Lemaire has interest in Devils' coaching job

Former Devils coach Jacques Lemaire is leaving the door open to a return to coaching in 2009-10 and possibly coming back to the Devils.

Although Lemaire, who will turn 64 in September, did not return a phone message I left for him earlier this week, he called back Mike Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Thursday (Mike does an excellent job on his blog at http://blogs2.startribune.com/blogs/wildblog/).

When Russo asked him if he's going to return to the Devils, who he coached to their first Stanley Cup in 1995, Lemaire replied, "I can't talk about that. There's nothing done yet. There's nothing that I can talk about right now."

Lemaire told the St. Paul Pioneer Press that he has not spoken to Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello about the team's coaching opening (as of Thursday), but admitted he is intrigued by it -- to a point.

"I want to know all [that] comes with it, you know?" he told the Pioneer Press. "What type of job, the salary, where I'm going to work from, how long -- this and that."

Lemaire that if he wants the job and he doesn't hear from Lamoriello, he might pick up the phone himself.

"If [Lamoriello] doesn't call and I want it, it's me that's going to call," Lemaire told the Pioneer Press. "I have to ask permission from the [Wild] because I'm under contract [until July 1]."

Lemaire also is rumored to have been offered an consultant position with the Montreal Canadiens. He recently turned down an offer to be a consultant with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Lemaire appeared to be done with coaching when he stepped down after nine years with the Minnesota Wild in April, but says he still hasn't made up his mind whether he wants to coach again.

“That’s the thing I haven’t decided," he told Russo. "After the season, I thought I was going consultant so I can be with the kids and the grandkids. But as I mentioned at that time, I’m not closing the door on coaching. I’ll look at the two options, and if I’m going to be busy, I’m going to be busy. So maybe I want to coach. We’ll see.”

Lemaire had said previously that he'd like to work with a GM he knows and Bob Gainey in Montreal and Lamoriello both fit that bill. From the sound of things, Lemaire at least is intrigued by the idea of returning to the Devils, but he's not going to say that outright.

One thing I've learned through the many coaching searches the Devils have conducted over the years is that no one who is a candidate for the job is going to speak to the media. If they do, they will no longer be a candidate. Lamoriello likes these things to be done quietly. If word leaked out that someone is talking to Lamoriello, that might be enough to end their candidacy.

So, don't expect to read a lot of concrete information anywhere about this search for Brent Sutter's replacement.

Here's some things we know for sure so far.

**Former Carolina and Islanders coach Peter Laviolette interviewed recently for the Wild coaching opening. San Jose assistant Todd Richards, who has a relationship with new Wild GM Chuck Fletcher from their time together in the Penguins' organization (Richards was the head coach in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre before Dan Bylsma), still appears to be the frontrunner right now.

Laviolette, who has two years left on his contract with the Hurricanes, also did not return a phone message I left for him earlier this week. The Devils would have to be granted permission from the Canes to talk to him.

**Marc Crawford is no longer an option after he was hired Thursday to replace Dave Tippett in Dallas. I don't think Crawford was ever going to be a candidate for the Devils anyway. There would have been some question about his relationship with Martin Brodeur after Crawford told Brodeur on the flight to Nagano in 1998 that he would not be playing in any of the games for Canada in the Olympics because Patrick Roy wanted to play every game.

**Tippett is a possible candidate now after losing his job in Dallas and, I think, would be a pretty good fit here. He is known as a players' coach, but he also is a straight shooter. The Devils would need permission from the Stars to speak with him. That probably wouldn't be a problem. Dallas wouldn't mind getting out of the remainder of Tippett's contract after signing him last summer to an extension through the end of 2010-11.

Comments

[Pete]

Anyone but Lemaire. Defensive hockey will never win in the new NHL.

[Frank Rizzo]

How about Johnny Mac? Think he'll get a shot?

[TattooDevilsFan]

What are the chances Lamaire wont play a trap style game? slim to none so I say NOOOOOOOOO WAY!
Next!

[dougiebrown]

TG, could you explain something to me? How can Laviolette still have two years left on his contract with the Hurricanes when it was the Hurricanes that fired him? It's not like he resigned from the 'canes. I don't understand that one bit, and why the Devils would have to get permission from a team that fired said coach. Very confusing.

[MK]

Head Coach Scott Stevens
Assist Coach Defense Ken Daneyko
Assist Coach Offense Kirk Muller

[TG]

Having a contract works both ways. Just because they fired him, doesn't mean they don't have to honor his contract and continue to pay him. They just relieved him of his coaching dutites. At the same time, they retain their rights to him for two more years.

That said, the Hurricanes probably wouldn't stand in the way of him getting another job, so they wouldn't have to pay him anymore.

[LIDevsFan]

Tippett is a good option ... as long as there are holdover veterans on this roster, I think the team needs somewhat of an authority figure as coach, and Johnny Mac may be too close to them to be that.

[njhillbilly]

Firing a coach does not absolve the team from fulfilling thier contractual responsibilities. He is still technically under contract and he is gettting paid. He just isn't coaching.

[lucky louie]

will someone tell lou to stop living in the past...sign someone who can last longer than a year or two and get this team pass the first round.

[Burger Time]

IT"S A TRAP!

[Justin]

Wild fan that stumbled on this through puck daddy :).

Lemaire officially resigned from the Wild and announced it shortly after their final game at Columbus. Personally I think it was preemptive on Lemaire's part because I believe then GM Doug Riseborough was going to make Lemaire the unjustified scapegoat. Riseborough ended up getting the axe about a week later, that was very justified, but still surprising from a second year owner.

I'm sure can get any permission he needs from the Wild organization if he really wants to pursue something. But, not that I have to explain this to Devlis fans, Lemaire is a cagey old guy, and it's always tough to tell what he's really thinking.

[Jeff O.]

My votes are still for Laviolette or Mike Haviland. There is an article that gives reasons as to why Haviland is the best choice, and I agree with it.

http://www.northjersey.com/sports/devils/47737417.html

[HF]

yes lucky louie i agree- we need some stability here and have a hungry coach who is trying to build something here with the devils,not someone who is deciding between coaching and consulting. truth is lemaire as an assistant GM or somewhere in the front office is fine with me. He did turn around this franchise and would be a good presence in the organization...
Peter Laviolette would fit real well, Tippet, or Hartley round out my top 3. Mike Haivland is a nice story but i think we need a more experienced playoff coach and all 3 i mentioned have that experience.

[Justin]

OH and I'll add, if the Wild hire Laviolette, I believe that would relieve the 'Canes of their obligations to him. So in general, while the 'Canes have retained his rights, I'm sure they would encourage him to seek other opportunities. But someone who knows more should probably conferm

[TG]

What Justin said is correct. The Wild already received permission to speak to Laviolette, so he's free from his contract with the Canes if they hire him.

If the Devils received permission to talk to Laviolette and hired him, the Canes wouldn't have to pay him anymore.

That's why teams almost always grant permission to talk to a coach they have fired. The situation with Sutter is a little more tricky because the Devils wanted him back.

[Zorin]

Jeff....good find. Frightening words. After going through 10 coaching changes in the 11 years since Lemaire stepped down as head coach, Lamoriello needs to find someone who can provide stability behind the bench.

I agree, I like Haviland.

[TG]

That link is actually to the column I wrote for The Record that was in Thursday's paper. For some reason, my name is not on it.

[Scratch Sutter]

Forget Lemaire...Please!, not another guy who's not sure if he wants to coach, and let's not go back to the old ways. I like Haviland too, said it a couple of times.

[Zorin]

Well TG...u need to get off the PC and get in there and tell them what's up. We got your back. That's not cool, you wrote it, you should get the byline.

[TG]

I was credited in the paper. Sometimes the tag falls off on the Web site.

[KenF]

I agree with Scratch.

If someone doesnt know if they want to coach, they should be deleted off the list immediately. If they get offered the job and hem and haw, off the list.

[Justin]

I'll add that I believe Laviolette has already spoken with the Wild (as have Richards and MacTavish). The other long shot for the Wild would be current Houston Aeros head coach Kevin Constantine. Patrick Reusse (another Star Tribune columnist) mentioned on the radio that the Wild may still be interested in speaking with assistants from both the Red Wings and Penguins, hence the delay. But the draft is coming soon :), and Fletcher has made it clear he wants to make a hire by then.

But if I can put a couple cents in on the Devs (since this is a Devs blog and everything), I think the Devils need to fire Lamirillo one of these days. 10 coaches in 11 years in unacceptable, and it gets to a point where LL shouldn't be allowed to keep scapegoating coaches.

[Tom]

If you read the article about Lemaire he seems like a fairly humorous guy. I don't remember that from the first time around. TG, have you had any experience dealing with Lemaire before? Just for his quotability he seems like the top choice for reporters.

[TG]

Lemaire is a very humorous guy. I liked dealing with him.

And, in Lamoriello's defense, some of the coaching changes weren't his choice. Sutter left, Robinson stepped down the second time (and kind of did the first time too) and Pat Burns was diagnosed with cancer.

Still, there is a need for stability in the coaching position.

[Scratch Lemaire]

Lemaire= Le merde...no thank you. Haviland, MacTavish...maybe greasy headed Laviolette...I want someone who's going to stick around.