Posted by Scott Burnside
So, Brian Burke is finally the GM (and president) of the
Toronto Maple Leafs. Here are five things you should know about NHL general managers:
1. One of the reasons we put Red Wings GM Ken Holland at the top of our list isn't because he continues to build Stanley Cup contenders every single season despite drafting in the top 10 about once every two decades (although that is a good way to stay at the top of any "best of" list). It's because, when he took over the job, he had to establish himself with one of hockey's greatest minds and strongest personalities, Scotty Bowman. Holland took over as GM in 1997, when senior vice president Jim Devellano moved into the Wings' front office. Devellano and Bowman had worked together to build the Wings into a powerhouse. So, Holland, a longtime scout and minor league netminder, had to establish that he was happy to work with Bowman, but that he was in charge. The alternative was to risk being eaten alive. To Holland's credit, the lines of power were clearly drawn, and the Wings have become the model franchise as a result.
2. GMs can be a volatile lot. Hey, they're hockey guys. We remember being in the cramped press box in Detroit during the first round of the 2006 playoffs when Edmonton GM Kevin Lowe raced the length of the box to try to get at the NHL officials after a call went against his Oilers. Think gauntlet, and you get a sense of Lowe's path. His journey was made even more difficult by the fact that he was trying to force out expletives every step of the way. When John Ferguson Jr. was GM in Toronto, his seat in the press box was directly above the working press (a relative term, we know), and his thumping and cursing were legendary. Don Waddell's box is separate from the main press box at Phillips Arena in Atlanta, but he regularly passes along his observations on offside and penalty calls from his high perch.
3. Speaking of Ferguson, we recall a night in Atlanta after a bloody melee involving Tie Domi, Eric Lindros, Darcy Tucker, Andy Sutton and others when Ferguson appeared in the tiny room where Atlanta coach Bob Hartley was giving his postgame media briefing. Ferguson offered some succinct interpretations of Hartley's take on things before being ushered out by Leafs staff. Glorious.
4. NHL GMs come from all directions. Jay Feaster went to law school and ended up building a Stanley Cup winner in Tampa Bay. Nashville GM David Poile's father, Bud, was a longtime NHL manager, and both are recipients of the Lester Patrick Trophy for outstanding contributions to the game in the United States. But our favorite track is that of the Islanders' Garth Snow, who made the unusual (some would say inexplicable) jump from backup netminder to GM in 2006. Snow continues to surprise, as his Islanders made the playoffs in his first season and he has his team in the hunt thus far in 2008-09.
5. There's hardly much in the way of job security in being a GM (even if you do sign a whopper six-year deal, like Burke did in Toronto). But there are a couple of notable exceptions to the loyalty-schmoyalty rule. GM Lou Lamoriello is synonymous with the New Jersey Devils, and with good reason. He's been with the franchise as president and GM since 1987. That's longer than some of his players have been alive. In Carolina, GM Jim Rutherford has been with owner Peter Karmanos since Rutherford retired as a player in 1983. Rutherford's role as GM predates the Hurricanes move from Hartford to Raleigh in 1997 by three years. Through up and down, Rutherford remains a constant, and he was rewarded with a Stanley Cup championship in 2006.
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