Should the OBC still be employed?

[RegDunlop]

Lowe, MacT, Howson, Green are the main issue.

The others I am fine with. I have no problem with the Gretzky brothers, Messier, Coffey.

Edit: Nicholson is on thin ice. Next GM bombs, he should be gone.

Those first 4 have caused setbacks that they need to be held accountable. They are "hockey minds" I am sure some other organization would hire them but their removal is long past due. Fresh start for them and the organization. Plus it removes a ton of negative reputation at the same time.

I too can get behind the Gretzkys. Keith has worked his way into his position, and Wayne is... Wayne.
I would only want him with a limited say in operations however, but he is invested here, literally.
Messier only in non operations day to day. He has no experience that I know of short of gifted an assistant position that IIRC didn't last long. (I could be wrong as I am not in tune with Mark's history). I seriously don't mind a nucleus of alumni here, just not these current ones, and not in positions of influence.

And to me Bob Nicholson typifies everything wrong in this org as he is in the position of doing the most damage, and has never demonstrated he is qualified to do so. I truly would want someone else in place to pick our GM / coach for next year.

The rest simply need to be cast out. Even if they are not doing any harm, they are perceived to be. Only KLowe - if it can be shown that he isnt a decision maker - can stay in my opinion for the service he has put in.

 

[RegDunlop]

Of course not. I think you’ll struggle to find even one person who doesn’t want them gone. However that’s a different matter than trying to dump the many failings of the worst GM in history into their laps. I would also suggest that it is imperative that Nicholson be fired as well. He clearly has no clue.
It’s kind of the point. He more responsible for this particular incarnation of failure than anyone still employed.

My take as well.

And I liked the hiring initially. Burgers sure fooled me.

 

[MikeGrier99]

Nicholson has failed utterly and he has to go. He doesn't seem to know much about the game and admitted that he didn't do due diligence in hiring Chia, as Nicholson didn't even interview anyone else.

He is only now doing what he should of done from the start, and seems to be doing a pretty hack job so far, relying on other teams help and advice.

 

[iCanada]

Nicholson has failed utterly and he has to go. He doesn't seem to know much about the game and admitted that he didn't do due diligence in hiring Chia, as Nicholson didn't even interview anyone else.

He is only now doing what he should of done from the start, and seems to be doing a pretty hack job so far, relying on other teams help and advice.

Why interview when you could ask your direct competition for advice?

Sorry, what is this "conflict of interest" thing you're talking about?!

 

[RegDunlop]

We are in complete shambles as a franchise. Diluded by Katz building of downtown and arena, we certainly didn't sign up for the team to be run carte blanche with no accountability since the brand has a complete monopoly here.

The media spin, the shills yapping nonsense to bring positivity is all covering the internal turmoil that is in progress. Unfortunately I believe that scrambling is not only to get the management hirings right, but to somehow keep this dysfunctional group of failure together to keep the good times rolling.

Unless it is addressed and people let go immediately after season's end, I will maintain this theory.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

I voted yes just to make sure they got at least 1 vote but see there were 3 others with a sick sense of humor.

Did we really need a poll though. No tears would be shed if they were all fired.

 

[MikeGrier99]

Did we really need a poll though. No tears would be shed if they were all fired.

There would be lots of tears of joy if the OBC was finally kicked out of hockey operations.

 

[gordonhught]

Got rid of Chia. Now need to get rid of MacTavish, Howson, Lowe, Nicholson, etc.

I would keep Lowe. The rest can go.

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

There would be lots of tears of joy if the OBC was finally kicked out of hockey operations.

Yes, I'm an Oiler's fan so I had forgotten there is something called tears of joy.

My bad.

 

[PaPaDee]

Unless you’re a fan of an opposing team, I’m not sure how you can justify keeping some of these guys around. Having said that, they’ll all be here for as long as they want to be.

 

[Up the Irons]

yes, ONLY if employed outside of hockey ops. And it must demonstrated, CLEARLY, that (basically, Gretz and Lowe) are not involved in hockey decisions.

every other OBC member has to go. Just for optics alone, tho performance is a good enough reason.

 

[GOilers88]

It doesnt even matter if they dont actually have any input now. They failed horribly in almost every aspect for 10 years. Why would you continue to pay these people for anything? Theyre a cancer on the organization until their ass smelling stench is permanently removed,

 

[GOilers88]

yes, ONLY if employed outside of hockey ops. And it must demonstrated, CLEARLY, that (basically, Gretz and Lowe) are not involved in hockey decisions.

every other OBC member has to go. Just for optics alone, tho performance is a good enough reason.

You cant talk about optics while advocating to keep any of them employed. That makes no sense.

 

[LVOT]

No other organization in the NHL has had the pleasure of failing as hard as we have + keeping the same upper-management crew.

OBC were winners as players, losers as managers/executives. Unfortunately, winning cups as players does not translate to winning cups as execs. However, as evidenced by in the infamous Lowe press conference a few years back, that is not something the OBC recognizes. I would not keep any of them, including Wayne. Heck, the Coyotes had the cajones to fire Wayne as their head coach and made the playoffs the very next year!

 

[T-Funk]

I would keep Lowe. The rest can go.

He's the worst of all ! Lol. I can't believe people still respect that asshat. The only way is to clean house.

 

[MikeGrier99]

There is everything to lose and gain on this next GM hiring. MacT, Howson, Green, Lowe. Nicholson, if these guys have any involvement in hockey operations after the next GM arrives I'll be livid. Let a competent and credible candidate take over and I think this team could still be turned into a powerhouse in about two years.

 

[nuck]

Bob Green should have been fired for his input into the Griffin Reinhart trade alone.

We have no idea if he had any input other than "he was a good kid when he played for us". Chia did not take direction from subordinates, where does this narrative come from? Why the attempt to link Green to one bad deal when Chiarelli made 5 other horrible ones not involving ex Oil Kings? Who was telling Chia to make these other trades?

What Green had done is the drafting since 2015, not any trading. Judge him on what he actually does not who hiresd him. He isnt OBC any more than KG is.

 

[tsnTpoint]

We have no idea if he had any input other than "he was a good kid when he played for us". Chia did not take direction from subordinates, where does this narrative come from? Why the attempt to link Green to one bad deal when Chiarelli made 5 other horrible ones not involving ex Oil Kings? Who was telling Chia to make these other trades?

What Green had done is the drafting since 2015, not any trading. Judge him on what he actually does not who hiresd him. He isnt OBC any more than KG is.

Well your wrong.

Shortly after the Reinhart trade was made, Chia went on record to say he knew very little about Reinhart. That he made the trade because of the input from the Oilers organization presented him on Reinhart.

If I had more time on my hands, I would back this up.

 

[nuck]

Well your wrong.

Shortly after the Reinhart trade was made, Chia went on record to say he knew very little about Reinhart. That he made the trade because of the input from the Oilers organization presented him on Reinhart.

If I had more time on my hands, I would back this up.

No I recall the same thing but the whole organization watched the Oil Kings win WHL championships and the Memorial Cup including his assistant GM and the actual OBC. That group would have seen Reinhart play dozens of games including the championships and these were the guys he worked for, not someone who worked for Chia for 4 months who hadnt see Reinhart plays as a pro.

I am sure Green would have said some positive things about the guy as a Junior, as would the GM who Reinhart won his memorial Cup for and the coach Laxdal who were all Oliers organization employees. A connection doesnt mean they caused the deal. Reinhart wasnt the first Oil King the organization acquired.

 

[GOilers88]

We have no idea if he had any input other than "he was a good kid when he played for us". Chia did not take direction from subordinates, where does this narrative come from? Why the attempt to link Green to one bad deal when Chiarelli made 5 other horrible ones not involving ex Oil Kings? Who was telling Chia to make these other trades?

What Green had done is the drafting since 2015, not any trading. Judge him on what he actually does not who hiresd him. He isnt OBC any more than KG is.

I'd like to know where the "Chiarelli made all his decisions on his own" narrative came from as well. It was posed somewhere in another thread that even back in his Bruins days, Chiarelli always had a collective group sitting in with him when he was making deals. He was never known among his peers as a guy that locked himself in an office by himself and made executive decision after executive decision without getting input from anybody.

According to some though, his entire tenure in Edmonton was him doing whatever he wanted without talking and listening to anyone. Even Stauffer has now tried to paint this picture of Chiarelli being some isolated, crazed, singular minded lunatic hell-bent on destroying a hockey franchise. A sentiment again shared by some folks around here.

 

[nuck]

I'd like to know where the "Chiarelli made all his decisions on his own" narrative came from as well. It was posed somewhere in another thread that even back in his Bruins days, Chiarelli always had a collective group sitting in with him when he was making deals. He was never known among his peers as a guy that locked himself in an office by himself and made executive decision after executive decision without getting input from anybody.

According to some though, his entire tenure in Edmonton was him doing whatever he wanted without talking and listening to anyone. Even Stauffer has now tried to paint this picture of Chiarelli being some isolated, crazed, singular minded lunatic hell-bent on destroying a hockey franchise. A sentiment again shared by some folks around here.

It just seems so Chia to have traded Seguin for magic beans and then do the same with Hall. I am sure he consulted lots of people, that's part of what your pro scouts are for, and part of being a veteran GM, but the wacky move at the end is on him.

The moves just seem to have gotten worse until he had nothing of value left to dilute. The common element is him.

 

[GOilers88]

It just seems so Chia to have traded Seguin for magic beans and then do the same with Hall. I am sure he consulted lots of people, that's part of what your pro scouts are for, but the wacky move at the end is on him.

The moves just seem to have gotten worse until he had nothing of value left to dilute.

I'm definitely not defending his moves. He was terrible.

 

[Gordievsky]

Only argument in favour of keeping them hired IMHO is the idea that it's Katz' team, he has removed them from the chain of command so they can't affect hockey decisions, so he can do what he pleases with his personnel.

But I think as many posters have pointed out, this breaks down at the middle step. Even if they do not in fact have influence, which is debatable, they send an unmistakeable signal to players, coaches and other staff.... and most importantly the other players in the league who might be pursued by the Club... that this is not a meritocracy.

 

[BudBundy]

Blow it all up. Down to the dirt. Pour a new foundation without any of our existing pro scouts, Bob Green, Craig MacTavish, or Scott Howson. If Lowe does anything remotely hockey related or is part of the “consulting circle” then fire him into the sun. If the new GM wants his own amateur scouts then axe them too. I used to be taking a “wait and see” with Keith Gretzky, but given todays interview with John Shannon on Sportsnet.....”gee we never saw Pete’s firing coming. I mean we werent playin well but the shakeup was a surprise. We had a plan, you hope its gonna materialize but it just didnt happen” . Seriously?? Maybe he’s just playing dumb to spare Chias feelings, but Christ he seemed genuinely mystified what went wrong. If he really is that blind he’d better stick to scouting.

 

[ConnorMcMullet]

Knowing what and who i know there is no reason to target the OBC for the failures of Nicholson

Could you elaborate?