News Article: GMJR HAS RESIGNED

[SomeDude]

Oh, I just had a terrible thought. Remember when it was rumored that Dale Tallon would be joining the front office?

 

[Allie Kitsune]

If it's not health related, then this might be a non-firing firing.

REALLY hoping it's not for "Morality" (something dark from his past resurfacing) reasons , either...

 

[DesertedPenguin]

If it's not health related, then this might be a non-firing firing.

It's not. Tweet from LeBrun up thread said it was absolutely JR's decision.

 

[BHD]

You would think the incoming GM will depend on how ownership views the team.

 

[Old Gregg]

Met him in April 2016 after a pens game before their run. Extremely nice guy and talked to my wife and I for a bit. Told him that I thought the team was winning it all that year and they did. Hope it's nothing serious. Thanks for the 2 cups, Jim!

 

[ColePens]

Woah, this came out of the blue...that's worrisome.

I try to say over and over and over to people to stop making all these comments on the interwebz because of moments like this. Your exact thoughts are my exact thoughts. Yet I will see on different forums and even here people saying very very disgusting stuff about coaches, players, GMs, etc.

My hope is this dude is okay. He's elderly and deserves to spend time with his family.

 

[bigdaddyk88]

I would leave too if there was a clear cut issue with the team and I'm not allowed to move him.

Letang will be gone soon enough

 

[TNT87]

This is stunning.

Thanks for the 2 Cups JR. All the best to you.

 

[Mrs Crosby's Dryer]

This is unexpected.

I hope it’s nothing serious.

 

[Gurglesons]

I try to say over and over and over to people to stop making all these comments on the interwebz because of moments like this. Your exact thoughts are my exact thoughts. Yet I will see on different forums and even here people saying very very disgusting stuff about coaches, players, GMs, etc.

My hope is this dude is okay. He's elderly and deserves to spend time with his family.

Another thing I think to build on. It can get a lot worse than Rutherford.

JR was awful for us sometimes, but he did build a cup winner here. Twice.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Wait what the f*ck.

Well everyone got what the wanted, JR is out. I'm just really confused for why, and I imagine we probably won't figure out for a while.

 

[SouthGeorge]

Letang will be gone soon enough

He's only gone when he wants to be. That's clear as day.

 

[Shwag33]

If it's not health related, then this might be a non-firing firing.

Why would they fire him now? Very unlikely.

 

[Lust for Life]

Another thing I think to build on. It can get a lot worse than Rutherford.

JR was awful for us sometimes, but he did build a cup winner here. Twice.

I agree with this sentiment. First and foremost, I hope him and everyone around him are okay. Second, from a sporting perspective, the grass isn't always greener...

 

[Pancakes]

Wait what the f*ck.

Well everyone got what the wanted, JR is out. I'm just really confused for why, and I imagine we probably won't figure out for a while.

Maybe it's as simple as him being old and wanting to enjoy his retirement. The past few years have probably been frustrating for him and he has nothing left to prove as a GM. He's helped Crosby and Malkin secure their legacies, whatever else happens the rest of the way. He can rest easy with that.

And JR has secured his own legacy as well. 3 time Cup winning GM.

 

[thecore]

I thought this would happen if it looked like we were going to give Minnesota a lottery pick. Regardless of how you feel about JR the last few years or even if he was lucky at first, he helped save Sid and Geno’s legacies. I like to think of him as a riverboat gambler who had a hell of a heater but his luck eventually ran out.

 

[ZorkEnchanter]

Wow. This was out of the blue. Man, I hope everything is okay and there is not a COVID issue, etc.

JR~ Thanks for the two cups!

 

[ColePens]

Another thing I think to build on. It can get a lot worse than Rutherford.

JR was awful for us sometimes, but he did build a cup winner here. Twice.

Yeah I think Shero/JR should have been fired ONLY because they stuck with a coach too long. Dude that Oilers GM gave some backup goalie like 4.5m. I have no clue what he was doing. They ruined the Oilers and the f***ing Oilers have McDavid.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Maybe it's as simple as him being old and wanting to enjoy his retirement. The past few years have probably been frustrating for him and he has nothing left to prove as a GM. He's helped Crosby and Malkin secure their legacies, whatever else happens the rest of the way. He can rest easy with that.

And JR has secured his own legacy as well. 3 time Cup winning GM.

I mean why is he doing this right now though?

I'm not "irritated" about this, I just really don't get why he didn't do this in the off-season or even waited until next off-season. He hasn't made any sort of indications that he was thinking about this, this completely came out of nowhere. If it's a health problem, that makes sense but idk if that's it.

 

[Liberty Biberty]

Has to be health/family related, he wanted a major shakeup (G/Letang) that was overruled by ownership, or the WB/S thing is rearing its head again, right?

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Absolute legend. I hope he's okay and enjoys a long retirement.

 

[vodeni]

This makes me wonder a little more if this is actually health related, tbh.

"Right time to step away". That is odd to me.

little weird he thanks everyone except Sully? Could it be that he wanted to sack him and Mario stepped in and he had to make choice...or maybe he wanted to trade Geno and Mario....this does not look like health or family caused...

 

[Pancakes]

I mean why is he doing this right now though?

I'm not "irritated" about this, I just really don't get why he didn't do this in the off-season or even waited until next off-season. He hasn't made any sort of indications that he was thinking about this, this completely came out of nowhere.

The simple answer is he wanted to see if things got better? And instead he has seen what probably looks to him (and to us) like the same team that got bounced early in the last few years of the playoffs. He sees the writing on the wall and rather than spending his twilight years being frustrated trying to fix this he's decided to take a step back and let someone else take the reins.

Maybe if the Pens are 5-2 or something right now and looking like world beaters he doesn't make this decision.

But who knows? I'm projecting. There could be any number of personal reasons for him to abruptly make this decision, and we likely won't ever hear any of them.

 

[Icarium]

It was time for the franchise to move on but still I hope the old man is all right and will enjoy his retirement for a long time.

 

[Deport Ogie]

If this happens in an offseason, especially this past one, I doubt anyone would find it unusual. 3 weeks into a shortended season? There's going to be unavoidable questions and assumptions. One of the TSN guys said that it is NOT health-related so there's that, lot of gray area there.

That being said, certianly hope all is well with him and the family. I'd hold on celebrating his departure however, even outside of the questionable class of such a maneuver we should at least see who the replacement is first, eh?