Bob Hartley returns to Canada, not currently under contract in the KHL

Some consider him the best coach not currently coaching in the National Hockey League. Bob Hartley, who won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2001 and won the Jack Adams Trophy as Coach of the Year with the Calgary Flames in 2015, is back in Canada after Avangard Omsk was knocked out of the KHL playoffs in the second round. The team lost to Metallurg Magnitogorsk in seven games.

The end of the 2021-22 season for Avangard is also the end of Hartley's current contract with the team. He signed on for two years, winning the KHL's Gagarin Cup in his first year, and bringing the team to the second round this season. While Hartley himself has yet to answer any questions on his potential return to Russia next season, Avangard's GM indicates it is Hartley's decision to make.

"I think Hartley himself will talk about his future, his attitude about what's going on, let's give him the floor, let's give him the podium," said Omsk GM Alexei Volkov. "I'm not ready to talk about it yet, let's wait for Bob's answer. There is a desire on our part for Hartley to stay with us. There are very few professionals like that in the hockey world. Rumours about new Avangard coaches are speculation. The guys who write about it, they have a wild imagination. We are waiting for Hartley's official answer."

Hartley's success in the KHL speaks for itself. At the same time, you have to think if there's an opportunity for the Canadian to coach in North America next season, it's something he would likely jump at. Especially when you consider the unrest in Russia and surrounding countries at the moment. Hartley is expected to meeting with members of the media via Zoom on Monday.

Source: Championat.com

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