While it's normally a foregone conclusion that the coach-of-the-year award in the National Hockey League will go to the leader of a championship-calibre team, this year's Jack Adams trophy winner might go against the grain.
In fact, it could be argued that as the 82-game schedule grinds into its final month, two of the top contenders are coaches of teams that might not even be around for post-season action.
Almost certain to get consideration as best coach will be Jacques Lemaire, whose New Jersey Devils are making a frantic run for a playoff berth after languishing near the basement of the Eastern Conference all year, and Brent Sutter, who has led his Calgary Flames to the middle of the playoff chase ever since his brother, Darryl, was replaced in December as the team's general manager.
Both Lemaire and Sutter have done wonders with rosters that are less than sparkling. The Devils were the worst team in the league under first-year coach John MacLean, but Lemaire took over Dec. 23 - Merry Christmas, Mr. MacLean! - and turned them into the hottest team in the league, at one stretch winning 22 of 26 games. Same players - different results. In 10 of those 26 games, the final score was either 1-0 or 2-1 - a Lemaire defensive trademark.
In Calgary, meanwhile, the Flames sat dead last - laughingly, even behind Alberta rival Edmonton Oilers - for a few days in November, but when Sutter the GM stepped down (or was asked nicely to pack up his scowl and please leave) on Dec. 28, Sutter the Coach suddenly appeared to be in charge of a new team.
The Flames have one Hall of Famer (Jarome Iginla), a world-class goalie (Miikka Kiprusoff), a couple of star defencemen (Robin Regehr and Jay Bouwmeester) and then a bunch of guys who will always play supporting roles - Ollie Journeyman, Rene Bland and Curtis Cross-Your-Fingers-and-Hope among others.
Somehow, Sutter the Coach got his boys to overachieve and even though it's likely Iginla will be the only Flame to hit the 30-goal mark this season, Calgary is in the middle of the fight for one of the eight Western Conference playoff spots.
Coach-of-the-year will likely wind up to be a 'safe' choice like Alain Vigneault of Vancouver or Peter Laviolette of Philadelphia, but the turnaround jobs that Lemaire and Sutter have done with their teams this year have been extraordinary.
Budd Bailey of the Buffalo News, on speedskater Apolo Ohno's plans to run in this year's New York City Marathon: "The prohibitive favourite, if there's an ice storm."
How popular is NHL hockey in Florida? You be the judge: Mike Bianchi in the Orlando Sentinel says a recent Florida Panthers' televised game drew fewer viewers than an infomercial for a food processor.
Among David Letterman's Top Ten Things You Don't Want to Hear During Spring Training: "Instead of Tommy John surgery; I had Elton John surgery."
Norman Chad of the Washington Post: "Any time it's a labour-management dispute in U.S. history, management is about a 40-to-1 favourite. And any time management happens to be the NFL, you can make that 400-1. "If the lions and tigers at the San Diego Zoo unionized, they'd be in a better position vis-a-vis zoo management than the NFLPA vis-a-vis the NFL."
Comedian Argus Hamilton, on the expense-saving tips in the lockout handbook that the NFL Players Union issued its members: "Eating in to save on food, turning out lights to save on energy bills, and staying in at night to save on alimony and child support."
Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel, after Bradley fired men's basketball coach Jim Les: "So now it must be said: Jim Les is gym-less."
Another one from Bailey, on NFL receiver Plaxico Burress due to get out of prison in June: "In other words, he could be going from locked up to locked out."
From R.J. Currie of sportsdeke.com, offering two tweets he'd love to have seen from the @fakekevinmartin account, which was a sensation at this year's Brier: "1. In Alberta, I own a sporting goods store, a curling academy and Kevin Koe; 2. I'd kill for Craig Saville's hair."
Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle, on Yankee Derek Jeter's new 20,000 square-foot mansion: "It's actually smaller than Yankee Stadium, although it has more bathrooms. And fewer Steinbrenners."
Brad Dickson in the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald, on Trevor Bayne becoming the youngest Daytona 500 winner at age 20: "You realized how young afterward when he thanked his driver's-ed instructor."
Janice Hough of leftcoastsportsbabe.com: "The Dalai Lama says he's retiring. Responded Brett Favre 'The first time is the hardest.' "
Hough again, on the Toronto Raptors being swept by the New Jersey Nets in London, England, recently: "This means the Raptors can lay claim to being the worst NBA team in three countries and two continents."
Care to comment? Email brucepenton2003@yahoo.ca
