Kings Not Expected to Name Coach for at Least Two Weeks

The Kings are not expected to name a replacement for Robbie Ftorek for at least a couple of weeks, leaving plenty of time for the speculation that began even before Ftorek was fired Tuesday.

At the top of the list is Vancouver Coach Bob McCammon, whose contract with the Canucks reportedly includes a clause saying that he can take 30 days at the end of the season (which means after the Stanley Cup final) to talk with other teams only if he is being offered the chance to be a general manager and coach.

So hiring McCammon would mean moving Rogie Vachon out of his job as general manager and possibly creating another position for him. And that’s not out of the question.

Also, if word is true that the next coach will have a Wayne Gretzky connection, McCammon fits the bill. McCammon was an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers in 1985-86 and was director of player personnel for the Oilers in ‘86-87.

A name often mentioned that probably should be scratched is John Muckler, a co-coach of the Oilers who reportedly will soon become the coach when Glen Sather is promoted in the organization.

Also high on the list is Colin Campbell, an assistant coach with the Detroit Red Wings who played with Gretzky in Edmonton.

Herb Brooks, who coached the U.S. Olympic team to its gold-medal victory in the 1980 Winter Games and who later coached the Minnesota North Stars, is available and is often mentioned as a possible candidate.

Ted Green, an assistant coach for the Edmonton Oilers, and Gary Lariviere, an assistant coach for the Toronto Maple Leafs, also are mentioned. Lariviere played with Gretzky in Edmonton.

Asked at the news conference Tuesday what the Kings would be looking for in their new coach, Vachon said: “We’re going to need a coach that will be good, technically, but will be able to have communication with veterans. This is a difficult team to coach to keep everybody happy.

“This year we had a lot of pressure to win. The new coach coming in will have a lot of pressure, too, because we expect to do better.”