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

[GordonHowe]

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.

Sweeney and Neely consultant him.

They ask his opinion, and give it some weight.

My understanding is that's about it.

 

[Trizz617]

What gets me is that it is obvious that Charlie Jacobs forgot the lesson of 20 years ago!!!!

The indifference and those empty yellow seats should ring a bell....

 

[GordonHowe]

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?

I think both will be around for a team that can legitimately contend.

Having said that, I would trade either. Depends on the return, as always.

 

[smithformeragent]

Let me ask a different question.

In order, what are the five most difficult on ice pieces of a hockey team to acquire?

Example: #1 goalie, #1 playmaking center, Norris Trophy caliber defenseman, Rocket Richard scoring winger, # 2 center, solid # 2 defenseman, etc.

 

[Dr Hook]

Sweeney and Neely consultant him.

They ask his opinion, and give it some weight.

I understand I guess is that's about it.

They still do? I know that was the case a few years ago, but not sure now with Harry's age and JJ basically out of sight. Could be.

 

[GordonHowe]

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.

Go Bean Counters!

 

[Dr Hook]

Let me ask a different question.

In order, what are the five most difficult on ice pieces of a hockey team to acquire?

Example: #1 goalie, #1 playmaking center, Norris Trophy caliber defenseman, Rocket Richard scoring winger, # 2 center, solid # 2 defenseman, etc.

I'd say Norris-caliber defenseman followed by #1C playmaking center. I guess you could swap the two. Then would be the Pasta-type wing. They are all difficult to acquire, whichever order you put them in. The rest of the club, can go in any order. I suppose a #1 goalie and #2C would be next in line, order varying.

 

[GordonHowe]

lol, guilty as charged. At least for a little bit.

"The Man They Call Studs."

 

[Dr Hook]

"The Man They Call Studs."

Who was anything but

 

[BlackFrancis]

Cam's been team president the same number of years as Harry was Bruins GM when he made the Pederson-Neely deal, I think.

I'm not sure he's routinely calling some Florida remnant and interrupting their pudding time for tips on how to make it in the NHL.

 

[GordonHowe]

They still do? I know that was the case a few years ago, but not sure now with Harry's age and JJ basically out of sight. Could be.

They still do? I know that was the case a few years ago, but not sure now with Harry's age and JJ basically out of sight. Could be.

Perhaps not. I know that Bobby and some of the other old guys go and visit him down there in florida.

 

[northeastern]

I'm in my mid 30s. I was raised a bruins fan by my mom and taught to hate the Jacob's name, because back then they were cheap, shit owners. It changed, but I remember going to games as a kid and having the entire row to just me and my mom. Today the Jacobs in my opinion are good owners, spend to the cap, fire coaches, don't get involved.

When they bottomed out, we finally saw the light, in walks Chara and Savard (i bought a savard 71 jersey i was so excited and then he changed it to 91...)

I got seasons in 2010 a year before the waiting list started. It's been an absolute dream since for the most part, but I worry how hard we might need to fall before we see real change. My tickets are going up next year and yet I couldn't give away last nights game as I was stuck working...

I hope we see some quick, decisive moves. I hope a retool can save this roster and we don't have a 5 year dive. I get we have to pay the piper, they've been buyers for so long, and unfortunately we only got 1 cup from all that, but they need to regroup and think differently, especially this year. In not confident that the current leadership can do that.

 

[GordonHowe]

IIRC the person responsible for shrinking the seats got a big promotion. They will never change.

Ask the players (on the QT, of course) about the quality, or lack thereof, of the Garden ice.

Brad has had to skate on inferior home ice much of his career.

Hmm.

I wonder why.

 

[GordonHowe]

I'm in my mid 30s. I was raised a bruins fan by my mom and taught to hate the Jacob's name, because back then they were cheap, shit owners. It changed, but I remember going to games as a kid and having the entire row to just me and my mom. Today the Jacobs in my opinion are good owners, spend to the cap, fire coaches, don't get involved.

When they bottomed out, we finally saw the light, in walks Chara and Savard (i bought a savard 71 jersey i was so excited and then he changed it to 91...)

I got seasons in 2010 a year before the waiting list started. It's been an absolute dream since for the most part, but I worry how hard we might need to fall before we see real change. My tickets are going up next year and yet I couldn't give away last nights game as I was stuck working...

I hope we see some quick, decisive moves. I hope a retool can save this roster and we don't have a 5 year dive. I get we have to pay the piper, they've been buyers for so long, and unfortunately we only got 1 cup from all that, but they need to regroup and think differently, especially this year. In not confident that the current leadership can do that.

I actually believe that Sweeney has become a very competent GM, and is capable of conducting a successful retool.

There is no reason at all to burn the house to the ground.

Do I wish someone from outside the organization had the keys?

You bet your ass I do.

"But let's stick to obtainable goals."

 

[TheReal13Linseman]

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.

I thought you were going to preface that by saying, “Let me make this perfectly clear”, but loved the quote nonetheless

I wish I could hear Donny say, “Just think of what you’ll be missing, gentlemen: you won’t have Don Sweeney to kick around anymore”. But that would only mean he would actually come back years later. So, maybe not.

 

[GordonHowe]

I thought you were going to preface that by saying, “Let me make this perfectly clear”, but loved the quote nonetheless

I wish I could hear Donny say, “Just think of what you’ll be missing, gentlemen: you won’t have Don Sweeney to kick around anymore”. But that would only mean he would actually come back years later. So, maybe not.

Good for you.

You know your Nixonia.

 

[Gordoff]

God people turned themselves into pretzels trying to convince themselves Studnicka was going to be something.

Guilty as charged

 

[KillerMillerTime]

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.

Should start by bringing in some of the amateur scouts from Dallas and Detroit.

 

[Beyonder]

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

Yes.

But c'mon with this Harry Sinden stuff. Do you really think Sinden has any material impact on this team? That's internet conspiracy stuff. I mean, prove it. Not to mention the Bruins won a Cup in 2011, went to Game 6 in the Cup round in 2013, and Game 7 in 2019. The problem with the 2025 team is not Harry Sinden. He's not sending messages to Sweeney with carrier pigeons.

Also, the Bruins brought in outsider Chiarelli and that worked out fine. We really don't need to talk about potential future management changes as if they are somehow limited in choosing an inside or outside person and where Sinden is somehow steering that. Maybe they ask him what he thinks during the process, that's probably about it.

I'd say the main impediment to Charlie moving on from Cam and Donnie is that he's afraid Cam would put his head through a wall. I'm half kidding about that. But clearly it's time to at least consider a change and it would be irresponsible to not open up the search to anybody out there in the hockey world, anywhere, who is credible to be the new management leader(s). In reality, the insularity probably comes down to comfort and familiarity, i.e., the person who is "part of the Bruins family" is a more convenient choice. They need to not default to that next time.

Related: Is it just me or has the trend of hiring former star players to serve as President and/or GM (around the league) largely run it's course? There have been a lot of examples now of former star players from the 80's and 90's who were brought in to turn things around... and fell on their face in the end. There have been a few success stories but far more failures. Which makes me resistant to the idea of handing the keys to Bourque or Chara, the names we sometimes hear suggested. Let's get a bonafide hockey management person with a strong track record. That may be a necessary antecedent to getting on a path to put more emphasis on speed, skill, etc. Being a "Bruins type of player" should be an ingredient of the team, not a requirement for every player.

 

[Dr Hook]

Related: Is it just me or has the trend of hiring former star players to serve as President and/or GM (around the league) largely run it's course?

Maybe? Yzerman is still working, Sakic, Verbeek, Rob Blake, Francis, are GMS along with guys that probably come a bit short of star but were well known: Grier, Briere, Drury.

 

[Beyonder]

Maybe? Yzerman is still working, Sakic, Verbeek, Rob Blake, Francis, are GMS along with guys that probably come a bit short of star but were well known: Grier, Briere, Drury.

And... host are most really doing? Sakic I think has been pretty good (but has a GM). Yzerman has big rep but that Detroit rebuild is sure plodding. Others, not super high on. Grier may be okay, we'll see in a couple years. Staios I wonder about, K Adams seems terrible, Drury may be in over his head in NYC, etc. Tom Fitzgerald in NJ is a good counterpoint, I think he's doing a good job.

It may well be the case that there aren't enough better options out there to fill up the C suites for 32 NHL teams. But management ranks sure seem stocked with some dubious characters these days.

Flipping this around, who would people say are the top 5 Pres/GMs in the league right now? After GM Donnie I mean.