When the Canucks announced theyhad demoted Ian Clarke, known to be one of the league's very best at his job, many were left surprised.
A few years back, when the Canucks' star netminder Thatcher Demko renewed his deal, he made sure to include Ian Clarke as a part of it. Now, he may be the reason the Canucks needed to end that partnership.
Frictions between Thatcher Demko and the staff leading to the end of Ian Clarke?
Frank Seravalli provided important information on Ian Clarke's now diminished role with the franchise. According to him, friction between Demko and Clark built up over the years, mainly regarding the workload. People have even been wondering if Clarke wasn't a direct contributor to Demko's current trip to the IR:
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I think it's fair to say there has probably been some friction between Demko and Clarke over the years. The relationship has been fine. There has been a disagreement on workload. Some wonder if that has contributed to Demko's trips to the injury list.''
Did Clarke want to play the Vezina nominee more? Did Thatcher Demko want to play more? We may learn more soon, but while Demko may have played a massive role in Clarke's staying around, he reportedly played a big role in his departure.
Other NHL teams already pursuing the former Canucks coach?
Kevin Woodley, from the NHL Network, also provided intel on this particular case. The analyst not only laughed at the idea that Clarke himself caused this demotion but also suggested that it opened the door for other teams to pursue his services and hire him.
''I would be shocked if he asked just to be a scout and ditch the director of goaltending title.
Woodley mentions that now that he's just a scout, other teams may show interest.
Mentions he knows other teams would like to build a goalie pipeline like he did in Vancouver.
It'll be interesting to keep track of this incident. At this moment, the Canucks are without their starting netminder and without the goaltending coach that made the team's pipeline look so good. Hopefully, 'Arty Party' has some of that magic left, and the Canucks can go by without too much damage.
