SB Nation - Philippe Boucher

Rangers Pregame: Scouting the Pens

Jim Schmiedeberg — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:00:26 -0000

Taking a look at tonight's opponent, the Pittsburgh Penguins:

Pittsburgh Penguins

Head Coach: Dan Bylsma

2008-09 Record: 45-28-9 (99 pts)

Finished: 4th overall Eastern Conference (Won Stanley Cup)

Last Season vs. Rangers: Series tied 3-3

Ex-Rangers on the Penguins: Pascal Dupuis, Tony Granato, assistant coach, Kevin Stevens, professional scout, Phil Bourque, broadcaster, Bob Errey, broadcaster. (courtesy of post-gazette)

Stars:

Sidney Crosby

#87 / Center / Pittsburgh Penguins

Height: 5-11

Weight: 200

Born: Aug 07, 1987

Evgeni Malkin

#71 / Center / Pittsburgh Penguins

Height: 6-3

Weight: 195

Born: Jul 31, 1986

Who's In: Jay McKee (STL), Alex Goligoski (WBS farm team), John Curry (re-signed), Bill Guerin (re-signed), Ruslan Fedotenko (re-signed), Mike Rupp (FA), Brent Johnson (FA),

Who's Out: Hal Gill (MTL), Rob Scuderi (LA), Mathieu Garon (CLB), Petr Sykora (MIN), Miroslav Satan (unsigned), Philippe Boucher (retired),

2009-10 Pittsburgh Penguins Season Preview from Pensburgh, the SBnation community for the Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins notes: (courtesy of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)

Evgeni Malkin has a new right winger. Pascal Dupuis has been shifted to the right side with Malkin and Ruslan Fedotenko while Tyler Kennedy, who worked there most of the preseason, is returning to his old spot with Jordan Staal and Matt Cooke. Coach Dan Bylsma said he expects to use those combinations when the Penguins face the New York Rangers in the season-opener tomorrow at Mellon Arena.
Sidney Crosby is confident he will be in uniform for the opener. He tested his sore groin aggressively in the 75-minute practice at Southpointe yesterday and said he was pleased with the results.
The Rangers will be making their fifth and final appearance as a home-opening opponent at Mellon Arena. That is the most for any one opposing team.
The Penguins have $1.6 million in salary cap space, and they plan to keep at least $1 million free for possible moves at the trade deadline. They are working on securing extensions for Ds Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang, both of whom are in the final years of their current deals. The unknown that is the 2010-11 cap is affecting those negotiations.

2009-10 NHL Season Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins

James Mirtle — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 12:00:17 -0000

by Gene J. Puskar - AP

View full size photo »

Who's in: Nate Guenin, Brent Johnson, Chris Lee, Jay McKee, Mike Rupp
Who's out: Philippe Boucher, Mathieu Garon, Hal Gill, Miroslav Satan, Robert Scuderi, Petr Sykora, Mike Zigomanis

Outlook: Another top team tight against the salary cap and forced to watch some incumbents leave for big paydays, the Penguins had to settle for bargains in the summer to replace the bodies lost.

Two of the team's top four minute munchers in Rob Scuderi and Hal Gill both signed lucrative free agent contracts elsewhere, while bit parts like backup Mathieu Garon and forwards Petr Sykora and Miro Satan were not offered contracts. The good news was that GM Ray Shero was able to re-sign a couple of his key cogs, reupping with both Bill Guerin and Ruslan Fedotenko for a combined $3.8-million on one-year deals.

Replacing Scuderi and Gill on defence was another matter, however, and the only newcomer on that front is veteran shot block king Jay McKee, who signed for a song after being bought out by the Blues. As a result, expect to see a lot of youngsters Kris Letang and Alex Goligoski on the back end and some growing pains on the penalty kill without Scuderi's steadying influence.

In terms of offensive gains, a full season of Chris Kunitz, Guerin and Sergei Gonchar in the fold should be enough to replace Sykora and Satan's dwindling contributions, while the if it ain't broke mentality makes sense when it comes to loading the minutes up on Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Jordan Staal.

There may be a small Stanley Cup hangover given they've lost some depth, but expect the Penguins to be in the thick of the Eastern Conference title race all season nonetheless.

X-factor: Kris Letang

For a more in-depth Penguins preview, visit PensBurgh
For more NHL analysis, check out the McKeen's Hockey Yearbook

Poll

Where will the Pens finish in the Eastern Conference this season?

1

92 votes

2

73 votes

3

72 votes

4

58 votes

5

16 votes

6

6 votes

7

0 votes

8

0 votes

9

0 votes

10

0 votes

11

1 votes

12

0 votes

13

0 votes

14

0 votes

15

14 votes

332 votes | Poll has closed

2009-10 Pittsburgh Penguins Season Preview

FrankD — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 10:00:32 -0000

Keeping with the trend across SBN, here's your Pittsburgh Penguins 2009-10 Season Preview.

2008-09 recap: Well, we can sum this up with a lot of unnecessary wordage or we can just cut right to the chase. Given the fact that the new season kicks off in less than a week and every player has mentioned they are putting the success of last year on the back burner, I choose the latter.

Who's In: Jay McKee (STL), Alex Goligoski (WBS farm team), John Curry (re-signed), Bill Guerin (re-signed), Ruslan Fedotenko (re-signed), Mike Rupp (FA), Brent Johnson (FA),

Who's Out: Hal Gill (MTL), Rob Scuderi (LA), Mathieu Garon (CLB), Petr Sykora (MIN), Miroslav Satan (unsigned), Philippe Boucher (retired),

Injuries: Max Talbot, shoulder; tentative return set for November

Team Strengths: Minus Petr sykora and Miro Satan, the entire offense is more or less intact. Keeping this unchanged, combined with the enthusiastic and discounted returns from Bill Guerin and Ruslan Fedotenko, should hopefully leave the Pens and fans with the same up-tempo offense that took down the Cup last season. Pittsburgh's top line will likley be comprised of Crosby, Chris Kunitz and Guerin. Funny to think only 1/3 of that line was even starting for Pittsburgh last year at this time.

Marc-Andre Fleury proved his worth in the playoffs last season and may finally get the recognition he deserves in 2010. The important factor that can't go overlooked is his ability to play well in high-pressure situations - you know, like the dying seconds of the third period in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. He's starting to get that reputation all goaltenders strive for. The sort of guy who steps up and makes big saves at big times - aforementioned Lidstrom save in the finals, Alex Ovechkin in the semifinals, Jeff Carter in the quarterfinals.

Even backup goaltender Brent Johnson brings experience and strong rebound control to the Pens which hopefully stands as some reassurance in the event that MAF disappears for a few weeks like he's done the past two seasons. Given the risk of injury to either, it's also reassuring to know that John Curry rests not too far away in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Despite his inexperience at the NHL level, Curry showed signs of flashiness last season and more than a few impressive saves during the preseason.

Team Weaknesses: Even though the Pens waved good-bye to Hal Gill, Rob Scuderi and Philippe Boucher this offseason, you can't just say defense. You have to ask, "defense?" With a question mark. That's because the overall competence is somewhat unknown, even if guys like Brooks Orpik, Sergei Gonchar and Kris Letang are still in place.

Jay McKee came on board with the Pens in July after having his contract bought out by the St. Louis Blues. He's still untested for the Penguins but took a discount with hopes of winning the Cup. He's a shot-blocking, blue collar sorta guy who will make every second on the ice count.

The Pens also look to add Alex Goligoski to the blue line this season, an offensive defenseman who saw some time with the parent club last season when Sergei Gonchar and Ryan Whitney each missed time we injuries. GoGo showed signs of offensive prowess last season but may very likely have to improve on his defensive side of the game.

Kris Letang, entering a contract year where he's rumored to be asking for $4-million per, will have to play like a $4-million defenseman. Offensively Letang leaves more to be desired but it would seem everyone in Pittsburgh is rooting for him in that respect. Much to his credit, Tanger shot the puck more frequently last season and according to camp reports has upped the defensive aspect of his game.

Predictions for 2009-10 season: How can any Pens fan say they expect anything less than a repeat? The fact that it's realistic and not entirely unattainable stands as evidence to the fact that they have as good a shot as any, if not better than some. However here comes another season of all this Stanley Cup hangover talk. Two straight seasons of playoff hockey, both of which sent Pittsburgh's season well into June, may catch up with the team. Young as they may be, this is obviously a concern. It'll be a long season where any team that beats the Pens didn't just beat Pittsburgh, but instead they beat the "Stanley Cup Champs." Some sort of surprise injury always pops up at some point in the season but Pittsburgh has always managed to work around it. And what of all these experts and pundits that claim the Penguins won't make another run for it? I say bring it. Leadership is strong and the Pens already have their much-anticipated taste of victory. They won't settle for anything less than a repeat and tend to play better with the odds stacked against them.

They're not worried, I'm not worried, and you shouldn't be either.

Off the Post September 6

Conico do Mayo Miracle — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 09:19:48 -0000

The Sharks confirm what you already know - Dan Hinote will be at San Jose's training camp.
TSN speculates that the Maple Leafs are preparing for a move (Phil Kessel alert...) after Toronto reacquires their hot potato 2010 2nd round pick from Chicago in exchange for a 2011 3rd round pick and a 2011 2nd round pick that originally belonged to Calgary. If you can follow all that, you're ready to take on Brian Burke at a shell game.
Jeremy Roenick mouths off about the NHLPA situation, uses the word "chickenshit." Article here, full interview here.
Kyle McLaren tries to emigrate from the AHL as he's invited to the New York Rangers' training camp. No word whether Patrick Rissmiller was allowed on the same boat (rimshot).
The U.S. Department of Transportation avenges Phoenix Coyotes fans with a major "fuck you" to Canada. That'll teach you to ask for seven, bitches!

Doing his best Ray Bourque impersonation, longtime Dallas Stars d-man Philippe Boucher decides to hang up the skates, having hoisted the Cup for the first time on his final day.
The Anaheim Ducks get defenseman Steve Eminger from the... well shit, which of his three teams this past season had him last?
Richard Zednik's wife divorces him after a rocky marriage full of domestic abuse on his part. Suddenly that throat slash doesn't sound so bad after all...
Dan Cloutier gets a tryout with the Detroit Red Wings. Considering they're the ones behind this famous goal against, you'd think Detroit would be the last team to extend an offer to him. But then again, maybe they are.

Philippe Boucher retires from NHL after 17 seasons

FrankD — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:17:38 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Browse more photos »

Looks like any question of whether or not Philippe Boucher plans to return to the Penguins squad was answered today. Boucher announced that he is retiring from the league after 17 seasons. His career no doubt has a fair share of accolades but, more recently at least, had an apparent brush with injuries as well.

"I have always admired athletes that have retired as champions and I am humbled to have the chance to count myself among them. I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teammates, my coaches and the organizations I played with over the years. I am going to miss being with the boys."

Philippe Boucher
TSN

Just last month rumor suggested that Boucher was considering retirement. Actually it wasn't rumor - it was suggested by Boucher himself. The Penguins may have made an offer at some point to bring him back, but Bouch knew the role would be limited and likely not significant in terms of pay or contributions to the team.

When Boucher came on board with the Penguins in November 2008 in a trade that sent Daryl Sydor back to Dallas, it was evident that the Pens wanted him on board for special teams duties. Unfortunately not even a month later Boucher missed six games with an undisclosed injury, the first of many stints that would leave him out of the lineup.

In January it became obvious that whatever injury plagued him in December was still bugging him, so much so that he was listed day-to-day and missed two games. It wouldn't take long though before we all knew what that undisclosed injury really was, when on February 11 Boucher opted for left foot surgery that would leave him out of the lineup for 25 games.

He returned in good enough shape to play nine games in the playoffs, contributed one goal and three assists along the way.

I give the guy credit for knowing when to hang em up. It's no secret that injuries were really starting to pile up at this stage in his career. His main concern was for just how long he would be able to get along without being in immense pain or re-injuring himself in the process of trying to win another championship, as likely or unlikely as it may be with whatever team showed interest in signing him.

It may not have been the ideal setting career/injury wise for him in Pittsburgh, but you can't knock his result. Staggering contributions aside, I think you have to tip your hat to a guy who fought through 17 years in the league.

Philippe Boucher retires

Hooks Orpik — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:15:27 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Browse more photos »

It's been a hard summer for veteran NHL'ers to find teams, as a lot of proven players sit still on the sidelines, waiting for an offer to come in, with training camps opening right around the corner. Philippe Boucher has decided he's not waiting any more and will hang up his skates and retire a champion, ala Jerome Bettis.

"I have always admired athletes that have retired as champions and I am humbled to have the chance to count myself among them," said Boucher. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teammates, my coaches and the organizations I played with over the years. I am going to miss being with the boys."

The 36-year old native of Ste-Apollinaire, Quebec finishes with exactly 300 points (94 goals, 206 assists). His best season was with the Dallas Stars in 2006-07, when he had 19 goals, 32 assists, and represented the Western Conference at the All-Star Game.

Boucher was effective for the Penguins since he was acquired in November 2008 for fellow veteran defenseman Darryl Sydor. (Sydor himself remains a free agent and likely could have played his last game in the NHL)

The Pens found use in Boucher, giving him time on power-plays and penalty kills. But they also had him slotted as a 6/7 defenseman and Boucher never got into the swing of things in the Dan Bylsma regime after a foot injury cost the defenseman Febraury - April this season. Still, he played nine playoff games, scoring one goal (the game winner against Carolina) and registered three assists. He helped the Pens to the Cup and for that we owe him well-wishes into retirement.

5 questions for the champs

Art_M — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 15:40:09 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Browse more photos »

The network of SBNation hockey blogs this summer has a great series on going where all SBNation team blogs get partnered up and we have the chance to ask the other some questions about their team in a little bit of a preview of the upcoming season... Defending Big D was fortunate enough to get paired with the fine folks over at PensBurgh who of course cover the current reigning and defending NHL champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Look for PensBurgh's questions to us and our answers on their website ~~later today~~ here. As for our questions for them, one may wonder just what exactly do you ask the bloggers of a team that has won everything? We got thoughts from them about their sudden turnaround last spring, about the amount of hockey played in the steel city the last few seasons and how much they miss pro baseball.

DBD: In 07/08 the Pens were one of the top teams in the east during the regular season, and within a game of winning it all. The next season with almost the same roster the team falls apart and a new coach is brought in with 20+ games left. Suddenly they become that same dominating team they were the year before and this time win the Cup. What went wrong with Michel Therien behind the bench and what did Dan Bylsma bring to the team that was so different?

PensBurgh: A lot of writers, fans and so-called theorists suggested that Michel Therrien just lost the team. I feel that's a pretty accurate assessment. You could almost see what players were feeling during Therrien's final days. It was boring, depressing, miserable hockey. Not many players stood as advocates for his dismissal and many of them (Marc-Andre Fleury, Max Talbot to name two) felt like they were to blame for the team's poor play, not MT. Yet hardly anyone would argue with the year-end result of a Cup win. Disco Dan, as he's often called, just has a way with keeping it loose around the team. He knows how to use the players but he also knows how to inspire them to motivate themselves. I guess he really just played a big part in letting the reigns go so the guys could play to their full potential but also made sure they were going in the right direction.

DBD: The Penguins have played hockey into June in back to back years and this season a good handful of the roster will be headed to the Olympics for two weeks of intense, playoff like hockey. Granted the Pens have a young roster, but that much hockey has to take a toll on a team at some point. How big a concern is that for Penguins fans

PensBurgh: Oh it's definitely a concern. 24 extra games last season, 20 in 07/08, short offseasons and now defending champs? Yeah, it won't be easy. If anything this was obviously the better of the two seasons since each guy got to spend some time with the Cup. Hopefully they remember that when the going gets tough and how much they'd like a repeat summer of that.

DBD: Petr Sykora and Miroslav Satan are still UFAs, any chance that the Penguins sign them back into the fold, or are they looking to replace them with a prospect or two from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton? If the latter, who are the Pens looking at to step up into the NHL?

PensBurgh: Sykora has allegedly been involved with some talks around the team, but I think it's safe to say he won't be returning. I don't know how much of a pay cut he's willing to take (he made $2.5 mill last year), but with the team's cap space it just may be impossible. Currently the Pens have just under $2 mill to work with and may still need to bring a seventh defenseman into the mix.

It's likely however that they will turn to the WBS squad to replace a few holes. Defenseman Ben Lovejoy is rumored to have a shot on the blue line if a guy like Philippe Boucher doesn't return. Prospect forward Eric Tangradi, acquired in the Ryan Whitney to Anaheim for Chris Kunitz trade, is also a guy a lot of fans hold in high regards. Personally I feel he's too young to take the immediate jump at the beginning of the season but that shouldn't rule out a few short stints here and there to see how he works with the club. Of course, Max Talbot will be out of the lineup until November after having offseason shoulder surgery, so there's a chance we may see a new face or two for at least two months. As for Satan - well, was demoted to WBS during the regular season and came back to help a bit during the playoff run. I don't think there's any way he's coming back to Pittsburgh though.

DBD: This is the Pens last season in Mellon Arena - better known as The Igloo... Are fans really looking forward to the move to a new rink, will the Igloo itself be missed by fans much and what are the chances we see a "Sudden Death 2" shot at the new Consol Energy Center?

Pensburgh: The new arena isn't even built and already you have a movie in your head about blowing it up? If there's a geriatric Claude Van Damme available I say do it. It's worth it for the humor alone.

I think fans really are looking forward to the new arena. More seats to fill - and ones you KNOW will be filled - is always a welcome site. Yet there is a sorta feeling you get when you walk into Mellon Arena that likely won't transfer to the new home. It's almost like you can feel the building's history. But let's be honest - it's just a building. I rolled my eyes when the Yankees had all those grand parades and ceremonies for the old Yankee Stadium, so there's no sense in really drawing this thing out. Maybe a little ceremony at the end of the year, but nothing too crazy.

DBD: This last question isn't really hockey related but the rest of North America wants to know: Penguins have a championship, so do the Steelers... so what the heck is the deal with the Pirates?!

Pensburgh: They skipped town in 1971. The city even built a really nice stadium for a baseball team to play in, but everyone is still waiting for that team to show up.

Friday linkage: AHL schedule drops, peek at Canada's jersey, Pens in Olympic camp

FrankD — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 10:00:17 -0000

More photos » by ANDREW VAUGHAN - AP

Sidney Crosby makes an appearance on 105.1 WXDX today at 8:30 a.m.

Browse more photos »

If your boss doesn't mind (or you have headphone at work), check out Sid's 8:30 interview on WXDX. As is the case with every game, you can listen live from the comfort of your desk. [WXDX listen live]
Philippe Boucher ponders the Penguins, his career and retirement. [Last post]
The AHL released its regular season schedule yesterday afternoon. For those of you in the Baby Pens' market, or for those just interested in maybe catching a game or two online, here's the season rundown. [WBS Penguins]
Former and current Pens make up for a pretty healthy amount of players checking in at Olympic camps. Faceoff Factor breaks it down by player and country because they like to make life easy for all of us. [Faceoff Factor]
The NHL is scheduling a bunch of preseason games at neutral arenas throughout the US, Canada and Europe. Perhaps a game will make a stop in your neighborhood. [From the Rink]
And finally, the first steps in the Patrick Kane cabbie confrontation are taking place in New York. The long, dramatic summer of criminal mischief continues. [THN]
The Steelers smacked down Arizona again, only this time no trophy is awarded. It's preseason, but when it comes to watching something on TV it beats baseball any day. [Behind the Steel Curtain]
Speaking of football - uh, Michael Vick is back in the NFL. Guess which city he signed with? Hint: It rhymes with Filly. [Bleeding Green Nation]

Philippe Boucher ponders Penguins, career, retirement

FrankD — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:42:21 -0000

More photos » by Gene J. Puskar - AP

Browse more photos »

Special thanks to our residential French translator Becky for passing along this news.

Phillipe Boucher is considering retirement, according to a report from Canoe.ca, the Journal de Quebec (translated from French):

"I know the coach (Dan Bylsma) and general manager (Ray Shero) well and they've offered me the chance to come back, but in a very specific role. It would be something like that of Patrice Brisebois in Montreal, working mostly with the younger players on the team. If everyone stays healthy my ice-time could be limited, but there are always lots of injuries that come up during the season. It'll be up to me to see if that interests me," Boucher said yesterday before jumping onto the ice at the Saint-Étienne arena.

Boucher thus has to figure out if he wants to come back as a seventh or eighth defenseman with the Stanley Cup champions. "It's still early and we haven't set any deadline. I've had contacts with other teams, and we'll see what the future brings. With regard to hockey, I'm not at all worried about my future. In any case, there are still a lot of us without contracts in the NHL."

Boucher made $2.5 million last season which is, safe to say, way more than he can expect to make if he does return to the Pittsburgh line-up. Injuries plagued most of his season, as Boucher played in only 25 games and produced slim numbers:

	G	A	P	+/-	PIM
2008 - Philippe Boucher	3	6	9	6	39

Boucher's nine playoffs games contributed one goal and three assists to the Penguins' run as well.

Hmmm bringing him back in a limited veteran role? It doesn't sound like Boucher is sold on it. Frankly, neither am I. Is this something the Pens are getting anyway from a guy like Jay McKee? I don't suspect McKee's role to be limited, but his $800,000 contract definitely is (and something he was entirely comfortable with). His 14 years in the league also qualify him for veteran status, so we know he can bring some leadership and coaching to the younger guys.

Later in the Canoe article, Boucher adds that he considered retiring as early as last season:

"I started to think about retiring last winter; the season was long. But I'm training as though I'm returning for another year. Personally, everything's going fine, but it's harder for my family. We either stay in Pittsburgh, return to Quebec, or we move to another city so that I can keep playing hockey. There are several scenarios on the table, and my family is anxious to be settled."

There's a chance this may end the same way Gary Roberts' career did in Tampa. And by that I mean, midseason. I'd imagine Boucher wants to put in a full season somewhere, but he also has the championship likely tempting him as a way to go out on top (Jerome Bettis anyone?).

Any thoughts on Boucher? Would you welcome him back in a limited role or is this one of those unfortunate incidents where we must part ways?

Hiring of Charlie Huddy completes philosophy change in Dallas

Brandon Worley — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:19:52 -0000

More photos » by Jimmy Jeong - AP

There is hope that new assistant coach Charlie Huddy will help develop the Stars young defensemen. Tom Gilbert, pictured above, is one player who benefited from Huddy's expertise in Edmonton.

Browse more photos »

Despite speculation that Les Jackson would become the lone General Manager after the 2008-08 season, and Brett Hull would go onto another job within the organization, owner Tom Hicks decided to do things differently without any outside help. He talked to Joe Nieuwendyk on his own and made the decision that despite the regular season success of the past decade, something drastic needed to happen for there to be change in the final outcome of each season. When Nieuwendyk was named the new General Manager of the Dallas Stars back in June, he promised there would be changes in the organization. He won the job with the thought that things had grown a bit stale in Frisco and while the team had certainly been successful the past few seasons, a new wind was needed to get things moving in the right direction.

His first surprising move was the firing of long-time head coach Dave Tippett and the hiring of Marc Crawford. While the change was certainly unpopular among loyal fans and a met with a bit of skepticism in the media, there was no doubt that Nieuwendyk meant what he said when he promised change was coming. The difference between Tippett and Crawford is night and day; one is a soft spoken player's coach who preaches disciplined, defensive hockey while the other has a reputation as a brash, in-your-face offensively minded head coach. The thought was that the Stars and their players had grown too accostomed to Dave Tippett and his style of coaching and while the team certainly played hard for him, there were suspicions that there wasn't the highest amount of accounatibility in the locker room between players and coach.

With Crawford, Nieuwendyk and the Stars hope that a new and different voice will act as an injection of life into an team that has hit a rut over the past seven seasons. Despite the surprising success of the 2008 playoffs, Dave Tippett's teams had become known as slow starters to begin the season underachievers in the postseason. Many point to a rash of injuries for the failures 2008-09 season, but the fact remains that last year's team started poorly and never could completely crawl out of that hole.

Crawford represents a complete turnaround in the attitude surrounding the Dallas Stars. Ever since coming to Dallas, this franchise had maintained a reputation as one of the most stifling defensive teams in the NHL, one that minimizes mistakes and takes advantage of the opportunities that arise. Yet with Crawford, we will see a new philosophy and new approach about the Stars, one that focuses on creating chances in the offensive zone with a strong transition game and a swarming presence in the offensive zone. It's a more wide open style of hockey than we've ever seen in Dallas. Crawford will still focus on defensive responsibility, yet he needed an assistant coach that preaches his style of hockey in order to get the team to completely buy into this change.

If you want different, Charlie Huddy is the man.

Departed assistant coach Rick Wilson was known around the NHL as one of the best defensive coaches in the NHL. He was here to help build the stifling defenses of the late 1990's, guiding the development of Derian Hatcher, Richard Matvichuk, Darryl Sydor and Sergei Zubov. He was known for teaching a style that focused on perfect positioning while not taking chances, minimizing shots on goal and not getting caught up ice. A coach with the Stars ever since the franchise came to Dallas, he was fired along with Dave Tippett when Crawford was hired.

Charlie Huddy, five-time Stanley Cup Champion and long time assistant with the Edmonton Oilers, has forged a reputation as a coach that specializes in the development of young, skilled defenseman. With Matt Niskanen, Trevor Daley (and eventually Ivan Vishnevskiy) all with the skill to become offensively dangerous defensemen, there are some that believe Wilson might have held them back a bit and pressured them into a more conservative method of playing.

Just like with any change, there is hope that a new coach and a new voice on the bench will help breathe life and energy into the Stars. This is a skilled but extremely young group of defensemen and like with Tippett, the thought is that change was needed to breathe life in a defensive corps that was struggling to adjust after the loss of key veterans. With Sydor, Zubov, Mattias Norstrom and Philippe Boucher all departing in the last two years the Stars had fought to maintain a high level of play with significantly inexperienced young players logging ice time.

Huddy is a coach that can come in, evaluate the defensemen on his own merit and judge for himself what each player should focus on. Trevor Daley is perhaps the one player on the ice that will benefit from this change the most. There is no doubt that Daley posseses great speed and puck-handling skills, yet too often it seems as if he's unsure of when to attack or he's uneasy completely committing to joining the rush and using his skill. We've seen flashes of what he can do when he's comfortable on the ice, but too often Daley would disappear for several games at a time. With Huddy, Daley has a coach that can help hone his skills as an offensive weapon while working to maintain his consistency as a defensemen with offensive capability.

This is not a debate as to whether Huddy is an upgrade over Rick Wilson as a coach, but his hiring completes the philosphy change that Nieuwendyk promised when he was hired. He coaches a system very similar to that of Crawford, with defensemen encouraged to lead the attack while still maintainig defensive responsibility.

Like with the departure of Tippett, it will be tough not to see Wilson on the bench for the Stars next season. Yet the belief is that change was needed to jumpstart a franchise that was struggling with postseason success. Marc Crawfor, along with Charlie Huddy, will start the journey on a brand new road next month.