Confirmed with Link: Chris Higgins joins the Canucks in a player development role

[biturbo19]

One thing Walker brought was coaching experience. Higgins has none of that. But like you said, Walker also had to scratch and claw and reinvent himself. That doesn't necessarily apply to 1st or 2nd round picks who are use to being stars.

I think a big part of the job is talking to players and working with them at development camp. Higgins is a smart guy who was a good hockey player. He's a former first round pick, played in the AHL, scored 27 goals in a season, and reinvented himself as a middle 6 winger in the NHL. Hard not to respect the career he had and what he went through.

Yeah. Ultimately, if Higgins has any value to offer in a nebulous "player development" role, it'll be in sharing his experience as a guy who kinda reinvented himself from a top pick with lots of expectation as a scorer, into a very well-rounded Top-9 winger who succeeded in large part, because he had the skill...but actually learned to work exceptionally hard and play like a real grinder. And seems to really love the city too.

What that's actually worth? Who knows. But rather than being upset they're hiring a hard-working ex-Canuck from the "glory days" to probably more or less occasionally chat with players about his experiences and prod them a bit about commitment level...i'd probably just be happy they've got the money to throw away on peripheral stuff like that. It can't really hurt, can it? It's not like they appointed him head of player development.

 

[biturbo19]

Weird that the best candidate available for so many of these positions already has previous connections to the team.

If you think hiring based on buddies and connections is abnormal, you frankly haven't looked around the NHL enough at depth organizational roles like this bit part they're giving Higgins. The whole of NHL hockey ops is a the definition of an old boys club, not just in Vancouver...but pretty much everywhere around the league. This Higgins thing is an extremely mild case.

Take say, Julien Brisebois, GM of the Tampa Lightning, oft touted as the paragon of "successful team run the right way". Who is his Director of Hockey Operations? By golly...it's Mathieu Darche. The guy who played for Brisebois as the "Ryan Johnson" of the Hamilton Bulldogs AHL team back in the day, and comes with similar ties to Guy Boucher who is obviously wrapped up in Tampa and Briesebois ties himself. He hired the career journeyman grinder from the AHL team he first managed, to the post he started his own foray into NHL hockey Ops in. Not to mention all the Yzerman Detroit-related cronies you can find there.

It's kinda goofy, but it's the way the NHL works. It's certainly not just a Vancouver problem.

 

[Spectrefire]

Wait, does everyone here think Manny Malhotra is hot garbage?

 

[PuckMunchkin]

If you think hiring based on buddies and connections is abnormal, you frankly haven't looked around the NHL enough at depth organizational roles like this bit part they're giving Higgins. The whole of NHL hockey ops is a the definition of an old boys club, not just in Vancouver...but pretty much everywhere around the league. This Higgins thing is an extremely mild case.

Take say, Julien Brisebois, GM of the Tampa Lightning, oft touted as the paragon of "successful team run the right way". Who is his Director of Hockey Operations? By golly...it's Mathieu Darche. The guy who played for Brisebois as the "Ryan Johnson" of the Hamilton Bulldogs AHL team back in the day, and comes with similar ties to Guy Boucher who is obviously wrapped up in Tampa and Briesebois ties himself. He hired the career journeyman grinder from the AHL team he first managed, to the post he started his own foray into NHL hockey Ops in. Not to mention all the Yzerman Detroit-related cronies you can find there.

It's kinda goofy, but it's the way the NHL works. It's certainly not just a Vancouver problem.

Yep.

 

[I am toxic]

If people would like to see someone else in a development role, who are they thinking of?

For goalies, Clark is already the goalie coach, and Alex is busy with radio. Him, Pasco, Sean/Rob and Ron are presumably available to work with the goalies if they want extra help.

Karen and Barb already work with Canucks players. Other than Victor, who for all I know works with some of the players as well, who else would you want to work with them on skating? Do you know anyone local (or elsewhere that is willing to relocate to Vancouver for irregular hours) that is better?

Who do you want for development? Bieksa doesn't live here anymore (and isn't anywhere near Utica). Brewer would be an option, and is not alumni. Who else? I would expect someday Sven (alumni) will be hired by the Canucks, but I think he is already past player development stage. Derek already works with the players. Josh? Graham? Santos (oops, alumni again)? And don't say Stan or Yogi.

If you look up sports reports, there were several stories about how Manny contributed off the ice and in practices in Montreal and I think Carolina, helping out younger players, while taking defensive faceoffs in games to help those teams on the ice. iirc there were reports of Chiggers doing the same in Utica, and I assume Green worked with him there. I can remember how happy I was when Manny became a development coach for the Canucks, he is something special, ohsix was lucky enough to be coached by him (and since he was a centre, got to learn faceoffs from him). I never asked, but I'm pretty certain he worked with Horvat. I know some up and coming local coaches who are cutting their teeth coaching in Junior that will someday make excellent coaches, but they are a decade at least away.

So who would you hire as a development coach?

 

[Guardian452]

It's kinda goofy, but it's the way the NHL works. It's certainly not just a Vancouver problem.

It's not just the NHL. It's how the world works. At least Higgins was a student of the game, has over 12+ years as a pro hockey player to bring to the table and is really an entry-level type of role. Better than the perverse example at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

 

[DL44]

Don't like the hire...
I used to listen to him when he used to do radio.. don't think he has much to offer.
A definite ol boys club hire.

 

[Bitz and Bites]

CH seemed to be a likeable guy who was happy to work with our prospects during his time in Utica which definitely looks good on his resume.
As for the OBC factor,it does have some advantages as people in the org have have a history with potential hires and have a pretty good idea of what they bring to the table.

I think a lot of it depends on who’s doing the hiring and what they’re looking for in a candidate to fill that role.So far this management team has made some pretty questionable hirings that really make you wonder about the thought process going on behind them.To their credit (or maybe just dumb luck) they have made a couple that seem to be working out so let’s hope that CH is part of the latter group.To me he seems as good a fit for that jobas any recent Canuck alumni.

 

[bobbyb2009]

If you think hiring based on buddies and connections is abnormal, you frankly haven't looked around the NHL enough at depth organizational roles like this bit part they're giving Higgins. The whole of NHL hockey ops is a the definition of an old boys club, not just in Vancouver...but pretty much everywhere around the league. This Higgins thing is an extremely mild case.

Take say, Julien Brisebois, GM of the Tampa Lightning, oft touted as the paragon of "successful team run the right way". Who is his Director of Hockey Operations? By golly...it's Mathieu Darche. The guy who played for Brisebois as the "Ryan Johnson" of the Hamilton Bulldogs AHL team back in the day, and comes with similar ties to Guy Boucher who is obviously wrapped up in Tampa and Briesebois ties himself. He hired the career journeyman grinder from the AHL team he first managed, to the post he started his own foray into NHL hockey Ops in. Not to mention all the Yzerman Detroit-related cronies you can find there.

It's kinda goofy, but it's the way the NHL works. It's certainly not just a Vancouver problem.

It is not just the way the NHL works- it is the way real life works!! Every privately owned business anywhere. People hire people they are comfortable with, that they trust and know.

 

[BeardyCanuck03]

I think... and this is just me spitballing, Higgins isn't going to have much pull in the way of setting up player development plans and such, but he will be spending a lot of time working with the players.

I think Ryan Johnson (for better or worse) is going to be taking on more of the higher planning role

 

[F A N]

If you think hiring based on buddies and connections is abnormal, you frankly haven't looked around the NHL enough at depth organizational roles like this bit part they're giving Higgins. The whole of NHL hockey ops is a the definition of an old boys club, not just in Vancouver...but pretty much everywhere around the league. This Higgins thing is an extremely mild case.

Take say, Julien Brisebois, GM of the Tampa Lightning, oft touted as the paragon of "successful team run the right way". Who is his Director of Hockey Operations? By golly...it's Mathieu Darche. The guy who played for Brisebois as the "Ryan Johnson" of the Hamilton Bulldogs AHL team back in the day, and comes with similar ties to Guy Boucher who is obviously wrapped up in Tampa and Briesebois ties himself. He hired the career journeyman grinder from the AHL team he first managed, to the post he started his own foray into NHL hockey Ops in. Not to mention all the Yzerman Detroit-related cronies you can find there.

It's kinda goofy, but it's the way the NHL works. It's certainly not just a Vancouver problem.

Exactly.

I'm actually not opposed to giving former players jobs, especially a role like player development. You need some people in the organization who considers themselves a Canuck who can convincingly speak good things about the organization. Higgins is also not too many years removed from his playing days.

 

[MS]

Ehhhh ... I actually thought he had media potential and would love guys like him and Bieksa to come in and replace the Garretts and Tomlinsons and Hirsches in this market. No idea what to really think of this since these 'player development' roles seem so nebulous.

 

[F A N]

I think... and this is just me spitballing, Higgins isn't going to have much pull in the way of setting up player development plans and such, but he will be spending a lot of time working with the players.

I think Ryan Johnson (for better or worse) is going to be taking on more of the higher planning role

That's probably fine with Higgins. While some ex-players has management aspirations some probably just want to dip their toes back into hockey and see how it goes. The job Higgins is taking up likely doesn't require him to be away from home for an extended period of time. He can probably find an assistant coaching position like Malhotra if that's what he wants to work towards.

 

[BeardyCanuck03]

That's probably fine with Higgins. While some ex-players has management aspirations some probably just want to dip their toes back into hockey and see how it goes. The job Higgins is taking up likely doesn't require him to be away from home for an extended period of time. He can probably find an assistant coaching position like Malhotra if that's what he wants to work towards.

Higgins has worked with the Canucks before most recently helping out at the Development Camp. The only issue I have with this is the concentration of power to 3-4 executives in the Canucks front office. Benning, Weisbrod, Johnson and Brackett seem to be taking on more and more.

 

[Billy Kvcmu]

If you think hiring based on buddies and connections is abnormal, you frankly haven't looked around the NHL enough at depth organizational roles like this bit part they're giving Higgins. The whole of NHL hockey ops is a the definition of an old boys club, not just in Vancouver...but pretty much everywhere around the league. This Higgins thing is an extremely mild case.

Take say, Julien Brisebois, GM of the Tampa Lightning, oft touted as the paragon of "successful team run the right way". Who is his Director of Hockey Operations? By golly...it's Mathieu Darche. The guy who played for Brisebois as the "Ryan Johnson" of the Hamilton Bulldogs AHL team back in the day, and comes with similar ties to Guy Boucher who is obviously wrapped up in Tampa and Briesebois ties himself. He hired the career journeyman grinder from the AHL team he first managed, to the post he started his own foray into NHL hockey Ops in. Not to mention all the Yzerman Detroit-related cronies you can find there.

It's kinda goofy, but it's the way the NHL works. It's certainly not just a Vancouver problem.

Just add on one more example
Kyle Dubas the new era genius that everyone likes, the guy who became an OHL player agent at the show of 16. I’m pretty sure his grandfather owns the Greyhound of the OHL or something...

 

[F A N]

Higgins has worked with the Canucks before most recently helping out at the Development Camp. The only issue I have with this is the concentration of power to 3-4 executives in the Canucks front office. Benning, Weisbrod, Johnson and Brackett seem to be taking on more and more.

I think the Canucks could use another AGM if there isn't going to be a new President of Hockey Operations, but most NHL teams, ownership aside, has power concentrated among 3-4 executives.

Interestingly I think I heard Satiar Shah this morning say that Chris Gear was doing more contract negotiations. He also talked about Jonathan Wall and of course Brackett having a big influence. I think the idea that Benning just huddles up with Weisbrod and makes all the decisions is wrong.