Interesting Info: Part XIV (All Jackets-related "tidbits" in here)

[joshjoshjosh]

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mlm45eliik/30-columbus-blue-jackets/

Pessimist headline: Jackets least valuable team
Optimist headline: Jackets still managed to make 4.9 million dollars last season.

I've heard the least is a sweetheart deal for the team. Guess that confirms it given how bad attendance has been.

Shenanigans. They were in the red last year, Priest and McConnell said it themselves

 

[Palinka]

Just another attempt to deflect from a previous inept GM of ours (Palinka's attempt). Even if Howson had nothing to do with the hire (in which he should have just resigned or force them to fire him than put his name through the mud for a bad decision); there was still plenty to hold him accountable or "accountable" for.

Palinka was talking hiring process; let's not move beyond that into the actual tenure.

The hiring process at various levels of hockey normally involves the top hockey man piecing together a list of likely candidates, followed by he and his staff vetting them fairly extensively before contacting any of them in any manner. Depending on the level, somewhere in the range of 25-50% clearance makes it through to the actual contact part. Some are interested, some aren't under any conditions. That further pares the list.

Once the interviews begin, the people doing the interviewing will normally be the top hockey guy - ordinarily team president - and the GM, with the assistant GM in there depending on how duties are split. In the junior ranks, there's a lot of overlap, particularly with a good number of former players getting involved in ownership and also the front office. In the NHL, this doesn't happen. It's almost entirely the GM, assistant GM, and team president.

That's where the issues came in. With any team in the NHL, a team president is an experienced hockey executive who normally has extensive experience in multiple aspects of the game. With Columbus until this past year, the team president was an accountant whose only experience in sports was low-level college football over two decades ago. He's not the only inept person in recent memory to hold that title, as Kevin Lowe demonstrates on a daily basis in Edmonton. In junior hockey, there are way too many people whose checkbook and ego outpace their actual knowledge of the workings of hockey. The London Knights are a great example of what a very efficient and structured setup can look like, while the Kingston Frontenacs for the last 20 years are the complete opposite. But they have Doug Gilmour running the show now, and times are changing.

Now, you suggested that a worthwhile GM should resign rather than hire a coach who he's not sold on. I find this idea to be comically absurd. Is it true that Scott Arniel was not Scott Howson's first choice? Yes. Is it true that Scott Arniel was some afterthought that was basically pushed through by Mike Priest? No, Arniel was actually held in fairly high regard. If Columbus hadn't hired him, someone was going to in the very near future. I don't think that anyone could have predicted the unusual manner in which Arniel handled his first shot as an NHL head coach, particularly since he's a former NHL player. It's very possible that Arniel has looked in the mirror and realized that if he gets another chance, he can't do what he did in Columbus. It's also possible that he firmly believes that the players were the problem, or the front office was the problem, or that everything would be great if he had absolute control.

Look, I spent 18 years of my life trying to predict how people are going to react to drastic changes in their life. They're going to be in the spotlight more than ever, both in public and in private. Their financial standing is going to drastically improve. Everything changes. I've seen hard-working players sign their first contract and become lazy and unmotivated, and floaters become hard-working guys once the contract is signed. I've seen mature kids start cutting multiple child support checks by age 20, and overgrown children settle down. I don't need to labor this point.

Another part is that every GM and coach are driven and have an ego that leads them to believe that they can change everything around them. That's part of the job, and it applies to everyone. Not everyone is vocal about it like Doug MacLean, but the ability to recognize that some things cannot be changed no matter what is not something that is acknowledged by anyone high-up in hockey. It's why lazy players will get chance after chance after chance. Every GM convinces himself that the player will respond in the right situation, and every coach convinces himself that the player will respond to him. And even if it fails twenty times, a partial success with one player will convince them it can be done.

So let's assume that Scott Arniel came in for an interview and delivered some televangelist theatrics, scaring the hell out of Scott Howson and Chris MacFarland but making Mike Priest's pants bulge. From what I've heard, isn't too far off from what happened, but I do not speak with certainty on that subject. After the four interviews were done, Paul MacLean was finalizing a deal with Ottawa, Kevin Dineen was basically out, and Guy Boucher and Scott Arniel were all that was left. I don't know if Boucher was actually offered the job in Columbus or not; there have been multiple reports over it, and we're unlikely to ever know the real truth. Now consider what's become of them. MacLean took over a pretty good team with a lot on the roster and a lot ready to step in, while the other three didn't last.

Since we're speculating, assume that it was either Arniel or no one on the list. Howson, not being sold on Arniel, resigns. What exactly has been accomplished? No matter what the truth would have been, it would still look to a lot of people like Howson put the list together, interviewed them, offered Boucher the job but was rebuffed (as was reported), and then was fired for not even being able to handle a coaching search. Even if he had left on his own, made public statements saying as much, and had backing statements from the Columbus organization, the consensus opinion would be that he was fired from above for botching it. It would have meant the complete end of his career in hockey. No one in their right mind would do that, unless they had such a name built up over the years and had outgrown the organization. If it were someone like Scotty Bowman resigning from the Islanders over that, it would be one thing. Look at Neil Smith, who everyone knows was railroaded by Charles Wang and yet still hasn't advanced his career in the slightest since then.

You're asking the ego-driven and the obsessive to simply walk away rather than even attempt to see a situation through. It doesn't happen because it's a crazy idea.

 

[Palinka]

It sounds very strange, but I'm also not convinced that the tenure of Scott Arniel was entirely a disaster. I strongly dislike plenty about him, but we must ultimately consider the following:

He used Ryan Johansen as a checking forward. Johansen has emerged as an elite defensive forward in the NHL, which no one thought could happen. High-level offensive forward prospects don't suddenly graft a skill set onto what they already have. I can name one player in the last 20 years who has, and that's Marian Hossa.

When Hossa was a prospect, every single person out there had major questions about him. He floated. He'd steer away from corners. He'd avoid contact at all costs. He wouldn't cross his own blue line. He'd hog the puck. Every Don Cherry stereotype about European players was accurate with Marian Hossa as a prospect. Five years later, he was an elite two-way player who could do everything at a high level. But you should have seen him when he was a prospect. It was like watching Nikolai Zherdev and Maxim Afinogenov out there.

Second, the awful results on the ice allowed Scott Howson to finally be able to convince the top of the organization that it was time to purge The Cult of 61. The extent to which everything had to go through Rick Nash may actually be unprecedented in NHL history, and I am not exaggerating that. When Mark Messier seized control in New York, it was after a power struggle with Roger Neilson. When he did it in Vancouver, it was a joint effort with Mike Keenan. But the idea that team captain Rick Nash could skip optional practices, refuse to play down low on the power play and drive the net, and demand that Aaron Johnson be brought back and somehow be able to go over the GM to make sure that there were no issues with any of that is obscene. When people say that the Blue Jackets were Rick Nash's team, it's not an exaggeration.

Third, the extremely petty manner in which Arniel was known to handle day-to-day operations meant that anyone low-key would have the ear of the players pretty quickly. There are few coaches more low-key than Todd Richards, who occasionally sounds like he's about to doze off in the middle of a sentence. And yet these players will claw and scratch for him. With the carryover players, and especially the young players, I don't know if that happens if they hadn't been around Arniel first.

In conclusion, how does anyone routinely come up with these long posts? My hands are falling asleep here.

 

[Fro]

Shawn Mitchell ‏@smitchcd 22s
Lots of chatter about #CBJ ticket prices today. According to Forbes, club ranks 27th with avg price of $95.90, up 19.7% from last season

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

Shawn Mitchell ‏@smitchcd 22s
Lots of chatter about #CBJ ticket prices today. According to Forbes, club ranks 27th with avg price of $95.90, up 19.7% from last season

I have no idea what that is supposed to mean other than there are only 3 teams with lower average ticket prices in the league. Tickets were deeply discounted last year because of the lockout but the true average ticket price has changed much compared to before the lockout.

 

[EspenK]

From the Dansk article comes the answer to the jackets problems on D this year:

“And with Coach [Craig] Hartsburg coming in to help with D, he’s brought a great level of skill to the team and it’s helped us reach our goals.â€

Guess he only shows up with the Jackets for games and those scintillating responses to in-game questions?

 

[pete goegan]

Erixon sent back to Springfield.

 

[blahblah]

Since we're speculating, assume that it was either Arniel or no one on the list. Howson, not being sold on Arniel, resigns. What exactly has been accomplished? No matter what the truth would have been, it would still look to a lot of people like Howson put the list together, interviewed them, offered Boucher the job but was rebuffed (as was reported), and then was fired for not even being able to handle a coaching search. Even if he had left on his own, made public statements saying as much, and had backing statements from the Columbus organization, the consensus opinion would be that he was fired from above for botching it. It would have meant the complete end of his career in hockey. No one in their right mind would do that, unless they had such a name built up over the years and had outgrown the organization. If it were someone like Scotty Bowman resigning from the Islanders over that, it would be one thing. Look at Neil Smith, who everyone knows was railroaded by Charles Wang and yet still hasn't advanced his career in the slightest since then.

Howson did a great job of screwing up his career on his own. He didn't need any help. He could have worked on the timing and image. That's why Satan invented PR guys.

Regardless of the way he left, he had an incestuous relationship to fall back on. That is why you build friends in this business. You can make a case for the team not living up to their terms of hiring; you can't make a case for incompetence. Dougie is living proof of the latter. Howson wasn't totally incompetent; but in some areas he was borderline idiot.

I understand the hiring process from burger flippers to CEO's. I've also see the incestuous hiring methods in the NHL.

 

[1857 Howitzer]

Now 32-0-0

Now 33-0-0

 

[EspenK]

Now 33-0-0

Just read on the Rangers thread that yesterday's game snapped their streak at 94! We have a way to go but still impressive.

 

[1857 Howitzer]

That stat is just games under Richardson. Not sure what the number overall is, but yes that's impressive.

 

[Sore Loser]

Article on Murray

http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=693671

Told you guys he was a good one

Hope he keeps it up!

 

[InauguralCBJFan]

http://bluejackets.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=693671

Told you guys he was a good one

Hope he keeps it up!

Was ecstatic when the Oilers picked Yakupov #1 allowing us to get Murray #2. While Yakupov may have the higher offensive ceiling, Murray isn't going to give you any of the drama. Puts in the work, understands nothing comes easy. Always want guys like this on any team.

 

[Fro]

Rob Mixer ‏@RobMixer 2m
Brandon Dubinsky activated off IR by #CBJ this afternoon. Sure looks like he’ll be back in the lineup tomorrow night.

WE OW!

 

[Sore Loser]

Was ecstatic when the Oilers picked Yakupov #1 allowing us to get Murray #2. While Yakupov may have the higher offensive ceiling, Murray isn't going to give you any of the drama. Puts in the work, understands nothing comes easy. Always want guys like this on any team.

Some people were excited ... but it seemed like the more vocal crowd were those that were disappointed in not taking a forward.

Rob Mixer ‏@RobMixer 2m
Brandon Dubinsky activated off IR by #CBJ this afternoon. Sure looks like he’ll be back in the lineup tomorrow night.

WE OW!

 

[EspenK]

Some people were excited ... but it seemed like the more vocal crowd were those that were disappointed in not taking a forward.

Count me among the F troop. Galchenyuk scored his 7th last night; he is going to be a good one. But also count me among the converted. I think Murray was the right choice in retrospect. Trouble with being the first (well now maybe the second) really good forward is there isn't much to work with to help you.

 

[1857 Howitzer]

Now 33-0-0

34-0-0 when leading after the 2nd period.

 

[Crede777]

I wanted either Murray (smart / safe pick) or Galchenyuk (sexy pick). Was hoping against Forsberg or an off the table move by Howson.

We got Murray, so I'm not complaining.

 

[major major]

I was a Galchenyuk guy, and he'll be a star. But no complaints with Murray. Love him back there. Thankfully we didn't get stuck with Yakupov.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

I was Yakupov first Galchenyuk 2nd. I was very unhappy with the Murray pick, glad I was wrong.

 

[Sore Loser]

It's funny; one of my good friends is an Edmonton Oilers fan ... we debated this quite often leading up to the draft, and one thing was unanimous: Neither of us wanted Yakupov on our team. I thought Murray was going #1, and that we would be "pressured" into taking Yakupov at #2 ... I was ecstatic to see that Darryl Katz won out and Nail Yakupov went ahead of us, effectively leaving us with a very easy decision.

Similar to the 2004 draft, except instead of Cam Barker, there is a competent defenseman on the board. Ovechkin was touted ahead of Malkin, but many thought that Malkin long-term may be the better player ... now, I think they are very close. I think Galchenyuk is the better long-term player, for sure ... but I could not have been more excited about Ryan Murray; knowing fully what he's capable of.

 

[Mayor Bee]

Unrelated to anything:

Tyler Sloan, Kyle Wilson, Joe Motzko, Sami Lepisto, Alexandre Giroux, Andrew Joudrey, Patrick McNeill, and Daren Machesney have all spent part of their pro careers under contract with Columbus. All were also teammates with the 2007-08 Hershey Bears, who were not the CBJ's AHL affiliate.

Lepisto was the team's leading scorer among defensemen. The second-leading scoring defenseman was Josef Boumedienne, who's now a scout with the team.

 

[EspenK]

Unrelated to anything:

Tyler Sloan, Kyle Wilson, Joe Motzko, Sami Lepisto, Alexandre Giroux, Andrew Joudrey, Patrick McNeill, and Daren Machesney have all spent part of their pro careers under contract with Columbus. All were also teammates with the 2007-08 Hershey Bears, who were not the CBJ's AHL affiliate.

Lepisto was the team's leading scorer among defensemen. The second-leading scoring defenseman was Josef Boumedienne, who's now a scout with the team.

Will probably be the basis of a MB III response 50 years from now.

Back in the early 21st century...

 

[gocbj]

Squealing song

PLEASE..begging the arena music production team - - get rid of the wall of noise that is, I think, "Live it up' played during player introductions and the last minute of the intermissions.

It's like getting your teeth drilled with the dentist holding a microphone.

I like rock and metal, but that song is horrible. There is the one part that has some tolerable beat to it, and it occurs for about 5 seconds in the entire 90 seconds the song is played.

Beating this horse to death...

 

[Fro]

Aaron Portzline ‏@Aportzline 18s
#CBJ lines: 11-17-13 / 14-42-38 / 71-19-18 / 26-55-5. Dubinsky and Anisimov switching appears only change

comeau - arty - jenner????