Canucks & Beyond
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Help Wanted: Superheroes Please Apply
by Alanah McGinley on 04/16/08 at 12:27 PM ET
Comments (25)
From Cam Cole in the Vancouver Sun:
Yes, the explanation for firing Nonis would be easier to swallow (a media wag pointed out Tuesday) if the owner hadn’t borrowed his rationale from Spider-Man. “With great power,” Peter Parker’s dying Uncle Ben told Spidey’s alter-ego, “comes great responsibility.” Aquilini—or his speechwriter—didn’t even credit the source.
Alas, turns out Uncle Ben was very disappointed and offed Spidey, so Vancouver needs a new patsy superhero.
Vote in the poll at the bottom of the post. 6 choices are provided, and there’s a brief summary for each candidate…
[Update 12:06pm PT: Updated above the poll with quotes from Dave Nonis today.]
Doug Armstrong
From Matthew Sekeres at the Globe & Mail:
Some hockey people will speak glowingly about Armstrong and many believe he was a scapegoat with the Dallas Stars this year. He was dismissed in November with the team playing .500 hockey, and with attendance sagging. The Stars made the playoffs in each of Armstrong’s three full seasons on the job.
Note: Someone who is used to disappointment and irrational job-insecurity? Hmm, I fear he’s practically over-qualified for the position.
Steve Tambellini
From Matthew Sekeres at the Globe & Mail:
The Canucks assistant general manager is often a bridesmaid for GM openings elsewhere, but has never held the big chair. That might work against him. The fact that he was part of the Nonis’ regime, which wasn’t good enough for Aquilini, could also preclude him from legitimate contention, even while he is running the day-to-day affairs right now. On the other hand, other than Nonis, nobody knows this group of players, the prospects in the system, and the locker-room culture, better than Tambellini, a Trail, B.C. native who just finished his 17th season with the Canucks.
Note: A perfect summation. 17 years and Tambellini has existed like teflon throughout the ups and downs of this organization, and remained such a background character to this team, I can’t even guess what kind of GM he might make. Anyone else have thoughts?
Brian Lawton
Lawton was an idea floated by Bob McKenzie on Tuesday:
Sources say former player agent Brian Lawton, who quit the agent business last year to focus on getting a job in hockey management, is said to be extremely well thought of by the Canucks’ hierarchy. Whether Lawton, a former NHL player who was chosen No. 1 overall in the 1983 Entry Draft, is a leading candidate or just one of the candidates remains to be seen, but it’s clearly a name that should not be ignored.
Note: Okay, I’ll bite. Though I wonder who is the “Canucks hierarchy” these days? Top honchos Francesco Aquilini and Chris Zimmerman only entered the hockey business about 5 minutes ago and almost certainly haven’t dealt with Brian Lawton in any professional capacity (that I can imagine, anyway). So if by “hierarchy” you mean “Steve Tambellini”, then I guess what you’re saying is that “Brian and Steve are friends.” Great, but somehow I doubt Steve is recommending Brian for this particular gig.
Neil Smith
From Elliott Pap at the Vancouver Sun:
Former GM, New York Rangers and, ever-so-briefly New York Islanders. He’s been out of the league for a while but has contacts everywhere, is very available, won a Cup with the Rangers and recognized, in his brief stint with the Isles, that you need one strong voice to call the shots, not a committee.
Note: I don’t have much of an opinion about Neil Smith since he’s spent his administrative career in the Eastern Conference (and c’mon… the Canucks give me enough to worry about) but asking a NYI fan what he thought of the idea produced this insightful analysis this morning: “Blah. Very.”
Pat Quinn
From Matthew Sekeres at the Globe & Mail:
He has been out of the NHL for two years, but admitted to Vancouver radio station Team 1040 AM this week that retirement isn’t suiting him and that he would like to come back as either a head coach or a general manager. Quinn has experience doing both jobs, including with the Canucks and the Toronto Maple Leafs, and lives in Vancouver, where he has an ownership stake in Western Hockey League’s Giants. He is popular in the Lower Mainland for leading the team to the 1994 Stanley Cup final, the furthest the team has ever been in the playoffs. In 19 years as a coach, Quinn’s teams missed the playoffs just twice.
Note: Well, Quinn “admitting” to a radio station that he’d rather be back in the game is a bit like a whore “admitting” she’d like to get paid—and Quinn is a hockey whore. Does anyone doubt that he loves—and is very good at—this game? His age would be questioned, but not by me. At 65, I’m pretty sure he could still kick my ass (and Alain Vigneault’s) without working up a sweat. Which also makes me think: forget the GM thing, just make him coach.
Jim Nill
From Matthew Sekeres at the Globe & Mail:
The Detroit Red Wings assistant general manager is credited with being a draft guru, one of the best finders of talent, especially in the later rounds (see Henrik Zetterberg, the 210th choice in the 1999 draft, and Pavel Datsyuk, the 171st selection in the ‘98 draft). The former Canucks forward is in his 13th season with the Red Wings, but may not be the choice to replace general manager Ken Holland, a Vernon, B.C. native who has three years left on his contract. The Wings are reportedly grooming former franchise player Steve Yzerman as Holland’s successor, meaning if Nill is going to be bypassed, he deserves a chance elsewhere.
Note: A Red Wings draft guru?? Say no more…
Trevor Linden
From Matthew Sekeres at the Globe & Mail:
Before Charles Wang and Tom Hicks, it would have been absurd to suggest that you take a player fresh off retirement and put him in the GM’s chair. But the New York Islanders’ Wang did it with backup goalie Garth Snow, and the Dallas Stars’ Hicks did it by naming Brett Hull co-general manager in November.
Note: Like Garth Snow, such a choice would be widely ridiculed around the NHL. But two things make it plausible to at least consider him on this list… (1) Linden does have extensive experience in the hockey business outside of being a player, given his former prominence in the NHLPA; and (2) in Vancouver, Linden is insanely popular. A quality the Aquilini’s would like to have on their side right about now, I dare say.
UPDATE 12:06pm PT:
From a news conference with Dave Nonis today (via the CP):
Nonis said even now he wouldn’t trade away the team’s young prospects to make the playoffs and keep his job.
“If it was make the playoffs or be fired, I wouldn’t trade away our best young players to save my skin,” he said. “That’s a pretty dangerous cycle to get into. If you want to win you have to do the hard things.
“This team is pretty well positioned to take a serious step forward. If they hire the right person there is no reason to think that can’t happen. I hope it does because then I will be able to look back and say those are the pieces I put there.”
Nonis goes on to say that he thinks Tambellini should be offered the job.
And another update... Dave Nonis on Trevor Linden:
“If he wants to be in hockey, I know he’ll be successful. Trev’s like a sponge. I think he could be a great coach or a great manager.”
Filed in: business of hockey, vancouver canucks | Canucks and Beyond | Permalink
Tags: dave+nonis,
Comments
Why ask an Islander fan about Neil Smith, Wang did him wong in less than a month and he was responsible in that month for drafting Okposo, signing Witt and Sillinger, so what’s so blah about that? Blah compared to Milbury?
Linden living by the CBA he helped draft would be a very curious situation. Would he be tougher on players that sided against him, have too many bridges been burnt between he and the NHLPA for agents to deal amicably with him?
Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 04/16/08 at 12:07 PM ET
I think we all know Jim Nill isn’t a realistic possibility, but he’s clearly the best candidate.
Posted by Nathan on 04/16/08 at 12:16 PM ET
I would think that Quinn could get the ‘Nucks going in the right direction. He was great for us in Toronto as a GM (Just dont’ make him your coach unless you want your dressing room to look like the local Country Club). He knows everyone, knows the business, and breathes hockey. Let the rookiie GM’s go to the south to sink or swim. Let Vancouver just swim.
Posted by 41 Long Ones from Edmonton on 04/16/08 at 12:17 PM ET
If Neil Smith is the new GM, I officially become a baseball fan.
Here’s an idea: just like teams rotate captains, why don’t we rotate GM’s? That way we can have several different guys put their specific stamp on this team just to keep the circus mentality going. Heck we can get celebs in there, Bettman would endorse this in a heartbeat. Snoop holding a funny ass press conference and the very next day Alyssa Milano standing next to a recently signed Hossa? Of course the marketing would need to change from “we are all Canucks” to “anyone feel like running the Canucks?.
(At least needs to be changed to “we are all Canucks. Except Dave Nonis.")
Posted by Mike from New York on 04/16/08 at 12:51 PM ET
Hockey1919 -- I asked a NYI fan because he was handy and I was lazy. However, when he saw I quoted him here, he added that he does actually feel bad for “the way the Islanders organization completely dicked him over.”
Nathan -- Nill isn’t a possibility? I didn’t have that impression, actually, but I don’t know much about his situation, either. Can you explain more?
41 Long Ones -- I like Quinn, too. And anyone that can deal with the madness of working for the MLSE board for all those years can probably deal with anything the Aquilinis can throw at him. 
Mike -- A revolutionary idea, Mike. And if Ms. Milano can bring in Hossa, I’m ready to bring the girl on board NOW.
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 04/16/08 at 01:15 PM ET
Jim Nill has another 3 years or so on his contract, and like Ken Holland he is not allowed to talk to other teams unless he/they get Mike Ilitch’s OK.
Besides, he is very well paid and content working within the Wings’ organisation.
There is, after all, considerable downside to being a GM. Job security, for one thing. Stress, for another.
I think Steve Tambellini has earned his shot.
Posted by w2j2 on 04/16/08 at 01:38 PM ET
I think Neil Smith deserves at least some consideration for never getting a chance to do much with the Islanders and being a pretty quiet classy guy about how he was, as your friend said, “dicked over.”
Nathan probably means that Nill isn’t realistic because he is currently under contract (I believe), and anyone approaching him about a position would have to ask Mike Illitch to speak with him - and he’d probably say “No.”
Trevor Linden is an interesting possibility. He’s obviously smart enough, and has been involved in hockey matters other than skating around. If he’s interested, there might be a way to get him into the position without ridicule and without conflict of interest: go the route the Detroit Pistons went with Joe Dumars (currently President of Basketball Operations).
As Joe Dumars was winding down his playing career with the Pistons, he was looking forward to retirement (actually, he was planning on traveling around the world and seeing all the sporting events he’d never seen because he was too busy playing - the Masters, the Australian Open, etc.) when he had lunch with the owner and was offered a job. Instead of coaching, he would pretty much be running the team.
After he retired, he spent a full year just working around the front office without a real title, so he could find out how the salary cap in the NBA worked and all the other things that went into running a team - and so he could gain the separation that he needed to feel more like an executive than a player. He thought this was even more important because then he could look at a trade without thoughts of what the player to be traded would be saying about him uppermost in his mind - he needed a bit of detachment to do his job effectively.
I’m not sure how this could be pulled off, now that the team is GM-less, unless they hire an experienced GM and keep Linden as a GM-in-training to take over in a year or two. I definitely think he would have a rough time jumping right into the front office without a decompression and accomodation period of some sort. It’s a pretty big change.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/16/08 at 01:40 PM ET
Peace on the Neil Smith deal. I just felt he got shafted as well, and he’s a pretty good guy by all accounts that actually helped the Islanders more as a scout (his Islander Cup rings attest to that) then his short stint as their GM decades later.
Posted by Hockey1919 from Montreal on 04/16/08 at 01:52 PM ET
Ken Holland. Trust me.
Posted by In the Know on 04/16/08 at 02:12 PM ET
w2j2 and Baroque said it all.
Nobody can confirm it, but I’d expect that Mike Illitch pays his entire stable of front-office minds well above league average. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of the guys at the top (but below Holland), like Nill, are on par with the average NHL GM.
He can’t spend $70+ million on players anymore, so he’ll spend the money on the minds that can bring in $70+ million worth of talent within a $50 million cap.
I’m sure George from Snapshots at MLive.com could speak to that with more knowledge and eloquence than I can, if he snoops around the discussion here.
Posted by Nathan on 04/16/08 at 02:14 PM ET
If only there was a way to get both Pat Quinn and Trevor Lindon involved in the team...some weird combination of GM/Coach...hmmm…
Posted by Devin from Victoria on 04/16/08 at 02:19 PM ET
While I give all the heaps of praise on Wang for somehow making a below-average backup goalie into a decent GM (ask me that 8 years into DiPietro’s contract though), I strongly disagree with bringing Linden onboard as a GM.
To be a player, expecially one that bled said team colors like Linden did, and expect him to walk into an office and run the team I think is asking alot (again, Garth got a LOT of training sitting on the bench, and not actually playing).
That said, if I was Aquilini, Trevor Linden would be getting one hell of a nice cheque from me to stay on in any of a number of roles. Player representative to the brass? Co-General Manager (a la Brett Hull??), or maybe just general office coffee gofer for a year. You know the guy is smart with the game(pretty much held the NHLPA together with shear will and a touch of honey during the lockout), and has the respect of I would guess everyone that has even a pinky toe in the hockey world.
I would go after Pat Quinn in GM, Trevor doing Pat’s paperwork, and leave Alain in coach for another year, with hopefully some scorers to play with.
Posted by 41 Long Ones from Edmonton on 04/16/08 at 02:41 PM ET
Another note—
Jim Nill, while a great mind to have in the front office, has the draft record he does because of Hakan Andersson.
Aside from contracts, another big reason I believe it’s tough to pry anyone out of the Detroit front office is because they have a group of people there that are stronger together. I think it’s more than the result being equal to the sum of the parts. Each mind brings something very different, and very important to the table. Like what I just said about Jim Nill. These guys make each other better, so the benefit to leaving has to be pretty intense for it to work.
Posted by Nathan on 04/16/08 at 03:03 PM ET
Thanks for all the info, everyone - very educational.
I’m just going to add a couple updates here in the comments, since the post itself is going to get way too long.
An interesting comment on Sekeres’s Globe & Mail blog a little while ago:
Deposed Vancouver Canucks general manager Dave Nonis held his goodbye press conference this morning and said he was willing to take a backseat and serve as an assistant general manager again, or as an organization’s No. 2 executive.
And so, a delicious scenario: Anaheim Ducks GM Brian Burke heads to Toronto this summer with Nonis, his former Canucks protégé, in tow.
Burke takes on the Maple Leafs’ presidency, something similar to Bryan Colangelo’s role with the Raptors, with Nonis as general manager in title.
Nonis was actually asked today if he would be willing to collaborate with Burke again and replied with a zinger.
“I don’t think Burkey would want to work for me,” he deadpanned.
Also, over at The Province is more discussion about Doug Armstrong’s apparent interest in the Vancouver job.
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 04/16/08 at 03:44 PM ET
Jim Nill has another 3 years or so on his contract, and like Ken Holland he is not allowed to talk to other teams unless he/they get Mike Ilitch’s OK.
Are you sure about that?
I always thought that the Asst GM can be contacted for the head GM position in the league without ownership approval, but that the person in question had to finish his season with his team before he could leave, unless then given permission.... someone also mentioned something about this on TSN a few months back, maybe right around when Fletcher left Phoenix to go to Toronto.
Doug Armstrong gets my vote, Jim Nill also.
Tambellini could get the job, depends on what direction the Aquilini’s want to go, maybe they want a complete overhaul and more firings are coming..
Posted by PuckHound61 from Speckville USA on 04/16/08 at 04:02 PM ET
To be a player, expecially one that bled said team colors like Linden did, and expect him to walk into an office and run the team I think is asking alot (again, Garth got a LOT of training sitting on the bench, and not actually playing).
That’s why I brought up the situation of Joe Dumars. For a year after he left the game he learned the front office stuff, so he could think like an executive when it came to making the best decisions for the team and not let the emotions he had and outlook when playing get in teh way.
The Pistons’ record demonstrates that he managed that pretty well.
Not right away for GM, but maybe in the future. Definitely keep him around and in the loop, see what kind of role he would like.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/16/08 at 04:44 PM ET
To be a player, especially one that bled said team colors like Linden did
So, when Linden cuts himself shaving is it some disgusting mix of gold, red and black or more of the blue, green and grey?ready82
Posted by Devin from Victoria on 04/16/08 at 04:57 PM ET
(again, Garth got a LOT of training sitting on the bench, and not actually playing).
Linden sat out 23 times this season…
Linden would make a better coach. I think he could very easily run a team, but would possibly run into problems when trying to deal with others in the league. Would he have problems with agents? Maybe some...but certainly not all. I don’t see that as any different than any other GM. Would have have problems dealing with other GM’s?? Most definitely...Linden was the face of the players during the lockout.
There is also the whole Ted Saskin situation, which people seem to have forgotten or swept under the rug. Trevor was the main cog in moving forward with his hiring...which was squashed by Chelios and others. Of Linden’s entire career (on and off the ice), that is the blackest of black marks.
Naaahh...I say find someone that can sit in the front office...and give Trevor the bench. As Baroque brought up Joe Dumars...so too do I bring up Avery Johnson, Ozzie Guillen, Joe Girardi and other players that have gone from playing to coaching in a very short time and had some success. Just because someone hasn’t done it in hockey, does that mean that hockey players are dumber than basketball or baseball players? No...it means the ‘culture’ of hockey doesn’t allow it...which is total BS.
Posted by GZ Expat on 04/16/08 at 05:27 PM ET
I’m telling ya, Quinn as GM and Linden as coach...or is that just me drifting off to 1994 goodness again?
Posted by Devin from Victoria on 04/16/08 at 05:32 PM ET
I’d love to see Linden as coach or GM someday, but I don’t think its the right choice right now.
A year or two as the bench boss for the Moose or something would give a buffer so that Linden would no longer be considered to be just “one of the guys” in the locker room, and could demand more respect from the players (not that there’s anyone who disrespects Linden now, other than Alain).
Posted by Shabbadoo on 04/17/08 at 10:22 AM ET
A year or two as the bench boss for the Moose or something would give a buffer so that Linden would no longer be considered to be just “one of the guys” in the locker room, and could demand more respect from the players (not that there’s anyone who disrespects Linden now, other than Alain).
I don’t think “respect” is the concept you are going for - it would be awkward to make decisions about players as a coach or executive when you still have a player’s mindset, for both Linden and for the team.
Like when a coworker gets a promotion - if you are used to dealing with someone as a coworker, and have a certain level or rapport with them, then to change your working relationship is very difficult - so a year or so gap would be good for both.
Has Linden ever mentioned whether he was more interested in coaching or front office? Some players have definite preferences for one or the other when they retire, others try both because they aren’t sure.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 04/17/08 at 11:28 AM ET
I don’t think Linden’s ever said anything on the subject, Baroque. He’s always been vague (rather deliberately, I believe) on the subject of his post-playing career. I imagine he’ll stay in the game no matter what, but how he envisions that, I don’t know.
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 04/17/08 at 02:44 PM ET
Baroque, you’re interpretation of what I was saying is spot on.
I’m not sure if Linden’s ever said he wants anything to do with the sport of hockey once he retires as a player. He may just want to build houses with his brother for all I know.
Posted by Shabbadoo on 04/17/08 at 03:21 PM ET
So Matt Petinger wasn’t the final piece to the puzzle?
Bring in Mike Milbury to run the show - at least trade deadline day wouldn’t be so boring
Posted by Walter Sobchak from Bowling Alley on 04/20/08 at 10:34 AM ET
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About Canucks & Beyond
Alanah McGinley has been blogging hockey since 2003, sharing opinions, rants and not-so-deep thoughts with anyone who will listen. In addition to writing Canucks & Beyond and helping manage Kukla’s Korner, Alanah is one of the founders and co-hosts of The Crazy Canucks Podcast, as featured at Canucks.com.
She has contributed pieces to FoxSports.com and the New York Times Slapshot blog, as well as other stray destinations in cyberspace.
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A note of explanation to all those who voted in this earlier—I had a scripting problem with the poll and had to yank it down from the site briefly. All the votes were lost. Sorry.
Blogging in the morning is very perilous when I run out of coffee…
Posted by Alanah McGinley from British Columbia on 04/16/08 at 11:30 AM ET