Latest news with #MitchLove
New York Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
What I'm hearing about Penguins coaching search's final stages
PITTSBURGH — We are nearing the end of the Pittsburgh Penguins' search for their next head coach. Kyle Dubas is conducting in-person interviews with candidates this week in Pittsburgh. There is a chance a new coach will be named by the end of this week. Dubas told The Athletic earlier this month that he would like to have his new coach in place by June 1, which is Sunday. Advertisement So, who will it be? Only Dubas knows. He is largely conducting this search on his own. He has his advisers, of course, but ownership has very little say in any of this. This is Dubas' show. Here's what I can tell you: • Mitch Love is on the short list of contenders. He is also a contender for the Boston Bruins job. The Penguins are very impressed with everything Love had to say while interviewing. Dubas and the Penguins are impressed with his involvement in the Washington Capitals' success. The Penguins, in many ways, would like to be the Capitals. They're good defensively. They're tough. They've got a boatload of young players helping their cause. They've rebounded from what looked like a long rebuild and are suddenly contenders again. That's what the Penguins are looking for, and Love knows how to make it happen. He's also familiar with a team featuring young players bundled with an aging superstar in Alex Ovechkin. He checks plenty of boxes. • D.J. Smith, a Los Angeles Kings assistant coach who previously coached the Ottawa Senators, is another candidate who impresses the Penguins. In some ways, the Kings mirror the Capitals. They're tough. They're good defensively. They have a lot of good, young players. They've bounced back quickly after falling from their championship days to become contenders again. You see the theme emerging here. • Jay Woodcroft is another name to keep in mind. He had some success as head coach of the Edmonton Oilers before being dismissed in 2023. He's also been a part of two successful organizations, previously working for the Detroit Red Wings and the San Jose Sharks. The Penguins like him, too. • David Quinn has acquitted himself nicely in his first season with the Penguins. As an assistant on Mike Sullivan's staff, he fixed the power play, which earned him the respect of Pittsburgh's star players. Advertisement Quinn also has plenty of coaching experience, previously guiding the New York Rangers and the Sharks. I wouldn't totally discount his candidacy, but I still think it's a bit of a long shot for Quinn to get this job. I sense that Dubas and the Penguins want to bring fresh blood into the organization. • Sometimes, logistics are a problem. The Penguins like Dallas Stars assistant Alain Nasreddine, who played in the Penguins organization and whose only NHL goal came off a Sidney Crosby assist. It's tough to interview and hire a coach whose team is still playing in the postseason. The Stars' run could end as early as Thursday night. • Another name could emerge, but Dubas is keeping very quiet about his candidates. Regardless, it won't be long now. • While the coaching search is at the forefront of Penguins fans' minds, don't forget that free agency opens in a mere 32 days. What should we expect from the Penguins when July 1 arrives? The Penguins will, no doubt, make some signings, but I wouldn't expect any massive moves. Mitch Marner? Nah, I don't think so. 'I don't know how good we're going to be, but we're going to be as good as the young guys make us,' a Penguins team source said earlier this week. 'We're going young next season.' The Penguins have some money to spend in free agency, and like last summer, they'll make some moves. I wouldn't expect any lengthy or lucrative deals, though. I sense that Dubas doesn't think one or two huge additions are enough to put this team in the championship discussion. Could a couple of huge additions make the Penguins a playoff team? Sure. But remember, Dubas isn't worried about just making the postseason. He wants something much bigger. The plan is to let the Penguins' youth develop and, when it begins to suggest winning is on the horizon, to spend aggressively in free agency. You'll most likely see Dubas and the Penguins turn hyper-aggressive in free agency in the summer of 2026. The Penguins will likely still aggressively pursue players on the trade market or via other avenues this summer. But their expectations are realistic, so I don't see Dubas spending wildly. Advertisement I would expect the blue line to be addressed in free agency. The Penguins love some of their up-and-coming defensemen, but they're not quite ready to make a dent at the NHL level next season. • Marco Rossi's name has been floating around in trade rumors, and the Penguins are a potential suitor. The Penguins like him. He fits the profile they want. It's not often that young, talented players such as Rossi are available on the trade market. He's No. 2 on Chris Johnston's offseason trade board for a reason. By accumulating so many draft picks, the Penguins have the ammunition to go after players like Rossi. Dubas doesn't seem all that interested in bringing in players in their 30s. He's trying to build for the long haul. Rossi doesn't turn 24 until September. He's a name to keep in mind. • Teams continue to call the Penguins about a potential trade for Bryan Rust. Rust's no-trade clause expires on July 1, after which the Penguins won't need to ask his permission to trade him. Now, I'd be surprised if they do trade him. He should be wearing an 'A' on his sweater. He's Crosby's favorite winger and a terrific player on a very good contract. His reputation for being wonderful with young players fits the long-term plan. In other words, he's the kind of guy you want to keep around. I think the Penguins will do just that — unless, of course, a team makes Dubas an outrageous offer. My gut says Rust will stay this season, and it wouldn't shock me if he sticks through the final three seasons on his contract. He's beloved in the organization. You have to imagine, though, how tempting it will be to entertain significant offers for him. It will be something interesting to monitor all season. (Photo of Mitch Love: Jess Rapfogel / NHLI via Getty Images)
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Two finalists revealed for Bruins coaching vacancy (report)
As the Bruins narrow their coaching search, two finalists have been revealed by The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa. Former Bruins forward (and current Ontario Reign coach) Marco Sturm and Capitals assistant Mitch Love have both moved to an in-person interview stage, while Shinzawa reports other finalists are unknown at this time. Advertisement Sturm, Boston's hero in the 2010 Winter Classic, has been in the Kings organization since 2018. He served as an assistant for four seasons and then took over as AHL Ontario's coach in 2022-23. Love is a 40-year-old Capitals assistant who is also rumored to be on Pittsburgh's radar. 'That Love and Sturm have advanced to in-person interviews signals how the Bruins are thinking about the position,' Shinzawa writes. 'Neither has NHL head coaching experience. Sturm was a finalist last year with the Sharks, who hired Ryan Warsofsky. Love may be under consideration by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Seattle Kraken, the other clubs with vacancies." Sturm and Love were both also named as initial candidates on NHL insider Elliotte Friedman's SportsNet's '32 Thoughts' podcast, as the Bruins were reportedly exhaustive in the first Zoom portion of their coaching search. 'I've heard they've interviewed about 15 guys,' Friedman said. 'I asked someone, 'Who do you think Boston has interviewed?' The response was, 'Who haven't they interviewed?'' More Bruins content Read the original article on MassLive.
New York Times
27-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Mitch Love and Marco Sturm are finalists for Bruins coaching position: Source
Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love and Ontario Reign head coach Marco Sturm are finalists for the Boston Bruins head coaching position, a league source granted anonymity to discuss conversations regarding hockey operations personnel told The Athletic. The Bruins are holding in-person interviews in Boston this week after conducting a preliminary round of phone and Zoom conversations. Advertisement Love, 40, just concluded his second season as one of Spencer Carbery's assistants. Carbery interviewed for the Bruins position in 2022 that was filled by Jim Montgomery. Before Washington, Love was the AHL head coach for the Stockton Heat and Calgary Wranglers, the Calgary Flames' affiliates. Sturm, 46, just finished his third season leading the Reign, the Los Angeles Kings' AHL club. He was a Kings assistant for the four previous seasons. Sturm logged 302 career games for the Bruins after arriving from the San Jose Sharks in the Joe Thornton blockbuster. That Love and Sturm have advanced to in-person interviews signals how the Bruins are thinking about the position. Neither has NHL head coaching experience. Sturm was a finalist last year with the Sharks, who hired Ryan Warsofsky. Love may be under consideration by the Pittsburgh Penguins and Seattle Kraken, the other clubs with vacancies. General manager Don Sweeney has said that NHL head coaching experience is not a requirement. He may be looking for a younger coach who can grow into the position as the Bruins rebuild. Love has been in charge of Washington's defense. The Capitals allowed 2.79 goals per game in 2024-25, eighth-lowest in the NHL. Sturm trained under the Kings' philosophy of defensive-zone structure and airtight goaltending under Todd McLellan, John Stevens and Willie Desjardins, the head coaches during his time in L.A. Love and Sturm have been in development positions in the AHL. Before being hired by the Flames, Love was the head coach for the WHL's Saskatoon Blades. 'Evolve offensively, especially with younger players, and integrate them,' Sweeney said in his year-ending news conference about the qualities he's pursuing. 'But if you don't defend in the National Hockey League, you don't have sustained success.' Other finalists are unknown. Sweeney noted earlier this offseason that interim coach Joe Sacco would be part of a final group of coaches. (Photo of Marco Sturm: Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images)
Vancouver Sun
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Vancouver Sun
Canucks: Who is Mitch Love and why he could fill NHL coach vacancies?
Undrafted and undaunted in pursuit of an NHL dream is always a good story. Add being unbridled to fight your way to command attention from the scouting community and we bring you the tantalizing tale of Mitch Love. The kid from small-town Quesnel grew up amid a rich family hockey lineage and always had big-city aspirations. And now, the Washington Capitals' assistant coach is getting a lot of love to fill one of seven NHL head-coaching vacancies. A pugnacious past with 901 WHL penalty minutes with three teams, and another 741 minutes with seven clubs in the AHL, ECHL and the CHL, plus a passion to learn and stay in the game, speak to the grind. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. His last playing stop was with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in 2010-11. His next stop could be running an NHL bench. Love is in his second season with the Capitals and an example of where the game is trending. He's 40 and head coach Spencer Carbery of Victoria is 43. He also went undrafted as a BCHL winger, but is being lauded as one of the NHL's brighter minds. Those who watched Love run an AHL bench believed curbing intensity, and gaining a better coaching balance from Carbery, will advance his career. After all, when you enter an NHL room full of veterans, you can't be the big bully. Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is casting a wide net in search of a replacement for Rick Tocchet. It includes the battled tested old guard — Peter Laviolette and Gerard Gallant — and those who have made impressions and deserve a serious look in Jay Woodcroft, Todd Nelson, Canucks assistant coach Adam Foote and AHL bench boss Manny Malhotra in Abbotsford. 'We've got to get it right,' said Rutherford. 'We're moving quickly to set up interviews. It's what route we go and maybe bring in a guy who has some fresh ideas. Manny is on our short list, but we want his focus on the playoffs. He's done a terrific job.' Malhotra, 44, could benefit from taking the Travis Green route to 'The Show' — four seasons in the AHL before getting the big gig here — but there's no magic timeline. It's preparation meeting opportunity. Long-serving University of Denver head coach David Carle, 35, was pursued by several NHL clubs, but the two-time NCAA champion has signed a multi-year extension to remain with the Pioneers, who have made four Frozen Four appearances. It was initially hard to imagine Love getting into coaching because his first job was as strength and conditioning mentor with the WHL Everett Silvertips. It came after driving the opposition crazy with his willingness to drop the gloves. He didn't have the game or the goals, be he had the grit. 'I wasn't a great player,' Love admitted on a Break the Ice podcast. ' I was a stay-at-home defenceman that tried to play honestly and protect my teammates. I had to find a certain skill set that I felt allowed me to survive in terms of the league at that time. ' I was trying to get noticed as a young player, but the game has changed and probably for the right way. I wasn't just going to fight to fight. It was a momentum changing moment, or it was a chance to stick up for my teammates. There's a certain skill and hockey IQ thing that comes along with that.' Love's zest to grow turned into WHL coaching stops in Everett and Saskatoon and then running an AHL bench for the Calgary Flames' affiliate in Stockton, Calif., and then Calgary. That's were he really popped up on the NHL radar with back-to-back honours as coach of the year in 2022 and 2023. However, when the Flames promoted Ryan Huska to be the Flames' bench boss after six seasons as an assistant, Love pivoted to the Capitals, where he continues to build his resume. 'The game has evolved and as a coach you've got to evolve,' he stressed. ' You learn different things from players and what makes them tick. Every player is different, what they need in terms of tutelage from a coach, and the relationship component between players and coach. 'It's really, really changed. I take a lot of pride in being a good team guy, whether it's for the staff or for the players.' How much the thinking in Vancouver changes remains to be seen because there's a narrowing window here to win. Getting back to the playoffs may better befit someone with a finger on the pulse like Foote — as long as he doesn't join Tocchet elsewhere — or a veteran head coach who has seen it all. Rutherford could go the familiarity route in Foote or Laviolette, who was fired by the New York Rangers after this bizarre season. He's 60 and won a Stanley Cup in 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes where Rutherford was the hockey ops czar. Laviolette also guided the Philadelphia Flyers to the league final in 2010. 'When you're familiar with someone, you know how they work,' said Rutherford. 'We had success together and I like him as a person and a coach. It's a good name.' And so are many others. bkuzma@
National Post
07-05-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Canucks: Who is Mitch Love and why he could fill NHL coach vacancies?
Article content Undrafted and undaunted in pursuit of an NHL dream is always a good story. Article content Article content Add being unbridled to fight your way to command attention from the scouting community and we bring you the tantalizing tale of Mitch Love. Article content The kid from small-town Quesnel grew up amid a rich family hockey lineage and always had big-city aspirations. And now, the Washington Capitals' assistant coach is getting a lot of love to fill one of seven NHL head-coaching vacancies. Article content A pugnacious past with 901 WHL penalty minutes with three teams, and another 741 minutes with seven clubs in the AHL, ECHL and the CHL, plus a passion to learn and stay in the game, speak to the grind. Article content His last playing stop was with the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs in 2010-11. His next stop could be running an NHL bench. Article content Love is in his second season with the Capitals and an example of where the game is trending. He's 40 and head coach Spencer Carbery of Victoria is 43. He also went undrafted as a BCHL winger, but is being lauded as one of the NHL's brighter minds. Article content Those who watched Love run an AHL bench believed curbing intensity, and gaining a better coaching balance from Carbery, will advance his career. After all, when you enter an NHL room full of veterans, you can't be the big bully. Article content Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford is casting a wide net in search of a replacement for Rick Tocchet. It includes the battled tested old guard — Peter Laviolette and Gerard Gallant — and those who have made impressions and deserve a serious look in Jay Woodcroft, Todd Nelson, Canucks assistant coach Adam Foote and AHL bench boss Manny Malhotra in Abbotsford. Article content 'We've got to get it right,' said Rutherford. 'We're moving quickly to set up interviews. It's what route we go and maybe bring in a guy who has some fresh ideas. Manny is on our short list, but we want his focus on the playoffs. He's done a terrific job.' Article content Article content Malhotra, 44, could benefit from taking the Travis Green route to 'The Show' — four seasons in the AHL before getting the big gig here — but there's no magic timeline. It's preparation meeting opportunity. Article content Long-serving University of Denver head coach David Carle, 35, was pursued by several NHL clubs, but the two-time NCAA champion has signed a multi-year extension to remain with the Pioneers, who have made four Frozen Four appearances. Article content It was initially hard to imagine Love getting into coaching because his first job was as strength and conditioning mentor with the WHL Everett Silvertips. It came after driving the opposition crazy with his willingness to drop the gloves. He didn't have the game or the goals, be he had the grit. Article content 'I wasn't a great player,' Love admitted on a Break the Ice podcast. 'I was a stay-at-home defenceman that tried to play honestly and protect my teammates. I had to find a certain skill set that I felt allowed me to survive in terms of the league at that time.
