Late last night the news hit Oilers Twitter like a ton of bricks, former Oilers head coach John Muckler had died at the age of 86.
It’s never a great day when someone in the Oilers family passes away and in the last 12 months or so it seems like we’ve had more than our fair share of ex and current members of the club passing on.
I’ll be honest, I don’t have a lot of real specific memories of John Muckler. I know that he coached quite a few teams in the NHL including the Oilers. He was also part of the 1987 Canada Cup coaching staff. So I had to whip a few books off of the bookshelf and read up on the man.
Here are some of my findings,
- According to Wayne Gretzky in his book, 99 Stories of the Game, Muckler was brought into the Oilers organization because he was a strategist and Gretzky actually attributes him as being the one who brought the ’83 team together offensively and defensively in order to beat the New York Islanders.
- In Kevin Lowe’s book, Champions, Lowe said the players found “Muck’s” style and smarts very reassuring.
- “Sometimes players disagreed with Muckler’s assessment but he would have the last word- “Let me show you on this video.” This wasn’t a criticism; it was fact. This man is very cool and very calm. Gretz said he’s the smartest hockey man he’s ever played for and I’ll second the motion.”
- In his book, Lowe also said that Muckler and Glen Sather blended perfectly with each other.
- “John was the ideal analyst and Glen was the perfect motivator. Muck handled the Xs and Os, preparing the team, getting the engine finely tuned, while Slats put in the gas and ignited the engine.”
- From Douglas Hunter’s Book, The Glory Barons, he has this quote from Muckler regarding the reason the 1983/84 Oilers turned the corner that year,
- “The team had played so poorly in Pittsburgh that, as coaches, we were supplied with the ammunition needed. It got the players starting to realize that it was becoming a little ridiculous… Lately, when we’ve discussed defence, we’ve been getting the full cooperation of the players. It’s a matter of getting everyone to think you can’t win on offense alone. You have to be solid in all areas of the game.”
I also read in Grant Fuhr’s book that he had a very special relationship with Muckler that factored in to the trade that sent him from Toronto to Buffalo and then again when Fuhr was sent to LA. Each time the team acquiring the Hall-of-fame netminder overpaid!
Here’s some reaction from Oilers Twitter on the passing of Muckler,
My strongest hockey memory of John Muckler is how he deployed the Kid Line in 1990. Scored some big goals that spring, he did a great coaching job that year (and Billy Ranford stopped everything after that Winnipeg wobble).
— Lowetide (@Lowetide) January 5, 2021
https://twitter.com/dstaples/status/1346324893881696258
RIP John Muckler. Hockey lifer won 5 Stanley Cups as coach with Edmonton. Providence Reds coach/GM for three-plus seasons in '70s. Led them to Calder Cup final in 1974.
— Mark Divver (@MarkDivver) January 5, 2021
Over at EdmontonOilers.com, The Great One commented on the man who joined the Oilers in 1981 as an associate coach,
“When you have 22 pretty good hockey players and have enjoyed some success it’s hard imagine that the addition of an Associate Coach would be the final piece to getting the Edmonton Oilers to the top of the mountain, but that’s exactly what happened when John joined the team.
He was tough, strict, but most importantly fair, and he helped lay the groundwork to make our team more accountable to each other which propelled us to become champions. A wonderful family man and great friend, he personally took my career to another level, and I will always cherish the hours we talked, from breaking down defenses to raising a family. Rest in peace, John, you will be missed.”
So long and thanks for all the Cups!
