Speculation: The Team Presidency Discussion Thread

[canuckfan75]

Would be a Gillis like hire without hiring Mike Gillis ..

 

[canuckfan75]

He also coached Team Europe to the Finals of the Last World Cup.

I very much enjoyed there style of play

 

[canuckfan75]

will turn 60 in late August

 

[Regress2TheMeme]

Kruger is intelligent, a communicator, and an expert motivator. He seems like the perfect kind of person to manage a team and get everyone pulling in the right direction. I'd be stoked if we landed him as the team's president. I wager he'd be smart enough to charm Aquilini into letting him do his job.

 

[TruGr1t]

These descriptions make Krueger sound like the anti-Benning. I would very much like to see a live-streamed conversation wherein they discuss management philosophy in sport.

 

[Josepho]

These descriptions make Krueger sound like the anti-Benning. I would very much like to see a live-streamed conversation wherein they discuss management philosophy in sport.

There are very few things I'd like to do more than be able to install a hidden camera in all 31 GM rooms.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Kruger is intelligent, a communicator, and an expert motivator. He seems like the perfect kind of person to manage a team and get everyone pulling in the right direction. I'd be stoked if we landed him as the team's president. I wager he'd be smart enough to charm Aquilini into letting him do his job.

This is the thing...What the Canucks need is a guy like Kruger to run the administration with an unwavering vision...He's enough of a big fish, that the Aqualini's should be completely hands off...(probably enough of a big fish that we won't land him anyway).

What a big joke it was for the Canucks to go the alumni route (Linden),where he was basically browbeaten into submission by the owners...So we can forget about people like Naslund,or the Sedins involvement in the front office.

 

[StreetHawk]

will turn 60 in late August

Gillis is already 60 for comparison. Will be 61 in either Nov or Dec. can’t recall as I was looking up Holland as well who turns 64 around the same time but in a different month.

 

[StreetHawk]

Per TSN article it says that Southampton is playing out the season to avoid relegation.

Are they normally a team that is supposed to not be in that type of situation? Don’t follow European football.

 

[Peter10]

This is the thing...What the Canucks need is a guy like Kruger to run the administration with an unwavering vision...He's enough of a big fish, that the Aqualini's should be completely hands off...(probably enough of a big fish that we won't land him anyway).

What a big joke it was for the Canucks to go the alumni route (Linden),where he was basically browbeaten into submission by the owners...So we can forget about people like Naslund,or the Sedins involvement in the front office.

It is rare but we kind of agree on this.

Per TSN article it says that Southampton is playing out the season to avoid relegation.

Are they normally a team that is supposed to not be in that type of situation? Don’t follow European football.

They cant compete with the big guns. As it was mentioned before, they did a good job eliminating their debts. In European football money is playing a huge part, unless you have gigant amount of resources it is pretty tough to be competetive even less so in the long run. You might play a good season or two with a limited budget but it wont last. There is a huge difference to north american sports where you can save yourself with the draft, revenue sharing and so on.

 

[Zippgunn]

Either Kruger or Lombardi would be a big win for the front office.

But I've always maintained that the #1 issue is Aquilini and until he quarantines himself I can't see a top shelf candidate coming here.

This times 100. People talking about Kruger coming here are out of their minds; he has waaaay too many other, much better options, I'm sure...

 

[82Ninety42011]

Kruger is intelligent, a communicator, and an expert motivator. He seems like the perfect kind of person to manage a team and get everyone pulling in the right direction. I'd be stoked if we landed him as the team's president. I wager he'd be smart enough to charm Aquilini into letting him do his job.

I'm sold on that alone but quick question whose the GM then?

 

[xtra]

I'm sold on that alone but quick question whose the GM then?

You can be the gm as long as it’s not benning

 

[BerSTUzzi]

Per TSN article it says that Southampton is playing out the season to avoid relegation.

Are they normally a team that is supposed to not be in that type of situation? Don’t follow European football.

When two of their best strikers, two midfielders and one of the best defenders in the world are playing, and three of them starting, for Liverpool alone kinda handcuffs you. Life of the middleman of the EPL

 

[y2kcanucks]

I'm still waiting for someone to actually explain why Krueger is a good candidate. Is he big on analytics? Does he take a progressive approach to management? I get what's happened in Southampton, but that's a different sport altogether.

 

[BerSTUzzi]

I'm still waiting for someone to actually explain why Krueger is a good candidate. Is he big on analytics? Does he take a progressive approach to management? I get what's happened in Southampton, but that's a different sport altogether.

He is big on analytics as Southampton and Dortmund are known for the two strongest, and first to go all in on, analytic teams. Both programs have pulled more young talents to the forefront in the last 5 years than most of the big clubs of Europe. Both programs specialize in attacking as well.

I haven’t been able to find the article but I remember reading communication and properly delegating of tasks was his specialty.

 

[TruGr1t]

I'm still waiting for someone to actually explain why Krueger is a good candidate. Is he big on analytics? Does he take a progressive approach to management? I get what's happened in Southampton, but that's a different sport altogether.

The only thing I recall is that he was loosely credited with "nearly" getting the Oilers back on track before they unceremoniously fired him (plus his work with the Swiss national program). Given that was in a coaching capacity, but the guy suddenly popped up in European soccer, so who knows.

 

[Tim Calhoun]

Yeah when it comes to President you need a person who can manage people, set a plan/strategy, and who demands sensible decision making and results.

Frankly I’d be fine if they hired a smart person with zero hockey experience at this point. Put some executive with Wall Street or Silicon Valley experience in charge and within a day he’d realize Benning is a moron who should be fired.

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

You didn't ask me, but I'd support ralph krueger for that role.

unfortunately southampton seem to be on the rise since hiring Hasenhuttl as manager. I don't think he'll leave now.

hmm okay so my prediction didn't work out. I do hope the canucks consider him, and vice versa.

 

[vancityluongo]

Can someone explain what the obsession with Krueger is? He's been with an EPL team for the past several years. Prior to that he was a solid coach, getting a good tournament out of the NHL U23's, and getting a decent season out of an awful Oilers team, but what has he done that makes people think he would be successful in an NHL front office?

Because he's a proven executive in a much, much harder business to run. Just in the same way that it's insane to judge a GM solely on his scouting abilities, it'd be insane to look at the day-to-day track record of a PoHo. You want someone that can actually implement a vision and bring in the right people to execute on that.

Just read this quote:

LeBrun: Ralph Krueger would consider a return to the NHL but...

If Krueger ever does get that opportunity to run an NHL team, he would return to his sport with a new understanding of how he would want things to work between himself, the GM and the coach.
“What I see as the ideal model now, is a really strong triangle, for me the triangle of the head coach, the general manager and the president in a professional sports organization. If you get three people that have different strengths to fill each other’s weaknesses, which we all have, and they work in unison toward a goal on a regular basis, that for me is the basis,” Krueger said. “It took me a few years to really get that right here.’’

Not that anyone should use Benning or Linden as a bar, but this is so far beyond the type of quotes we've seen on organizational strategy or culture that there's no reason not to immediately consider him to be a slam dunk candidate.

The rest of the appeal is that he isn't a total "outside" hire like Kyle Dubas, but he also isn't an establishment re-tread like Holland. And that's exactly the sort of person that should be put in place as the President. Krueger's job should be focused on bringing in smart, talented people as GM and Coach and aligning them with his vision for the overall franchise. Not just on-ice results for a game or season, but for the whole organization, down to Utica and amateur hockey relations. A guy like Gillis struggled with some parts of that IMO because he had to play nice with the Ron Delorme's and Stan Smyl's of the world because his network didn't extend far enough to immediately replace them with people who would hold credibility. I don't think Krueger has that problem, given the warm welcome back into hockey he's getting from the very traditional media guys.



I'm all for the next Kyle Dubas as our next GM. But 32 year olds can rarely be parachuted into senior executive roles such as the Chairman/President of a $800M organization. Age is certainly less of a deterrent than a total lack of IQ... but experience has to count for something. And I'd certainly trust Krueger more than most to find that next GM.

 

[Hyzer]

Can someone explain what the obsession with Krueger is? He's been with an EPL team for the past several years. Prior to that he was a solid coach, getting a good tournament out of the NHL U23's, and getting a decent season out of an awful Oilers team, but what has he done that makes people think he would be successful in an NHL front office?

I mean, the guy oozes actual management material. He has experience coaching at many different levels and has direct management experience of a club that's worth 4 billion USD. I mean, this is what Southamptom says of the signing on their website:

“Ralph has an impressive background in major league sport at all levels, it is his experience as an expert in leadership, motivation and team-building that makes him ideally suited for this important position in the Saints organisation. He has been a leading advisor and coach to senior management in large international corporations for the past 20 years. In addition, he has been an active member of the World Economic Forum since 2011."


I would much have a guy with a resume like THAT than Benning. At least Krueger has actual experience and success. What did GMJB have when he came here?

 

[MadaCanuckle]

Per TSN article it says that Southampton is playing out the season to avoid relegation.

Are they normally a team that is supposed to not be in that type of situation? Don’t follow European football.

Main problem with Southampton is they sold van Dijk to Liverpool for almost 85 million euros and they can't find a good player to replace him. They are 5 points above relegation and they should save themselves, but they have to replace the head coach and find a centre-back and a right-back. And also get Guido Carrillo (loaned to Leganés) on track.

 

[StreetHawk]

Main problem with Southampton is they sold van Dijk to Liverpool for almost 85 million euros and they can't find a good player to replace him. They are 5 points above relegation and they should save themselves, but they have to replace the head coach and find a centre-back and a right-back. And also get Guido Carrillo (loaned to Leganés) on track.

Ok. I wanted to find out whether Southampton was meeting realistic expectations. If Kruger was doing such a great job seeing his team at risk for relegation would be alarming if it was not expected.

So Southampton is like the Oakland A’s who have a low payroll trying to compete then?

 

[Peter10]

I'm still waiting for someone to actually explain why Krueger is a good candidate. Is he big on analytics? Does he take a progressive approach to management? I get what's happened in Southampton, but that's a different sport altogether.

It is difficult to quantify but not just for Krueger but for most of the canditates. Nobody has enough inside knowledge of the respective situation to make a good assesment on either Krueger, Holmgren or whoever. They all may look good or bad depending on a few pieces of information or interviews. All we can do are estimated guesses but yours is as good as mine, at least Krueger appears to be an intelligent man with a progressive approach or not that translates into a good president is a different stoty.

 

[Hyzer]

Ok. I wanted to find out whether Southampton was meeting realistic expectations. If Kruger was doing such a great job seeing his team at risk for relegation would be alarming if it was not expected.

So Southampton is like the Oakland A’s who have a low payroll trying to compete then?

Yeah, basically. They are pretty good club at developing and selling. Last year alone, they made 88 million pounds ($150m CAD) selling players to bigger clubs.

Krueger was never a manager at these clubs though, he was a chairman. Still, he actually has managerial experience for a huge club like this. Better than the exp. GMJB had.