Dupont named head coach

moggy#9

Well-Known Member
Thread starter #61
Good luck to Dupont, we can debate the positives & negatives all summer, as Finny said time will tell as he’s not coached yet so we’ve got nothing to go by. Yes he was “the coach” in the Playoffs, not without a few issues though, he’s got a long way to go yet. He’s certainly cut from the same cloth as Lord, says everything fans want to hear, which is great if that’s backed up on the ice. My fear is though you need the same quality of recruitment afforded to Lord, you need many factors to come together in order to win, quality starts at budget, recruiting the best you can afford, etc etc all the way to producing a Devils team ethos. If players can only turn up for a few games following a rousing changing room speech, then you’ve got problems. I don’t buy the Skalde lacked locker room presence as the reasons we didn’t turn up most games, Skalde has a proven track record at a high level of coaching, for me it was basically missing the number one & two in my previous comment, budget & recruiting the best you can afford. Skalde brought in a radical change in net minding policy, my feeling is he knew he’d need strong netminders to carrying the lack of scoring and inconsistent defence. If we are keeping the majority and bringing in only 6 new guys, it’ll be an interesting rebuild season, fingers crossed Dupont can pull it off, l certainly don’t want to be proven right if it means the Devils get worse than the dire season we’ve just had.
I completely agree. I'm off for a lay down now. :)
 

Kevlar68

Well-Known Member
#62
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Winning the playoffs wasnt that big a deal as its a five game tournament, l don't care what Kelman, the king of hyperbole, or anyone else on here says, its the easiest trophy win.
As for the Playoffs being the easiest cup to win, once you get past the ridiculous group stage where only 1 team lost out last season the Challenge cup is exactly the same BUT without a European place at stake, so because of the Continental cup position being attached the Playoff Cup is important. We have a more realistic chance of winning a European cup in the Continental cup than in the CHL.
 
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Wagstaff

Well-Known Member
#63
For those saying Mr DuPont only won the playoffs which only needs 3 games, I’m presuming that you presume you will finish top 8 in the league, to do this you need to win a lot more games than to win the challenge cup, just ask Manchester or Fife who didn’t get the chance to play those 3 games.
Your new coach knows the league, knows his players and must have the dressing room on his side.
Not many people rate Danny Stewart, but he works so hard on the other teams tactics and styles etc. quite often he will out coach the opposition, he has the backing of the dressing room and the players will do what he asks to win against the teams we have no right to beat with a budget well below them.
My advice would be to give Brodie the chance to wow you all.
 

Diablo3

Well-Known Member
#64
Just to add to that, how many teams have done a threepeat with the playoffs? I don't think it's as easy as some make out. I'm really excited to see what sort of team DuPont is going to put together, quick and heavy should appeal to most fans wishes
 

Devil94

Well-Known Member
#65
Just to clarify do’u mean the top 2 were strong considering the factors - unofficial salary cap, covid etc? Or Do’u think their rosters were as good as before covid?
I think it's fair to say the league as a whole dropped in standard, mainly due to the injuries, small rosters, and salary cap. But this years Belfast team was better than their 2019-2020 team, definitely.
 

Samael

Well-Known Member
#66
What manager doesn't tell the fans what they want to hear?
Thommo is a prime example.

Polarising characters like Mike Keenan and John Tortorella in the Nhl also gave zero f*cks about what fans thought of them or their tactics and was clearly demonstrated when they gave interviews.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
#68
For those saying Mr DuPont only won the playoffs which only needs 3 games, I’m presuming that you presume you will finish top 8 in the league, to do this you need to win a lot more games than to win the challenge cup, just ask Manchester or Fife who didn’t get the chance to play those 3 games.
Your new coach knows the league, knows his players and must have the dressing room on his side.
Not many people rate Danny Stewart, but he works so hard on the other teams tactics and styles etc. quite often he will out coach the opposition, he has the backing of the dressing room and the players will do what he asks to win against the teams we have no right to beat with a budget well below them.
My advice would be to give Brodie the chance to wow you all.
Which is a great example of way Dupont needs a great budget…….
 

Samael

Well-Known Member
#69
Just to add to that, how many teams have done a threepeat with the playoffs? I don't think it's as easy as some make out. I'm really excited to see what sort of team DuPont is going to put together, quick and heavy should appeal to most fans wishes
It's the easiest trophy to win as its the least amount of games required. I don't even know why its called the playoffs as its too short to be considered a playoff as such. It isn't rocket science to realise the league is the hardest, followed by the Cc.

If a best of series formed part of the playoffs I'd hold it in higher regard but in it's current format, which is just a vehicle to pay the wages of next years officials, it's just a shortened challenge cup. Nottingham have won it several years in succession when Nielson was coaching them, he had a knack for winning tinpot trophies after all and they have the most Challenge Cup wins if I'm not mistaken.
 

Mazzoak

Well-Known Member
#70
What manager doesn't tell the fans what they want to hear?
Every manager in every team sport states the positives, states the pleaser lines. What do you expect them to say "I've come to this team and the fan base are assholes but i'm here so......." or "I'm not here to win trophies or recruit a great team i'm here cause i need a job to pay my mortgage"
You get my drift.
Why you think Todd doesn’t engage with the Inferno, he write far worse than arseholes.
 

jenks33

Well-Known Member
#71
I think it's fair to say the league as a whole dropped in standard, mainly due to the injuries, small rosters, and salary cap. But this years Belfast team was better than their 2019-2020 team, definitely.
I’m not sure I’d agree with definitely better but yes I don’t think Belfast’s 19/20 roster was great. Although players that had average seasons in 19/20 like Mullen, Reddox, Wronka, Dupuy, Morgan would have fared better in the 21/22 season in my opinion.
Belfast’s 2018/19 roster was streets ahead of this seasons roster though for me. Belfast finished that season with Beskorowany, Baun, Riley, Smotherman, Murphy, Rutherford, Higgins, Johner, Roach, Leonard, Ferland, Vandermeer the list goes on. That was an outstanding roster at this level.
 
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Devil94

Well-Known Member
#72
Your right regarding the players, want you’ve failed to acknowledge is the business side of the game. Those who own the club, the business, who recruited the winning team did so not to sit back on the next season, more success means more fans, means more revenue, means more profit. Those clubs who didn’t succeed last year will want to win next season, for the same reasons, the large arena teams can afford to spend. The top four teams will be competing very hard next season.
Not really sure what you mean. I'm aware that winning is good for business, and that the top 4 teams will recruit sides that they think will win the league. I'm not suggesting for a second Belfast will sit back, but it's well known in sport that to win back to back is very difficult indeed, for a variety of reasons, some of which I noted on the previous post, and that teams don't always improve year on year.
 

Diafol

Well-Known Member
#73
Just bumped into Todd by coincidence.
He told me he's very excited to have Dupont as head coach and the appointment had been planned for a while but couldn't be announced till today.
New signings coming soon, but he wouldn't say how soon...
 

Samael

Well-Known Member
#74
For those saying Mr DuPont only won the playoffs which only needs 3 games, I’m presuming that you presume you will finish top 8 in the league, to do this you need to win a lot more games than to win the challenge cup, just ask Manchester or Fife who didn’t get the chance to play those 3 games.
Your new coach knows the league, knows his players and must have the dressing room on his side.
Not many people rate Danny Stewart, but he works so hard on the other teams tactics and styles etc. quite often he will out coach the opposition, he has the backing of the dressing room and the players will do what he asks to win against the teams we have no right to beat with a budget well below them.
My advice would be to give Brodie the chance to wow you all.
Dupont wasn't the head coach for the bulk of the season though to get us to the playoffs so I'm not sure what point you are making here.

Again though, finishing in the top 8 in a 10 league team is hardly impressive if you have a budget and a half decent off ice team. If it was top 8 in a 16 team league then yeah getting to the playoffs would mean something.

I'm starting to think some people on here just make posts to see how many likes they can get...
 

jenks33

Well-Known Member
#75
Dupont wasn't the head coach for the bulk of the season though to get us to the playoffs so I'm not sure what point you are making here.

Again though, finishing in the top 8 in a 10 league team is hardly impressive if you have a budget and a half decent off ice team. If it was top 8 in a 16 team league then yeah getting to the playoffs would mean something.

I'm starting to think some people on here just make posts to see how many likes they can get...
Yeah agreed. I think Mazzoak could coach the Devils to a top 8 finish to be fair
 

Kevlar68

Well-Known Member
#76
It's the easiest trophy to win as its the least amount of games required. I don't even know why its called the playoffs as its too short to be considered a playoff as such. It isn't rocket science to realise the league is the hardest, followed by the Cc..
Don't get your logic at all.

Challenge Cup
3 Groups of 3, 9 teams, 8 go through. 8 games to get to quarters.
Quarters, semis and a final with nothing attached to it, you just win the Challenge cup.

Playoffs
10 teams, 8 go through, play all season 54 games to get a position or win the league.
Quarters, semis and final with Continental Cup position attached to it.

So from the quarters to the final it's the most difficult trophy to win out of Challenge and playoff.
You don't get a second chance in a semi as there is no second leg to claw the win back, it's a one off winner takes all in playoff, so in reality it's harder to win after also playing a full season, challenge cup and Europe at the end of your tank running on fumes.
 

Samael

Well-Known Member
#77
Yeah agreed. I think electro could coach the Devils to a top 8 finish to be fair
Fixed that for you.

Let's not turn this thread into yet another one focused on a one dimensional attention seeking troll though.

I think signing Dupont is a good move, rather him than someone with experience in higher leagues who performs well when interviewed by Kelman but doesn't understand the league or really care. For me though I get more exited by the players we sign l guess, which is why l'm not doing cartwheels about this announcement.
 

Devil94

Well-Known Member
#78
I’m not sure I’d agree with definitely better but yes I don’t think Belfast’s 19/20 roster was great. Although players that had average seasons in 19/20 like Mullen, Reddox, Wronka, Dupuy, Morgan would have fared better in the 21/22 season in my opinion.
Belfast’s 2018/19 season were streets ahead of this seasons roster though for me. Belfast finished that season with Beskorowany, Baun, Riley, Smotherman, Murphy, Rutherford, Higgins, Johner, Roach, Leonard, Ferland, Vandermeer the list goes on. That was an outstanding roster at this level.
Fair enough, but I think with them having Besko in net over Shane Owen, obviously the top line they had this year, and then a player of Jordan Bouchers quality on their 3rd line shows how they strong they were. And I had to search on EP who they even had in 19-20, no one obviously worth remembering. No one even close to a point a game, 36 points from 47 games the leader.

Yes their 18-19 team was much better. Which proves the point I was originally trying to make. If you recruit a very good league winning side, there's nothing to say they're going to improve on that even further the next year. They didn't in 19-20 and they didn't the time they won the league before that. So it's far from a certainty they will do so next year.
 

tim78

Well-Known Member
#79
Always prefer the 90's setup for the Autumn cup (Benson and Hedges) 4 groups of 4, with teams from the other leagues. I know they wouldn't compete but the import difference these days is too large unless the clubs agreed to dress a limited number for the group stage.

and the old playoffs use to be done as a group with the 2 top teams of each group progressing to the weekend. effectively an Extra 4 playoff games and less chance of disruption.

On the BIG plus we have the contental cup to look forward too, whoop whoop.
 

Wannabe2

Well-Known Member
#80
I don't know why people are so worried! Often, ill feeling and off ice politics can be as negative as niggling injuries with regard to individual performance. Give some of these players a bit of slack...with those factors resolved, some players who temporarily dropped in performance will return to previous levels.
As for Belfast and Sheffield, I don't think they found it easy to play against the Devils, despite many fans believing those teams had 'superior' rotas.

A bit of flexibility in roster size will now allow for 4 line hockey. I would love to think there is room for Matthew to return.

The Ownership and coaching team clearly have known for some time what changes are required. Excited to see what will happen.
Sheffield and Belfast didn’t have a superior rota player wise to us, they had a more consistent side, that’s why Steelers won Jack shit, and we took one which should have been two trophies off Giants.
 
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