SAD NEWS: Montreal canadiens Announce That Cole Caufield is Leaving immediately After Facing………
Letowski, of course, was on Montreal’s staff as an assistant and assumed the interim head coach portfolio after Martin St. Louis took an indefinite leave of absence last Saturday to tend to a family matter in Connecticut.
Knoblauch, meanwhile, replaced the fired Jay Woodcroft last Nov. 12 after coaching Hartford, the New York Rangers’ AHL affiliate, the last four seasons.
But the hockey world, at times, can be small.
Back in 2015, which must seem like a lifetime ago to them, Letowski faced Knoblauch in the OHL playoffs.
Letowski was the head coach of junior Sarnia at the time, while Knoblauch was behind Erie’s bench.
Knoblauch’s Otters won the opening-round best-of-seven series in five games.
Nonetheless, a mutual admiration society was formed, Knoblauch calling Letowski “very good and qualified.
“I have a lot of respect for Trevor,” Knoblauch told Postmedia News Tuesday morning in Edmonton. “He had (Sarnia) well-coached and well-prepared. And the team played very hard for him.”
Great moments in coaching history: Woodcroft actually was fired following an Oilers’ win at Seattle.
Trouble was, it was only Edmonton’s third victory in 13 games.
Since being replaced by Knoblauch, the team’s record is 38-12-3.
We’ve always believed people from Saskatchewan are the salt of the Earth. Knoblauch hails from the village of Imperial, Sask., which, according to the 2016 census, had a population of 360.
