A few weeks ago, I argued that while Travis Green was the most likely candidate to be hired as Vancouver Canucks’ head coach, he wasn’t the best choice. I wasn’t alone in that assessment, but, I don’t discount the possibility that Green will prove us wrong. Indeed, I hope he does.
My greatest concern was that his coaching philosophy appears to be similar to that of his predecessor, Willie Desjardins, whose unwillingness to give young players ice time was the nail in his coaching coffin. No event encapsulated this problem better than the infamous “Goldygate”: Desjardins’ decision to bench Goldobin in his first game immediately following his first goal as a Canuck.