Doug MacLean Fired!!!...Yeah!!!

[redsfan1966]

If anyone really cares....Doug MacLean was fired as the GM/President of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets...I know hockey doesnt get much love these days...but being the only major sport my city has I guess I do care....I was really into the CBJ when they first came to town--the city, contrary to popular opinion does have a rich hockey history, albeit minor league history.

The Columbus Chill set attendance records left and right as a member of the ECHL and the fans were/are knowledable....thats why as a fan, I gave up on the Blue Jackets the past two years...I know as a Reds fan some would see that as hypocritical...why give up on the Blue Jackets, but not the Reds??? Both have been habitual losers lately. The reason is I care more about the Reds than any other team and baseball more than any other sport, and I have seen the Reds win and hope to see it again soon. But with a new franchise and listening to Dougie Mac make excuses over and over and over--he even hosted a weekly call-in show where he could make his case week by week: which his "quit" on last Wednesday---it got tired.

Eventually I quit watching games on TV and attending games (even ones where I could have scored free seats)--the losing and excuses became tiresome. Plus I realized, hey, I had three free hours each night during the winter--which I usually wasted--but what the heck. I'm just glad ownership has finally stopped listening to a snake oil salesman who coasted on the one Stanley Cup he won nearly 15 years ago and booted him out the door. I, for one, am looking forward to next year's NHL season.....

[westofyou]

Defense and a goalie would be worrying me more if I was Blue Jacket fan.

[redsfan1966]

at least now we may have someone who could evaluate talent enough to get us a decent goalie and some decent defensemen....dougie mac had his pocket picked so many times his pants were wearing down...

[Sean_CaseyRules]

This news makes me so very VERY happy. I am a hardcore CBJ fan, and have been since they moved here, watching every game that I could, and begging my parents for tickets, and actually got into the game of hockey. Now that Dougie Mac is gone, I see a very bright horizon for our Jackets! And now I am looking foward to next hockey season more than I have any other year since they first came in!

[max venable]

My question is...WHAT TOOK SO LONG. McConnell must be VERY loyal. MacLean should have gone long ago. The franchise has gone NOWHERE under his leadership (or lack thereof). I always wondered how that dude was able to hold on to his job. In fact, the team was decent their first year and they've never been as good since...they kept getting worse and MacLean kept his job all the while. Long time coming.

[OSUredsFAN]

About Time!!!!

[BuckU]

Originally Posted by max venable

My question is...WHAT TOOK SO LONG. McConnell must be VERY loyal. MacLean should have gone long ago. The franchise has gone NOWHERE under his leadership (or lack thereof). I always wondered how that dude was able to hold on to his job. In fact, the team was decent their first year and they've never been as good since...they kept getting worse and MacLean kept his job all the while. Long time coming.

I think it took so long because they needed stability while the franchise was in its infancy.

I'm no Doug fan, but you can not overlook the job he did for making hockey marketable in Columbus, overlooking the design of Nationwide Arena, and providing options for youth hockey (Ohio Junior Jackets). Doug is a good businessman and I'm surprised he didn't stay on as President.

While he had some personnel issues like taking on Federov's contract, letting Ray Whitney walk over a contract term standoff, and signing an aging Adam Foote you can't deny he stole Norrenna and Modin for Denis and resigned them both to LTC's. He was also good with waiver pick ups like Hainsey & Vyborny. His drafts left a little ot be desired.

Overall, he got the team off the ground but not much winning. It was time for a change.

[westofyou]

I'm no Doug fan, but you can not overlook the job he did for making hockey marketable in Columbus, overlooking the design of Nationwide Arena, and providing options for youth hockey (Ohio Junior Jackets). Doug is a good businessman and I'm surprised he didn't stay on as President.

Good points, folks want instant winning, but being an expansion franchise is no easy task. Look at Nashville, they still could lose their franchise and they just finally made it to the summit of being a productive franchise. Long term stability is pretty important in entrenching oneself into a marketplace. If folks love the BJ's when they don't win, then they'll adore them when they do. Mostly because a culture of hockey has been instilled, one that exceeds ECHL or IL league standards.

[BuckU]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Good points, folks want instant winning, but being an expansion franchise is no easy task. Look at Nashville, they still could lose their franchise and they just finally made it to the summit of being a productive franchise. Long term stability is pretty important in entrenching oneself into a marketplace. If folks love the BJ's when they don't win, then they'll adore them when they do. Mostly because a culture of hockey has been instilled, one that exceeds ECHL or IL league standards.

You are right. David Poile (Nashville GM) completely ignored marketing hockey in Nashville. So now that they are winning games, nobody sees them. At least Doug got that part right. What other teams do you know of that have naver had a winning season can still fill their building 92% every home game? Granted, that won't last long if they don't put together a legitimate playoff push, but that's also why Doug was let go.

McClain got the franchise off the ground and now it's time for somebody else to take them to become a winner.

[BuckU]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Good points, folks want instant winning, but being an expansion franchise is no easy task. Look at Nashville, they still could lose their franchise and they just finally made it to the summit of being a productive franchise. Long term stability is pretty important in entrenching oneself into a marketplace. If folks love the BJ's when they don't win, then they'll adore them when they do. Mostly because a culture of hockey has been instilled, one that exceeds ECHL or IL league standards.

It also didn’t help that player Nashville made their cover boy and first ever draft pick, David Legwand, never had a 50 point season until this year. So there was never really a player the fans could attach themselves to in Nashville until Paul Kariya came to town after the lockout.

[BurgervilleBuck]

Originally Posted by westofyou

Good points, folks want instant winning, but being an expansion franchise is no easy task.

I think most folks in Columbus thought there would a time for growing pains but I don't think any of them thought that this team would never make progress.

To me, Maclean's canning didn't come soon enough. Goodbye to Shelley, goodbye to the underconditioned, country club atmosphere. Goodbye to the most condescending piece of garbage. And goodbye to the genius who created the four most dreaded words in the NHL: Head Coach Gerard Gallant.

[BurgervilleBuck]

Originally Posted by BuckU

You are right. David Poile (Nashville GM) completely ignored marketing hockey in Nashville. So now that they are winning games, nobody sees them. At least Doug got that part right. What other teams do you know of that have naver had a winning season can still fill their building 92% every home game? Granted, that won't last long if they don't put together a legitimate playoff push, but that's also why Doug was let go.

Nashville doesn't have the corporate support. They've got the fans but the suits don't want anything to do with it.

Also expect Nashville to veer towards mediocrity next season. A lot of their UFAs will walk: Hartnell, Kariya, Timmonen, etc.

I will admit that Maclean did a great job in establishing the framework and the foundation. Unfortunately, the cronyism within the organization was just too inbred for words.