Michael Russo: The Downfall of Paul Fenton

[TaLoN]

Fenton did not reply to an interview request for this story.

Probably didn't need to be said...

Also, sources say, Fenton, on a handful of occasions both last season and afterward, sought permission to fire Boudreau. Leipold wouldn’t give it. Boudreau, who will now be coaching for his third Wild GM, enters the final year of his four-year contract after Fenton declined to give him a contract extension.

Our impressions were correct! Thank you CL for preventing that disaster!

Click to read more...

 

[Bazeek]

Probably didn't need to be said...


Our impressions were correct! Thank you CL for preventing that disaster!

I'm still reading, but the bit about Fenton pissing off staff by sending back pics of the Patriots' Super Bowl parade while on a scouting trip got me

 

[ThatGuy22]

Good lord... Fenton was willing to give up more than Granlund AND retain salary in order to get Fiala..... i mean, thats awful

 

[Sleestak Nation]

Good lord... Fenton was willing to give up more than Granlund AND retain salary in order to get Fiala..... i mean, thats awful

This is where I nearly puked. Just awful stuff.

 

[TaLoN]

Good lord... Fenton was willing to give up more than Granlund AND retain salary in order to get Fiala..... i mean, thats awful

I know! I about lost it when I read that! We got raped as it was, but my God, he was willing to do that deal in FAR worse terms!

 

[TaLoN]

BTW - Top notch reporting by Russo here! Proving his worth on the beat again!

 

[Bazeek]

Some things I took away from the article.

- It sounds like Fenton didn't spend any more time in Minnesota than he had to. Aside from the usual problems that go with an absentee boss, that probably rubbed people the wrong way.

- It sounds like his personality and "management style" turned what was always going to be a tricky transitional period into a fiasco. Russo spends a lot of words trying to engender sympathy for members of Fletcher's staff that lost their jobs, but that was always going to happen. The fact that many were kept around to finish out contracts was kind of a ****ty hand to be dealt as a new GM, but instead of playing it well Fenton set the cards on fire.

- The situation with Boudreau was also kind of tricky. I don't agree with the decision to fire him, but I'm not sure I agree with Leipold overriding his GM either. I'm glad Boudreau's still here, but the ends don't justify the means.

- There's no excuse for straight up lying to Zucker about trading him to Calgary once that got out. That's the sort of thing that'll help kill trust with everyone in the organization.

- It sounds like he never really got it through his head that he wasn't in Nashville anymore, and his refusal to adapt to anything lost him his dream job.

 

[AJ Thelen]

That man is even more incompetent, power hungry and paranoid than i could possibly imagine.

All of the employees he either got rid of or quit because of him, the way he treated people, lying to players, getting fleeced in trades, threatening staff..

Good lord.

 

[jedisports]

Some things I took away from the article.

- It sounds like Fenton didn't spend any more time in Minnesota than he had to. Aside from the usual problems that go with an absentee boss, that probably rubbed people the wrong way.

- It sounds like his personality and "management style" turned what was always going to be a tricky transitional period into a fiasco. Russo spends a lot of words trying to engender sympathy for members of Fletcher's staff that lost their jobs, but that was always going to happen. The fact that many were kept around to finish out contracts was kind of a ****ty hand to be dealt as a new GM, but instead of playing it well Fenton set the cards on fire.

- The situation with Boudreau was also kind of tricky. I don't agree with the decision to fire him, but I'm not sure I agree with Leipold overriding his GM either. I'm glad Boudreau's still here, but the ends don't justify the means.

- There's no excuse for straight up lying to Zucker about trading him to Calgary once that got out. That's the sort of thing that'll help kill trust with everyone in the organization.

- It sounds like he never really got it through his head that he wasn't in Nashville anymore, and his refusal to adapt to anything lost him his dream job.

Thanks for this. I don't have access to the article so this helps!

 

[Engebretson]

Can’t even put my thoughts into words right now. I think I need to let what I read sink in before I can properly comment.

 

[Lapa]

How can someone with so much front office experience be that f***ing clueless?

Holy shit.

 

[AJ Thelen]

That article was almost as jaw dropping as when my gf told me she was pregnant.

 

[Bazeek]

How can someone with so much front office experience be that ****ing clueless?

Holy ****.

I really think that so much time in the same office under the same GM might have screwed with his head. He had a lot of experience in one specific role, in one specific context. It might've been fine if he was adaptable or personable, but that's clearly not the case.

 

[123TripleDoge]

power hungry and a know-it-all

not a good combo I guess

 

[Ban Hammered]

I really think that so much time in the same office under the same GM might have screwed with his head. He had a lot of experience in one specific role, in one specific context. It might've been fine if he was adaptable or personable, but that's clearly not the case.

And that same GM strung him along for a month on Fiala. Sounds like Fenton has zero people skills whatsoever.

 

[gphr513]

Good lord... Fenton was willing to give up more than Granlund AND retain salary in order to get Fiala..... i mean, thats awful

Fenton was proud of his one-for-one “hockey trade,” but very rarely in the NHL is a known quantity like Granlund traded for an unproven player without getting another asset back. It sure sounds like Fenton’s old mentor, David Poile, strung him along for a month to the point that Fenton thought he was getting a steal when Poile finally agreed.

“David knew he had him and played mind games with him all the way to the deadline,” a league source said.

YIKES

 

[57special]

Surprised that Fenton wanted to fire Boudreau multiple times. I'm guessing it was in reaction to BB telling the truth about certain players that Fenton acquired.

Was really surprised to read that Fenton spent 3 weeks of the season (in the spring?) in his home in Florida, and much of his off season in Cape Cod. I mean...didn't he have a job here?

 

[TaLoN]

power hungry and a know-it-all

not a good combo I guess

Paranoid power hungry know it all recluse.

 

[jedisports]

When you hear about what really went down, it’s almost shocking he lasted as long as he did.

 

[TaLoN]

Probably didn't need to be said...


Our impressions were correct! Thank you CL for preventing that disaster!

BTW - this article should be stickied to the top of every page of this thread!

 

[gphr513]

BTW - this article should be stickied to the top of every page of this thread!

Probably deserves its own thread. One of the most in-depth and dense pieces of reporting done in Wild history. So much to unpack here.

 

[TaLoN]

Probably deserves its own thread. One of the most in-depth and dense pieces of reporting done in Wild history. So much to unpack here.

This picture was perfectly placed in the article btw! Reading the article and seeing the contrast in Fenton's expression to Flahr's...

 

[nickschultzfan]

He lied to Zucker. Do not lie.

 

[WILDTATE10]

Just got done reading it.

Wow!

 

[16thOverallSaveUs]

Say what you want about Russo, that article is some damn good reporting.