Linden named President of Hockey Ops

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mathonwy
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by mathonwy »

ukcanuck wrote:Some people are making it sound like its literally rocket science

Learn the ropes... That there is a joke. The guy spent his entire life in hockey I'm sure he knows wtf..

The hard part in being a manager is making tough decisions with big money... Dudes done that as a NHLPA exec.

I don't think it's a leap to say that he has as much experience as a GM as gillis had, which was none.

He also has respect around the league as a solid player and as a straight shooter.

The Canucks could have done a lot worse today ...
Running a hockey team is probably harder than "rocket science" as in rocket propulsion science, you typically don't have a customer base as passionate as Canuck fans are.

Learn the ropes? Sort of like learning how to drive standard by being given the keys to a Masserati?

Spent his entire life in hockey? That's sort of like saying, that person's been a waiter all his life, so he must know a thing or two about running a restaurant. Linden has been an EMPLOYEE all of his hockey career.

If only he was just a "manager". That would have been the smart decision actually if Aquaman had hired Linden to be director of player personnel. But nope, he is il presidente.

Gillis had 20 years as a player agent when he took over.

Respect and being a straight shooter plays zero role when it comes to knowing how to run a professional hockey team other than appeasing the local populace by presenting them a marketing figure-head that we know and implicitly trust.

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BurningBeard
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by BurningBeard »

Hopefully they hire Messier to show him the ropes.
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Lancer
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by Lancer »

mathonwy wrote:Spent his entire life in hockey? That's sort of like saying, that person's been a waiter all his life, so he must know a thing or two about running a restaurant. Linden has been an EMPLOYEE all of his hockey career.
He's also been the president of a major league sports players union for a couple of years. The merits of the fact that he got Goodenow canned (which apparently didn't sit well with Goodenow's buddy Gillis, hence the apparent exile) and supported Saskin in a successful bid to avert a second consecutive season shit-canned in a lockout can be debated, but there can be no denying he has leadership experience beyond the dressing room. Considering his involvement in the negotiations of that lockout, I would say he has more than a passing experience with the business side of hockey. Not as much as many in his shoes, but he's hardly a neophyte.
mathonwy wrote:Gillis had 20 years as a player agent when he took over.

Respect and being a straight shooter plays zero role when it comes to knowing how to run a professional hockey team.
You put the above sentences side by side and history shows they are contradictory. Gillis had 20 years experience as a hard-nosed negotiator. As his GM record has shown, he made little friends in the process. It's been said more than a couple of times and intimated even more that he was regarded in league circles as an outsider - someone no one was willing to do favours for or even deal with in good faith. You can argue whether Gillis deserved such treatment or not, but the fact remains he never fit in amongst his peers in the league.

Not everybody in the league likes Linden. I'm sure there are a couple old-time PA guys who still harbour a grudge over what Linden did in the 04 lockout. That said, when a guy like Iginla hauls his teammates back out from the chute at the end of Linden's last game to have them shake his hand that says a lot about the respect he garnered among players (and it says something about Iggy as well). Linden may have more respect and credibility in league circles than Gillis ever had and perhaps ever would, and this may add leverage for the team in more ways than Gillis could muster.

Linden is inexperienced, but hardly a babe in the woods. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. :)
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Lancer
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

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BurningBeard wrote:Hopefully they hire Messier to show him the ropes.
I hope he hires Mess to shower him with ropes of man-cream. :twisted:
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by vic »

Lancer wrote: That said, when a guy like Iginla hauls his teammates back out from the chute at the end of Linden's last game to have them shake his hand that says a lot about the respect he garnered among players (and it says something about Iggy as well). Linden may have more respect and credibility in league circles than Gillis ever had and perhaps ever would, and this may add leverage for the team in more ways than Gillis could muster.

Linden is inexperienced, but hardly a babe in the woods. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. :)
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mathonwy
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by mathonwy »

Lancer wrote:
He's also been the president of a major league sports players union for a couple of years
Being the president of the union means that he has experience in mediation and CBA negotiations. Which is very small part of the all encompassing term of hockey operations.

Lancer wrote: You put the above sentences side by side and history shows they are contradictory.
I put the two sentences one after the other because I'm responding to uk's comments.
Lancer wrote: Linden is inexperienced, but hardly a babe in the woods. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. :)
Might as well. Nothing any of us can do about it. :)
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by Strangelove »

Trevor Linden is great in the community.
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Todd Bersnoozi
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by Todd Bersnoozi »

Wouldn't it be kind of funny if Nonis gets canned in TO and Trevor hires him and brings him back as the GM of the Canucks? I would truely believe that Trevor has full autonomy of hockey ops if that happens. :lol:
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by Strangelove »

Mëds wrote: First change after the GM is hired is to move Smyl out of his role as Director of Player Development.
Good luck with that, the only person in the organization Linden raved about today was Smyl. :D
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by Strangelove »

Island Nucklehead wrote: Kevin Lowe has been shielding Katz from a majority of the criticism levelled against that franchise. I really hope the Aquamen aren't planning on using Linden as the same windshield for the shit flying at the Canucks.
In today's presser, Aquaman answered almost every question with "We have tremendous trust in Trevor's ability".

SERIOUSLY!

Local Hack: "What was the reason for firing Gillis?"

Aquaman: "We want to thank Mike for all his hard work here. We have tremendous trust in Trevor's ability".

Not sure how he got away with all this.... unless the local hacks are...... hacks? :shock:

Gotta love Jody Vance's legs though...
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by Strangelove »

BurningBeard wrote:
Mëds wrote:Was it just me, or did anyone else get the impression that, despite the fact that FA's welcome and announcement of Trevor as the new President sounding like a rehashed/rehearsed version of the endorsement he game Gillis 6 years ago, this time it rings true. I just got the sense that since Linden retired in 2008, Aquaman and Co. have been courting Linden all along, and that he had been pegged as the guy that they want at the wheel for a long time to come.
Was it because Francesco's mom told Linden he'd have the job for at least 20 years? :roll:
Or perhaps because when asked.. when exactly did Aquaman hire Linden, Aquaman responded:

"We have been talking with Trevor for years about bringing him in. We have tremendous trust in Trevor's ability".
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by Strangelove »

LOL at Mathonwy all over Linden like RD on Gillis.

RELAX BUDDY!! :lol:

"Figurehead" remember?

Linden will have Gilman and Henning and McNab (or whoever) to show him the ropes. :thumbs:

You didn't believe all that "full autonomy" bullshit did ya? Image

OMG wot a schlep!

Even Todd didn't fall for that crap....
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by Blob Mckenzie »

Strangelove wrote:
Gotta love Jody Vance's legs though...

for what pool cues ? I've seen better legs sticking out of a nest. She was once hot but the birdlike lower body is unnattractive and will be especially so when she hits her mid 50's as buddy will be pushing those sorry assed legs around in a scooter. She must be what 5 ft 8 and 100 lbs ? Yuck. I am not advocating Serena Williams or Dudette Dumaresqe but JV is a stick and a weak one at that.

FTR I don't mind the hiring. No idea why poster Mathonwy is having a meltdown about hiring a guy to CHOOSE the fucking management team but then again he drinks the dudes urine from time to time so that could have something to do with it. Fresh diapers for the crew !! :lol:
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by Meds »

Strangelove wrote:
Mëds wrote: First change after the GM is hired is to move Smyl out of his role as Director of Player Development.
Good luck with that, the only person in the organization Linden raved about today was Smyl. :D
I know. :(

Hopefully his business sense kicks in and he recognizes that under Smyls "direction" the Canucks haven't "developed" very much in the way of young players.
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mathonwy
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Re: Linden named President of Hockey Ops

Post by mathonwy »

Strangelove wrote:LOL at Mathonwy all over Linden like RD on Gillis.
Better a critic then a mindless lemming (not saying you are one).

I'm not all over Linden. I'm actually all over Aquaman because I feel that the move of appointing Linden president of hockey ops is an insult to my intelligence.

Appointing Linden as prez and seeing the Canucks get back to respectability are MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE as Linden doesn't have any experience in hockey management at any level.

What Linden brings is his reputation as a honest hockey player that didn't bite any fingers who left it all out on the ice and was a terrific community guy. That is it.

Being a good guy and making the right hockey decisions are two different things. Let's just hope it all works out.
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