Larry Robinson happy with role as special assignment coach; wasn't up for Habs' job

Devils special assignment coach Larry Robinson said his role will not change this season.

"Not that I know of," Robinson said this morning as the Devils' rookies were taking their training camp physicals.

Robinson, a Hall of Fame defenseman with the Canadians and the Kings and the head coach of the Devils 2000 Stanley Cup team, said reports that he was a candidate this summer for the head coaching job -- or any coaching job --  in Montreal were false.

"At first I heard I was going to be head coach and all these different rumors and I said, 'Well, I guess there's only one way to be hire and that's for them to get in touch with you,'" Robinson said. "Nobody got in touch with me, so I figured I guess they don't want me."

Robinson, who had hernia surgery a couple of weeks ago, is happy with his role with the Devils, but didn't rule out returning to the NHL as an head coach or assistant coach some day.

"I wouldn't say I'm itching, but you know what? When you're in hockey this long, I don't think you ever lose the itch," he said. "But I don't know if I'd want to get back into head coaching or not. Maybe assistant coaching. Who knows?"

Robinson, 58, said there was no discussion of him returning as an assistant with Jacques Lemaire back as head coach. Robinson was an assistant under Lemaire with the Devils in 1993-94 and 1994-95.

"Tommy (Albelin) does a good job," he said. "You can only have so many coaches. Tommy is a lot younger than I am. He's doing a good job here. And Jacques has been working with Mario (Tremblay)."

Comments

[The Ugly Duckling]

Major Prediction: Devils will be 6-0 going into the Carolina game on Saturday October 17th.

[Josh]

Minor Prediction: The Devils will be winning the game against Carolina until the last 80 seconds.

[DevsFan316]

OMG dude I burst laughing and yeah that did suck but still I'm glad to see him helping out too

[brickwall30]

awwwww josh why bring that one back up lol.

I was having real success with the therapy to forget that game ... !@#$ing Eric Staal