A Monday morning news bomb dropped in the American Hockey League (AHL) world. The Springfield Thunderbirds and, by default, the St. Louis Blues, fired their head coach, Steve Konowalchuk, and promoted assistant coach Steve Ott as the interim for the rest of the season. The change came on the heels of a four-game losing streak that has the Thunderbirds sitting in last place in the Atlantic Division.
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Konowalchuk wasn’t the typical hire from the start. He came from the Western Hockey League (WHL) and played a fast system that exposed the Thunderbirds on the defensive side. Yet, it appeared like he was doing a good job or, at the very least, making the most out of a difficult situation. So, why did the Thunderbirds make this change midseason?
Why Konowalchuk Failed in the AHL
The AHL is ruthless when it comes to head coaches. The league fires them before they can build a winning culture or a team in their vision, and the shelf life for many is only two seasons, if that. That’s what happened with the Thunderbirds.
Konowalchuk had his strengths but his style was a contrast to most coaches. His temperament was calmer, and instead of playing a forechecking style, he wanted the team to play a rush-based system. Konowalchuk’s background notably made the AHL job an adjustment since he came from a junior hockey background. At the WHL level, he had control over his roster, and turnover was minimal but in the AHL, there’s no control, especially when players are called up and sent down.
The other adjustment, one he admitted a few weeks back, is the gap in ages and backgrounds of the players in the AHL. “You’re developing guys, and then there are veterans,” Konowalchuk noted in a conversation with Hockey Hot Stove. There are prospects, and then there are journeymen fighting to stay in the league, and it requires a coach to work with everyone. Konowalchuk had buy-in from some of the Thunderbirds but not the whole team.
Konowalchuk adjusted but didn’t do enough. It’s why a slow start put him on the hot seat. It’s also why a four-game skid was enough to convince the Blues to make a change. Earlier in the season, an AHL talent evaluator mentioned that Springfield is trying to remove the losing reputation they’ve built in recent seasons and not only develop prospects. This is a start.
Who Replaces Konowalchuk
A midseason hire is usually a clean-up job, where an interim comes in and plays out the rest of the season before the team brings in someone to begin the next season. It’s debatable whether that’s the case with the Steve Ott hire. Ott was a long-time assistant for the Blues who will join the AHL side of things.
Ott is a younger coach who might be making his first steps towards an NHL job as he’s finally getting the chance to lead a team. The Thunderbirds sit at the bottom of the Atlantic, and this is his shot to turn some heads.
This season is probably a lost one for the Thunderbirds, who, at best, sneak into the playoffs as the final team in. That said, if there was ever a time to make a change to save the season, now is the time.
Other AHL Coaches Are on High Alert
The Belleville Senators already replaced their head coach after a slow start earlier in the season. David Bell was fired, and Andrew Campbell was hired with the Senators trying to make a push for a playoff spot and, more importantly, do a better job developing the prospects.
The recent changes aren’t the last, and it’s why some head coaches have their heads on a swivel. The Hartford Wolf Pack are in a similar spot as the Thunderbirds, and Grant Potulny has struggled to get the most out of the team, putting him in the firing line. The Iowa Wild hired Greg Cronin in the offseason, and they’ve taken a step back, so you wonder if they’ll bring in someone new.
The Konowalchuk firing is a reminder that this league separates the NHLers from the pretenders. It’s true about the players but also the case when it comes to the coaches. Some of the best coaches in the NHL made their mark in the AHL first but the ones who aren’t great are snuffed out quickly.
