GM search thread - all news and discussion here

[majormajor]

Disrupt JD and Priest out the door. Can't be a disruptor when the guys most needing disrupted are hanging on at the top. Need a culture change? Then make a culture change!

Who is the best person in the org to hire the disruptor?

 

[Ice9]

I get it Viqsi, I really do. Id just like to know at whose desk the buck will ultimately stop at.

At a young age I worked for a guy who loved to do surveys on what employees thought about his business. Every time they were relatively negative so he threw a little fit and said, "Since nobody tells the truth we'll have to do it again". Nothing ever changed because the directive never changed

IF the GM gets his marching orders from above I cant see how anything will change here. Not hatred towards JD nor do I think he in ANY way doesn't care about the organization but this thing needs purged, disinfected and a fresh start.

Who is the best person in the org to hire the disruptor?

Question of the day right there...

 

[Viqsi]

I get it Viqsi, I really do. Id just like to know at whose desk the buck will ultimately stop at.

At a young age I worked for a guy who loved to do surveys on what employees thought about his business. Every time they were relatively negative so he threw a little fit and said, "Since nobody tells the truth we'll have to do it again". Nothing ever changed because the directive never changed

IF the GM gets his marching orders from above I cant see how anything will change here. Not hatred towards JD nor do I think he in ANY way doesn't care about the organization but this thing needs purged, disinfected and a fresh start.

I understand that concern, and to some degree share it, but am not assuming it's inevitable because JD. Probable, perhaps, but not inevitable.

(Then again, I took a similar attitude with the Babcock hire and, well, yeah. So I've not been in as light and shiny a mood lately.)

 

[CBJWerenski8]

33. Columbus’s fans, who stayed strongly loyal despite another tough season, deserve success. Obviously, the biggest decision is who will run things. The Mark Hunter rumours won’t go away, although he’s also a possible Ken Holland successor in Northern Alberta. The Blue Jackets will swing big in attempts to fill this job. Boone Jenner has said he’s committed. Zach Werenski, who tied Seth Jones’ team record with 57 points by a defenceman, is the other guy I’d be making sure to make happy. The Jackets looked hard at veteran centres early in the season. Does that remain an on-ice priority?

 

[CBJWerenski8]

No surprise but on the 32TP Friedman says it was no secret that Zito and Columbus were flirting with each other which is why Florida pulled the trigger on the extension/promotion.

 

[koteka]

No surprise but on the 32TP Friedman says it was no secret that Zito and Columbus were flirting with each other which is why Florida pulled the trigger on the extension/promotion.

There is a part of me that expects JD to retire to Miami where he becomes a “consultant” to the Panthers.

 

[EDM]

Perhaps we can do some flirting with some guy who can see teh Rocky Mountains from his backyard ??????

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Disrupt JD and Priest out the door. Can't be a disruptor when the guys most needing disrupted are hanging on at the top. Need a culture change? Then make a culture change!

I think the people who need disrupted the most are the GM level and below. Shake up the rest of the office culture. JD and Priest are just ultimately just figure heads.

You need to rattle the cage of the people below you. I certainly can't walk into my job and be a disrupter to my boss.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

According to Portys article this morning, JD says the GM search has begun. But wouldn’t specify if that means they’ve interviewed guys or they’re just scheduled.

They will try to keep it as quiet as possible. So expect leaks, but maybe not a lot, like during the Babcock search.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

No surprise but on the 32TP Friedman says it was no secret that Zito and Columbus were flirting with each other which is why Florida pulled the trigger on the extension/promotion.

Zito's an agent and a lawyer and a GM.

He's an expert at creating leverage. No way he'd abandon Florida for the CBJ train wreck.

I think the people who need disrupted the most are the GM level and below. Shake up the rest of the office culture. JD and Priest are just ultimately just figure heads.

You need to rattle the cage of the people below you. I certainly can't walk into my job and be a disrupter to my boss.

Really?

The two most powerful men in the organization aren't figureheads. They set the tone.

No meaningful organizational change will take place with these two in it. The real figurehead may be the next GM if these two clowns continue to run the show.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Who is the best person in the org to hire the disruptor?

I'd have to be an insider to know that. It wouldn't surprise me if the answer is nobody.

So long as Priest and JD run the show and McConnell remains almost completely disengaged then there won't be a "disruptor". A real disruptor would demand that McConnell fire Priest and JD and those two would never hire such a person. Obviously.

JDs disruptor comments were nothing more than PR. Which is all he's good at doing.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Really?

The two most powerful men in the organization aren't figureheads. They set the tone.

No meaningful organizational change will take place with these two in it. The real figurehead may be the next GM if these two clowns continue to run the show.

Can't you argue JD is being a disruptor by firing Jarmo and getting a replacement and then letting the replacement figure who HE wants to work with and change?

I still can't figure out the Priest hatred. He's not a hockey guy. He just makes sure bills get paid with the owner's and organization's money.

Fine if you don't like JD but if he was out the door who do you trust to do the hiring as his replacement? He was too hands off on Jarmo so I'm fine with him being hands off on a new hire and let the guy do hs f'ing job. I hate micro managers.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

I still can't figure out the Priest hatred. He's not a hockey guy. He just makes sure bills get paid with the owner's and organization's money.

it's less about mike priest the person or mike priest the employee and more about what he represents.

1. the team has had the worst on-ice results in the league since it started 24 years ago
2. mike priest has been around since the start in his current role
3. ownership has not been visible in the last few years, and mike priest is seen as their proxy

it has nothing to do with his actual job performance, but in any other organization the guy at the top of the food chain wouldn't get to keep his job if the organization he oversaw was getting lapped by all its competitors for 20+ years.

the priest hatred is a result of that + him being the public face of the ownership group that has long seemed content to keep things as they are. whether or not ownership or mike priest have actually contributed to those results is another matter.

either way, i'd still argue that animosity towards the long-tenured figurehead at the top of an historically inept organization is warranted, even if it's just a symbolic gesture.

Fine if you don't like JD but if he was out the door who do you trust to do the hiring as his replacement?

the issues with JD picking his own replacement are that the last time he had to fill a crucial role, he failed emphatically due to his own personal biases/relationships, hence babcock. mike priest simply signed off on it.

the way these things usually work is that organizations hire consulting firms to give them a list of recommended candidates. the jackets didn't do that with the babcock search, and apparently aren't doing that now.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

the way these things usually work is that organizations hire consulting firms to give them a list of recommended candidates. the jackets didn't do that with the babcock search, and apparently aren't doing that now.

I recommended that they do this a long time ago.

Still, it's probably not very common to do in the NHL-or any of sports. However, when the track record of an organization is as poor as the CBJ, it's indefensible that they leave the hiring of the new GM to the person who has been the guiding force of a failed organization for as long as JD has. An outside consulting firm becomes the viable alternative to the normal hiring processes.

I've made mention as have others that this franchise is in danger of becoming the second coming of the Buffalo Sabres. That might end up being an optimistic view of the CBJ.

This franchise is in a ton of trouble. It is so very fortunate that it doesn't have a major 4 sport competitor in town or they'd be drawing less than 10k per game and would be on the brink of becoming the next Arizona/Salt Lake NHL problem entity.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

I recommended that they do this a long time ago.

Still, it's probably not very common to do in the NHL-or any of sports. However, when the track record of an organization is as poor as the CBJ, it's indefensible that they leave the hiring of the new GM to the person who has been the guiding force of a failed organization for as long as JD has. An outside consulting firm becomes the viable alternative to the normal hiring processes.

it's more common than you might think.

the instances where consultants don't get involved are usually ones where ownership is pretty plugged-in and hands-on, and knows exactly who they want. this is basically how JD ended up with the rangers.

for hiring cycles like this (prolonged period of not having a guy in that seat, no real sense of who is available, clear stated desire to have this be a major shake-up) they should absolutely have some kind of search committee and a list provided/vetted by a third party.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

it's more common than you might think.

the instances where consultants don't get involved are usually ones where ownership is pretty plugged-in and hands-on, and knows exactly who they want. this is basically how JD ended up with the rangers.

for hiring cycles like this (prolonged period of not having a guy in that seat, no real sense of who is available, clear stated desire to have this be a major shake-up) they should absolutely have some kind of search committee and a list provided/vetted by a third party.

I'm curious as to who may have used outside consultants for a GM search in the NHL/NFL/NBA/MLB that you are aware of. Not being confrontational-just genuinely curious. I was part of a consulting firm for a number of years and I know that we felt our services were essential in any client's hiring process

I see professional sports as a pretty small world where the number of potential candidates for, say the CBJ job, isn't all that numerous. I wouldn't see the need-in most cases-to hire an outside firm. Unless your organization is as incompetent and has as disengaged ownership as the CBJ.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

I recommended that they do this a long time ago.

Still, it's probably not very common to do in the NHL-or any of sports. However, when the track record of an organization is as poor as the CBJ, it's indefensible that they leave the hiring of the new GM to the person who has been the guiding force of a failed organization for as long as JD has. An outside consulting firm becomes the viable alternative to the normal hiring processes.

I've made mention as have others that this franchise is in danger of becoming the second coming of the Buffalo Sabres. That might end up being an optimistic view of the CBJ.

This franchise is in a ton of trouble. It is so very fortunate that it doesn't have a major 4 sport competitor in town or they'd be drawing less than 10k per game and would be on the brink of becoming the next Arizona/Salt Lake NHL problem entity.

It's pretty f'ing bad but I don't think the sky is falling like you say.

Attendance this year was the highest it has been for a number of years and there were sold out games late in the season for a team as bad as this has been for a couple of years. Additionally, I would contend college football in this town is a major 4 sport that they need to contend with as much as I hate it.

Is it in trouble on the ice? Yes.

Is it in trouble in the wallet where it matters to the community and the organization is hemorrhaging money? I highly doubt it.

The business side of the team seems fine in spite of the hockey side. It's just the hockey side that needs a competent GM to lead it.

I still firmly believe that JD and Jarmo did just fine up until JD left and gave Jarmo the keys to everything. The problem was that JD didn't collect all the keys back from him upon his return.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

It's pretty f'ing bad but I don't think the sky is falling like you say.

Attendance this year was the highest it has been for a number of years and there were sold out games late in the season for a team as bad as this has been for a couple of years. Additionally, I would contend college football in this town is a major 4 sport that they need to contend with as much as I hate it.

Is it in trouble on the ice? Yes.

Is it in trouble in the wallet where it matters to the community and the organization is hemorrhaging money? I highly doubt it.

The business side of the team seems fine in spite of the hockey side. It's just the hockey side that needs a competent GM to lead it.

I still firmly believe that JD and Jarmo did just fine up until JD left and gave Jarmo the keys to everything. The problem was that JD didn't collect all the keys back from him upon his return.

I never said the team was in financial trouble though I doubt that they turn a profit. I suggested a scenario in which they might have troubles. I'll stand by my point of the CBJ being huge benefactors of not having Big 4 sport competitor.

If Stan Bowman doesn't gift Jarmo Panarin and Howson didn't acquire a double Vezina winner, the Jarmo and JD team wouldn't have anything to hang their hats upon in terms of CBJ success. JDs teams have one playoff series victory in his 17 years as a team prez between three organizations.

His possible different handling of Jarmo after he returned from his "dream job" is purely speculative. McConnell and Priest exposed themselves for the fools that they are by taking his NYR-fired rear end back.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

I'm curious as to who may have used outside consultants for a GM search in the NHL/NFL/NBA/MLB that you are aware of. Not being confrontational-just genuinely curious.

don't have any specific examples offhand for front-office hirings, but i feel like i've seen "team X retained the services of [consulting firm] to identify candidates for [open position]" written quite a few times.

the most famous specific example isn't staff-focused, but player-focused. the browns paid six figures to a consulting firm to help them evaluate quarterbacks ahead of the 2014 draft. the consultants recommended teddy bridgewater.

then jimmy haslam disregarded all of that (which may or may not have been influenced by a conversation he had with a homeless gentleman at a stoplight) and went with johnny manziel.

I see professional sports as a pretty small world where the number of potential candidates for, say the CBJ job, isn't all that numerous. I wouldn't see the need-in most cases-to hire an outside firm. Unless your organization is as incompetent and has as disengaged ownership as the CBJ.

this is (on paper) such an attractive GM/PHOP job that i'm sure they don't necessarily need to identify candidates – plenty will likely express interest. but i'm extremely wary of a hire ostensibly being meant to disrupt the current culture being made by the guy who set that culture, rather than being influenced by folks from the outside (i.e. consultants).

i'm sure a ton of folks from the hockey world have expressed interest. the risk of not going the consultant route is that JD – a long-time member of the old hockey boys club – may opt to hire one of his own rather than an up-and-coming candidate who has a stronger/more modern vision for the franchise.

 

[CBJx614]

don't have any specific examples offhand for front-office hirings, but i feel like i've seen "team X retained the services of [consulting firm] to identify candidates for [open position]" written quite a few times.

the most famous specific example isn't staff-focused, but player-focused. the browns paid six figures to a consulting firm to help them evaluate quarterbacks ahead of the 2014 draft. the consultants recommended teddy bridgewater.

then jimmy haslam disregarded all of that (which may or may not have been influenced by a conversation he had with a homeless gentleman at a stoplight) and went with johnny manziel.

IIRC this is how we ended up with McLean.


Can't find the article, but I did stumble upon this. I was too young/not paying attention but holy hell can you imagine this happening today?

https://www.ourmidland.com/news/article/Doug-MacLean-Stays-on-As-Columbus-Coach-7181310.php

Imagine Jarmo putting on the skates and whistle and coaching after firing Torts or Larsen.

 

[NotWendell]

Who is the best person in the org to hire the disruptor?

It's someone outside the org.

 

[DoingItCoolKiwi]

Does anyone know of any 'Mark Hunter picks/trades' from his Toronto days? I've heard his name so many times since Dubas got the Leafs job that something must have leaked out at some point

 

[majormajor]

it has nothing to do with his actual job performance, but in any other organization the guy at the top of the food chain wouldn't get to keep his job if the organization he oversaw was getting lapped by all its competitors for 20+ years.

I don't think this is true.

I doubt the performance of the head of the business side of the operation is measured in wins. You'd think it would be money, not wins.

I only know Priest's name because of my participation on these boards, and maybe the occasional Porty article. And I couldn't tell you the names of more than 2 or 3 similar business execs around the league despite all the hours I spend following the league. So I could be wrong and maybe they're all getting fired on a similar timeline to GMs / Presidents of hockey ops, but I doubt it. And I don't think you know either.

 

[ColumbusTrill]

I know Elliot Friedman has said on 32T how the Priest/McConnell ownership is one of the most desirable for GM's because they stay out of their way. They just built a new locker room/training center. Crowds are good despite the recent struggles. The arena is very nice despite being ~25 years old.

 

[Indy18]

I know Elliot Friedman has said on 32T how the Priest/McConnell ownership is one of the most desirable for GM's because they stay out of their way. They just built a new locker room/training center. Crowds are good despite the recent struggles. The arena is very nice despite being ~25 years old.

Well ya but people want disruptor owners like Dolan because they think if nothing is being expressed in the public eye then are not doing anything.