Pretty sure players don't have the same level of animosity towards a coach that fans do very often. DA had been with a lot of these players at DC and HC for a long long time. If he wasn't liked and/or respected, I don't think he'd have been handed the reins. Players understand that being a HC is tough and that very few are successful. I'd imagine it's hard to give a person you see every day a bad grade publicly. Especially if you know he's doing his best and you see how hard he works. .