Peter Horachek is what you would call a good soldier.
A guy who takes orders, doesn?t complain, and does his job no matter what the consequences.
When Randy Carlyle was fired as the Maple Leafs head coach on Jan. 6 (after the Leafs lost seven of their last 10 games), Horachek was promoted to interim head coach. An appointment that has turned out to be a career-killing move for the Stoney Creek, Ont., native.
Even though the Leafs were in a position to make a run at the playoffs at the time of Carlyle?s firing, there was already talk of tanking and certain key players had prematurely pulled the chute. The Leafs were undoubtedly on a downward trajectory and there were disturbing signs that many of the team?s veterans were weary of playing hard every game or providing any sort of leadership.
Making matters even more complex, Horachek was charged with the task of teaching this team of freeloaders and lolly-gaggers some defence, to implement some sort of defensive principles into the system. As a result, goal-scoring went into the tank, though, by most accounts, defence has tightened since the departure of Carlyle. Still, when you don?t score, you don?t win.
For Horachek, it was basically a no-win situation. By agreeing to guide the Leafs through the rest of the 2014-15 campaign ? a team that was already nose-diving ? Horachek essentially cut his own throat in terms of any future employment as an NHL head coach. It?s almost certain he?ll never be one again. His record since taking over the Leafs is 6-25-3.
And then when the Toronto front office made the decision earlier this year to start the rebuild in earnest (which will no doubt carry into the off-season) ? which included getting rid of veterans for kids and draft picks ? it became almost certain that the losses would continue no matter what kind of a job Horachek did behind the bench.
But no matter what you think of the job Horachek has done, you have to believe that man deserves to be looked after by the Leafs when the season is over given the thankless task he inherited. The organization should find this man a gig in the front office or put him back behind the bench as an assistant, if that?s what he wants.
He deserves it.
There?s no doubt that the Leafs will fire Horachek as head coach after the season. But given his hard work and the fact that he has done so without complaint (he looks like he hasn?t slept for three months), he deserves more consideration than just being left at the side of the proverbial curb. After all, who?s going to ever hire this dude again as a NHL head coach? As that annoying furniture guy bellows: ?Nooooooobody!?
Which is sad, because Horachek is a career coach, starting his work behind the bench way back in 1987 as an assistant with the Saginaw Hawks in the IHL. Since then, he?s coached in Flint, Nashville (of the ECHL), St. Thomas, Flint again, Orlando, Trenton, Milwaukee, Nashville (of the NHL), San Antonio, Florida, and finally the Leafs. He served as an NHL head coach once before (with the Florida Panthers). Coaching is what the man does. But Horachek, took a bullet for this franchise and almost certainly sabotaged his own career as a future head man in the NHL in the process. For that he deserves to be looked after.
The Sun sent a request to Leafs president Brendan Shanahan to ask if there are plans to do something for Horachek after the season ends ? with the understanding that he won?t be back as the head coach. Steve Keogh, the Leafs director of media relations, responded that management won?t address any future plans until after the season is over, which is typical of the closed-lipped Shanahan. Keogh, though, added: ?However, it is fair to say that management has been extremely impressed with Peter Horachek the man, and the way he has battled through this. His strength of character and resolve is on display through this difficult period.?
A statement, while not attributed to anyone specifically, no doubt reflects Shanahan?s stand. Hopefully that means that Horachek, the good soldier, will get his due when the carnage has ended.
