As early as February, Todd McLellan’s name was being tossed around (in my head, at least) as someone who might be a good fit behind the bench for the Edmonton Oilers, but his position as head coach in San Jose prevented that idea from really gaining any traction. When he and the Sharks agreed to part ways on April 20, his name was suddenly on everyone’s lips as a possible successor to Todd Nelson.
After the hiring of Peter Chiarelli, questions about who the new coach might be seemed to be everywhere until the GM flew to Europe to meet with McLellan at the World Championships. Once that was made public, it really felt like the writing was on the wall with regards to the identity of the Oilers new bench boss.
As far as playing careers go, his wasn’t long or especially fruitful. McLellan stayed close to home for his junior hockey, playing four seasons from 1983-1987 with the Saskatoon Blades of the WHL. In 1986, he was drafted in the 5th round (104th overall) by the New York Islanders. He only played 5 games in the NHL (1-1-2), and only a season and a half in the AHL with Springfield before he was sidelined by a recurring shoulder injury. After a year studying at the University of Saskatchewan, McLellan played for SIJ Utrecht in the Netherlands, where he stayed 3 seasons and acted as a player coach.
But just who is Coach Todd McLellan?
He’s a Calder Cup winner, a Stanley Cup winner, a World Championship gold medal coach, and a WHL Coach and Executive of the Year. Not bad for a guy from Melville, Saskatchewan.
The 47 year-old McLellan comes to Edmonton with a wealth of coaching experiences (on eight different teams), from Junior A in Saskatchewan to 7 years behind the bench as the head coach of the San Jose Sharks. He started coaching while playing in the Netherlands from 1989-1992 (SIJ Utrecht), and hasn’t looked back since.
His first full-time coaching gig in North America was with the North Battleford North Stars in the SJHL, after which he was hired by the Swift Current Broncos of the WHL in 1994 as head coach and GM. Over his 6 seasons, the team made the playoffs each year, and McLellan was named WHL Executive of the Year (1997) and WHL Coach of the Year (2000).
McLellan made the leap from Junior to pro when he was hired by the Minnesota Wild organization to coach their IHL affiliate in the 2000-2001 season. When the IHL folded at the end of the year, he became the head coach of the Houston Aeros (also in the Minnesota organization), where he won the Calder Cup in 2003. From Houston, McLellan moved to Detroit in 2005 as an assistant to Mike Babcock, getting his name engraved on the Stanley Cup in 2008.
After 15 years coaching in North America, McLellan was finally hired as a head coach in the NHL in 2008, where he posted an impressive .637 win percentage (311-163-66) over 7 seasons. In comparison, the Oilers record over that same time was an abysmal 194-277-69 (and you’d have to go back to 2003-04 to amass 311 Oiler wins through the end of 2014-15).
On top of his league coaching achievements, Todd McLellan was also the head coach of Team Canada at the 2015 IIHF World Championships, where he coached a lineup that included Sidney Crosby, Taylor Hall and Jordan Eberle to a gold medal.
In my estimation, the new coach is a pretty quiet guy – he hasn’t made too many headlines for acting out on the bench like other NHL coaches, and I’ve never really heard anyone say anything negative about him. According to Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli, McLellan is the perfect fit for the type of players the Oilers have in the organization, and “has a wealth of experience, a level of energy and an intellect I haven’t seen in a long time.”
McLellan has been an NHL coach for 7 years, and has been with one team. In those same 7 years, the Oilers have had 6 different head coaches. There’s nothing that will dictate McLellan’s longevity as Oilers coach other than on-ice improvements but knowing that San Jose had enough faith in him year after year, despite the team never making it to the Stanley Cup Final, gives me some hope that he’ll be here longer than any of those last 6 coaches.
Not only has McLellan shown he can win at any level (even though the Stanley Cup he sought with the Sharks never materialized), he’s also the kind of coach who picks the game apart and tries to put it back together in a way that will get results. He’s had the opportunity to coach Hall and Eberle, and has expressed his enthusiasm about bringing Connor McDavid into the fold. With the Oilers having the best prospect in the last 10 years coming to camp this year, I can’t think of anyone better to help guide him through his first years as a pro. I hadn’t read or listened to many of his interviews before he was hired, but he’s pretty clear about his coaching philosophy: “You break the game down into relationships and tactics. You have to create a trusting environment where you can help players grow – but also hold them accountable the right way.”
I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m really glad he didn’t say anything about chopping wood or carrying water.
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