Speculation: Hockey Ops Roulette (The Chayka Syndrome)

[LuckyNumber11]

Burke I think is the ultimate not mad not happy hire. The most average hire we could make. That said I do think he loves the Coyotes, and passion for the organization is something that I factor in as a positive. Don’t get me wrong, association with this franchise generally isn’t a good thing but I mainly have fond memories of Burke whether it’s as a player or coach

 

[hbk]

Here’s my concerns.

Maloney didn’t even want to make him an Assistant GM. He couldn’t get an assistant GM job anywhere in the league.

but we are going to anoint him not as an assistant but as the key guy in our organization?

this strikes me as ludicrous.

if u r bringing him in try him at the assistant role first. That would make much more sense.

 

[Mosby]

Burke was also a finalist in Edmonton and Seattle and lost those jobs to superior candidates in Holland and Francis. So he’s not a total trash candidate like the TV boys.

 

[Mosby]

Here’s my concerns.

Maloney didn’t even want to make him an Assistant GM. He couldn’t get an assistant GM job anywhere in the league.

but we are going to anoint him not as an assistant but as the key guy in our organization?

this strikes me as ludicrous.

if u r bringing him in try him at the assistant role first. That would make much more sense.

I’d wonder if there was any budget to make him AGM at the time? Especially when Treliving and Chris O’Hearn were already on staff with those roles.

 

[Mosby]

Sullivan?

Unique case. He has earned it. He has worked his way up the ladder.

 

[Mosby]

If anyone wants to dive in...

Best Sean Burke Podcasts - Podcasts with/about Sean Burke | OwlTail

Wow, I forgot about his two parter Chiclets interview. Really good from what I recall.

 

[PainForShane]

MCGUIRE'S TENURE A BAD SITUATION

Yes, a 25 year old article to be sure...but this is how his one and only NHL HC stint is described? Would go on to be a scout, AC and then ECHL HC (where he didnt even scrape out a .500 record) before bailing on front office's entirely for broadcasting...

And this guy is somehow qualified enough to even be considered for an NHL GM position, let alone get a second interview?

What a gong show...

Thx for finding / sharing that article. Honestly seems a lot like Chayka tbh. Not respected by peers, bragging about random / irrelevant victories “Nick Schmaltz is a hell of a player” “Phil Kessel / Goligoski are the best players avail on the market” etc.

I think it shows how ‘valuable‘ the skill of managing up can be. Valuable as decided by ownership rather than being able to do their job. We’ve all had bosses like that, their one skill is that their boss thinks they’re amazing but they’re not nearly as respected by their peers or subordinates.

Whatever happens here, I hope Meruelo is smart / competent enough to a) hire someone with a track record and b) get a ton of feedback from all levels (subordinates, peers, supervisors) to not set us back further. If that person ends up as Hextall I’ll be happy but honestly like most us here I don’t fully know the behind the scenes between him and Holmgren (who imo are both reasonably successful execs)

 

[Mosby]

I can definitely see how it’d be easy for someone like McGuire to seem like a good candidate to Meruelo. A guy sitting there spouting off hockey facts and buzzwords to a non-hockey person.

It’d be like someone foreign to the sport witnessing an NBC broadcast for the first time. You’d probably come away thinking McGuire knows his stuff (and that he’s annoying...).

 

[XX]

I can definitely see how it’d be easy for someone like McGuire to seem like a good candidate to Meruelo. A guy sitting there spouting off hockey facts and buzzwords to a non-hockey person.

It’d be like someone foreign to the sport witnessing an NBC broadcast for the first time. You’d probably come away thinking McGuire knows his stuff (and that he’s annoying...).

I can see it, but someone at that level really should have a small army of people advising him to pump the brakes.

 

[Mosby]

True but our hockey ops department is pretty bare. It was basically Chayka. Sullivan can contribute little in this process considering he’s a candidate. Then all that’s left is the two London guys. I guess there’s Tocchet but him wanting to keep his job gives him an ulterior motive.

 

[hbk]

True but our hockey ops department is pretty bare. It was basically Chayka. Sullivan can contribute little in this process considering he’s a candidate. Then all that’s left is the two London guys. I guess there’s Tocchet but him wanting to keep his job gives him an ulterior motive.

It’s worse. The entire scouting department likely is en route to Jersey as soon as Chayka is officially hired. So we need to completely rebuild all aspects of the organization.

 

[Mosby]

That’s fine. Their results have been good, not great. Anyone with knowledge of stretchgate who then sat on their hands should be out anyway. And we need more in-rink scouts too. We had way too many video scouts. Our balance is wrong. Aside, I’ve heard enough dirtball things about Hofford that I’d be fine dumping him in any event.

 

[Mosby]

MCGUIRE'S TENURE A BAD SITUATION

Yes, a 25 year old article to be sure...but this is how his one and only NHL HC stint is described? Would go on to be a scout, AC and then ECHL HC (where he didnt even scrape out a .500 record) before bailing on front office's entirely for broadcasting...

And this guy is somehow qualified enough to even be considered for an NHL GM position, let alone get a second interview?

What a gong show...

Wow. Now that is a scathing. And you know the situation was probably 10x worse for someone to actually put that in print and with people going on the record.

 

[Stumbledore]

Believe what you want.

Always good advice.

Meanwhile, I believe many countries are keeping their borders closed to Americans, as I said.

 

[Coyotedroppings]

This can’t be happening/real.

 

[Mosby]

One other point in Burke's favor is that, as a Canadiens western scout based in Arizona, I assume he does all his scouting at Gila River Arena. That means he has seen a ton of Coyotes hockey over the past few years. And ideally, has seen the issues with the team as is.

 

[XX]

One other point in Burke's favor is that, as a Canadiens western scout based in Arizona, I assume he does all his scouting at Gila River Arena. That means he has seen a ton of Coyotes hockey over the past few years. And ideally, has seen the issues with the team as is.

I'd be fine with him. He was the de facto captain on the ice when he played and his post playing career isn't something just anyone can do. Rolling the dice on his temperament and decision making isn't really any different than Sullivan. Only Hextall is a tested commodity.

He'd probably up the odds Doan would come in. Probably a safe bet Sullivan would leave if such a candidate wins out.

Only Sullivan and Hextall have experience managing the AHL side. They remain my top 2 choices.

 

[Bondurant]

"Dumb COVID restrictions?"

If wearing a mask, washing your hands, and social distancing is dumb, how do you feel about so many countries closing their borders to Americans?

If you guys could master some basic public health measures, we could start a new hockey season faster and more easily.

All of the above is what people are doing.

 

[rt]

If anyone wants to dive in...

Best Sean Burke Podcasts - Podcasts with/about Sean Burke | OwlTail

One good bit:
Spittin' Chiclets-Ep200-1:34:45

Burke talking about his regrets from the Team Canada Olympic GM job.
Learned a valuable lesson about not being too tempted by skill and analytics.
Learned that character, work-ethic, and grit have to be paramount.

 

[rt]

The way I remember Sean Burke’s promotion from goalie coach to Assistant to the General Manager is Burke stating that he wanted executive experience and would attempt to find it elsewhere if need be. He viewed himself as something more than a goalie coach.

Coyotes brass really liked him as a goalie coach. They didn’t want to lose his ability to work with the team’s goaltending at all levels. As a result, he was appeased with a token GM title. The front-office was already fully staffed. So it was AGM make-work.

Seems right (combined with what I've heard listening to a bunch of Burke interviews today):

Coyotes goaltending coach Sean Burke puts on management cap

https://www.foxsports.com/arizona/s...cuss-management-roles-with-other-teams-032315

It was actually Chayka who got the job Burke wanted and felt he'd been working toward. It seems like when the Coyotes chose Chayka as AGM after Treliving got the top job in Calgary, that was it for Sean Burke:
Coyotes in no hurry to appoint assistant GM

Also looks like he got dick-kicked by Kyle Dubas a little - LOL:
Report: Maple Leafs will pursue Sean Burke, but not for the GM job

 

[TheLegend]

The “a reminder things can always get stranger” part scares me. Like he’s bracing us for a bizarre hire.

Honestly, rt, I think Craig is feeling just like all are. Nothing is going to surprise us anymore.

Craig did tweet earlier today Sean Burke has been interviewed.

 

[Stumbledore]

All of the above is what people are doing.

Really? Because you don't control a virus when only some of the people show common sense.

I have access to 7 cable networks from America, plus CBC, CTV, Global, BBC, TVA and ZDF. Every single one of these networks shows evidence of people in America frequently gathering for social, political, religious or recreational activities with no masks on. And without social distancing. Even ZDF (the German equivalent of your Public Broadcasting) runs a daily tally of how many Covid-19 cases have arisen from Sturgis, SD alone.

While I'm open to dismissing some reports as Fake News, when a dozen networks in several different countries report that Americans are NOT following sensible public health guidelines, I have to believe that those reports are true. And until Americans are allowed into Canada, starting the next NHL will be very problematic.

And anything that interferes with my enjoyment of hockey makes me very grouchy.

 

[Jamieh]

Really? Because you don't control a virus when only some of the people show common sense.

I have access to 7 cable networks from America, plus CBC, CTV, Global, BBC, TVA and ZDF. Every single one of these networks shows evidence of people in America frequently gathering for social, political, religious or recreational activities with no masks on. And without social distancing. Even ZDF (the German equivalent of your Public Broadcasting) runs a daily tally of how many Covid-19 cases have arisen from Sturgis, SD alone.

While I'm open to dismissing some reports as Fake News, when a dozen networks in several different countries report that Americans are NOT following sensible public health guidelines, I have to believe that those reports are true. And until Americans are allowed into Canada, starting the next NHL will be very problematic.

And anything that interferes with my enjoyment of hockey makes me very grouchy.

You might want to check out your Canadian networks, we are not without the same faults.

 

[Bondurant]

Really? Because you don't control a virus when only some of the people show common sense.

I have access to 7 cable networks from America, plus CBC, CTV, Global, BBC, TVA and ZDF. Every single one of these networks shows evidence of people in America frequently gathering for social, political, religious or recreational activities with no masks on. And without social distancing. Even ZDF (the German equivalent of your Public Broadcasting) runs a daily tally of how many Covid-19 cases have arisen from Sturgis, SD alone.

While I'm open to dismissing some reports as Fake News, when a dozen networks in several different countries report that Americans are NOT following sensible public health guidelines, I have to believe that those reports are true. And until Americans are allowed into Canada, starting the next NHL will be very problematic.

And anything that interferes with my enjoyment of hockey makes me very grouchy.

I must be hallucinating when I go run errands and everyone is a mask. An entire population cannot be controlled. Most are wearing masks. Also funny that my friends in Montreal and Vancouver are constantly complaining about people not following guidelines there. I am sure the networks you watch are completely objective.

 

[Stumbledore]

I must be hallucinating when I go run errands and everyone is a mask. An entire population cannot be controlled. Most are wearing masks. Also funny that my friends in Montreal and Vancouver are constantly complaining about people not following guidelines there. I am sure the networks you watch are completely objective.

You might want to check out your Canadian networks, we are not without the same faults.

I never said there weren't idiots in Canada, too.

I don't think any network is completely objective. But when someone screams "fake news!" at an item that has appeared on independent networks in multiple countries, it's pretty easy to tell who the liar is.