The number of firings among NHL coaches this season – seven – is not a record. But it's not far. The mark of nine was reached in the 1981-1982 season. The league had 21 teams at the time.
• Also read: Coaches in the NHL: From Heroes to Zero
In 2019-2020, eight pilots did not return to base – Pat Burns' favorite expression at such times. I actually still see him on the Saturday morning that Michel Bergeron was fired by Phil Esposito from the New York Rangers.
Pat was in disbelief. On that first day of that month in 1989, he thought it was an April Fool's joke. He had gone to his office to make a phone call. When he returned, he had a dejected expression on his face.
It was very true.
Bergie had just lost his job with two games left in the regular season. The Rangers were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in four games by the Pittsburgh Penguins and it was bye, bye, Phil!
Six coaches crowned
Among the nine changes made during the 1981-1982 season, the most significant was the one made by the Vancouver Canucks. Harry Neale returned to his general manager's office to hand over leadership of the team to Roger Neilson.
Despite trailing 30-33-17 – at which point the top four teams in each division qualified for the playoffs – the Canucks made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they faced tougher opponents. They were defeated by the New York Islanders, who won the third of four Stanley Cup championships.
Ultimately, six coaches won the Stanley Cup when they were hired during the season. They are: Dick Irvin Sr. with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1932; Al MacNeil with the Canadian in 1971; Larry Robinson with the New Jersey Devils in 2000; Dan Bylsma with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009; Darryl Sutter with the Los Angeles Kings in 2012; and Mike Sullivan, also with the Penguins in 2016.