NHL Rumors: Jets May Have 2 New Head Coaching Candidates On Their Radar

The Winnipeg Jets were believed to only be heavily in on Barry Trotz for their head coaching vacancy until Elliott Friedman said that two more names seem to be added to the list. The Jets have asked about Rick Tocchet for the vacancy and Friedman also stated that Jim Montgomery is a name to watch as the team searches for a new head coach.

Tocchet has spent six seasons as a head coach in the NHL after his playing career ended. His first stint was with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2008-2010 where the team went 53-69-26 in that time and missed the playoffs both seasons. He took a good amount of time before he was able to find another head coaching job in the NHL until he became the Arizona Coyotes' head coach in 2017. He lasted four seasons, finished with a positive win/loss record in two of them, and qualified for the playoffs in one. His team won the qualifying round in the NHL bubble in 2019-20 and got rolled over in the first round. Tocchet has since found himself on the TNT panel but has made it clear he wants to get back into coaching.

The other name that has floated around, Montgomery, last coached in the NHL in 2019-20 where he was released as head coach for unprofessional conduct. He spent three weeks in rehab and stated he wanted to get back into coaching. The Stars went on to make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final that season. It was Montgomery's second season as a head coach in the NHL, both for the Stars. His first season he took the team to the second round of the playoffs and he has an overall coaching record of 61-43-10.

Either option would be a good runner-up to Trotz if the Jets don't get what they want and are able to bring him in.