

Photo Credit: James Guillory/USA TODAY Sports

Vancouver Canucks head coach Willie Desjardins, a career bench boss, waited 57 years before he got the opportunity to open an NHL campaign as the top dog on an NHL coaching staff. Heading into his second season as an NHL head coach, it would appear that Desjardins may have to be patient once again.

The Canucks’ 58-year-old bench boss is currently recovering from hip replacement surgery, which will cause him to miss this weekend’s sure-to-be fascinating Young Stars Tournament in Penticton, B.C.. How much more time Desjardins’ misses thereafter isn’t clear at the moment.

On Wednesday the Canucks declared that Desjardins would be ready for the regular season opener on Oct. 7, and general manager Jim Benning indicated to the Vancouver Province’s Jason Botchford that his head coach is expected to be in Prince George for the opening of training camp next week. Desjardins’ expected presence at training camp and behind the bench for the season opener is far from a foregone conclusion though, according to a report from TSN 1040 host Matt Sekeres.

Here’s what Sekeres said during his radio show on Thursday morning:

The Canucks could very well begin the season with interim head coach Glen Gulutzan in charge [as a result of Desjardins’ hip replacement surgery]… This, clearly, wasn’t the Canucks’ plan and I can tell you there is concern in the organization about the ripple effects of this news. Desjardins will miss Young Stars in Penticton this weekend, which isn’t that big a loss since Travis Green runs the bench anyways. He’ll miss on-ice sessions this month, where he’ll be reduced to observer from somewhere in the rink. Now my information is that he won’t go to Prince George for training camp – although the Province reports otherwise. That could very well be the difference between Willie’s wishes and doctor’s orders… He had surgery on his other hip several years back and he was flying within the week, so it’s quite possible that he could get on the plane for Prince George. He could also be left behind back here in Vancouver. The Canucks release said that Desjardins expects to be back for the regular season opener against Calgary on October 7th, but my understanding is that is an ambitious timetable. That Desjardins may not be able to stand on a bench by that point. It is very possible that the Canucks have to name an interim head coach – likely Gulutzan who has experience as the top dog in Dallas – with Willie watching the opening of the season in the press box.

Gulutzan spent one full season and another lockout abbreviated campaign as the head coach of the Dallas Stars between 2011 and 2013. He amassed a 66-57-9 win/loss record with a team that – if we’re being honest – had some decent pieces, but really wasn’t all that good.

The 44-year-old assistant coach was passed over for interim head coaching duty during his first season with the Canucks in 2013-14, when former Canucks assistant Mike Sullivan replaced John Tortorella for five games during Torts’ five-game suspension for flipping out at Calgary Flames head coach and master troll Bob Hartley in the bowels of Rogers Arena, following a memorable line brawl.

Sekeres’ report would seem to contradict Benning’s statements to Botchford on Wednesday, in which the Canucks’ general manager indicated that Desjardins would for sure be in Prince George for training camp and that he’d likely return to the bench prior to the end of the preseason.

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“I don’t think he’ll miss that many exhibition games,” Benning said.

Obviously this is a very tough break for Desjardins on a personal level – particularly when you consider that he paid his dues and then some before getting an NHL shot. It’s also a tough break for the Canucks, and could well complicate how the next month plays out.

It was suggested by Sekeres on Thursday that Desjardins’ possible absence from training camp (or maybe even from the season opener) could prove to be a boon for some of the Canucks’ younger players who are seeking to make a positive impression on the coaching staff and management over the next four weeks.

“One informed source told me that young players may actually benefit from this,” said Sekeres, “because (Benning) is more inclined to integrate young guys into the lineup than the veteran friendly coach, and because Desjardins won’t have the same mental catalogue of errors that the young guys have made.”

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It’s hard to gauge what impact Desjardins’ recovery time could have on the club, particularly when the timeline is in doubt. Thinking back to the head coach’s first training camp last September though it seems worth noting that he unveiled some crucial wrinkles on the very first day of camp that permeated well into the season. He was widely praised for sticking Radim Vrbata with the Sedin twins from the get-go at camp, for example, and that line rode together until mid-January.

Even if Desjardins is unable to be with the team from the opening day of camp surely his lieutenants will still faithfully execute his plans, but there’s no denying that however much time Desjardins ultimately misses, this situation is a suboptimal one for both team and coach.





