Analysis : Bob Pulford Must Rebuild Hawks or He May Lose Job

For the third time in his stint with the Chicago Black Hawks, Bob Pulford has gone behind the bench to try to resurrect the fortunes of the NHL hockey club.

But the general manager’s decision to return to coaching this time has different motivations. In addition to trying to get the Hawks back on the winning track, Pulford is basically trying to save his job with the club.

Pulford, who came to the Hawks in 1977 as only a coach before moving up to general manager, replaced volatile Orval Tessier earlier this month after the Hawks had slipped to a 22-28-3 record.

“Unfortunately, you can’t fire 20 players and you have to fire the coach,” Pulford explained. “We want to see if we are as good as we think. If we aren’t, then we should know about it.”

Pulford had made a similar decision in 1982 when he replaced Keith Magnuson as head coach in mid-season. The gamble paid off.

Pulford took a team that was mired in mediocrity and lit a fire under it. He guided them two victories in each of the first two rounds of the NHL Stanley Cup before losing to Vancouver in the semifinals.

Pulford did it reluctantly. He was doing it because Magnuson wasn’t working out and he believed there was potential to do better.

But Pulford is under the gun now to save his own job. The Hawks have used the excuse of being beset with an unordinarily high number of injuries the past two years after winning 47 games in Tessier’s first year.

Tessier had taken a shot at management right before he got fired.

“With the injuries we had,” Tessier was quoted in local reports, “we needed to get the replacements in. We didn’t have the numbers.”

“Maybe we aren’t as good as we think. We’re sure going to find out,” Pulford added, not directly responding to Tessier’s indirect charges.

Pulford got off to a fast start by winning his first three games including the team’s first weekend sweep of an opponent. The sweep of a home-and-home series with Boston gave the Hawks their first of the year. It was the problems on the home and home series that also led to Tessier’s dismissal.

Chicago has had its share of all-star talent. Doug Wilson was the league’s top defenseman two years ago; Denis Savard is among the leaders in scoring each year and Murray Bannerman was the all-star goaltender in each of the past two seasons.

But whether the rest of the club was strong enough to move up into the elite class where it once resided when it had the likes of Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita, is the question probably nagging at the minds of Bill Wirtz and the owners of the club. Another is whether Pulford has done his job properly by drafting and trading for the top quality players.

One thing is for sure. With Pulford behind the bench, the excuse of players not playing up to their potential is going to be gone.

“We are professionals. If we had a problem with the coach, that shouldn’t have affected our play,” says Billy Gardner. “If it does, we should be getting out of hockey.”

The players also know without Tessier to be a scapegoat, they will have to perform. And they will be skating directly for the man who they must deal with come contract time at the bargaining table.

Just what it will take to get the pressure off Pulford, the players and the team is uncertain.

The Hawks do have the benefit of playing in the weakest division in hockey. A small improvement in their play could produce a disproportionate rise in the standings.

As was the case when Pulford took over the last time, the Hawks can catch fire come playoff time -- the only time it really matters in the NHL -- and advance through the divisional playoffs and take their chances against defending NHL Stanley Cup champion Edmonton.

Attendance and interest isn’t likely to sag. Even with the upheavals and medicore play, the Hawks play to near-capacity crowds at the Chicago Stadium.

Wirtz admitted in a published interview that dwindling attendance was part of the motivation for a change. In Pulford’s coaching debut, the Hawks drew 14,000, their smallest crowd of the year.