Perspective: Doug Shedden came to Vaasa, looked around and left

Doug Shedden, 64, his stint as the head coach of Vaasan Sport was one of the most unusual seen in the league this decade. On October 22, Shedden coached his first match, and just over a month later, on December 10, the Canadian coach was already walking away.

In October, hockey people were puzzled when Juuso Hahl was decided to be dismissed from his role as head coach of Sport. The results had been poor, as the team from Vaasa had lost nine of their first 14 matches. However, the play had looked better than the results.

An even bigger surprise was that Hahl was replaced by Shedden. The Canadian coach admitted himself that he had not followed the league for years and was not familiar with Sport or Finnish top-tier hockey in general. Even long after arriving at Sport, Shedden was in the coaching box getting acquainted, observing, and learning. Watching the games of the Vaasa team, it remained unclear what the role and contribution of the experienced coach to the team actually were. Even power play setups were agreed upon among the top players while Shedden was out of earshot.

Shedden’s record at Sport was grim. Out of 13 games, the team in the eagle jerseys won only two. Under Hahl, Sport had at least won five out of 14 matches.

It would be interesting to know on what basis Sport decided to hire Shedden. The recruitment of an experienced and well-known coach made Vaasan Sport the most interesting sports club in Finland for one day, and that’s where the benefits ended.

Now Vaasan Sport is firmly positioned at the bottom of the standings and has taken a strong two-handed grip on the last place. The team has 24 points, while the team ahead, Kärpät, has 32 points. It is pointless to dream of a playoff spot this season.

The coaching turmoil will surely have an impact on next season and perhaps the entire future of Sport. Next season, the club is at risk of dropping to the B-league. Turning the course rarely succeeds in just one summer if there is already a strong culture of losing within the team.