Ducks Go to Same Mold

Brian Burke is an old NHL hand, but he is still young in the role of the man who runs the Mighty Ducks and as he sought to find a head coach, the new general manager vowed to make sure his hire would be far different from the one he let walk away. Previous experience wasn’t necessary.

As a skilled offensive-minded defenseman for 17 seasons and a minor league coach who preached a similarly aggressive style of play, Randy Carlyle fit that bill.

The former Norris Trophy winner became a rookie NHL coach Monday when the Ducks hired him to replace Mike Babcock. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Carlyle was given a three-year contract, according to team sources.

Babcock, who left to become the Detroit Red Wing coach, initially turned down a one-year extension to return to the Ducks when it became clear that Burke didn’t favor his defense-oriented philosophy. Carlyle, 49, became an option after leading the Manitoba Moose of the American Hockey League to the Calder Cup semifinals with an up-tempo style reminiscent of the Vancouver Canucks when Burke was their general manager.

“We are going to be an aggressive hockey club,” Carlyle said. “We don’t want to back off on people. We believe the best way to play this game is to be aggressive.”

Carlyle takes over a Duck team that made the Stanley Cup finals under Babcock in 2003 before missing the playoffs the next year.

Burke said that he reached an agreement with Carlyle late last week but waited until after the league’s entry draft to make the announcement. Carlyle’s experience as an NHL coach is limited to three years as an assistant, but Burke said that was of no concern.

“Experience can be really overrated in pro sports,” Burke said. “You can hire a guy that’s been a head coach before that maybe didn’t have success, a guy with head coaching experience that’s available [has] failed somewhere. Every coach in the Hockey Hall of Fame has been a rookie coach at one point in his life in the NHL.

“To me, I think it’s more about the preparation this individual has done and the makeup and character of his intensity in making that hiring decision.”

The two other leading candidates were Mike Johnston, an assistant coach with Vancouver, and John Stevens, coach of the AHL’s Philadelphia Phantoms. In Carlyle, Burke said he wanted a coach who had a similar makeup.

“The first challenge for me is to find a coach that matches my intensity level,” Burke said. “That’s not easy. I don’t like to lose, and in fact, I hate to lose. He hates to lose as much as I do.”

Carlyle, who played most of his career without a helmet, built a reputation as a fiery, hard-nosed player as he compiled 148 points and 499 assists in 1,055 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Winnipeg Jets. He won the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman in 1981 with Pittsburgh.

That personality trait carried over to coaching. Burke witnessed Carlyle in action while scouting Manitoba, the Canucks’ top minor-league affiliate, and the two would often commiserate after defeats.

“I’ve seen Randy after a loss,” Burke said. “He’s the same as I am after a loss.”

Carlyle didn’t see himself as a coach even as his days as a player were waning in the early 1990s. Retirement always was far off in his mind and, as it finally occurred, his interests initially turned to broadcasting and management.

It wasn’t until 1996 when he was offered a chance to be an assistant with Winnipeg in its final NHL season that he realized standing behind the bench was where he belonged.

“When you’re a player you think you’re going to play forever,” Carlyle said. “You play 17 seasons and you play over 1,000 hockey games, usually there’s other people that make that decision [to retire] for you.

“Ice level for a coach is the closest thing to being a player. There’s always that feeling that you’re involving yourself with the team and you always have the ability to put those skates on and go out there and play.

“That’s one of the things I’ve enjoyed most about coaching, you get to continue to play.”

A year later, Carlyle joined Manitoba as an assistant coach before taking over as coach of the Moose. In his first stint, he led the Moose to winning records in five consecutive seasons before leaving to become an assistant with the Washington Capitals.

King Coach Andy Murray interviewed Carlyle for a spot on his staff after Dave Tippett left to become Dallas’ coach for the 2001-02 season. On Monday, Carlyle credited Murray with helping shape his coaching philosophy while in Winnipeg.

Murray will now face his friend eight times this season.

“I’ve always been taught that you’re supposed to dislike your opponent,” Murray said. “It’s going to be tough. I’m really happy for him. I’ve known Randy for a long time.

“Our kids played hockey all the way through, and our wives are friends.”

Carlyle said he has not made any decisions on his assistant coaches but indicated that he has two people in mind. Murray said the Ducks are getting a driven coach eager to prove himself.

“They’ll be hard-working, and he’ll be hollering at them from the bench,” Murray said. “He’ll demand that they work hard. He’s very deserving of this opportunity, and it should have happened before now.”

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Times staff writer Helene Elliott contributed to this report.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX)

Randy Carlyle profile

* Age: 49.

* Previous coaching experience: Assistant coach, Winnipeg Jets, 1995-96; assistant coach, Manitoba Moose (IHL) 1996; head coach, Manitoba, 1996-2000; assistant coach, Washington Capitals, 2002-04; head coach, Manitoba (AHL), 2004-05.

* As a player: Spent 17 seasons with Toronto, Pittsburgh and Winnipeg. Won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman in 1981 when he totaled 82 points for Pittsburgh. Totaled 148 goals, 499 assists and 1,400 penalty minutes in 1,055 games.

* Notable: Led Manitoba to a 44-26-7 record and the Calder Cup semifinals last season. Was one of the last players in the NHL to not wear a helmet.

*--* PAST MIGHTY DUCK COACHES Ron Wilson 1993-97 120-145-31 Pierre Page 1997-98 26-43-13 Craig Hartsburg 1998-2001 80-88-29 Guy Charron 2001 14-28-7 Bryan Murray 2001-02 29-42-8-3 Mike Babcock 2002-04 69-62-19-14

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