I was expecting something different, like "we all know Joki should be playing on the top pair, but we're just (frank)ing with the fans." Or "We know Joki is one of the top 7 defensemen on our roster right now, but we've got him in Rockford for his long-term development - screw the consequences to this year's team." This would have been good, too - "we think if he doesn't get stronger, he's got no future in the league, so we sent the wimp to the Rock to toughen up."

Maybe, just maybe, there's a plan in place being followed by the organization; and Joki knows of the plan and accepts it? Nah, no way.....
- mohel

Slow down a bit there.. Top pair? Never said that. In the top 6? Yeah. He is a way better defender then Forsling. That was it bro!

Well LA here is how you run a business and here is how you hire key people. You don’t just hire a person you happen to have around. You hire someone who is highly intelligent and confident not arrogant. Someone who has experience. You look for the special attributes that set that person apart. You look at the success they have had in the positions they have had.

For an NHL position I would look at Assistant Coaches who are universally respected and have paid their dues. I would not just hire a NHL re-tread. In special circumstances you can look at highly successful NHL coaches that need a change of scenery or were treated unfairly - see Long Island, Toronto and Vegas.

In other very special circumstances you can look at University Coaches or CHL Coaches with high levels of success. This is especially true if the resume also has other coaching or management roles listed. For example the London Knights could be a constant source of NHL hockey people if anyone wanted to leave.

So who would I hire for the key position of HC of the Hawks? I don’t know but I do know that I would have a large stack of very impressive resumes of highly qualified people available at that point in time. Just like I have always done when I have hired people to work for me. Finally, Colliton’s resume would not even be in the pile.
- Z3Hawk

People work for you? I bet they love that!!

And playing Patrick Kane 25 minutes a night during the regular season is not a strategy. It what a coach who is panicked does.
- scottak

When you have a player who has a shot at the league lead in either points or goals--or both--it seems like a nice gesture to play him as much as possible. It's not like playing him 25 minutes is hurting the team. It might wear him down for the playoffs (IF...) but the team is not expected to win the cup anyway.

People work for you? I bet they love that!!
- mohel

They do enjoy working for me. Similarly like you enjoy working for your boss at Burger King.

If anyone wants to sum up for what Kuc said on the Athletic feel free

Slow down a bit there.. Top pair? Never said that. In the top 6? Yeah. He is a way better defender then Forsling. That was it bro!
- z1990z

Sorry, Z, I was responding generally to the topic of Joki in the minors. Do you think they actually believe Forsling is better than Joki? Any chance they're just saying the "standard thing" when the youngster gets sent down? I suspect so, bro.

They do enjoy working for me. Similarly like you enjoy working for your boss at Burger King.
- Z3Hawk

Good one.

They do enjoy working for me. Similarly like you enjoy working for your boss at Burger King.
- Z3Hawk

Is a reference to a poster working at Wendy's Next?

Sorry, Z, I was responding generally to the topic of Joki in the minors. Do you think they actually believe Forsling is better than Joki? Any chance they're just saying the "standard thing" when the youngster gets sent down? I suspect so, bro.
- mohel

I have no doubt there is a plan, but Joki is the steady calm D that this team needs. Don't know what the deal is with Forsling, but Joki played really well the other night and got zilch for minutes. Maybe Forsling is getting time in prep for a possible trade. Just a little frustrated with the merry go round on D.

Is a reference to a poster working at Wendy's Next?
- paulr

I'd go with Dunkin', or Horton's. Seems like he might work in fast food himself...not that there's anything wrong with that (there's not, right ZHawk?).

I have no doubt there is a plan, but Joki is the steady calm D that this team needs. Don't know what the deal is with Forsling, but Joki played really well the other night and got zilch for minutes. Maybe Forsling is getting time in prep for a possible trade. Just a little frustrated with the merry go round on D.
- z1990z

The D core is really frustrating. But they seem to be taking the long view with the Joker, and I'm happy about that.

Well LA here is how you run a business and here is how you hire key people. You don’t just hire a person you happen to have around. You hire someone who is highly intelligent and confident not arrogant. Someone who has experience. You look for the special attributes that set that person apart. You look at the success they have had in the positions they have had.

For an NHL position I would look at Assistant Coaches who are universally respected and have paid their dues. I would not just hire a NHL re-tread. In special circumstances you can look at highly successful NHL coaches that need a change of scenery or were treated unfairly - see Long Island, Toronto and Vegas.

You can also look at AHL coaches who have paid their dues over a long period of time and have been great at development.

In other very special circumstances you can look at University Coaches or CHL Coaches with high levels of success. This is especially true if the resume also has other coaching or management roles listed. For example the London Knights could be a constant source of NHL hockey people if anyone wanted to leave.

So who would I hire for the key position of HC of the Hawks? I don’t know but I do know that I would have a large stack of very impressive resumes of highly qualified people available at that point in time. Just like I have always done when I have hired people to work for me. Finally, Colliton’s resume would not even be in the pile.
- Z3Hawk

Intelligent and not arrogant you say. How did you ever get a job then?

Good one.
- mohel

He zinged me with Macdonald's. I only wish I could work at BK

If anyone wants to sum up for what Kuc said on the Athletic feel free
- mrpaulish

I don't see anything from Kuc at the Athletic - do you have a link?

I have no doubt there is a plan, but Joki is the steady calm D that this team needs. Don't know what the deal is with Forsling, but Joki played really well the other night and got zilch for minutes. Maybe Forsling is getting time in prep for a possible trade. Just a little frustrated with the merry go round on D.
- z1990z

I'm not an advanced stats person but I know some have said Jokiharju has pretty good advanced stats compared to other D men. While I don't mind limiting his minutes or even sending him down to Rockford if it is for a gradual developmental regimen, I do sometimes wonder if it's more of a case of the stance of a rookie not yet earning his stripes despite actually performing better in many (not necessarily all) aspects of the game than his fellow blueliners. Fine if that perspective is totally false but just throwing out another theory as food for thought.

I'm not an advanced stats person but I know some have said Jokiharju has pretty good advanced stats compared to other D men. While I don't mind limiting his minutes or even sending him down to Rockford if it is for a gradual developmental regimen, I do sometimes wonder if it's more of a case of the stance of a rookie not yet earning his stripes despite actually performing better in many (not necessarily all) aspects of the game than his fellow blueliners. Fine if that perspective is totally false but just throwing out another theory as food for thought.
- AEL_Fox

Who knows, but wasn't it Q who just hated the kids (not saying you said this)? Didn't trust them. But he played Joki - maybe he got canned for using the kid too much!!

Before Friday’s game, I talked to IceHogs assistant coach Anders Sorensen, who works with defensemen, on what he and Jokiharju have been focusing on.

“The biggest thing we try to work on is his gaps and his playing right way defensively,” Sorensen said. “I thought he did a good job. Obviously keep working on his decisions with the puck and his puck placement.

“I think it was regaining some of the confidence and knowing he can battle against men. He did a good job of coming down here. We did watch some of the positioning stuff. He’s going to be a defenseman who’s going to use his feet and his stick to defense. I thought he did a good job of it. He did a better job of being in a better spot with his body and where it needed to be. I think he’s got more confidence in those areas for sure. Taking hits, going back for pucks under pressure, he’s done a much better job with that.”

Those will be areas Sorensen and Jokiharju will continue to work on with the IceHogs now. It’d be surprising if Jokiharju were recalled again unless the Blackhawks move a defenseman at the deadline or someone gets hurt."

Taken from The Athletic.

Taken from The Athletic.
- MjulQvist

The long view. Excellent idea, imo. They sensed he was losing confidence and acted to protect that confidence. Good play, especially at 19.

Who knows, but wasn't it Q who just hated the kids (not saying you said this)? Didn't trust them. But he played Joki - maybe he got canned for using the kid too much!!
- mohel

Agree, who knows about any of these theories. I do remember that narrative that Q hated the kids yet there were counter examples like Jokiharju, van Riemsdyk, Saad, Schmaltz, Shaw, Raanta (albeit as a backup) etc. who played with minimal or no time in the minors.

I have no doubt there is a plan, but Joki is the steady calm D that this team needs. Don't know what the deal is with Forsling, but Joki played really well the other night and got zilch for minutes. Maybe Forsling is getting time in prep for a possible trade. Just a little frustrated with the merry go round on D.
- z1990z

I'm inclined to take it easy on the Joki situation, instead of having him front and center on a Hawks team that isn't going to make the playoffs or be out quick, let him progress at a lower level which seems to be their plan.

The list of defenceman who were high picks that never amounted to much at the NHL level is very long. Luke Schenn, Stuart Percy, Nathan Beaulieu, Ville Pokka, Duncan Siemens, Ryan Murphy, Dillon Fournier, Adam Clendening, Jordan Schmaltz.

And those guys are from 1 or 2 draft years alone.

I was expecting something different, like "we all know Joki should be playing on the top pair, but we're just (frank)ing with the fans." Or "We know Joki is one of the top 7 defensemen on our roster right now, but we've got him in Rockford for his long-term development - screw the consequences to this year's team." This would have been good, too - "we think if he doesn't get stronger, he's got no future in the league, so we sent the wimp to the Rock to toughen up."

Maybe, just maybe, there's a plan in place being followed by the organization; and Joki knows of the plan and accepts it? Nah, no way.....
- mohel

Couldn't be. Silly Mo! Logic has no place here.

Well LA here is how you run a business and here is how you hire key people. You don’t just hire a person you happen to have around. You hire someone who is highly intelligent and confident not arrogant. Someone who has experience. You look for the special attributes that set that person apart. You look at the success they have had in the positions they have had.

For an NHL position I would look at Assistant Coaches who are universally respected and have paid their dues. I would not just hire a NHL re-tread. In special circumstances you can look at highly successful NHL coaches that need a change of scenery or were treated unfairly - see Long Island, Toronto and Vegas.

You can also look at AHL coaches who have paid their dues over a long period of time and have been great at development.

In other very special circumstances you can look at University Coaches or CHL Coaches with high levels of success. This is especially true if the resume also has other coaching or management roles listed. For example the London Knights could be a constant source of NHL hockey people if anyone wanted to leave.

So who would I hire for the key position of HC of the Hawks? I don’t know but I do know that I would have a large stack of very impressive resumes of highly qualified people available at that point in time. Just like I have always done when I have hired people to work for me. Finally, Colliton’s resume would not even be in the pile.
- Z3Hawk

Still waiting for a name, this whole answer is a cop out, its okay to say, i don't know.

Still waiting for a name, this whole answer is a cop out, its okay to say, i don't know.
- BetweenTheDots

Perhaps he is reviewing Barry Smith's resume and asking for references.

Still waiting for a name, this whole answer is a cop out, its okay to say, i don't know.
- BetweenTheDots

He did say "I don't know" (2nd sentence of the last paragraph of the post you quoted), but he's really sure he could do it better. Because he's hired people.

JC is right and Joki is playing where he should be. Maybe he will be a legit top pair guy or a solid NHL top 4 guy in the next year or two, but the kid is 19. He had some good games to start the year, but he wasn't exactly perfect either. Let him learn the ropes and work on his game.

The coach knows what he is doing. The Hawks aren't going to keep him playing just to make fans feel good, they will do what is best to develop the player. Be happy they are doing it! Joki might be a real solid dman when he is matured and ready. From what I've heard he is vocal and leads too, so maybe this kid will be one to wear and A or C in the future someday too.