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Bednar A Great Fit For Sakic And The Avs
- Updated: August 26, 2016
The timing of it might have been a bit unconventional, but Colorado Avalanche executive vice president/general manager Joe Sakic got the guy he hopes will lead the team toward a championship.
Not often do NHL head coaching jobs become available in mid-August, but that was what the Avs were faced with after a vacancy in that position two weeks ago. Most teams had hired new head coaches and staff back in May and June, but Colorado had to begin the process with training camp just weeks away.
Despite the short window to work with, it didn’t take long for Sakic to find the franchise’s next coach in Jared Bednar, who was fresh off winning the American Hockey League Calder Cup championship with the Lake Erie Monsters, the top minor-league affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
“We’re very confident and comfortable with Jared leading our group,” Sakic said on a conference call with the media on Thursday. “I like the way his teams play. I think it suits and fits with how we play. We have a fast forward group and that up-tempo, pressure game all over the ice is, first of all exciting, and it will suit our team.”
During the interview process, Bednar eyed the Avalanche roster and saw the appeal of coaching a team with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Erik Johnson, and Tyson Barrie on its roster. His system should work nicely with the current assortment of young players and solid veterans, which includes Jarome Iginla, Carl Soderberg, Cody McLeod, Blake Comeau and Francois Beauchemin.
“It’s an exciting group. I think there is a group of forwards especially that can be dynamic, guys that play fast,” Bednar said. “I just see it being a good fit as well. The league is getting faster every day, and we have to find a way to put a structure in place to get these guys playing an up-tempo style and help support all over the ice as well.
The possibility of being named an NHL head coach in the dog days of summer was a bit unexpected for Bednar, who was getting ready to help the Monsters defend their AHL title.
However, when the Avalanche came calling, it was an opportunity that he wanted to take advantage of. He had let his route to the NHL happen naturally, and it paid off.
“It’s a little bit of a different situation because of the time of it,” Bednar said. “I’ve never tried to get on the fast track to get to the NHL. I …
continue reading in source avalanche.nhl.com
