He was pretty well regarded around the league, and while I get you were focusing on NHL experience, he was President and GM of the bulldogs from 2016-22 winning two championships there in 6 seasons.
It's not the same as when Melnyk hired Muckler, a guy with an extensive NHL resume, but it is a hire that some team was going to make eventually (not as POHO specifically, but in some management capacity).
I don't think it's fair to suggest this is purely a nepotism hire, nor is it fair to suggest Staios is the most experienced guy available, but he was rumoured to be next in line in Edmonton behind Holland, a position they'd been grooming him for. He's certainly put in the hours to garner the respect he has around the league.
Sure, eventually. As in, once he's accrued enough experience in senior management and executive leadership roles.
Running an OHL team, as credible as that experience is, is nowhere close to what running a billion dollar professional sports organization entails.
I don't understand a fanbase that spent
years bemoaning inexperienced hires but is now happy to embrace exactly the same thing because, what, the packaging is different? The person who did it is different?
It went from "we need an experienced person at the top, a name with a great reputation" to "yay, we hired someone!" in like a microsecond.
I'm only pointing out the flaming hypocrisy.