The #blackhawks are practicing right now. There will be some amazing quotes afterwards on Q reaction.

Heck, there might even be some tears.
- Justin Lowe

The players will say all the right things.

He was a great coach for the team he had for the last 10 years, but even the greatest of coaches have been let go. It was time to make the 1st move in a series of changes that need to take place. The good thing is that Stan Bowman is now on the clock to make the necessary moves to get this team heading in the right direction.
I am not confident at all that he's the guy to do it however.
We will see .

I think so.

Drafting Saad and Shaw.
Trading for Frolik, Vermette and Oduya.
Signing Emery (I think we signed him), Richards and Handzus.

These moves were StanBo and were all vital parts of cup winning teams.
- Popsghostly

S where is Bowman ranked today among the league gm's? Closer to first or closer to last? Case closed.

I like him too. A lot.

But what we will see from him is his face on what Smith and Granato enforce from the top as the way to run the team.

Would you EVER take a leadership position in the professional world and have no input on who reports to you?
- Return of the Roar

I think that is the reality of most people going into leadership positions professionally, unless they are some established person in the industry to has "their guys".

With all do respect to Sopel...isn't making money the whole point of PROFESSIONAL sports.
- ArlingtonRob

I'm not going to be shocked if some ex-players speak out especially veterans who played for Q.

Q is a players coach. He doesn't hold a lot of practices or high intensity practices. I'm sure veterans like Carcillo and Sopel loved Q because they are Q type players.

I'm sure Daley, Vermette, and Kempny have a different opinion of Q.

We've seen it in guys like Toews, Keith, and Seabrook. Always the same mantra. Always saying things will turn around. I think there was a lot of complacency. The core vets thinking things will turn because they've won 3 cups. A sense of entitlement of sorts.

You saw it in the Nashville series. The Preds wanted to come out and wipe the Hawks all over the ice and it happened. The core thought they would beat the Preds b/c they had done it before and "know how to win".

I'm all for Q getting the ax. I think Bowman should be gone with him. Clearly the plan was Q first and then one more shot. Barry Smith should solve the PP at least. I pray we see no more Kunitz. Tired of Kampf on the 3rd line too.

Something is on. It may be a rebuild with this move.
- Justin Lowe

It is not a rebuild. You can’t be a coaching staff and win 3 games in regulation out of 15 out of the gate - after missing the play-offs last year and losing in Round 1, the 2 years before that, with one a sweep. Rocky said that poor performance would no longer be accepted and this is the proof of that. My guess is the outspoken ex-players/players will make comments largely or totally against the firing. Doesn’t mean there are not many in favour, they just won’t comment. Never thought Sharpie was being all that sincere when he’d say Q always knows best as Q sat him out.

I think that is the reality of most people going into leadership positions professionally, unless they are some established person in the industry to has "their guys".
- breadbag

And there you have why this was a mistake from the get go - Colliton is NOT an established coach in the NHL. He is a young ambitious guy who likely works in a culture where refusing a promotion is your career suicide. So he drinks the Kool Aid that the org will help develop him, and unwittingly becomes the next scapegoat in the process.

If I were a betting man I think others who were established were approached and declined the offer because of the crapshow the FO is.

S where is Bowman ranked today among the league gm's? Closer to first or closer to last? Case closed.
- Savoy

???

Case closed about what?

All the post said was Stanbo/McD had parts in Cup winning teams even if little. They had to sign off on the moves. I'm no fan of Stanbo myself and think he should be canned for trading Panarin, acquiring Murphy and doing little in the off season.

The players will say all the right things.

He was a great coach for the team he had for the last 10 years, but even the greatest of coaches have been let go. It was time to make the 1st move in a series of changes that need to take place. The good thing is that Stan Bowman is now on the clock to make the necessary moves to get this team heading in the right direction.
I am not confident at all that he's the guy to do it however.
We will see .
- Hawkytalk

Wonder if guys like Manning, Kunitz, and Martinsen last long (although I've liked his play of late). Those all seem like Q guys. Guess we will find out who had more input on the roster Q or Bowman. I have to think Q. The one time we saw Bowman do something Q didn't like or wasn't consulted about was the Hammer trade.

We know how that ended. Q storming out of the draft lol!

Have to assume Barry Smith is going to have a lot of input on the roster now.

Rocky needs to keep StanBo onboard long enough to give Schmaltz 8 year x $8mil with a full NTC
- EnzoD

The Contract is saved in the file folder: c:/Dumb contracts to hand out 2018/2019/2020

lots of other contracts in that folder!!!

Same guy, Barry Smith.
- Chunk

I thought so Chunk - thanks - I thought it was Barry Smith. Scotty seemed to believe he was a PP guru.

The Contract is saved in the file folder: c:/Dumb contracts to hand out 2018/2019/2020

lots of other contracts in that folder!!!
- glennjpawlak22

With all do respect to Sopel...isn't making money the whole point of PROFESSIONAL sports.
- ArlingtonRob

If it was there would be very few professional sports teams.

If Colliton puts Kunitz in the press box Thursday night, half of the people on this board will forget who Quenville was after the first period.

And there you have why this was a mistake from the get go - Colliton is NOT an established coach in the NHL. He is a young ambitious guy who likely works in a culture where refusing a promotion is your career suicide. So he drinks the Kool Aid that the org will help develop him, and unwittingly becomes the next scapegoat in the process.

If I were a betting man I think others who were established were approached and declined the offer because of the crapshow the FO is.
- Return of the Roar

So others refused to coach Kane, Toews, DeBrincat, Keith, Seabrook, Crawford, Yuki? OK

If Colliton puts Kunitz in the press box Thursday night, half of the people on this board will forget who Quenville was after the first period.
- Dieselhead

Because Q signed Kunitz?

I thought so Chunk - thanks - I thought it was Barry Smith. Scotty seemed to believe he was a PP guru.
- Z3Hawk

I have no idea how much input he has had in Rockford, but the Hogs PP has been very good.

I was in the "hoping for the best, expecting another crapstorm" crowd when this season started. I believe there are some very good pieces left on this team. If Colliton can find a way to get them to tighten up defensively, I think the rest of this season will at least be entertaining to watch.

New Hawk Coach To Do List:

1. no more push em back PP entry!!!

2. Press Box Manning, Davidson immediately

3. DK does not see PP time

Same guy. Barry Smith.
- Larmer

Thanks Larmer - you should have played your whole career as a Hawk.

New Hawk Coach To Do List:

1. no more push em back PP entry!!!

2. Press Box Manning, Davidson immediately

3. DK does not see PP time
- glennjpawlak22

I get what you mean, but I'm pretty sure you need at least one of Davidson/Manning to play as we only have seven d-men up right now.

Thanks Larmer - you should have played your whole career as a Hawk.
- Z3Hawk

I blame Pulford.

I'm not going to be shocked if some ex-players speak out especially veterans who played for Q.

Q is a players coach. He doesn't hold a lot of practices or high intensity practices. I'm sure veterans like Carcillo and Sopel loved Q because they are Q type players.

I'm sure Daley, Vermette, and Kempny have a different opinion of Q.

We've seen it in guys like Toews, Keith, and Seabrook. Always the same mantra. Always saying things will turn around. I think there was a lot of complacency. The core vets thinking things will turn because they've won 3 cups. A sense of entitlement of sorts.

You saw it in the Nashville series. The Preds wanted to come out and wipe the Hawks all over the ice and it happened. The core thought they would beat the Preds b/c they had done it before and "know how to win".

I'm all for Q getting the ax. I think Bowman should be gone with him. Clearly the plan was Q first and then one more shot. Barry Smith should solve the PP at least. I pray we see no more Kunitz. Tired of Kampf on the 3rd line too.
- bhawks2241

On the 1st bolded part, just playing devil's advocate, I do sometimes wonder how to qualify that sentiment by NHL players that he's the coach they'd like to play for most because he doesn't hold a lot of practices or has low intensity ones when he does have them. One perspective on that is it may be similar to high school and college students saying they like certain teachers who don't assign a lot of homework or who end class early or even cancel class once in a while. These teachers are often not the best teachers. Not saying that's Q's situation but just wanted to throw that out there as a different viewpoint on player poll results.

On the 2nd bolded part, hopefully one move by Colliton, Smith, and Granato is to not ice two 4th lines and ice a 3rd line with some talent. Maybe something like (assuming no trades yet by Bowman):

Schmaltz - Toews - Saad
DeBrincat - Anisimov - Kane
Fortin - Kahun - Sikura
Johnson - Kruger - Kampf
Kunitz/Martinsen/Hayden (1-2 of 29 and 40 need to be sent down)

Or make Schmaltz a 2C again:

DeBrincat - Toews - Kahun
Saad - Schmaltz- Kane
Fortin - Anisimov - Sikura
Johnson - Kruger - Kampf
(consider flip flopping Kahun and Sikura to see what 95 has at top 6)

I get what you mean, but I'm pretty sure you need at least one of Davidson/Manning to play as we only have seven d-men up right now.
- Chunk

With Forsling day to day nursing a tweaked injury and Murphy still weeks away, Colliton may want to consider giving some of his Hog defensemen a shot.

Dahlstrom would be 1st choice but he's injured, otherwise, I'd call him up. Raddysh is playing well so maybe at least a cup of coffee.

Hillman and Carlsson have been steady while still learning so I'd wait until late winter at the earliest to even consider bringing them up for a look see.

The others are still more than a year away like Gilbert and Tuulola. By then, though, Boqvist, Beaudin, and Mitchell could arrive and leapfrog them.

Because Q signed Kunitz?
- Return of the Roar

Because Kunitz sucks and Q kept playing him anyway.

Wow they actually pulled the trigger on coach Q, can't blame them, too many players on this team don't know what to do, because they're are athletes who happen to be good at hockey.

Can we please simplify everything, station to station, and defenseman last men to leave the dzone, Corey and Ward have seen an onslaught of odd man rushes since CC has come back to the ice.

This does put Bowman under the microscope starting now