Confirmed with Link: Trevor Linden steps down

[krutovsdonut]

since we are taking wild ass guesses, my guess would be

-linden was wearing thin on aquilini for whatever reason
-linden took a stand with aquilini on somethingand had his bluff called
-linden did not line up support in advance from benning/weisbrod,
because he was trying to overrule them on whatever it was.
-canucks and linden negotiated a mutual walk away deal with a solid gag order on linden, likely secured by a big cash payment linden forfeits if he talks.
-linden is now butthurt and making vague statements to friends and reporters implying he got hosed but cannot discuss it
-everyone is running with that and building castles in the sky.

the only part that does not fit is the aquilini 12 point tweet. that one is bizarro unless linden failed to negotiate for any protection as part of the walk away deal.

 

[krutovsdonut]

any scenario where benning and weisbrod betrayed linden cannot be reconciled with a scenario where linden was trying to take the team in a different direction. by definition that would be a different direction than benning and weisbrod supported so of course they would not back him.

so pick one.

 

[EXTRAS]

Good.

 

[Jay Cee]

Don’t forget that Linden was rumoured on at least a couple of occasions to have threatened to quit. I think you can only do that so many times before someone says ok.

 

[Bleach Clean]

any scenario where benning and weisbrod betrayed linden cannot be reconciled with a scenario where linden was trying to take the team in a different direction. by definition that would be a different direction than benning and weisbrod supported so of course they would not back him.

so pick one.

Remind me: Is it the President of Hockey Ops that sets the direction parameters for his hired GM? Or, the opposite?

My understanding is that Benning and Weisbrod worked for Linden, not the other way around. YMMV

 

[krutovsdonut]

Remind me: Is it the President of Hockey Ops that sets the direction parameters for his hired GM? Or, opposite?

My understanding is that Benning and Weisbrod worked for Linden, not the other way around. YMMV

my understanding is benning reported to aquilini directly since february and weisbrod reports to benning. so no, they did not work for linden.

also, your scenario assumes an owner who is hands off on hockey ops direction.

 

[Wo Yorfat]

Don’t forget that Linden was rumoured on at least a couple of occasions to have threatened to quit. I think you can only do that so many times before someone says ok.

That may be true, but if we aren't having pizza for dinner, I'm running away!

 

[krutovsdonut]

Don’t forget that Linden was rumoured on at least a couple of occasions to have threatened to quit. I think you can only do that so many times before someone says ok.

i bet with aquilini you normally cannot do it even once.

someone mentioned previously that aquilini may feel he has weathered the worst of the storm and can live without linden's 1994 forcefield. it is one of many background considerations on this situation that ring true.

 

[Bleach Clean]

my understanding is benning reported to aquilini directly since february and weisbrod reports to benning. so no, they did not work for linden.

also, your scenario assumes an owner who is hands off on hockey ops direction.

The owner publicly conveyed that Linden would have full autonomy on Hockey Ops decisions.

My understanding is pulled directly from the chain of command laid out by Linden when Benning was hired.

Benning does not get to decide the direction. Neither does the owner for that matter. Linden was the one tasked with setting the direction of the franchise. That’s his official role. When that changes to the owner, and the owner uses the GM to facilitate this new structure, Linden loses his autonomy. This is why a betrayal and directional change can co-exist. Linden lost the ability to change direction because Benning helped facilitate the loss of his autonomy, and that’s the betrayal.

 

[Pastor Of Muppetz]

Its Botchford,so you can take it,or leave it...

"There were signs along the way that something had changed this year. When Linden’s heir apparent, Canucks GM Jim Benning, signed a two-year extension in February, it was decided then he would be reporting to ownership."

 

[Melvin]

Just thinking on this more, the only chance any front office has against Aquilini is to have the President and GM form an unbreakable alliance against him. That's it. Get hired, be very media conscious, and then systematically overrule Aquilini. As soon as Aquilini threatens one with expulsion, have the other back him up and threaten to quit alongside. That's it. Then Aquilini would have to fire both and continually look like the problem.

That's the only way to get this ridiculous owner to back off.

Where does this stuff even come from?

Owner hired a moron to be president. Said moron shit the bed. Owner fires said moron. This is the way it should be. Weren't we all hoping this would happen? Now it's "ridiculous" and he needs to "back off?"

Did we want Linden to be president indefinitely?

Remember, the media in this market still has a boyhood crush on Linden and will do anything to spin things favourably for him. Until they say anything with any actual detail they are not worth any attention.

I think you guys are desperate to make this story out to be more interesting than it is. Linden got to be President by selling a vision of building a young team that is still competetive. When he started to fail he started making excuses and preaching "patience" all while continuing to bungle things horribly. He completely failed and was held accountable for his failure. Hallelujah.

Remember how @Peter10 alqays tweets Linden's BS quotes to Aquilini? Didn't he get what he wanted? What the f***ing f*** are we all bitching about now? Linden is gone. It's great.

 

[canuckfan75]

Linden hired Benning and Weisbrod. He actually chose them. He also fired Gillman. Then he re-upped Benning. Nobody should feel bad here.

Here Here

 

[F A N]

All these stories are interesting. Love the gossip and speculation honestly.

But I don’t buy into the idea that Benning “betrayed” Linden if we are to believe that Linden went to bat for Benning and secured his extension AND Benning has been reporting directly to ownership since his extension.

 

[Bleach Clean]

Where does this stuff even come from?

Owner hired a moron to be president. Said moron **** the bed. Owner fires said moron. This is the way it should be. Weren't we all hoping this would happen? Now it's "ridiculous" and he needs to "back off?"

Did we want Linden to be president indefinitely?

Remember, the media in this market still has a boyhood crush on Linden and will do anything to spin things favourably for him. Until they say anything with any actual detail they are not worth any attention.

I’m speaking about the next President and GM. They have to form a tight alliance against this impatient owner. That way, he’s not able to play one against the other as he did here. As a united front, they would both have to be fired, which then keeps pointing the finger directly at ownership. It may also serve to keep him at bay.

Linden and Benning should have been gone years ago. On merit, both have been found wanting. I’d feel a lot better though if I knew that the owner fired Linden over poor performance rather than a grab for power. I’ll take it, nonetheless.

 

[Melvin]

I don't buy any of the stories because there has been absolutely nothing of substance that has been reported. Nothing but a bunch of unfalsifiable rhetoric that paints folk-hero Linden in a positive light. Instant trash.

 

[Shareefruck]

The problem is, his condescending attitude towards Canucks fans, plus his delusional overestimation of our players make it very difficult to take him seriously. I don't see what if anything this has to do with who he's working with.

If you are making great success and you act like a dick, people might be ok with it. If team's failing like crazy but you're trying to be a nice honest guy, people might give you a pass. When you failed at your job AND you still talk down on people like they are dirt, you will get lynched by the mob when **** hits the fan

Like I said before, and many had pointed out, Linden is in WAY over his head. He thinks and acts like he's Rick, but he's really just Jerry with an attitude problem.

*cringe*

Agree with the point, though.

 

[petrishriekandgo]

Not sure if this has been posted yet:

SIMMONS: Nasty politics pushed Linden out with Canucks

"Linden was caught in the middle of a power struggle and a hockey struggle of sorts, with an impatient Aquilini on one side and his general manager, Jim Benning, and personnel man, John Weisbrod, nastily selling out the team president in exchange for their own power and security."

-----------

If true (and IMHO it's how I feel it probably went down) that's pretty grotesque by Benning, Weisbrod and Aquilini.

 

[sting101]

For me i find it disappointing things didn't work out for Linden here. I think Trev is a great guy and all the micro dissecting to try and label him as a snake or idiot is pathetic.

The truth of the matter is Linden should have never been given a lead role for a part he had no experience and clout to legitimize his assertions. It was a lose lose situation that Trevor could have only cut off if he fired Benning and Weisbrod and toted the company line (like Benning) or the team was already back winning which was not realistic. I'm happy for him that he wasn't gonna continue to stand by and be Aquilini's puppet and have his image further tarnished. As far as Benning i highly doubt he was trying to sell out Linden it's more a scenario that he just signed a contract is getting paid huge money to be a GM and wasn't willing to quit which would have been stupid even for JB standards. If that looks unsupportive then i guess thats how some prefer to look at it.....i don't.... he did whats best for him and his family.

The dictatorship that Aquilini runs things under is insulting and pathetic for all management personel of this team and this goes back to Nonis to Gillis to Linden. Benning will be fired soon which will make many happy around here but it will be very tough for ownership to get someone good going forward which is concerning. It's hard to stomach knowing that Nonis was canned for not making the Richards trade which would have gutted the franchise, Gillis was fired after being pushed towards a team model that he didn't support and in the end wanted to fully rebuild and was squashed and now the Linden situation where he didn't want 4yr deals for 4th liners and wanted to play kids and spend another year or 2 in a good lottery situation and good bye Trev. All of these fired people were making smarter decision than these dictators and here we are.

At the end of the day the differences between champions and pretenders is in the details. Aquilini-Linden-Benning-Weisbrod is not remotely a good scenario and change is good. The biggest problem as i see it is how do you have a united group of players and coaches when the agents and families dealing with the owners and puppet wearing suits working for the Aquilini's are always going to be looking for a better family and scenario to play under? These things matter and it's why you always hear good organizations and companies have good leadership............We do not.. and you never sign Dan Hamhuis and Manny Malhotra types without the belief that they are gonna play a role in something good other than just the highest dollar signs. right now this franchis is one step away from Eugene Melnyk and Ottawa territory and if we don't get things cleaned up soon you can say goodbye to Boeser and Hughes when they get to free agency just llike Tavares and Karlsson no longer want to play where they were.

What a mess

 

[Jay Cee]

Ladies, I want to explain what happened last season. *bats eyelashes*

 

[TruGr1t]

Some more interesting tidbits from Botch on his morning segment: https://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-...s-with-hughes-returning-to-michigan-1.1150451

Apparently Benning was pushing the Aquilini's to make a $85 million offer to Tavares. He's the biggest "win now" guy in the organization it sounds like, and he just happens to have ownership's ear at the moment so that's the way we're going.

I wonder if Benning will reach Messier levels of Canucks fan hatred by the time this is all said and done.

 

[brokenhole]

I 'm going to laugh my ass off when Benning/Wiesbrod get fired and Aquaman looks for a new G.M. and nobody in the NHL wants anything to do with him and this disaster of a franchise.

 

[krutovsdonut]

Some more interesting tidbits from Botch on his morning segment: https://www.tsn.ca/radio/vancouver-...s-with-hughes-returning-to-michigan-1.1150451

Apparently Benning was pushing the Aquilini's to make a $85 million offer to Tavares. He's the biggest "win now" guy in the organization it sounds like, and he just happens to have ownership's ear at the moment so that's the way we're going.

I wonder if Benning will reach Messier levels of Canucks fan hatred by the time this is all said and done.

this is where the weaseling comes in.

if nobody put the idea of an offer to tavares on the table for discussion and to see what that might look like then they were not doing their jobs.

but it's a big leap from there to say that this was being pushed, which is the kind of leap botchford is glad to take.

 

[lush]

It's not an enjoyable job acting as the bridge between a management team, fans and a team owner. Especially this owner.
Makes sense he'd take the job after being out of the NHL for awhile. But once you kind of realize you're not in charge and just a link between the franchise and a weird rich guy?

It sucks because it was the exact opposite of what I wanted to happen this summer, I wanted them to add to the executive team and not shrink it.
But with a few lean years ahead on attendance and revenues it probably makes easy sense to pay one less President

 

[Hollywood Burrows]

I 'm going to laugh my ass off when Benning/Wiesbrod get fired and Aquaman looks for a new G.M. and nobody in the NHL wants anything to do with him and this disaster of a franchise.

Hmm I'm imagining a future where no established GM would touch a radioactive canucks GM position, and the owner is forced to hire an outsider or young up-and-comer

I'll take it!!!

 

[brokenhole]

Hmm I'm imagining a future where no established GM would touch a radioactive canucks GM position, and the owner is forced to hire an outsider or young up-and-comer

I'll take it!!!

Sure like a Dorian, this outfit is just about on the same level as Ottawa right now.