Dale Hunter to step down as Capitals head coach

[caps87]

At first, I couldnt stand watching this team when he was brought in. They were playing soft, boring hockey and the way Hunter handled his players was questionable at best. But toward the end of the season and the playoffs, they played harder and they could very easily still be playing right now. And I love how he didnt give Ovechkin any special star treatment. Im hopeful that this postseason will show McPhee that the Caps need some more grind it out guys like Hendricks, who really stood out this postseason, and a coach that favors guys like that. Hunter's style sure is boring, but you cant help but cheer for those grinders out there hitting and blocking shots the way they did. Hope to see a more exciting version of that next season. Then again, McPhee is out GM so we'll probably see someone like Paul Maurice get hired.

[BondraDaBomb]

[MOFOR]

Wanted to be with his family. Who takes an nhl coaching job for 6 months and doesn't look at it as wanting to do it long term? I don't get why he left his jr team to take the job in the first place if he didn't want to stay...


oh, its because he's a douchebag!!!!!!

[Captain Crunch28]

Originally Posted by MOFOR

Wanted to be with his family. Who takes an nhl coaching job for 6 months and doesn't look at it as wanting to do it long term? I don't get why he left his jr team to take the job in the first place if he didn't want to stay...


oh, its because he's a douchebag!!!!!!

Or wanted a shot at the Cup.

[Mike Tython]

I think Holtby covered up a lot of things going on in Washington. I wished Hunter would've stayed because they wouldn't have gone anywhere with him at the helm.

[canuck2]

Hunter's style is boring?

I sure enjoyed watching this Caps team in the playoffs that's for sure.

[HordiBrusk29]

Originally Posted by canuck2

Hunter's style is boring?

I sure enjoyed watching this Caps team in the playoffs that's for sure.

Yes it is. In the past Hunter used to dress tough teams. I have no idea why he turned so soft. Either way, I thought the Caps and Bruins series was very boring. The Rangers series was a little better but that doesn't say a whole lot.

Any way as far as Hunter stepping down, some guys just prefer coaching and/or managing at the junior level. It's a much different style of coaching which some coaches prefer over professional hockey. A guy like Don Hay is a perfect example of that.

[canuck2]

Originally Posted by HordiBrusk29

Yes it is. In the past Hunter used to dress tough teams. I have no idea why he turned so soft. Either way, I thought the Caps and Bruins series was very boring. The Rangers series was a little better but that doesn't say a whole lot.

Any way as far as Hunter stepping down, some guys just prefer coaching and/or managing at the junior level. It's a much different style of coaching which some coaches prefer over professional hockey. A guy like Don Hay is a perfect example of that.

Hordi nobody is dressing tough teams in this league.

You can be assured that if the style of play in this league was condusive to tough hockey Dale would field a very tough team.

As it was he took over a pretty soft one way team half way through the regular season and had them playing a pretty tough brand of hockey in the playoffs. At least tough and hard hitting for the personel they had.

for that I give him high marks.

[CapsFan99]

Originally Posted by DaleHunter32

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=395920

mother f*cker

what's more funny?

dale hunter posting about himself stepping down,

or dale hunter swearing at himself for stepping down

[HordiBrusk29]

Originally Posted by canuck2

Hordi nobody is dressing tough teams in this league.

Not every team, but point taken. Either way he frequently scratched a guy like John Erskine. A guy that was consistently in their top 4 or 5 about a year ago. And a good enough defenseman to be a regular player on just about any team. So that certainly pissed me off.

Either way if you are going to play a clogging prevent defense and you aren't an overly physical or tough team you are boring as hell to watch in my eyes. And that is basically what the Capitals were with Hunter behind the bench.

[BondraDaBomb]

And that is basically what the Capitals were with Hunter behind the bench.

And with Bruce Boudreau everyone gave the team **** because they scored too many goals!

[smashem]

I saw this and said WTF, It is his life though.

[ChiefJunior]

I don't blame him. He has a good thing going in London. He's a smart hockey guy, whether you like him or not. Guaranteed he looked at that team and figured he just couldn't make it work with the players there. No doubt he couldn't handle a team that allows the players to make the calls (or have so much say) .

Washington is going nowhere fast, although I just read on TSN that Semin will not sign with WSH and is going to test the free agent market. So there is hope.

[DARCY T]

Originally Posted by canuck2

Hunter's style is boring?

I sure enjoyed watching this Caps team in the playoffs that's for sure.

Originally Posted by canuck2

As it was he took over a pretty soft one way team half way through the regular season and had them playing a pretty tough brand of hockey in the playoffs. At least tough and hard hitting for the personel they had.

for that I give him high marks.

i second that

[Humpzilla]

Dale's always going to be this guy to me. Coaching in the NHL isn't cut out for him...or mainly his personality

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