WILMINGTON, Mass. – Monday was a rough day for NHL coaches, though not in the usual way for members of that profession.
Instead of pink slips being handed out, it was stitches and X-rays. Edmonton coach Tom Renney missed Monday's game against Toronto after being struck in the head by a puck during the club's morning skate.
Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff had an even worse day. He suffered three broken ribs in the Sabres' practice when defenseman Jordan Leopold lost his balance during a drill and crashed into Ruff from behind. Ruff missed Tuesday's practice and is questionable for Wednesday's game against the Bruins.
Bruins coach Claude Julien was sympathetic to his counterparts' misfortunes, but also maintained the usual sense of humor that permeates the hockey world with some suggestions to improve safety for coaches.
"I suggest that teams take Mondays off," Julien joked after the Bruins practice on Tuesday, returning to work after Julien gave the team Monday off. "Renney and Lindy both [got hurt Monday]. So we had some helmets out for our coaches today, but they took their chances [without helmets]."
There were no incidents involving any of the Bruins coaches on Tuesday, but Julien did have a close call last season, though he survived his unexpected run-in with an unidentified player.
"I had a collision last year, but the other guy got hurt," Julien said. "The player [took the worst of it]. I wasn't getting hurt. I stood tall. I saw him coming too. I don't think Lindy saw [Leopold] coming."
As Renney found out, it isn't just the bodies on the ice that coaches have to worry about.
"Even on the bench, it's the same thing with flying pucks," Julien said. "Rammer [former assistant coach Craig Ramsay] I think was a puck magnet when he was here. Every game, Rammer would be ducking pucks. Some guys are just puck magnets."
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