630 CHED Sports
5/23/2012
Tom Renney hopes his coaching days aren't over. After being told by the Oilers last week that his contract won't be renewed, Renney says he looks forward to coaching again and winning again.
As for not being back behind the bench in Edmonton, Renney is disappointed. He says, "At the front end of the building process, you don't like to be the guy that's leaving before you get the middle."
Since the end of the regular season, Renney presented Oilers management with his plan for the club moving forward. He won't give any details, but believes the Oilers see some sense it.
"I'm not here to throw daggers. I'm here to support this organization all the way to its Stanley Cup," he explained while meeting with the media Wednesday afternoon at Rexall Place. "If that's from a distance as a former coach, I'm okay with that."
Renney was often criticized for not giving the young players enough ice time. "I believe I coached with tomorrow in mind instead of today, and that might have hurt me. I really had a vision for the team. I felt that, even in some cases at the expense of my own opportunity or existence, you make some decisions that suggest you have to make sure this happens so that will happen down the road," he said.
Renney believes it was important for him to have a calm, firm hand and patient approach while he was at the helm. He has had discussions with other NHL teams about employment but didn't offer specifics.
Renney spent three seasons on the Oilers coaching staff, the last two as head coach. (jrw)
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