Management 20 years ago Charlie Jacobs saved the Bruins - Can he do it again?

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Fenway

HF Bookie and Bruins Historian
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Sep 26, 2007
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Cambridge, MA
Charlie convinced his father that Harry Sinden had to go.


He gave the keys to Peter Chiarelli an outsider who wound up winning the Cup.

Is it time to find somebody in hockey who is not beholden to the Bruins culture to run this team?
 
Technically Sinden is still there, just reassigned and giving advice to Cam and Monty Burns. So if they’re at all serious about making the Bruins competitive again they need to fire everyone and start over and grab someone with no previous Bruins ties.
 
The fans saved the Bruins by not going to the games. You want changes ? Stop dropping thousands in tickets and merchandise.
Absolutely.

If Charlie Jacobs had been some sort of visionary he would have talked his father into moving on from Sinden much earlier than that.

It took the fans saying we won't pay for what you put out as a product. Charlie was just not quite as obtuse as his father.
 
Charlie convinced his father that Harry Sinden had to go.


He gave the keys to Peter Chiarelli an outsider who wound up winning the Cup.

Is it time to find somebody in hockey who is not beholden to the Bruins culture to run this team?
Absolutely. Boston Bruins have had just 8 General Managers in their history (which is actually amazing given how old the organization is).

Art Ross
Lynn Patrick
Hap Emms (Bruin)
Milt Schmidt (Bruin)
Harry Sinden (Bruins minors)
Mike O'Connell (Bruin)
Jeff Gorton (just a two month stint)
Peter Chiarelli
Don Sweeney - (Bruin)

More than 50% of them have been Boston Bruin players.

Time to add in some different perspectives.
 
Absolutely. Boston Bruins have had just 8 General Managers in their history (which is actually amazing given how old the organization is).

Art Ross
Lynn Patrick
Hap Emms (Bruin)
Milt Schmidt (Bruin)
Harry Sinden (Bruins minors)
Mike O'Connell (Bruin)
Jeff Gorton (just a two month stint)
Peter Chiarelli
Don Sweeney - (Bruin)

More than 50% of them have been Boston Bruin players.

Time to add in some different perspectives.

Ironically I would support one of Chara or Bergeron as GM as opposed as I am to handing former players roles (Kelly as PP coach??).

Their reputation and IQs are legendary. Then again perhaps it would be best to leave it as such.

A fresh start to create a new "Bruins culture" might be a necessary change.
 
Considering the cronyism that still exists? No. Harry is still here. Cam still has his ear. Don will survive the year. Chia got fired for Cam whispering in Charley's ear. Need to completely clean house of legacy bruins from the front office.
 
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Charlie convinced his father that Harry Sinden had to go.


He gave the keys to Peter Chiarelli an outsider who wound up winning the Cup.

Is it time to find somebody in hockey who is not beholden to the Bruins culture to run this team?

As Nixon would say, 'Let me say this about that,"

In speaking with fellow fans at work and elsewhere, I have a schpiel:

Charlie cares. He wants to win.

He went to Boston College. He knows what people think of his father.

Even so, the bottom line remains the bottom line. Profit uber alles.

That's the edict from Buffalo. Yes, the old man will soon depart, and Charlie is largely in charge.

We'll see if first round gate continues to be the mandate, or if Charlie understands that a] building a true contender involves risk and commitment. As well as some pain along the way.

And b] Although Sweeney and Neely will likely be making the decisions per retool into the draft, the summer and probably beyond, they need to go. As does the entire coaching staff.

If I could tell Charlie one thing, it would be, do what you did the first time.

Go outside the organization for new blood and fresh eyes.

They are desperately needed.

We'll see.
 
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Considering the cronyism that still exists? No. Harry is still here. Cam still has his ear. Don will survive the year. Chia got fired for Cam whispering in Charley's ear. Need to completely clean house of legacy bruins from the front office.

I don't know. Harry is 92 now and I doubt he has the kind of influence he had even a decade ago, not to mention Papa Jacobs being largely hands off these days. I think it might be time to put that to rest.
 
I don't know. Harry is 92 now and I doubt he has the kind of influence he had even a decade ago, not to mention Papa Jacobs being largely hands off these days. I think it might be time to put that to rest.

He's still officially listed as senior advisor and alternate governor. He's still around
 
He's still officially listed as senior advisor and alternate governor. He's still around

Who knows, you could be right. Or maybe those are just honorary titles for him at this point. At any rate, he'll be gone sooner rather than later whatever happens. I'd like to see a house cleaning in the front office myself, and if Harry is still wielding influence, for him to be cut out of it.
 
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Technically Sinden is still there, just reassigned and giving advice to Cam and Monty Burns. So if they’re at all serious about making the Bruins competitive again they need to fire everyone and start over and grab someone with no previous Bruins ties.
And how likely is that?

Unfortunately, not very.

The fans saved the Bruins by not going to the games. You want changes ? Stop dropping thousands in tickets and merchandise.
Correct.

Real change in 2006 came when fans finally voted with their feet.

Same here.


Money -- making it or losing it -- is the only language the Jacobs clan understands.
 
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Many of us lived it and remember it well.

It took hitting rock bottom to facilitate meaningful change.
  • Mismanagement of roster entering the lockout as Jeremy took a hard line stance against the NHLPA, but the 24% rollback on existing salaries came back to bite them in the ass.
  • Joe Thornton trade fiasco
  • Bottoming out in the standings
  • Barn half empty
Yes, the correct decision was made bringing in an outsider in Chiarelli and handing him the keys.
  • But are the likes of Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard walking through that door again to save this roster and in the case of Chara, rebuild the culture?
It's going to be a tough pill to swallow. They're in for at least another lean year. Perhaps more than one.
  • By the time you're back to contending for a Cup, where are McAvoy and Pastrnak in terms of their careers?
The pill nobody wants to think about swallowing:
  • Does moving one of the two afore mentioned franchise building blocks help accelerate the rebuild?
 
Ok.

23-24 Season the Bruins brought in 268 Million (the most income generated since, curiously 2005), expenses about 168 million

In 2023 Delaware North brought in 3.2 BILLION in revenue - expenses harder to pin down since they operate on 4 continents I believe.

One company a playtoy . . .the other a global cash machine.

Yes empty seats hit both back pockets regular season and playoffs.

And in say 2011, 13 home playoff games generates some income in both pockets, but from balance sheet, numbers will only catch beancounters eyes if next year there are empty seats AND no playoffs again.
 
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Absolutely. Boston Bruins have had just 8 General Managers in their history (which is actually amazing given how old the organization is).

Art Ross
Lynn Patrick
Hap Emms (Bruin)
Milt Schmidt (Bruin)
Harry Sinden (Bruins minors)
Mike O'Connell (Bruin)
Jeff Gorton (just a two month stint)
Peter Chiarelli
Don Sweeney - (Bruin)

More than 50% of them have been Boston Bruin players.

Time to add in some different perspectives.
💯 X to the nth power, if there is such a thing.
 
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Many of us lived it and remember it well.

It took hitting rock bottom to facilitate meaningful change.
  • Mismanagement of roster entering the lockout as Jeremy took a hard line stance against the NHLPA, but the 24% rollback on existing salaries came back to bite them in the ass.
  • Joe Thornton trade fiasco
  • Bottoming out in the standings
  • Barn half empty
Yes, the correct decision was made bringing in an outsider in Chiarelli and handing him the keys.
  • But are the likes of Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard walking through that door again to save this roster and in the case of Chara, rebuild the culture?
It's going to be a tough pill to swallow. They're in for at least another lean year. Perhaps more than one.
  • By the time you're back to contending for a Cup, where are McAvoy and Pastrnak in terms of their careers?
The pill nobody wants to think about swallowing:
  • Does moving one of the two afore mentioned franchise building blocks help accelerate the rebuild?
If you have a competent GM and not Sweeney the opportunity is there over the next two off seasons to rebuild quickly. Rantanen or Marner are both top line players, you put one of them with Pasta and even Zacha or Lindholm would be a decent center for them. Add Bennett as a second line W/C and for leadership. Add a Boeser as a second line RW. Get Carlo and Coyle the f**k out of here for the best return possible, either picks or prospects.

See what the value of Swayman is, by no means give him away but if somebody is offering you a top 10 prospect/young player or a player under 26 on a good contract you have to think about it.

The key is no Sweeney and that won't happen after just one bad season it will take a minimum of two and probably more. Expect bad drafting and Zucker and Kapanen as the big free agent signings.
 
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The key is no Sweeney and that won't happen after just one bad season it will take a minimum of two and probably more. Expect bad drafting and Zucker and Kapanen as the big free agent signings.
The last time the Bruins had picks in the first and 2nd round.

Urho Vakananen and Jack Studnicka and we all know Sweeney FA fiasco’s
 

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