Despite a recent history of age issues with his head coaches, Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said he won’t necessarily be seeking a young, fresh face to coach his team next season.
“It’s going to be the best person for the job. Older, younger, it has to be the best qualified,” Lamoriello told The Post. “I don’t think you should ever go [on age].”
For a second consecutive offseason, and fifth in six years, Lamoriello is seeking a new head coach, following Monday’s retirement of Jacques Lemaire.
Lamoriello said he is still focused on the postmortem of this season, when the Atlantic Division champs were ousted in the first round for the third straight year, and has not yet actually begun his coaching search.
Lamoriello said his eventual choice will be a strategic expert, which may carry more weight than inspirational ability.
“A priority is the hockey end of it, the Xs and Os, and knowledge of the game,” Lamoriello said. “It will be someone who will fit into the philosophy of the New Jersey Devils, someone who has the ability to make us better.
“You have to match the type of team with the coach’s personality. Not every coach is for every team, nor every team for every coach.”
He said he still has quite a little list of candidates from last year, plus a few important additions.
First on the list will have to be John MacLean, who still holds the team record of 347 goals, has toiled as a Devils assistant coach for six seasons and spent last season leading the Lowell farm team to a rare playoff berth.
After that comes Ken Hitchcock, winner of the 1999 Stanley Cup with Dallas, who lost to the Devils in the 2000 finals.
The other leading candidate would be Craig MacTavish, who as a player won three Cups with the Oilers and another with the Rangers. As a coach, he guided the Oilers to the 2006 Finals.
Lemaire’s assistant, Mario Tremblay, and Scott Stevens, seem like long-shots. Bob Hartley, Kevin Dineen, Mike Keenan and Guy Carbonneau are others worthy of serious consideration.
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Devils defenseman Andy Greene has been selected for the U.S. national team for the World Championships next month in Germany. Greene joins Rangers F Brandon Dubinsky and D Matt Gilroy and Islanders F Kyle Okposo and D Jack Hillen on the U.S. team, coached by Isles coach Scott Gordon. Besides Greene, Kings D Jack Johnson and Matt Greene, Senators F Nick Foligno, Blues F T.J. Oshie, Avs F T.J. Galiardi, Coyotes D Keith Yandle and Sabres D Tim Kennedy were selected yesterday, in addition to Boston College F Chris Kreider, Peoria G Ben Bishop and Turku (Finland) G David Leggio.
The initial selections were made April 15, and included Panthers G Scott Clemmensen, Oilers D Taylor Chorney, Tampa D Mike Lunden, Ducks F Ryan Carter, Leafs F Christian Hanson, Flames Fs David Moss and Eric Nystrom, and Oilers F Ryan Potulny.