Bob Hartley Robert " Bob " Hartley ( Born September 9 , 1960 in Hawkesbury , Ontario , Canada ) is a former Canadian head coach in the National Hockey League . He coached the Colorado Avalanche from 1998 – 2002 , which he won the Stanley Cup with in the 2000 – 01 NHL season . He also coached the Atlanta Thrashers from the 2003 up until the beginning of the 2007 , when he was fired after the Thrashers got off to an 0 - 6 start . Despite his anglophone - sounding name , Hartley is a Franco - Ontarian ; he speaks English with a noticeable French accent . Early years . Bob Hartley never played a game in the National Hockey League , instead beginning his coaching career with a junior A team in his hometown of Hawkesbury . After guiding the Hawkesbury Hawks to the championship of the Central Junior A Hockey League , his accolades caught the eye of the Laval Titan of the QMJHL . Coaching career . Laval Titan . Hartley ' s tenure as the Laval Titan head coach was marked with success . He recorded an 81 - 52 - 7 record in two seasons with the team . In his second season as the team ' s head coach , he guided the team to a Memorial Cup participation in 1993 . American Hockey League . Hartley was hired as an assistant coach of the American Hockey League ' s Cornwall Aces under Jacques Martin . When Martin was appointed assistant coach of the parent Quebec Nordiques , Hartley was promoted to head coach and guided the Aces to two division titles during the team ' s three year history . When the relocated Nordiques , now known as the Colorado Avalanche , became affiliated with the Hershey Bears , Hartley followed the team and was named head coach of the Bears . Hartley ' s tenure with the Bears was a success as he guided the team to four consecutive playoff appearances and a Calder Cup title in 1997 , adding yet another accolade to his coaching career . Colorado Avalanche . Hartley ' s success with the Bears caught the eye of then - Avalanche general manager Pierre Lacroix , who was looking for a replacement for Marc Crawford who was fired by the team following a first round playoff exit . Hartley was hired as the team ' s second head coach since the relocation to Denver on June 2 , 1998 . In his first season with the Avs , the team got off to a 2 - 6 - 1 start , the slow start prompted skeptics to question the hiring . When the team caught fire in mid - December , they won their first Northwest Division title and fifth straight overall . During the 1999 Stanley Cup playoffs , the team defeated the San Jose Sharks in the first round and halted the Detroit Red Wings quest for a three - peat before bowing to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars in the Western Finals . Hartley ' s second season saw the team win their sixth consecutive division title along with playoff victories over the Phoenix Coyotes and a rematch with the Red Wings before bowing to the defending champion Dallas Stars in the Western Final for the second consecutive year . Hartley ' s third season was ultimately his most successful one . Motivated by Ray Bourque ' s desire to win a Stanley Cup championship , the Avs coasted through the league with a 52 - 16 - 10 - 4 record , a seventh consecutive division title along with the President ' s Trophy . The playoffs began with a first round sweep of the eighth seed Vancouver Canucks before enduring a seven game scare by the Los Angeles Kings in the Western Semi - Finals before cakewalking past the St . Louis Blues in five games , setting up a Stanley Cup Finals matchup with the Eastern Conference ' s # 1 seed New Jersey Devils . After falling behind three games to two in the series , the Avs rallied back to win the Stanley Cup championship , accomplishing Bourque ' s goal . Another notable milestone from the 2000 – 01 NHL season for Hartley included coaching the North American All - Star team to a 14 - 11 victory on home ice . Hartley brought the Stanley Cup to his hometown of Hawkesbury , bringing the trophy to the PPG Industries plant he worked at . The following season , the team won their eighth consecutive division title and looked sharp in their quest for a second consecutive Stanley Cup . At the start of the playoffs , Hartley became the first head coach since Billy Reay to guide his teams to four consecutive conference final appearances . After two grueling playoff series victories over the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks , in a repeat of the 1997 Western Finals , the team bowed to the arch rival Detroit Red Wings who would go on to become the eventual Stanley Cup champions . Hartley ' s tenure with the Avalanche ended on December 17 , 2002 , when the team endured a 10 - 8 - 9 - 4 start and was replaced by assistant coach Tony Granato . Hartley left the Avalanche franchise with a 193 - 109 - 48 regular season record and a 49 - 31 playoff record . His 193 wins are a franchise record . He became the only coach in team history to record 40 or more wins during his first four seasons as head coach . Atlanta Thrashers . One month after being fired by the Avalanche , Hartley was appointed as the second full - time head coach of the Atlanta Thrashers , who were looking for a replacement after original coach Curt Fraser was fired following an 8 - 20 - 4 - 1 start on January 15 , 2003 . Hartley immediately went to work on the team ' s fortunes . The team went 20 - 14 - 5 - 1 down the stretch and were in the playoff race for the second half of the season , giving hope to Thrasher fans . Hartley ' s first full season behind the Atlanta bench began with tragedy following the death of Dan Snyder and loss of Dany Heatley for the majority of the season . The team overcame the adversity and set new franchise records for wins and points in a single season with a 33 - 37 - 8 - 4 record . Under Hartley ' s guidance , rising star Ilya Kovalchuk became a tri - winner of the Maurice Richard Trophy . Following the lockout , the Thrashers endured yet another slow start and multiple injuries at the goaltending position . After original goalies Kari Lehtonen and Mike Dunham were injured , Hartley was forced to use prospects Adam Berkhoel and Michael Garnett along with journeyman Steve Shields , the Thrashers posted the first winning season in franchise history with a 41 - 33 - 8 record , but fell short for a playoff appearance after losing out to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the final week of the regular season by two points . The 2006 – 07 NHL season was one of many accomplishments for the young Thrashers under Hartley ' s guidance . The team won their first Southeast Division title , setting new franchise records for wins and points with a 43 - 28 - 11 record , good enough for 97 points and third seed in the Eastern Conference . The team also clinched its first playoff berth in franchise history and played the New York Rangers in the first round . As of April 16 , 2007 , Hartley is the all - time winningest coach in franchise history . On October 17 , 2007 , Hartley was fired and was temporarily replaced by Don Waddell , the current general manager . Hartley was under fire because the team had yet to register a point in six regular season games , and was league worst in goals , and 27th in the league in goals against .