After trying and failing as a head coach in the KHL, Craig MacTavish is trying out a new league. The long-time Edmonton Oiler has been hired by Lausanne HC of the Swiss NLA to serve as head coach for the rest of the year.
MacTavish started the year as the head coach of Yaroslavl in the KHL, but was fired after just eight games. He then took over coaching duties for the Canadian Spengler Cup team, which won the annual tournament, and will now head to Switzerland to continue what has been an interesting calendar year.
Ousted from the Oilers after the team went in a different direction with Ken Holland taking over, it ended a long relationship that saw MacTavish serve as head coach, general manager and senior vice president of hockey operations at various times. We’ll now have to wait and see if he can catch on in Switzerland.
If the club name rings a bell for Philadelphia Flyers fans, it should. Before the 2019-20 season the Flyers took on Lausanne in an exhibition game, which the Swiss club won 4-3.
Interesting enough, he wears a helmet behind the bench.
Hahaha…I was going to make some
Sort of bad helmet joke too…well done!
He beat me…fair and square…pay that man his money…
Just need to get Kevin Lowe a job in the NLA. I hear HC Bern could use a shooter-tooter