I disagree with your "pathetic".
Minnesota talked to Zito last summer - not a lot has changed with Zito that they didn't learn then.
Minnesota chose to fire Paul Fenton at a very odd time of the year. That timing makes it difficult to fill high-level front office jobs. Why should Minnesota's decision create a similar timing problem for the CBJ?
The CBJ made the moves after John Davidson left to re-set their front office. They got the people on the bus they want. Then they got them in their proper seats. Again, don't let MN's mess become the CBJ mess.
Those are the reasons I disagree.
Not allowing assistants to interview to move up is a policy which does not lend itself well to top talent coming to or staying in an organization.
Every single ECHL coach that I've ever talked to has an "out" in his contract for AHL jobs and most have them for college jobs-at any point during the year. I've never heard of an AHL team not allowing a coach to move up to the NHL by holding them to their contract. May have happened but is rare. I don't have any first hand knowledge about normal organizational procedure regarding front office types, but I'd be hard pressed to believe that it is different.
Zito is an assistant GM. One of 3 in the organization. It's August so most everything is in place for next season save for the Werenski contract. He's replaceable like every asst GM. It's petty and short sighted to not allow him to interview regardless of his interviewing history with the Wild or the calendar date.
Yeah. It's pathetic not to allow him to interview. If Zito is everything that he's cracked up to be, then he's gone at his first available opportunity.