasn’t great. In four full seasons behind the bench, the desert dogs finished above .500 once—and that was just one game above .500. So needless to say they never made the playoffs, either.

Paul Holmgren 
Paul Holmgren played in the NHL for 10 seasons from 1975-76 to 1984-85, the majority of which he spent with the Philadelphia Flyers. He finished his career playing for the Minnesota North Stars before returning to Philly as head coach. His first season behind the bench was his best, with a record of 36-36-8. That would be the only time that Holmgren would coach a team into the postseason. The Flyers lost in the conference finals with him at the helm. He coached the Flyers for another three seasons before finally being replaced. Holmgren moved on the next year to the Hartford Whalers. He went on to coach parts of four seasons, which included a stint as GM of the Whalers, before being let go. His career coaching stats for the 425 games he coached were 161-219-45.

Butch Goring
Butch Goring played for the Los Angeles Kings, Boston Bruins and New York Islanders, with whom he won the Stanley Cup four times. His playing career in the NHL lasted from 1969 to 1985, and he retired after 10 games in the AHL during the 1986-87 season. Goring coached two NHL teams during his tenure as a head coach—Boston and the New York Islanders. Over the course of four seasons, Goring coached 240 games in the NHL, ending his career as a coach with a sad record of 83-126-27, including four overtime losses. After his attempt to become a player-turned-coach, he has moved to the broadcast booth for the Islanders.

Glen Hanlon 
Glen Hanlon was drafted in 1977 by the Vancouver Canucks. He debuted in 1977, playing only four games. Hanlon would also suit up for the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings during his 477-game NHL career. One of Hanlon's biggest moments was being in net when Wayne Gretzky scored his first NHL goal. He served as an assistant coach for Vancouver and Washington before going to the Portland Pirates of the AHL as head coach. In 2003, the Capitals had a miserable start and GM George McPhee brought Hanlon in to finish the season. The only thing of note that his 15-30-9 record garnered was the first overall draft pick, Alexander Ovechkin. Hanlon returned behind the bench in 2005, as the 2004-05 season was lost due to the lockout. In 2007, he only managed 21 games as coach before being replaced. In his career as an NHL head coach, Hanlon’s record was a pathetic 78-122-9 with 30 overtime losses.

So there is my list of the best and worst players turned coaches in the NHL. Where will Patrick Roy fall on these two lists? Only time will tell.