Tampa Bay Lightning fires coach Barry Melrose

The Tampa Bay Lightning today fired coach Barry Melrose, after 16 games, and named associate coach Rick Tocchet the head coach.

From the team:

Tampa Bay Lightning Head Coach Barry Melrose has been relieved of his duties and Associate Coach Rick Tocchet has been elevated to interim head coach, Executive Vice President & General Manager Brian Lawton announced today. Melrose, 52, was named the sixth head coach in Lightning history on June 24, and compiled a 5-7-4 record this season.

“This was a tough decision to make,” Lawton said. “Barry is a good man and we have a great deal of respect for him. We wish him nothing but success.  However, the results were unacceptable and the players have to understand that we need to be better. Hopefully this change helps push them.

“As for Rick Tocchet, we think this is a great opportunity for him and we believe he’s the type of coach who can take the team to the next level. Our players have a great deal of respect for him.”

Tocchet is in his 25th year in the NHL as either a player or a coach. He played 18 seasons with Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington and Phoenix, appearing in 1,144 career games and recording 440 goals, 952 points and 2,972 penalty minutes.  He also appeared in 145 playoff games and netted 52 goals with 112 points and 471 penalty minutes.

Shortly after retiring in 2002, Tocchet joined the Colorado Avalanche as an assistant coach.  He spent a season and a half on the bench with the Avalanche before joining former teammate Wayne Gretzky as an assistant coach with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2005. He was named associate coach of the Lightning on July 9, 2008.

Tocchet is one of two players in the history of the NHL to record 400 goals or more and at least 2,500 penalty minutes.  He recorded three 40-goal seasons, two 30-goal seasons and was an 11-time 20-goal scorer. In 1992-93 he set career highs for goals with 48, assists with 61 and points with 109 with the Penguins.  Internationally, Tocchet represented Canada at the 1990 and 1991 World Championship as well as in the 1987 and 1991 Canada Cup tournaments.

The Scarborough, Ontario native won the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992 and appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals with Philadelphia in 1987.  He was selected to four NHL All-Star teams (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993). Originally drafted by Philadelphia in the sixth-round, 125th overall, at the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, Tocchet began his career with the Flyers in 1984-85 and retired midway through the 2001-02 season, also with Philadelphia.

Melrose spent three seasons (1992-95) as the head coach in Los Angeles, leading the Kings to the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 1993. Melrose began his coaching career in 1987 when he led the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers to a 44-22-6 record and the Memorial Cup title. Melrose also coached the Seattle Thunderbirds for the 1988-89 season and the Adirondack Red Wings of the American Hockey League for three seasons (1989-92). Melrose guided the Red Wings to the Calder Cup championship in 1991. Prior to joining the Lightning, Melrose served as NHL studio analyst for ESPN and ESPN2.

Comments

[Casper]

I think I can agree with about 200 of the previous posts.

Only thing I'll add on a positive note was, at least the Bolt-hating ex-Coach tried to even out the minutes.

Sure, he should have had young Stamkos out there until he pukes every night, but we look and play just downright shabby with four guys doing 30+ shifts and over 26 minutes, a smattering in the 20 shift range, and 4 guys not even getting 8 minutes.

Good riddance Tortorella!

Ironically, we need Saw Man to bring in someone wielding a chain saw beneath some high dollar fannies. If Tocchet can be that guy, well, stranger things have happened.

Can he get Paul Coffey to come down here and show our Power Puff Girls on defense, exactly where the blue line is and the tariff expected to be levied for entering our zone or attempting squatter's rights in front of our crease?

Go Bolts!

[hockeytalkie]

dear OK and you other cowboys,

we were a joke for 10 of our first 16 years. thanks for bringing back the good ole days you bunch of Azz Clowns.

what's next, a smudged fax, "stud or dud" t-shirts, or not making payroll? pro sports already has an AL Davis and Daniel Synder. the NHL can ill-afford to have this kind of ownership in any city.

[Mike S.]

Wow... didn't hear about until the Game yesterday. This IS good news... VERY good news.

[last post from a moron]

counting on Vrbata to score 40 goals. This franchise is sickly and insane.
PLayers to count on for 40 goals:
Ovechkin. Kovalchuk. Heatley maybe.
the second line is too bad to sub in the top line so when malone goes down you have to trade for a replacement or miss playoffs.
The owners and GM are looking at their talents and then looking at capitals and thinking how much theyd love to have ovechkin and semin and on their team. they are licking their lips when they think about semin and fantasizing about having semin erupt in their own backyards. TB fans and mangament want semin so bad they can taste it.

[coach bill]

Thanks Tiny. I really owe you one for the heads-up on the interview. Barry brought up a good point. He said "our problem is not really defense. We're not scoring any goals. We're last in the NHL in scoring. Vinny and Marty are way down and Vrbata, who we were counting on for 30-40 goals, hasn't scored in 40 games." He's right in the sense that our players are letting down and he acknowledged that he wasn't able to get the best out of them. I kind of disagreed with him saying our D was not the problem. It was/is a big problem. The whole performance (goaltending excluded) is off. Maybe a new coach can help. I still feel we have enough talent to salvage this season. Leadership has to be addressed by the team. I think our owners have gone all out to bring us an exciting team. Some of their staff was not a good mix. Gotta give them credit for what they're trying to accomplish. Kinda gives us a lesson of how important a GM is. I'm not sure our new GM has that good of a basis for knowing his role, and his Christmas mailing list doesn't include many (or any) other owners or GMs. He's (we're) out there on our own.

[Brian B.]

Kirk Herbstreit would make a good replacement

[PD]

Good Pick Tiny. Melrose showed a ton of class.

Recchi is the rat in the room along with Tochett. That's gonna really work.

[tiny ...]

Barry speaks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRIWRKsSR3k

Yes, the End is Near, but not in Tampa, moron

[The End Is Near]

To me it looks like the Owners are driving away the fans, Try going on their official message boards They will not accept email addresses from almost every domain name,
Mark my words in Oct 2010 they will be the Kansas City Lightning.

[coach bill]

Have no idea who just posted under my name but it wasn't me. doesn't sound like the Chic either. Do we need to get the Time's involved again? Don't really understand the comment either.

[TB season tickets since 1989]

the way this team is headed i might kill myself for real

[Hockey Chic fresh from the Jumbotron]

Traffic seems to have slowed to a screeching halt what with kincaid's great link. Now the Pollyannas and the a s s half-full morons can contemplate their waste of hard earned (in most cases) season ticket money for a piss-poor product that is the League Joke. I have tossed my rosies in the s h i t t e r where they belong. I won't be far behind.

[olin]

Ditto. I've been wanting to say that for a long time but have been biting my tongue.

[Kincaid]

I'm with the tubby bird.

[Fat Jay]

PD doesn't need any defending from me. He's perfectly capable of more than handling himself....however, I must say

Ajax--you are the most arrogant gasbag p r i c k of any blogger on any board. You portray a superficial knowledge of everything Lightning then you can't admit when someone has had it correct all the way and early, too. I'd sure like to plant my boot between your oversized buttcheeks which are only outdone by that swollen head of yours.

As for management, I'm sure you all regret criticizing moi after I gave you Smith, Halpern, and the Joker for an underachieving bloated salary. I know, I know. Ajax, see if you can hold your applause.

BTW, PD is on target about the payroll problems. Not sure he's got the timing of the demise right but with his track record (not yours a-hole), I'm not going to question it.

[Tallahassee Mike]

You know what? I think I'm done reading these comments for a while. All it ever is is "OMFG GONNA MOVE TO HAMILTON GOTTA GET MY ALUMINUM FOIL HAT SO THE ALIEN WAVES FROM BRIAN LAWTON'S HEAD DON'T POISON MY BRAIIIIIN"

Seriously, shut up. Ya'll sound dumber than the 9/11 Conspiracy theorists. Why would they buy a team that's tops in the league in attendance, pour huge sums of money into the organization, and then turn right around and try to move away, when there's definitely teams in this league that would be easier to move? Not everything is a conspiracy guys, sometimes people are just not very good at running hockey teams, and considering this is their first hockey team, yeah I'm gonna bet they're not really sure what they're doing, but they certainly don't have some master plan to move away. They're just bad at it. At least they're trying. It sounds like ya'll would rather have the Jay Feaster method of trying to pass off career minor league players and European busts as legit NHL players and then stepping back and hoping that the team can fix itself. I'd rather these guys be too rash then go through another season of "We can turn it around. Next game, we're gonna win, and then we're gonna win again and we're gonna turn it around. It'll happen just wait."

PD if you could refresh my memory. Didnt your leafs, who are better than the bolts by "a mile", loose to us? get a life son

[Pd]

Sure boys shoot the messenger because I was bright enough to see through the con job while you two are still on your knees..

The Leafs have played as many playoff games as most over the last 10 years, they havent been bottom feeders and the team they have on the ice right now is better than Tampa by a mile with no superstars.

Burke signs on next week and the future actually looks pretty good for the 13th cup in the not too distant future, 2nd to Montreal.

Leafs easily got the best player in the draft and have lots to build on , lots of cap space and mega money.

Enjoy the 1/2 cup that you share with Calgary because these owners that you fawned over have totally screwed it for this market..the team will live on just not here.

I know negative, negative, I havent fired up the big rocket like you must do daily when you evaluate the non talent here.

Funny my exact words were that this team is not any better just different and would be fighting for 4th with the panthers..check, said the Leafs would not be in the Tavares hunt check, said Rangers would be the surprise team check, said Zerdev would have a break out year check

You've been suckered by Koules..get over it. Check

[hockeytalkie]

scoring goals was not the problem last season. stopping goals was, just as it was in the previous two season to that.

it was a GOALIE all along that was needed, something that feaster always admitted. retool not rebuild, but the boys at the OK Corral opted to rebuild (ten new faces). just shows their ignorance.

[hockeytalkie]

how short your memories are:

picard did not arrive until after prospal was dumped and V4 was first hurt (at all star break). boyle did not return until mid feb as i recal. and dont forget the biggest part of the equation SMITTY did not arrive until the deadline. so no matter what the did Homer would lose one a night to the glove side.

SMITTY and a healthy boyle were the key and i think they only had 15 games together, if that.

[ajax]

RBC, you hit it so on the head. PD ,read your blogs about Toronto and how optimistic they are despite decades, especially recently, of underachieving. Then read your blogs, day after day, week after week, month after month, about "your" home team. Not even when they win three in a row is there even a hint of "yes, they have made some strides" I am 110% sure you enjoy them losing to the max. Don, Boltflasher, RBC have commented about the bigger picture with you. Negative people never think they are negative, as you so often put it here. "I am criticized for knowing the truth" I have a couple Eeyores at work who are a snapshot of you. They get a raise and in the lunch room they announce, "yeah, but the owners took the lions share of the profits" They get 50% of their insurance paid by the company and they announce in the lunchroom, "yeah but the managers get 100% paid" Never anything good, and always, Always knowing the truth that everyone else just can't see!!!!! What a way to live. I think the blog up above really sums it up. 40 years of being a Leaf fan and you have the gall to suggest we here in Tampa can't except the facts about our team. PD, the eternal optimist for his beloved Leafs and the "truthseer" of the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning. The Definition of Gall, is a deep bitterness of spirit, and I am sure there are zillion of Leafs fans who are somewhat damaged hockey fans, from all of the let downs. It simply is all they have left to defend themselves of decades of being the stepchild to successful franchises all around them. PD, I nominate you for President of those lonesome losers. Imagine folks, being a Leaf fan, so much hope, so much promise, so much money to make it work, and absolutely nothing to show for it. Of course it would make you miserable, of course it would make you extremely jealous of happy fans, and it would be your lifelong goal to educate all of these idiots. On a funnier note, articles and tv shows everywhere about the sudden disruption of economic bliss in NASCAR. Probably nothing to do with the economy, just the idiot owners, as PD suggests time after time. I think they are moving Nascar to China.

[rbc]

PD, you are a joke, your knowledge of hockey is not much better. The leafs are a joke as much as their fans,who do not require winners on the ice and in the management team and keep going back for more of the same, losing. They started out good and so do alot of teams, but only time will tell? Tell me, how does the richest greatest hockey city toil in the doldrums for over forty years without winning the cup? You are so jealous that when the bolts had the chance they took home the prize and the leafs just embarrassed themselves year after year. You and the rest of your fans can laugh all you want about the bolts, we know deep inside your crying, you back losers and want others to fail to justify your stupidity and jealousy. The leafs have been rebuilding for how long now and will be rebuilding next year when they fail yet again this year. I know, go on the leaf blogs and spout the stupidity about how your rebuilding with youth and when that goes wrong as it did so many times in the last forty years you can blame other teams.

[harold]

This is another example of poeple who have been successful in one field and make some money then think they can be good at anything they want to do.
THis team is just a toy for The OK Kids. I dont see the conspiracy to move the team. I just cant buy into that. What I see is some young Kids with a big shiny toy that dont know how to work it. Barry was the first casuality. The bodies are going to start hitting the floor. The only hope I have is that the Kids will wise up and bring some experiance in to actully run the show and they find some other toys to play with. Maybe Saw 14 and some action figures. ANd a Universal Park ride or something. Ohterwise, it (The Hockey thingee) will end pretty messy.

[David]

Wow, that was a heck of an article.

Nobody should be fraternizing with the owners. That's just bad business.

Interesting player quotes comments from ESPN:

"One Lightning player told ESPN.com Friday night that Melrose was incredibly easygoing and personable. But he did not come to camp with a plan that was going to help a team that had undergone a dramatic overhaul of personnel in the offseason."

"It was, the player said, like shinny hockey with a few fights thrown in for good measure. There was no system. No plan. At least not one that was discernible, he said."

"One player told ESPN.com that stories about owner Len Barrie diagramming special-teams plays aren't true, and Koules went on the record denying it last month."

"Another source described how an on-ice practice session was canceled and replaced by an off-ice workout after a call from a player to ownership suggesting the move over Melrose's wishes."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=3703290

[Boltflasher]

Kincaid, also on same site:

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Jon-Jordan/Hearsay-vs-What-I-Hear/90/17884

"dumping boyle, Luke37, kuba and picard, then OB? we actually could be WINNING games 1-0 and 2-1 with that D"

Wasn't that last year's D that finished last in the league?

[Kincaid]

apologies , better link

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=17880

[kincaid]

How the Koules/Barrie Cowboys run the team internally. How Tocchet hangs with Koules.
Great punch line at the end about Cuban
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Andy-Strickland/Lightning-Owners-Mark-Cuban-Wannabes/5/17880

[JB]

Could we PLEASE have a mulligan and bring Torts and Boyler back? Heck, I'll even settle for Feaster's return at this point.

The Bolts are going to end up being moved. Just you watch. The cowboys promised they wouldn't move them, which, going by their track record, is proof enough that they will be.

11:42 post spoken like a true illiterate redneck.
Enjoy your irrelevance for the next 16 years.

[oo&&77L]

To NHL
In my eyes and heart Rick T.id a thug,hit man for the ice for players like Wayne G,now for the Coyotes. Q why is this team in Phx nevR going to win a cup A Wayne was an excellent player,where am I going here ? Wayne is not a coach .Now Barry is free ,get his "patesibone" in Phx ,if ya want a CUP Mr.Grt'z. Leave Tampa have the thug.Barry is full of heart,he would ballance well with Wayne . Wayne get off the pony,your not a coach . Players/fans respect you for what you did as a player, just too soft needed to always have the tuff guys fight your fights . There now I said it .GET OVER YOURSELF.. The game is not about _just you.The fans in ARIZONA desirve a CUP ,so get Barry he has done it all "
I love you Wayne G.
Tuff Love+

[PD]

Flasher
"But yes, 24 teams is a possibility. I agree. But, I thing TB will be one of them. The 6 out?...FL, ATl, CRL, PHO, NAS, and COL...TB was ranked ahead of all those markets by Forbes..."

Those Forbes rankings are already dated with the new economy, I think that you need to look at the strength and commitment of the organzization along with the numbers.

To get to the optimal number 24:
ATL out
Fla out
Columbus out
Nashville out
Phoenix to Winnipeg (irony here)
Bolts to S Ont.
You need to carve out two more

Maybe Carolina, maybe one of the LA teams.

[Patrick Sullivan]

To NHL
In my eyes and heart Rick T.id a thug,hit man for the ice for players like Wayne G,now for the Coyotes. Q why is this team in Phx nevR going to win a cup A Wayne was an excellent player,where am I going here ? Wayne is not a coach .Now Barry is free ,get his "patesibone" in Phx ,if ya want a CUP Mr.Grt'z. Leave Tampa have the thug.Barry is full of heart,he would ballance well with Wayne . Wayne get off the pony,your not a coach . Players/fans respect you for what you did as a player, just too soft needed to always have the tuff guys fight your fights . There now I said it .GET OVER YOURSELF.. The game is not about _just you.The fans in ARIZONA desirve a CUP ,so get Barry he has done it all "
I love you Wayne G.
Tuff Love+

[Mac]

I was a season ticket holder... until this year. I made a good move, thought about it a lot, considered all my options, consulted with other fans, and made an educated decision. Maybe I should be an owner. :>) Nah.

Maybe they'll get tired of their new toy soon and hire some management who know the game, the new NHL, and the value of these players AND a good coach.

How much crow would have to be eaten to get Torts back?

OK so...the next leader of the free world can have close working alliances and business deals with underworld felons like Tony Rezko and William Ayers, and no one questions it (or where the $150 million in Sept. came from) as we look the other way in the interest of LEADERSHIP CHANGE...but a LEADERSHIP CHANGE promoting a hockey coach who bet on some basketball games--well now we're talking a SERIOUS felony, just intolerable, must draw the line somewhere

Give the righteous indignation a rest already. Who cares about betting, it's the national sport, and Pete Rose should have been in the HOF before his hair was dry following his final clubhouse shower.

[Tampa Wine Guy]

So many thoughts come to mind reading the comments above. Danielle (11/19; 9:25 pm) in my mind wins the "post of the thread" award. I seem to remember all the excitement this past summer on how this team will be so much better with the new ownership, coach, roster, etc. The blogs were burning with compliments (Well, maybe not for the coach pick). It is on the verge of nasty now. At least ownership realizes they have a fundamental problem right now. Usually, that is when coaches lose their job. I was never a fan of Melrose, but am a little surprised by the urgency of his dismissal. What it does tell me is he wasn't getting thru to a majority of players (V4 included). How much do you wanna bet V4 was consulted before 3:30 yesterday by Lawton?

Look at the CAPS and the Blackhawks, they responded to coaching changes. We have as much talent as either of those teams, the potential is there.

Screaming for torts back is living in the past. It would be like the the Bears fans screaming for Ditka back because the won a superbowl in 1985. Sorry, past is past. Mr. Tocchet has the reins now. I sure hope he has the leadership qualities that Barry lacked. He (along with Wes and Cap) need to get these guys believing in themselves again, starting Sunday afternoon.

I will continue to be a season ticket holder, attend games, support my downtown team. It isn't Kouleaid, it is pride in my town in which I live. The Lightning is part of that, the team I choose to support for the season with hard earned dollars (mind you, the $$$ committment was WELL before 03-04).

All the best to fellow (true) bloggers. After new year blogger gathering in Channelside prior to a game? I know this little wine shop with wine by the glass and single beers.......Hopefully DC doesn't boot this because of the plug...TWG

Go LIghtning!!!!

[Leo]

Leo, Nice ditty and the gabby update sincere in that you like the guy.
He's been special.

[RandyC]

How easy it is for many to judge every ownership decision after the fact. At least these guys are trying to correct thier mistakes before they cost a full season. This team has a roster that can get much better results than they are getting now, and have shown signs they can be very good. 16 games is not a season, there is plenty of time for improvement, I, for one, am confident that our team will be a lot better.

[steve]

"Rick is a very straightforward individual," Lawton said. "He has an excellent accountability factor. He's very structured and very organized in his approach. We're looking for him to re-energize this group and refocus them in the right direction.

Hey brian this is the coach who was convicted of illegal sports gambling right?

How many of the same people who were aghast that they hired Melrose are now aghast that they've fired him?

The fantasy chain basically goes: Woe is us, we're in 30th place, no one will ever buy this team --> Yay, some hockey players bought it, and they actually CARE about hockey for a change --> Oh they'll never be active during the summer, they have no money --> WOW, they were stunningly active and got a TON of killer talent, these owners are awesome and unafraid to spend --> Torts and Jay are awful, I hope they go --> Yay, they're gone --> Oh no, wish they were back, their replacements are pathetic and awful and smelly --> Kuba and Boyle are defensively BAD and co$t too much --> Oh no, they traded Boyle and Kuba, those idiots --> The new coach and the D are pitiful, I hope these owners have the guts to make more CHANGES --> OH NO, they're making more CHANGES --> therefore it's a circus, a joke --> these owners are diablolical, they are deliberately TRYING to lose games as part of a PLOT to move this team to Kansas City, and our only alternative activity to watching hockey games is now committing suicide

Derek captures the other side of the coin eloquently: "I will follow this team to the depths of hell. I know there are people out there who are as loyal as I am. Keep the faith."

Amen brother. That is why there is an NHL team in this town, regardless of the blathering of the posers, hosers, and losers. The Cup win merely solidified what was already here

I'm ready for a big character statement of a win tomorrow afternoon in Raleigh.

[léo]

These are for you, PD:

Once was an Ivan named Grabby
Hamilton gift-wrapped but crabby.
In a moment insane
He missed the team plane
And demoted himself to leaf shabby.

Curmudgeon I know, name'o'Fletcher.
As decrepit and wrinkled as an old, dusty ledger.
Got in with some clowns.
Now being spun around
And fitted for a nice comfy stretcher.

Huh? C'mon!
P.

First order of business for coach tocchet is to remove the "C" from V4 and give him the "A". It weights him down to much. Some guys can lead and some guys can't. He'll go back to being the great player that he is without this title.

[Herb]

Oh and by the way Gary Shelton is an idiot if he thinks the Melrose signing was a good idea to start with.

[Herb]

I was glad to see OB go, Talkie. Look at the stats OB is putting up in Vancouver. There you will see that dumping him was a great move. I agree with you on most of your other points. Losing Picard was a down right STUPID idea.

[Globalpuck.com]

The Lightning organ-I-zation is way more scary than any Saw movie Koules ever produced. I think that's due in large part to Len Barrie getting the job as "director". The only thing more frightening than the outcomes on paper is the space between the Cowboy's ears, as he stands over the Forum with blood fresh on the blade not halfway through November....

Barry's firing was inevitable, and I like everyone else am shocked that it has come so soon.

DISORDER

[léo]

Last night on the Hab Inside/Out, we revelled in a Limerick party to forget Our worries.
Out've the dozen or so that I offered throughout the night, here is one dedicated to Tamper:

Once was a clown name of Mullet.
Ridiculous, goofy bum-nugget.
Had to kneel and bob
To get his job.
Now sits with his ego and rubs it.

P.

[PD]

Anyone who hasn't read Gary Sheltons column in the Times today is missing a beauty.

Don, Jimmy Mac, RBC this one's for you.

[Derek H]

1) "Change" is not always a good thing, imho, this was way too much "change". I would have loved to have seen this team under Torts.

2) I for one, do not got give a squirt of urine to what outsiders think about MY club. Most of your (outsiders, like a-holes from buffalo) opinions are vitriolic. All you people who say "blah blah blah why is hockey in tampa again?". Well the answer is this is a viable hockey market.

3) It's gut check time (again). Shut up, strap up the boots, sling your rifle, and get back in line. The sun will rise again.

4) V4, I do not know what is going on. You are the Captain. You are the leader. Take the bull by the horns and get your troops in line, get them motivated. If you need help on this, I highly recommend bringing in some combat-hardened personnell from MacDill. They will tell you how to start to learn about being a real leader.

5) Tocchet needs more time than 16 games to prove his worth. OK, take heed, your fan-base is not happy. You need to initiate damage control immediately.

6) I have watched these guys since I was 13 years old. It almost brings a tear to my eye. I am 29 now...I will follow this team to the depths of hell. I know there are people out there who are as loyal as I am. Keep the faith.