The Star: Ron Wilson saw firing coming, remains friends with Brian Burke, says Tim Hunter

[hockeywiz542]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hocke...friends_with_brian_burke_says_tim_hunter.html

Ron Wilson remains friends with Brian Burke a year after his firing, says friend Tim Hunter.

Ron Wilson wasn’t surprised at all that he was fired a year ago.

And he’s still friends with Brian Burke.

About the only thing that’s changed in his life is the time on his hands and the fact he has a boat.

So says Wilson’s longtime friend and assistant coach, Tim Hunter, now an assistant coach under Adam Oates with the Washington Capitals.

“He’s doing fine, enjoying semi-retirement, I guess you’d call it,†said Hunter, who talks once or twice a month with Wilson. “I don’t think he was surprised. He saw it coming.

“The team had performed poorly for a while. He figured it was kind of inevitable.â€

It was Friday, March 2 in Montreal when word leaked out that Burke had fired his friend — to whom he’d just granted a one-year contract extension, replacing him with Randy Carlyle.

The team had lost 10 of 11 prior to the axing.

Wilson left the team and hasn’t spoken to reporters since. Calls to his home and cell phone went unanswered.

Burke was fired on the eve of training camp. Hunter said the two — who met in college — remain friends.

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[Yosho]

Pointless article rehashing last years events. Did anyone truly forget this stuff?

Clearly Ron saw it coming.

 

[Grandrift145]

http://www.thestar.com/sports/hocke...friends_with_brian_burke_says_tim_hunter.html

Ron Wilson remains friends with Brian Burke a year after his firing, says friend Tim Hunter.

so is wasn't a 2 by 4 to the back of the head

 

[Igy]

If he saw it coming, then having that contract extension seems rather suspicious. I wouldn't be surprised if it was all planned to line Wilson's pocket for retirement. It could also be the reason MLSE fired Burke once they found out. You never know.

 

[Peasy]

It was definitely a weird time to give a coach a contract extension where they had never made the playoffs.

 

[exporta]

If he saw it coming, then having that contract extension seems rather suspicious. I wouldn't be surprised if it was all planned to line Wilson's pocket for retirement. It could also be the reason MLSE fired Burke once they found out. You never know.

I guess you forget that we were a playoff team for 3/4's of last season and fell off a cliff losing something like 15 of 17?

He was given an extension because the team was winning, and looking good in Dec.

 

[Pilky01]

I guess you forget that we were a playoff team for 3/4's of last season and fell off a cliff losing something like 15 of 17?

He was given an extension because the team was winning, and looking good in Dec.

Key words there being "in December". His extension was a joke, only outdone by the fact that he lasted long enough to even get it. And the twitter jokes about his contract? It was amateur hour.

Wilson should have been fired two years sooner. He knew it, every observer of this team knew it, but Burke refused to pull the trigger either out of incompetence, or more likely, sheer bullheadedness.

This "cliff" that they went off of, it was called reality. Decent teams with decent coaches don't fall off cliffs like that. And responsible GMs don't make excuses for those kinds of results.

 

[therealkoho]

oh-oh somebody mad

 

[achtungbaby]

I guess you forget that we were a playoff team for 3/4's of last season and fell off a cliff losing something like 15 of 17?

He was given an extension because the team was winning, and looking good in Dec.

Never count your chickens before they've hatched. Hopefully we've all learned a little something from this. Judging by your remarks, you haven't realized this lesson even with the benefit of hindsight.

 

[ACC1224]

Coaches are given extensions and axed all the time, it's pretty normal.

Wilson use to crack me up, I miss that. I do like Carlyle though.

 

[Mess]

If he saw it coming, then having that contract extension seems rather suspicious. I wouldn't be surprised if it was all planned to line Wilson's pocket for retirement. It could also be the reason MLSE fired Burke once they found out. You never know.

You could have a point.

When someone places friendship ahead of the team he is paid to manage, it signifies to ownership misguided priorities from a person in control with power. Someone not acting in the best interest of the organization.

I give Leaf Nation fans that attended ACC games and cried out "fire Wilson" credit for forcing change and his eventual firing in the process. Without that proactive action he might still have survived longer, as the GM hands were forced into action.. So Wilson shouldn't be mad as his pal, but rather be resentful of those that took action and yelled for his head as they voice their displeasure as paying customers for MLSE.

Wilson would have to be clueless if he didn't believe his embarrassing coaching record wouldn't get him fired. He should have been fired way back in 2010 when he coached the team to 29th overall.

 

[Amadeus]

The run and gun style it seemed was enforced by Burke.

The top 6, bottom 6 format was one of Burke's endorsement.

That lack of mobility on D was also not Wilson's fault. I'm glad he's gone but he's not entirely to blame. Our players didn't perform.

 

[Eb]

F u Ronnie

Hasn't even talked to the media after coaching a team for what 4, 5 years?

 

[The Winter Soldier]

I recall just before his firing, there were 4 or 5 posters that were saying he was not the problem, defended him right until the firing. I know who they are, one is on ignore.

That was a funny time, reading those posts.

 

[Eb]

The run and gun style it seemed was enforced by Burke.

The top 6, bottom 6 format was one of Burke's endorsement.

That lack of mobility on D was also not Wilson's fault. I'm glad he's gone but he's not entirely to blame. Our players didn't perform.

Burke admitted that him and Ron weren't on the same page on how the team should play.

What you see this year, is what Burke wanted.

 

[JEI]

Twitter: @dfeschuk
Brian Burke on Ron Wilson's daughter getting married in the summer. "Ron suggested it'd be better if I didn't come to the wedding."

Friendly!

 

[Mess]

I recall just before his firing, there were 4 or 5 posters that were saying he was not the problem, defended him right until the firing. I know who they are, one is on ignore.

That was a funny time, reading those posts.

Some even suggested Wilson was a Jack Adams candidate in the season in which he was fired.

"Playoffs or bust" was always at the top of the list for the past management team last year, and a bottom 5 finish and you're busted validated that belief. You had to believe management was smart enough to be able to figure that out for themselves. Ronny says "he saw it coming", and "like an 18 wheeler going off a cliff" to describe the season should have been the clue.

Wilson shouldn't recent Burke because he protected his job and gave him a big bonus cheque just before relieving him, however Burke should realize it was Wilson that took him down in the process of hitching himself to Wilson's wagon.

 

[The Winter Soldier]

Some even suggested Wilson was a Jack Adams candidate in the season in which he was fired.

"Playoffs or bust" was always at the top of the list for the past management team last year, and a bottom 5 finish and you're busted validated that belief. You had to believe management was smart enough to be able to figure that out for themselves. Ronny says "he saw it coming", and "like an 18 wheeler going off a cliff" to describe the season should have been the clue.

Wilson shouldn't recent Burke because he protected his job and gave him a big bonus cheque just before relieving him, however Burke should realize it was Wilson that took him down in the process of hitching himself to Wilson's wagon.

I recall some even saying Wilson was a great developmental coach. Kadri and Schenn would disagree.

I knew this day would come where Wilson was proven to be an idiot. I remember those poster's names well.

 

[LeafOfBread]

What's funny is that Wilson didn't tweet for almost a year. He tweeted congrats to the U.S. when they won the WJC, and a few days later he deactivated Twitter altogether.

He's gone completely missing since being fired, but that's probably the smart thing to do for him since he was so hated.

 

[goonx]

Friendly!

Burke always says when you hire him, you get a stick. maybe he puts his stick in too many places.

On a side note, Ron couldn't have seen it coming with all those "fire wilson" chants in the latter part of the season...

 

[Rusty545]

Key words there being "in December". His extension was a joke, only outdone by the fact that he lasted long enough to even get it. And the twitter jokes about his contract? It was amateur hour.

Wilson should have been fired two years sooner. He knew it, every observer of this team knew it, but Burke refused to pull the trigger either out of incompetence, or more likely, sheer bullheadedness.

This "cliff" that they went off of, it was called reality. Decent teams with decent coaches don't fall off cliffs like that. And responsible GMs don't make excuses for those kinds of results.

From what I remember, he was given the extension on Christmas, but he was aware of it weeks before. His extension could have been granted as early as November for all we know.

 

[Pilky01]

What's funny is that Wilson didn't tweet for almost a year. He tweeted congrats to the U.S. when they won the WJC, and a few days later he deactivated Twitter altogether.

He's gone completely missing since being fired, but that's probably the smart thing to do for him since he was so hated.

When you do as terrible a job as he did, that is a career killer.

The fact that he kept defending himself with his stupid stats (what was it? Most games played? 500 career wins? or some other arbitrary number?) just made him look like even more of a jerk.

 

[Pilky01]

Burke always says when you hire him, you get a stick. maybe he puts his stick in too many places.

On a side note, Ron couldn't have seen it coming with all those "fire wilson" chants in the latter part of the season...

Considering how poorly Burke responds to criticism, Wilson could have rightly assumed the "fire Wilson" chants only gave him more job security.

 

[The Apologist]

If he saw it coming, then having that contract extension seems rather suspicious. I wouldn't be surprised if it was all planned to line Wilson's pocket for retirement. It could also be the reason MLSE fired Burke once they found out. You never know.

Someone has thought about this way too much.

 

[achtungbaby]

Some even suggested Wilson was a Jack Adams candidate in the season in which he was fired.

"Playoffs or bust" was always at the top of the list for the past management team last year, and a bottom 5 finish and you're busted validated that belief. You had to believe management was smart enough to be able to figure that out for themselves. Ronny says "he saw it coming", and "like an 18 wheeler going off a cliff" to describe the season should have been the clue.

Wilson shouldn't recent Burke because he protected his job and gave him a big bonus cheque just before relieving him, however Burke should realize it was Wilson that took him down in the process of hitching himself to Wilson's wagon.

I remember this as well. I still can't tell if they honestly believed what they were saying, or, if they were just stubbornly sticking to their guns, or, if they knew the truth but couldn't admit it to themselves for fear of looking like they didn't know what they were talking about.

At least we've seen a pretty big swing in the public opinion regarding issues like this one. The Kessel trade thread is another matter where even the suggestion of trading Phil in passing used to be met with much anger and ridicule.