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Protective Cup?

By By Barry Melrose

Wednesday, January 8, 2003

The recent firing of Avalanche coach Bob Hartley, just 18 months removed from a Stanley Cup, is the latest proof of an NHL fact of life: Despite being surrounded by ice, coaches are always on the hot seat. The reason is money. The economics of today's NHL mean that teams need to make the playoffs in order to make money-or, in some cases, just to break even. (Even the Red Wings need to make the playoffs before they see any significant black ink.) Making the playoffs kept the Sabres alive for m ...

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