“People are now talking about our hockey club, and we have a new fan base,” Carlyle said. “Things are looking good, but we still have some work to do. Finally, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.”
The following THN Archive story by Blake Sebring takes a look at former Manitoba Moose head coach Randy Carlyle in his early stages of IHL coaching in Winnipeg.
(You can read all of THN’s new Archive by subscribing to the magazine.)
Carlyle Has Moose on the Loose
January 22, 1999 – Vol. 52, Issue 19
By Blake Sebring
"It’s a good thing Randy Carlyle is not a pessimist.
When Carlyle took over as coach-GM of the Manitoba Moose in January, 1997, his team was 16-26-8. More importantly, Carlyle had to deal with a ton of skeptics.
The Moose were in their first season in Winnipeg, which was still smarting from losing the NHL’s Jets to Phoenix. The fans were hurting and they did not want to accept minor league hockey. Many were unhappy after comparing the IHL to the NHL. Many who decided to give the Moose a chance early in the season decided to ice their tickets.
The players were also doubtful. They had struggled for two years in Minnesota before moving to Manitoba, a place where most did not want to play because of the economic factors. The winters in Manitoba do not compare to other IHL cities such as Orlando, Houston or Long Beach.
Carlyle needed to pull off a few miracles in a hurry. He got one when his squad started 11-1-1 over his first 13 games. Because he was a former Winnipeg Jet great who had never left, Carlyle was the perfect man to lead the Moose, and his team has shown steady improvement over the last two years. Enough improvement that Carlyle earned a spot as coach in this year’s IHL All-Star Game Jan. 17 in Cincinnati.
“I think he was the right guy,” said Kansas City Blades’ GM Doug Soetaert, another former Jet.
“He brings credibility to that franchise with his NHL background in that community. Not too many people question what he stood for when he played. He put things in perspective. Chipman, too, is a very good owner.”
Carlyle, who is quick to credit others in the Moose organization, is helping to heal the hearts of Winnipeg fans. Skepticism is dying slowly. This year the Moose started 14-3-3, including a 9-0-2 stretch.
“This is an organization that is trying to get itself rooted into the hockey community here,” Carlyle said recently.
“What happens is we came into an NHL market, and we’ve got to create some degree a market of our own. It’s harder in Canadian markets where the game has been at the forefront for a long time.”
He did it partly by creating an up-tempo style the fans appreciate. The Moose attack in waves, forcing the action all over the ice. Carlyle believes the fans will support a hard-working exciting team.
They’ve also brought bad more players for fans to identify with. This year Carlyle was able to start with a core group rather than rebuilding from scratch. It’ still difficult to convince player to move North, but the Moose also work hard at making the players and their families comfortable.
“If you were an agent, I’m sure that a lot of them are not calling Manitoba on behalf of their clients,” Carlyle said. “That is starting to change. The players are really the bloodline of our organization.”
But Carlyle is the heart of the organization, bringing credibility with his reputation and results with his ability. This year group sales and corporate support are up, and so is attendance at the same point as last season.
“People are now talking about our hockey club, and we have a new fan base,” Carlyle said. “Things are looking good, but we still have some work to do. Finally, there’s some light at the end of the tunnel.”
The other all-star coaches have different stories.
Houston coach Dave Tippett gets his second straight chance at coaching in the All-Star Game as he has turned the Aeros into a Western Conference powerhouse. Two years in a row the Aeros have set franchise marks for their best records, are on pace to set a new mark this season.
When the Indianapolis Ice looked for a new coach this summer, they hoped to recapture the glory of their past by hiring former defenseman Bruce Cassidy, who was recently named to the Ice’s all-time team. Cassidy spent two seasons prepping with the Jacksonville Lizard Kings of the East Coast League before leading a young Indianapolis team with a hard-working style this year.
Like Tippett, Detroit’s Steve Ludzik continues to set the tone in the Eastern Conference. A two-time Turner Cup finalist and champion in 1997, Ludzik has reloaded the Vipers. He also coached in last year’s All-Star Game.