A Coach’s job includes creating a winning style of play and then executing said style. In 24 years, eight men have held the honor as Head Coach of the Anaheim Ducks. Today we present the top five head coaches in franchise history.
Pucks of a Feather continues our All-Time lists. This time around, Jacob Robles ranks the best head coaches in Anaheim Ducks history. This list is solely based on accomplishments as the head coach. Criteria included record, playoff results, and length of stay.
5. Craig Hartsburg (1998-2001)
Our list starts with the Anaheim Ducks third head coach in franchise history. Hartsburg’s first season as coach of the Ducks came in the 1998-99 season when he took over for then-coach, Pierre Page, after a poor 1997-98 showing.
Hartsburg led Anaheim to only one playoff appearance during his time in Anaheim. The Ducks went down in four games to the Detroit Red Wings for the second time in three years, this time in the first round. In total, Hartsburg coached 197 games over three years in Anaheim, with a record of 80-82-29-6. His teams reached 83 points twice but in his last year fell to 66. Hartsburg was fired mid-season during the 2000-01 season as Anaheim continued to struggle.
Hartsburg makes this list at number five, mostly because he was one of the longer tenured guys on this list that had some success so with the franchise. Other coaches that could have been considered just weren’t around long enough to be included.