Linden gets Larscheid on TEAM 1040 (Mod Warning: Post#23)

[Spamhuis]

With Linden reuniting everyone from days past what are the chances he makes any real changes in the scouting department. You know the one built around ex-Canucks. The single biggest part of the organization that needs a complete overhaul to bring in better scouts

Linden has close ties to these people. Its also hard to hire good scouts.. If it were easy everyone would do it. Linden's lack of experience will really hurt him here. If he had a more extensive and successful background it would be easier for him. Unfortunately he does not.

 

[Raincouver]

Anyone want to enlighten me on what exactly happened between Larsheid and Gillis? I guess I missed that whole affair.

-After an overtime loss in Dallas, caused by Jan Bulis' stupid penalty, Larscheid told listeners: "Let's be honest here; this is one dumb hockey player."

- Larscheid called Gillis's former client Pavol Demitra a "$4-million bust" and said Roberto Luongo (then the team captain) was one of the worst puck-handling goalies in the NHL.

-Larscheid was told at his dismissal meeting that the Canucks were "on-board" with the decision. Gillis denied involvement and the Team did too, but the Canucks' radio rights were up 24 months later and CKNW was bidding...

-According to Ed Willes:

"Sources familiar with both situations paint a picture which doesn't exactly flatter the Canucks or Gillis. We don't know if the whole story will ever get out -- something about buyouts and confidentiality clauses tending to impede the free flow of information."

and

"A number of those darn sources maintain Larscheid didn't leave on his own accord and Gillis's fingerprints were all over his removal. The story goes that some of Larscheid's more pointed comments didn't sit well with the GM and he wanted a cooler, more analytical voice (translation: homer) in the booth. The broadcast rights also expire in a couple of years."

Botchford wrote after the Bure Jesey Retirement:

For me something was missing in the Bure celebration, and that something was Tommy Larscheid.

I’m a big time Larscheid fan and he was a huge Bure guy. Just felt wrong he wasn’t there.

He was asked but didn’t feel welcome/comfortable.

It pisses me off (nod to Tortorella) the Canucks haven’t gone out of their way to repair the relationship with him.

He’s a great, generous man who was a wonderful colour guy for the franchise and he deserves the best treatment possible from the organization. He has not got it.

 

[perrykaravello]

Jeff Paterson @patersonjeff

@NuckBasher Tommy returning for a night not a Nux decision. It was a 1040 decision. It fits with the theme of the night

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Linden has close ties to these people. Its also hard to hire good scouts.. If it were easy everyone would do it. Linden's lack of experience will really hurt him here. If he had a more extensive and successful background it would be easier for him. Unfortunately he does not.

Yeah I always wondered about the "We have bad scouts/hire new scouts" school of thought. How many competent NHL scouts can there really be out there? Are there high quality upgrades just loitering, waiting for an offer from an NHL team that never comes? Is it the public perception that scouting isn't improved due to team stubbornness and an affection for bad draft picks? I would imagine there's a supply/demand situation at work. But to be honest, I really have no idea.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

Now how does it make you feel? I'm assuming anger quickly turned to embarrassment?

Mostly detachment. I've found it hard to feel much of anything about this team since the draft

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Mostly detachment. I've found it hard to feel much of anything about this team since the draft

That's good. An inability to feel embarrassment or contrition over wildly inaccurate statements is an important survival mechanism to cultivate when making inflammatory posts on internet discussion boards.

 

[Drop the Sopel]

Mostly detachment. I've found it hard to feel much of anything about this team since the draft

So you went from anger to indifference? That seems odd...

Trevor Linden will make legitimate mistakes. Let's at least wait for something tangible before we complain about what an embarrassment he is to the franchise.

Like serving bad poutine!

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

When did I say I was angry? Bring on the circus, the more entertaining the better. I hope they make Smyl coach.

 

[NuxFan09]

It causes anger because it has reduced our hockey team to a circus. A series of cheap, gimmicky moves designed not to win hockey games but to appease ignorant masses who haven't let go of adolescent crushes on a team captain from 20 years ago.

People like this move because it's a classy move, not because they have a crush on Trevor Linden.

Secondly, Linden has a whole summer to help improve this team so that it can win more hockey games, but yeah, let's get all angry because he hasn't done so on his 3rd day on the job.

Thirdly, I doubt many people see this move as making the team a circus. Most people see it for what it is: a classy move to repair damage the previous regime did. These little things may mean little to some fans, but they mean a lot to other people. The world does not revolve around the restless fans. For heaven's sake, he invited an old radio colour guy to a bit. Yeah, what a circus!

 

[NuxFan09]

When did I say I was angry? Bring on the circus, the more entertaining the better. I hope they make Smyl coach.

See, that would be entering circus territory. Bringing on an old, passionate, popular colour guy to do a bit for ONE game isn't circus territory. It's a small, yet heartfelt, PR move that should not be prompting people to lose their ****.

 

[Rotting Corpse*]

People like this move because it's a classy move, not because they have a crush on Trevor Linden.

Based on my facebook feed I would have to disagree with this.

 

[NuxFan09]

Jeff Paterson @patersonjeff

There we go.

 

[RandV]

This board is going to be insufferable for the next two months. Everyone reasonable knows that Linden won't be hiring a GM until June, and that the hiring will happen between the beginning of June and the draft.

However, there will be a very vocal section of fans that doesn't understand that, and constantly moans "Do something, Lindennnn!"

Furthermore, every time Linden makes a minor move, like hiring a new scout, they'll pipe up with "Why is he hiring scouts instead of a GM?! Does he even know what he's doing??!"

As predictable as it is inevitable.

You really think that's any different than the norm?

 

[NuxFan09]

Based on my facebook feed I would have to disagree with this.

People do love Linden a lot, I'll admit that. When all is said done, he really wasn't an extraordinary hockey player. That said, this organization's entire history has been pretty mediocre and Linden was a big part of one of the few periods of real success it had so he's going to get a lot of love.

 

[RandV]

I have some uneasiness too but I am willing to set it aside for the sake of a new direction.

Gillis was all moneyball this and analytics that whereas Linden has said numerously he follows his gut and instincts. So there will definitely be some gambles down the road. I think we may see some more WHL kids (just my gut) come into the system even though TL said BPA would be the best choice.

I still have a lot of respect for TL. He has lots of experience when you consider his role as NHLPA President; his captaincy and longevity; as well as his post hockey business ventures... so it's not like he's coming in cold to the job. He has a lot more charisma than puffy red faced Gillis.

I suspect Gillis was passing on WHL players because our WHL scouts suck and have a horrible track record. He did however manage to get some new blood into the OHL side of things, and has favoured their decisions in drafting. Linden or whoever he hires will be wise to follow that trend, going back to WHL picks just to feel good because they're more local with the scouting we have in place could be a disaster.

Which brings up the real question of how hard it is to acquire good scouts. There are 30 NHL teams after all, and each team has up to 20 scouts. Hard to determine what makes a good scout, and you don't really see a lot of 'poaching' going on in the league. Gillis managed it once with Eric Crawford... from Ottawa I think? Who's focused on the OHL and is now running things.

So these are Gillis' OHL focused draft picks:
OHL: Bo Horvat, Cole Cassels, Jordan Subban, Miles Liberati, Brendan Gaunce, Niklas Jensen, Frankie Corrado, Alex Friesen, Cody Hodgson*

And these are Nonis WHL focused picks:
WHL: Yann Sauve*, Prab Rai*, Taylor Ellington, Dan Gendur, Michael Grabner, Evan Fuller, David Schultz

Guys with a * are from the transition draft from Nonis to Gillis. Not really surprising that under Gilis since that first draft there's only been 1 WHL pick, Hunter Shinkaruk.

 

[Balls Mahoney]

You want a terrible embarrassing announcer back why?

 

[Ernie]

If Gillis got Larscheid fired, good for him. There's loveable homer (like John Garrison) and then there is embarrassing homer. Larscheid is the latter.

 

[NuxFan09]

I loved Larscheid. He was just himself on the radio. A fan. If things get high or low, I don't want to listen to some monotone, analytical, objective colour guy try to explain what's going on. I want to listen to someone express what I'm feeling as a fan.

 

[TheWanderer]

I loved Larscheid. He was just himself on the radio. A fan. If things get high or low, I don't want to listen to some monotone, analytical, objective colour guy try to explain what's going on. I want to listen to someone express what I'm feeling as a fan.

This. There's plenty of time to listen to "objective" play-by-play announcers, or the anti-Canuck CBC. Once in a while, it's nice to hear the voice of someone who actually likes the Canucks speak on public media for a _________ change.

 

[orcatown]

I loved Larscheid. He was just himself on the radio. A fan. If things get high or low, I don't want to listen to some monotone, analytical, objective colour guy try to explain what's going on. I want to listen to someone express what I'm feeling as a fan.

Excellent post.

Wore his heart on his sleeve. Great old school announcer. Hate the cookie cutter PC crap we mostly great now.

 

[luongo321]

If Gillis got Larscheid fired, good for him. There's loveable homer (like John Garrison) and then there is embarrassing homer. Larscheid is the latter.

Are you saying Gillis got rid of our Jack Edwards?

 

[VanCanucks53]

Excellent post.

Wore his heart on his sleeve. Great old school announcer. Hate the cookie cutter PC crap we mostly great now.

That's exactly the reason I and many others liked him. No fakeness. Just spoke like a fan of the game.

 

[mossey3535]

That's exactly the reason I and many others liked him. No fakeness. Just spoke like a fan of the game.

Don't we already have enough of that on Team 1040?

Why would I pick an old football guy with a whiny voice who talks like a fan over a ex-pro hockey player as a colour commentator?

 

[Bure All Day]

I loved Larscheid. He was just himself on the radio. A fan. If things get high or low, I don't want to listen to some monotone, analytical, objective colour guy try to explain what's going on. I want to listen to someone express what I'm feeling as a fan.

Exactly how I feel!

This guy had the balls to say it like it is (was), and I love hearing it. Listening to John Shorthouse and these other monotone, boring, stick-to-the-script type of announcers make me sick.

Just listen to him talk in this pregame:



We just don't get this kind of media anymore, and it's ********.

Great move by Linden bringing him back. These are the kind of moves that successful, winning, dynasty franchises make. Not moves like Gillis does in selling out the teams values etc. for ticket prices. At first, I was skeptical about Gillis being fired, but now I can tell it's the right move. Gillis was a ****ing snake that gave thi team some glory for a while, but at what expense? We are the most hated franchise in the NHL, and for good reason.

 

[LuiLui]

Even if it was 1040 who's bringing him back for Quinn's night there was an embargo on Larscheid under Gillis. He was our colour guy for so many years. I think he'll eventually be honoured and acknowledged under new management. Jim Robson has the broadcast gondola I hope Larscheid gets something...he was dedicated to the Canucks for 27 years.