Old Boys Clubs popping up around the league

[Aceboogie]

Is anyone else noticing the growing trend around the league to hire former players in prominent roles. It has been around for a while but it seems its an epidemic in last 3/5 years. Some recent examples

Mact, Lowe in Edmonton
Trevor Linden in Vancouver
Neely in Boston
Sakic and Roy in Colorado
Rob Blake in LA
Doug Weight in NYI
Steve Ott in St.Lious
Shawn Thorton in Florida

Likely I am missing, would love to hear other examples. What are the implications going forward from doing this? It is easier and more acceptable from a fan base to bring in a former fan favourite. But often these guys severely lack the experience from being in a NHL office or behind the bench to be properly qualified.

Not to mention, by doing this, you are forgoing other candidates that may have been working in the minors for years and way better suited for those roles. Will we see a steady decline in these type of "outside" hirers and a steady increase of Old Boy Clubs?

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[Ezekial]

The Detroit model.

 

[Jumptheshark]

This is nothing new and not sure why people are shocked by this.

Mact and Lowe over stayed their welcome in Edmonton more than anything

 

[Blitzkrug]

Isn't Thornton working in the business sector of the Panthers organization?

Kinda different from those other guys who actually run the team.

 

[Dbrownss]

I can say in Steve Ott's case I first laughed....then I remembered hearing him take over a few game commentaries....dude knows the X&Os of hockey.

I can see how they can better relate to the players. It may be easier for them to call the guys out since they fought in the trenches too. I dont have a problem with it as long as they arent hired just because of their name.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Don't forget Francis in Carolina, along with a slew of former players in front office and minor league roles.

 

[kingsholygrail]

It's a natural transition if you got the mind for it.

 

[batting1k]

Isn't Thornton working in the business sector of the Panthers organization?

Kinda different from those other guys who actually run the team.

Yeah, he's on the Business side of things and isn't doing anything related to the on-ice product.

The Panthers are far from an old boys club

 

[InfinityIggy]

Craig Conroy in Calgary is another.

 

[Evergreen]

Hextall in Philadelphia

 

[Shakey Rustie]

Wade Flaherty in Winnipeg. He played many years for the Moose and and has been the Jets goalie coach since the team returned, and considering how poor our goaltending has been us fans have no idea what it is he exactly does.

 

[ybnvs]

Hextall in Philadelphia

...is breaking the traditional mold of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Finally.

 

[KingsFan7824]

But then if the league brings in a guy from the NBA to be commissioner, it's no, we want a hockey guy in that position. No outsiders.

Who replaced the guys in Edmonton? A guy that was fired from another organization. Why not bring in someone new? What's with the retread?

How does a young player get experience? By playing. Play a young guy too much, and you might not win, and you might even derail his career.

It comes down to the good old record. If you win, your hire was the right one. If you lose, your hire was the wrong one. It doesn't matter who the hire was, or whether or not taking a chance or being conservative is good or bad. Win, right. Lose, wrong.

 

[Mr Positive]

OBC's are easier to hire but harder to fire. Like in Edm, who would have really wanted to join the Oilers during their rebuild? MacT was at least a guy the org knew, who was working to be the GM and had some loyalty to actually want the job. It took us a bit too long to move on from him though, and that goes double for Lowe. Both are not even fired. Lowe was moved to the business side, which is like firing him in that he doesn't make hockey decisions. MacT is Chia's assistant. It's hard to say what will happen there, but if MacT didn't have history here I think he would have just been fired outright.

 

[jw2]

Nothing new.

Not really the right way to use "old boys club"

 

[Cotton]

This has always been a thing.

 

[Mr Misty]

"League Popping Up Around Old Boys Clubs"

 

[caley]

Some recent examples

Mact, Lowe in Edmonton

Recent?

Lowe was hired as an assistant coach in 1998. Progressed up through the ranks to become GM in 2000. Hasn't been a GM since 2009. Currently a vice-president and not really a part of the hockey operations department.

MacTavish was hired as an assistant coach in 1999. Became Head Coach in 2000 which he held until 2009. Returned to the Oilers in 2012, named GM in 2013. Was replaced as GM in 2015, now holds a position centered on scouting and player development.

If anything, Edmonton's recent trend has been AWAY from the OBC: bring in an outsider at President (Nicholson, from Hockey Canada), GM (Chiarelli, from Boston), Assistant GM (Keith Gretzky, from Boston), Head Coach (McLellan from San Jose), and Assistant Coach (Jay Woodcroft and Jim Johnson, from San Jose; and Ian Herbers (Did briefly play for the Oilers, but hired from University of Alberta).

 

[Bouboumaster]

Bergevin chose Therrien over PK freaking Subban and his pal Lefebvre is a disaster in the AHL.

 

[Legionnaire]

...is breaking the traditional mold of the Philadelphia Flyers.

Finally.

Huh? How?

 

[tarheelhockey]

"League Popping Up Around Old Boys Clubs"

This could be the subtitle for an official history of the NHL.

 

[GeeoffBrown]

Craig Conroy in Calgary is another.

Also, Martin Gelinas

 

[Legionnaire]

It's almost like former professional hockey players know something about the sport that others don't. Nah. Can't be.

 

[MakeTheGoalsLarger]

Bergevin chose Therrien over PK freaking Subban and his pal Lefebvre is a disaster in the AHL.

Therrien had nearly 20 years of coaching experience before his 2nd stint with the Habs. He doesn't belong to this thread at all.

If you want to be negative about the Habs you talk about guys like Carbonneau, Cournoyer and Tremblay....which proves that this trend isn't new.

 

[Aceboogie]

It's almost like former professional hockey players know something about the sport that others don't. Nah. Can't be.

Some of best management are not former stars of that team. Vast majority of old boy clubs are not successful.

Personally I'd take chayka over Sakic for example