Cornuck wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2026 12:43 pm
A truly sad state of affairs... yes, the sun will rise again, but we've some very dark times ahead.
After a few years of mismanagement, the only bright spot lately has been the collection of kids who seem to be taking things into their own hands and trying to make things happen.
It's all smoke and mirrors at this point.
And the one member of the Ovaltine Squad that actually contributed anything, Robo Swede at the draft table, is the one that takes the fall.
Dinosaur and the kitchen help all sticking around.
Topper wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2026 12:33 pm
Scooter, needs to put the work in in the off season .... for the eighth fucking time. Geriatric has never looked into trading him, that was RoboSwede's job (back that bus up and run over him again).
When you listen to these guys speak, you don't have any confidence that they know much any more than we do. I would trust a few posters here with the rebuild more than TFGs™.
Topper wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2026 12:33 pm
Scooter, needs to put the work in in the off season .... for the eighth fucking time. Geriatric has never looked into trading him, that was RoboSwede's job (back that bus up and run over him again).
When you listen to these guys speak, you don't have any confidence that they know much any more than we do. I would trust a few posters here with the rebuild more than TFGs™.
Eight off seasons and a locker room, team dividing, coach killing war of not putting in the effort
But the shot blocking is a baby step to redemption.
Over the Internet, you can pretend to be anyone or anything.
I'm amazed that so many people choose to be complete twats.
JR said that he was hired with a two year promise and it’s been 4. Would have been nice for him to step down with the division title, he could have declared victory. Not that it’s the goal, but it was a damned bit better than where they were. Nice for him as a career capstone, nice for us as well, since JR seems done, fumbled everything he touched and allowed his subordinates to fumble everything else.
He also said he’d be thinking about stepping down after the Gm hiring, draft, coaching hiring. Great—pick the next leadership and then they get a new boss who didn’t pick them…. FA is necessary for all the reasons he might insist, but also because getting hired into a broken organization solely by the guy that won’t be there in a year (probably) without the enthusiasm of the guy who will replace JR (FA) is designed to fail. Thats why I believe Johnson gets the gig no matter what. Because he’s under contract either way and will say yes.
JR is delusional about QH or just covering his tail more. Not only does it point to a crazily silly offseason (one thing to do everything designed to keep qh if it has a chance at working, another thing to throw a Hail Mary), but I just don’t believe Quinn was leaving no matter what. What JR said was that it wasn’t about the poor performance (by context, wins losses) and then tied it to Tkachuk and wanting to be back in the USA. But you know, the straw might very well have been the poor performance of MANAGEMENT (as opposed to wins and losses) and a parade of horribles that began with the maltreatment of the popular Boudreau, and then metastasized into the inability to deal with the Miller/Petey bit and culminated by having Tockey decide this wasn’t a place he could be. When everyone you like is pissed on or can’t take it, you are the last man standing.
I do not believe a guy who signs a contract that takes up two UFA years wants out at the first sign.
(It’s also believable that Hughes was in camp millsy, so that’s when the decision was made).
JR basically said some combination of Myers, Garland, Kampf, Sherwood, and Hughes were the cause of the locker room issues when tying improved cohesiveness to “a couple months ago”. Surely it wasn’t Kampf or Sherwood. And that terrible locker room was guys getting yelled at during practice. Oi vey. He also said that the group of young guys and vets left are all high character. Methinks that if different guys were moved and the ones moved stayed, we’d hear the same.
Mëds wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2026 1:54 pm
Normally at this time of year I find Topper's clip notes sufficient and don't watch the season end media stuff.....
This year I feel like I need to watch it for the sheer morose entertainment value.
Like shining a strobe light at mirror ball on a short bus of epileptics.
Over the Internet, you can pretend to be anyone or anything.
I'm amazed that so many people choose to be complete twats.
Topper wrote: ↑Fri Apr 17, 2026 9:12 am
In typical Geriatric fashion, we've known through the media for days, early reports came weeks ago, that Alvin would be gone at season's end.
bruce, bo, jt, quinn ... the list goes on
I was thinking that last night Tops. But this time it looks like it was Allvin who spilled the beans. First to media here saying he didn't think he would survive, and I am going to assume it was him speaking to the Swedish newspaper whilst Rutherford was having his nightly sleep.
Since they obviously knew weeks back they should have just ended it then. There was no need to make him work out the rest of the season.
Ownership has to make sure they get their full moneys worth in. This ownership group really comes across like a nickel and dime organization.
Could have also been to avoid one more depressing distraction while the players still had to play. Maybe they wanted to ride whatever vibes were left after the two wins? Canning him earlier wouldn’t have made much of a difference in the grand scheme of things.
Basically admits to tanking. Nice one Jim. Said he made the decision that the team wasn't going to make the playoffs and it was time for Vancouver to get lucky and have a high draft pick. Wonder how Gary feels about that one.
Admits to trying to entice Hughes by signing his friends and it didn't work.
Could have had a 1st from NJ for Hughes but not much else.
Allvin had a chance to land a top six centre but at the cost of a 1st and a Willander type. Glad he didn't make any of those deals.
New GM will have full autonomy on coaches etc
Hopes to have at least 3 rookies, Lekkeramaki, Cootes and whoever they draft this year. Way to predict the lineup Jim.
Hopes new GM lands a couple vets to help the kids
Didn't make final decision on Allvin until noon yesterday.
Wants a lesser role and not day to day to mentor new GM. Wants all hockey decisions to be made by new GM.
Says Demko is back to who he was and looks for good things.
Says Hughes didn't leave because the team wasn't winning but because he wanted to go back to US. It had nothing to do with the team, winning, loosing or anything other than returning to US. He was emphatic on that. Quinn was gone no matter what and nothing the team did satisfied this desire. All the players knew Hughes wanted out and would not committ to stay so there was that.
Offered Allvin a place in the organization in player development and scouting and will give him time to decide. Sounded like Allvin more than anything relied too heavily on him at times and he wants someone who can just do the job.
Ryan Johnson is high on the list and sounds like his job to lose. Says he will start his zoom calls next week to interview candidates. Because he wants a lesser role he may want to bring in a more experienced voice that can run things without him being involved day to day. But is high on Johnson.
On Pettersson went on about off season prep again. No plans to take him but if he doesn't do the work then the new GM will have to make the call. He doesn't need to be a 100 point player. A point per game would be enough with the growing team they have. But it is a key point for the new GM to suss out.
Looking for a GM with good integrity, buys into the rebuild, free enough to make his own decisions, could be a first year guy or an experienced one. Its about getting a GM that can do the job and not necessarily cares about whether they have a good relationship.
Wants ownership to be involved once they narrow list down to 3-4 guys. Wants their input once they reach the short list stage. He signed on for 2 years and has been here 4 so he wants someone who can be autonomous.
Said it was really bad in dressing room prior to TDD. But since the new kids in there it has been refreshing and the best it has been since he has been there. Mentioned that they no longer have to worry about kids being barked at in dressing room or practice. The vets they kept all fit in. The dressing room is fun again and players like coming to the rink whereas before it wasn't like that.
Dealt with situation over the last two years he did not anticipate having to deal with and they are behind us and he feels moving forward will be a breath of fresh air.
I believe him about Hughes. That has always been the scuttlebutt about him, wanting to go south. For sure the direction of the team didn't help but if his teammates knew he wanted to go and with all the other problems it could not have been a fun place.
I am wondering who they traded at the TDD that made the dressing room a nicer place????? I think he must have been talking overall over the last 2 years. No one on the list that was traded pings my radar as being a locker room problem other than Miller.
Take Rutherford’s word for what it is - and I can be persuaded to believe that it’s bullshit - but his comments about Hughes wanting out of Canada do fit the Matt Tkachuck/Johnny Gaudreau mould. To UDubs’s assertion about the role the shit management and team moves played into it, I would say both could be simultaneously true. His heart may have been south of the border, but a core with Miller and his other American homies mitigated things - and winning papers over a lot.
Scouts on Canadian teams in the first round beware…
Watching the exit interviews, a lot of players were talking about how this team lacked discipline, work ethic, professionalism etc.
Looks like the rot is deeper than just EP40.
EDIT: Also, really surprised at the amount of players who don't have a great grasp on English. Can't be easy building team comradery with that barrier. Maybe the solution is to draft some Canadians FFS.
Last edited by JelloPuddingPop on Fri Apr 17, 2026 3:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
