The NY Times recently conducted a survey of 40 NHL executives regarding the reputation of their peers across the circuit. The investigation was carried out by four journalists, Arthur Staple, Chris Johnston, Scott Powers and Michael Russo.
The aim of the exercise was to assess the work that is done in the organizations’ offices. Thus, everything is taken into account in the analysis of the exhaustive responses obtained from 40 executives in the NHL. From the recruitment team to the presidents, including the CEOs and assistant CEOs, everything is analyzed and then, based on the votes, draws up a ranking. According to the managers interviewed, the Dallas Stars are the organization with the best reputation on the circuit. And at the bottom of this count, we find the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The big NHL franchise received only one 5th place vote. This is the only organization to receive only one vote for a place in the top 5. Above the Maple Leafs, we find the Vancouver Canucks organization with 3 5th place votes. It’s quite a revelation all the same since we know the influence of the Leafs organization on the NHL in general. Even the Utah Hockey Club appears better in this list with only one vote, but a 2nd place vote.
It must be said that the direction of the Leafs changed with the departure of Kyle Dubas. And the recruiting staff has never really performed well since the team had very few opportunities to pick in the first round in recent years. On the other hand, it sends a whole message regarding senior management. Shanahan and his gang sometimes have a reputation as hockey men who want to keep their jobs. Lots of decisions, but little change in outcomes. This is possibly what is being conveyed in the offices seeing the result of this survey.
And the Canadians?
Obviously, we will wonder where the Canadians stand. The Montreal organization received a 2nd, 3rd and 5th place vote, placing them in 11th place. According to an NHL assistant general manager (on condition of anonymity), it is the presence of Kent Hughes that explains such a result:
“Kent Hughes doesn’t do bullshit. He goes about his business well. I think they have a good plan.”
It now remains to be seen whether everything will materialize into success. In the last days, the feeling is not very encouraging in view of CH’s performance at the start of the season. The road may be long, but we seem confident with what is being created among the Canadiens across the league.
Elsewhere in the NHL, what often stands out is the ability to manage payroll and recruiting departments. As an example, a senior NHL advisor mentioned that the Stars “draft and develop their player extremely well” while an assistant GM emphasized that Jim Nill and his assistant “are very professional.” It’s really an interesting exercise and I invite you to read the comments regarding the teams that ranked well.
