Clocks might be winding down on Lemaire, Lucia

We thought we were set for life with our two big-time hockey coaches. We were wrong.

A couple of years ago Jacques Lemaire, the only coach in Wild history, and Don Lucia, winner of two national titles at the U, probably could have signed lifetime contracts. Today, locking up Lemaire might prove impossible, and locking up Lucia might be inadvisable.

Lemaire looks as if he's headed for retirement at the end of another arduous season of holding together a mediocre roster. Lucia is in the midst of another season of soft play and mediocre results from the once-dominant Gophers. By this time next year, Lemaire probably will be sunning himself in Florida, and Lucia could be feeling a different kind of heat.

Lemaire has dropped hints, often in his humorous, winking fashion, that he's nearing the end. Tuesday night during the Wild's loss to San Jose at the X, Lemaire's friend and Minnesota's foremost hockey sage said he can't see Jocular Jacque returning to the bench.

"In my personal opinion, I think he won't come back,' said Lou Nanne, the former North Stars defenseman and general manager. "Jacques is a very intense guy. He's a tremendous teacher, and it's all-encompassing to him. He's been here longer than he's been anywhere else. He's enjoyed it, loved it, but he gets to the point where he thinks, 'I've spent a lot of time in hockey and I might want to enjoy some of my life.'

"He's got a place in Florida and a place in Montreal and here he is, in the rink all the time. Just what I've seen this year, watching and listening to him, in my mind, I think his attitude is going to be that he's had enough of hockey."

Those who think Lemaire's defensive mindset restricts the Wild's scoring might rejoice at this news. They shouldn't. If Wild management handed Lemaire dynamic goal-scoring talent and he failed to produce, then Lemaire would be a bad match for this franchise. That hasn't been the case.

That Nolan, with old legs, grit and savvy, can lead this team in goals is an indictment of the rest of the roster.

If Lemaire were less diplomatic, he might publicly blame his bosses for the Wild's dearth of talent. Lucia can make no such excuses -- he's responsible for a program that is becoming known for soft defensive play and spotty goaltending.

Not long ago, the Gophers' goal every season was to win the national title. This year, they seemed thrilled to beat Michigan Tech to secure a home series in the WCHA playoffs. "We're No. 5!" is not the chant we expect to hear from Gophers hockey fans.

Lucia was sidelined by an illness earlier this season. That, combined with his legacy, ensures that he'll receive the benefit of the doubt for at least another year.

He's earned that, but by next season, we'll be back to acknowledging that he possesses every conceivable advantage a college hockey coach can have. If he doesn't recruit or develop the best defensemen and goaltenders, if his players lack grit and regress during their college careers, if they leave for the pros because playing for the Gophers proved less than enthralling, he has no one to blame but himself.

Lemaire is probably as good as gone. Lucia has plenty of methods and resources with which to right his powerful program, but he might not have as much time as he thinks.