Doug MacLean: Assistant GM, GM, President, Owner?

Jackets' ex Doug "The Right Stuff" MacLean is a member of an investment group that has elected to purchase the Tampa Bay Lightning. The group, called "Absolute Hockey Enterprises" apparently took its name from something between a vodka ad and a 5th grade entrepreneur.

If MacLean is going to be part-owner of an NHL franchise, he'll need to learn to keep his hands off the team. Doug's full-control approach to management isn't going to fly when there's three (President, GM, Coach) levels in between himself and the skaters.

I bid the best of luck to MacLean as he embarks on this next stage of his career. His odds are certainly stacked more in his favor with Lightning than they ever were with the Jackets.

Doug MacLean to Interview with Phoenix Coyotes

The Phoenix Coyotes organization is looking for a new GM to preside over the Great One and his team full of not-so-great ones. The organization is going to interview nine candidates and former CBJ GM Douggie Doug MacLean is on the short list.

Best of luck with that, to both MacLean and the Coyotes.

Dispatch Roundup: MacLean's Firing

Here are links to the Dispatch articles surrounding MacLean's departure from Columbus:

• Blue Jackets fire MacLean (11:13 a.m.)
  
• Analysis: For lack of focused plan, MacLean gets the boot
• In the end, MacLean left the owners no choice
• Analysis of MacLean's personnel moves
  
• Decision to fire MacLean 'was unanimous'
• Reader reaction to the Blue Jackets firing Doug MacLean
• MacLean's firing: What they're saying in Canada
  

BREAKING NEWS: Blue Jackets General Manager Doug MacLean Has Been Fired

An era has ended for Columbus hockey. Gone is the Prince Edward Island kingpin Doug "The Don" MacLean. (You can interpret that either way you want. You can choose between the Godfather Don Corleone, or Don McLean "Bye Bye Miss American Pie")

In a evening meeting of the CBJ ownership group, it was decided that MacLean's nine year tenure as Blue Jackets President and GM would come to a close. Doug took the reigns back in '98, well before the Blue Jackets ever took the ice. He was charged with developing the expansion team into a competitive professional squad. Since formally entering the league in 2000, the Jackets have posted six dismal seasons with losing records. Players, coaches, and even some fans have both come and gone in that span with no strong sign of improvement soon.

MacLean's termination from the organization has been long coming. After several consecutive unsuccessful trades and off-season pick-ups, followed by declining ticket sales and an overall inability to put a winning team on the ice, it is time for Doug to move along. Michael Arace of the Dispatch put together a great read detailing what went wrong during the MacLean era, in a concise yet complete article. (Though I have yet to grasp the Green Bay Packers comparison. You give it a shot.)

Doug takes with him a sizable portion of the CBJ budget. As per his multi-year contract, MacLean will take home his next year's salary, potentially in addition to a buy-out sum. In all, the CBJ organization stands to lose approximately $1.6 million by cutting MacLean's contract short. However, if this cash penalty is what is necessary to bring in proper management, then so be it.

So far, it has only been confirmed that MacLean himself is leaving. Unknown yet is the status of the rest of his administration and coaching staff that was recruited and hired specially by MacLean. These individuals include several Front Office staff members, as well as assistant coaches Gary Agnew and Gord Murphy. Jackets Head Coach Ken Hitchcock will be staying in Columbus- that much was confirmed by the Dispatch.

McConnell and the rest of the ownership group has committed themselves to personally finding a replacement for MacLean. They will likely act very quickly, as any incoming GM will need time to prepare for the upcoming NHL draft (which he will be hosting) as well as the offseason trades and player signings that happen during the summer. Michael Arace of the Dispatch speculated on who a few of the potential candidates may be. Notable candidates include Steve Tambellini, VP and Assistant GM of the Vancouver Canucks, and the former GM of the LA Kings. Also a potential replacement (and one that makes me a little nervous) is Mike Priest, president of JMac Inc- the parent company for the Blue Jackets.

I, amongst other CBJ bloggers and Dispatch writers are glad to see MacLean go. Most believe that Doug had many positive contributions to Columbus hockey, but failed to produce a successful team. Professional sports are a "what have you done for me lately?" world. It doesn't matter what someone did- it matters what they're doing- and MacLean's recent (read: last 2-3 seasons) efforts haven't exactly been awe-inspiring. He made several poor signings, weak trades and has overpaid for several players who under produced. All the while, the team has continued to stay below a .500 record, and has generally been out of the playoff hunt before the All-Star game.

Many readers and CBJ followers will remind us that it's not entirely MacLean's fault, and they're right. There have been and will continue to be many factors at play regarding professional hockey in Columbus. After all, the General Manager only indirectly affects what happens on the ice. He himself does not choose which net the puck goes into. MacLean gave a good effort in Columbus, and I'm sure he strove to succeed as much as we all wanted him to. But when you post the worst record in the league for the last six seasons combined, and are one of only two teams that have not made the playoffs at all during that time period, it's time for a reality check. In the business world, a CEO cannot continually post abnormally low, bottom of the barrel numbers year after year and expect to keep his job. When failure becomes a pattern and not a fluke, it's time to have him replaced. MacLean should be pleased he kept his position for this long. In the high pressure world of professional sports, winning is everything. You're either winning or you're not. And if you're not, you don't get to keep your job.

The TSN article that broke (best I can tell) the news was posted at 11:15 PM, Eastern Time. As a matter of fact, neither the Columbus NBC affiliate, nor the team website has posted the story yet. The only local press that has a story on their website at the time of this post is the Dispatch.


Related Jacket Times posts:
April 11, 2007 Is GM Doug MacLean stuck in 1996? 8 reasons why I think so.
March 7, 2007 CBJ GM Doug MacLean on Forbes List of Best GM's in Sports

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Is GM Doug MacLean stuck in 1996? 8 reasons why I think so.

Inspired by a conversation I had with faithful Jacket Times commenter Brandon, I've gathered evidence supporting the fact that Blue Jackets General Manager Doug MacLean is stuck in 1996.

Brandon: i heard today from a buddy of mine that McConnell told MacLean to fire Gallant and that if he didn't he'd be firing two people.

Tyler: i believe it

the whole gallant situation is maclean's fault going back to when they fired king

they fired king and never did anything about it, then wonder why we stink four years later

Brandon: might help if we brought in some actual talent. it's like he's playing NHL 1996 and trying to grab the best players from that

Interesting point. 1996 Was a good year for MacLean. That year he was the GM of the Stanley Cup finalist Florida Panthers. With that kind of performance from his team, I can imagine why he'd want to live those days forever. Let's take a look at some of the decisions MacLean has made recently and see if he's still stuck in the 26 team version of the 1996 NHL.

1. Bryan Berard - In 1995, he was the #1 overall pick in the NHL Draft. By 1996, little about the NHL performance of the defenseman was known, and he was no doubt a hot commodity.
2. Anson Carter - Played his first games in the NHL in 1996 for the Washington Capitals
3. Dave King - In 1996 King just finished his third consecutive year coaching for the Calgary Flames. He reached the playoffs each season but always lost in the first round.
   
4. Sergei Fedorov - #91 had already played a number of successful seasons with the Red Wings, and their team looked really sharp. (They went on to win the Cup in '97 and '98) Sergei also posted over 100 points during the '95-'96 season.
   
5. Adam Foote - Foote was a top defenseman for the 1996 cup winning Colorado team. MacLean saw firsthand what Foote was capable of as his team stole the cup in game 7 4 (Thanks Truth) from the Panthers.
6. Ken Hitchcock - He was hired by the Dallas Stars in the middle of the 1995-1996 season. Even though they finished 15-23-5 that year, Hitch's Stars made the playoffs the next 5 consecutive seasons and included 2 finals appearances and one Stanley Cup victory.
7. Gerard Gallant - GG finished his last season as a player in 1996 and joined the Blue Jackets as an assistant in 2001 - his first NHL gig.
8. Doug's iPod has been known to contain tracks by Los Del Rio, the Quad City DJ's and The Tony Rich Project.

So there it is. Doug MacLean is spending too much time playing NHL '96 on his Sega Genesis. Maybe we should send him an up to date copy and a PS3. I don't like my team's GM to be living in an era where Michael Jordan is starring in Space Jam and Tupac Shakur is still alive.

CBJ GM Doug MacLean on Forbes List of Best GM's in Sports

Forbes magazine recently released their rankings of the 98 best General Managers in professional sports. GMs from every major professional sport appear on the list, including our own Doug MacLean, who came in at 52nd.

Let it be noted that the rankings are based on two major statistics- Winning Improvement and Payroll Containment. Both stats are indexed to 100, meaning that the numbers for a particular person on the list don't really mean a whole lot until you compare them to other people on the list- though you can see it as a rating of 130 means that GM has helped the team win 30% more games, or a rating of 72 means the team has won 28% fewer games. The payroll containment works the same way, so a 108 means that the salary is 8% more than previous years. Also, only GMs with 3 or more years of experience were rated, which may explain why certain teams (such as the Calgary Flames) do not appear anywhere on the list.

Obtaining the #1 overall rating is Kevin McHale of the Minnesota Timberwolves (NBA). The top NHL performer, coming in at #2, is Jay Feaster of the Tampa Bay Lightening. The GMs of the New Jersey Devils and Atlanta Thrashers also appear in the top 10. The highest rank GM in the Central Division is David Poile, GM for the Nashville Predators.

It's important to remember that having a "good" GM doesn't guarantee success- the GM of the St. Louis Cardinals (who won the 2006 World Series) is ranked 46, and the Carolina Hurricanes (who won last year's Stanley Cup) is rated 17th. The GM is responsible for managing the team as a business- one that is in pursuit of profit, not necessarily a championship. Winning a title is a satisfying and profitable reward, but it is not the primary objective of the General Manager. That said, a good GM will sign the right players at the right price in order to give the team the best chance of winning, as well as maintaining the profitability of the franchise.

So does Doug MacLean deserve his 52nd rank on the list? He has a winning improvement rating of 121 and a payroll containment of 76. (Meaning 21% more wins, 24% less payroll) Let's hear your thoughts in the comments.

Gallant got the message

An article in the dispatch tells how Gallant has taken much criticism from fans and players since his departure a little over two weeks ago. He said that he'd read quotes saying how much better things were now in Columbus since he left. At the moment, Gallant is on his way home to Prince Edward Island before returning to the Jackets' organization to serve in a yet to be determined capacity.

Gallant wasn't ready for an NHL coaching job, especially with a fledgling team. He took up the post when MacLean stepped aside in January of '03. As I've said before, MacLean should have sought a permanent new coach right away, instead of promoting Gallant.

All in all, I've got nothing against Gallant. He did all he could with what he had to work with. He coached from his personal experience and beliefs about the game. As a seasoned Jacket (he's been a part of the organization since the beginning) he has more to offer than most to the organization. I don't mind seeing Gallant stick around Columbus for a while, so long as its not behind the bench.

In other news, the Jackets made a trade with the Carolina Hurricanes. CBJ sent Marc Flood in return for D Derrick Walser. Long time jacket fans will remember Walser- he played in Columbus now and again from 2001-2004. He'll likely spend most of his days in Syracuse unless the Jackets face more defensive injuries.

MacLean must be reading this blog.

Holy crap. My post yesterday must have got a lot more attention than I thought. I put Gallant on the notice board and 5 hours later he's fired. I don't know my own influence.

I kid, of course. A coaching change has been long coming, and the CBJ execs finally recognized this.

Gerard Gallant was removed from his coaching duties today and replaced on the interim by assistant coach Gary Agnew. This specific step is only somewhat promising. While Agnew may already be experienced in the Jackets system, having spent the last 6 seasons with the Syracuse Crunch, he lacks much NHL experience. While I'm open to any change for this dismal jackets season, I expect MacLean to seriously pursue a long term replacement, and not leave Agnew in as a tiny scab on a festering wound.

This Dispatch article discusses a few potential coaching solutions. First and foremost is Ken Hitchcock. He was fired by the Flyers this season, though he is still under contract with that franchise filling in on some administrative positions. Hitchcock holds a 408-284-100 record in the NHL, which supports a nearly 60% winning percentage- almost 20 points higher than any coach of the Jackets.

Andy Murray recently left the Kings, has a winning record, and would be available quickly. He is also the only Canadian coach to win two world championships.

The final coach discussed in the Dispatch article is a name that Jacket fans should recognize. Kevin Dineen, who was on the roster for the Jackets' first three seasons, is now on the coaching hot list. He has already been getting attention from other NHL teams because of his success guiding the Portland AHL team to the playoffs.

Whomever MacLean chooses, I have the best of hopes. A major coaching change may be able to turn the tide for this team. The fans are tired, the players are tired, and the season isn't far from being totally shot. Picking up a big time coach could reassert our position in this league.

MacLean: Just don't do anything stupid, like start coaching the team yourself.


(Update: Check out this article, also in today's Dispatch. Hunter makes some really good points about the status of our team. The problem may very well be far larger than one man, or possibly it is one man -MacLean. Either way, the crony system is going to do us any more favors than it already has.)