Dallas Eakins returns to coaching with AHL's San Diego Gulls
Dallas Eakins is going back to the league where he had his greatest success as a coach. The American Hockey League – with the Ducks affiliate, the San Diego Gulls.
Before Eakins moved up to the bigs where he had a 36-63-14 record with the Oilers between 2013-14 and 2014-15 – he was fired midway through last season – he was the coach of the Toronto Marlies where he had a 157-114-41 record in 312 contests.
Man, those San Diego Gulls, Bakersfield Condors – Edmonton’s AHL affiliate starting next year – are going to be something. Can we have an AHL #rivalrynight thing when those two teams play? According to the Edmonton Journal’s Jim Matheson, the Ducks will pay part of Eakins’ $1 million salary for this season and next.
“He brings experience in hockey at all levels, both as a player and head coach. We feel fortunate to be able to bring him on board," Ducks GM Bob Murray said in a statement.
Gotta give Eakins props for realizing he needs to try to re-assert himself at the minor league level, rather than trying to jump back into the NHL. Then again, there are no more open head coaching jobs, so this was probably his best option.
Eakins was a user of hockey analytics, and in some senses his firing in Edmonton was a victory for those who shun advanced stats. Eakins pushed for the Oilers to bring in blogger Tyler Dellow to help add an analytics element to the team’s organization.
Said Eakins on TSN Hockey Analytics via Copper and Blue from earlier last season:
"Here’s the thing with analytics, with media and with fans I don’t understand. There’s such a divide. You’re either for analytics or you’re against them. Analytics to me are no more than stats. If you’re for goals and assists and points, then why wouldn’t you be looking at these other stats too.”
As for the Ducks, is Eakins a replacement-in-waiting if the team gets off to a slow start next year and coach Bruce Boudreau gets canned?
Murray was reportedly not too fond of how his team flamed out to Chicago in the Western Conference Final – blowing a 3-2 series lead to the Blackhawks.
Murray didn’t immediately guarantee Boudreau would return next season in his end-of-season news conference though Boudreau was eventually brought back.
Regardless, Eakins is being given another shot. Just a couple summers ago he was one of the hottest names in coaching. Let’s see what he does with this opportunity. At very least the San Diego weather is a massive upgrade from Edmonton.
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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @joshuacooper
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