John MacLean has two early supporters in the New Jersey Devils locker room (and considering the terms on which Jacques Lemaire left, two big ones) in captain Jamie Langenbrunner and valuable, pestering forward David Clarkson.
Langenbrunner said MacLean was deserving according to Fire & Ice:
“I think any time you go from being an assistant coach to being the head coach, it’s a whole different ballgame,” Langenbrunner said. “You’re not in the same position. You’re not going to be doing exactly the same things. He’s obviously a guy that played in the league for a long time. He understands a lot about the game and he paid his dues not only here as an assistant coach here for many years, but going down to Lowell and getting some head coach experience last year. He’s a guy that knows the game very well.”
Meanwhile, Clarkson was even more enthusiastic to the Star-Ledger:
“I think he deserves it. In my heart I was hoping it was going to be him,” Clarkson said today. “I think he’s going to be a great coach.”