TLG
07-23-2015, 05:33 PM
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The Toronto Maple Leafs unveiled the most surprising move of the summer, hiring New Jersey Devils president Lou Lamoriello to be the team's general manager.
Lamoriello, 72, had stepped down as New Jersey's general manager after the Devils missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season and hired Ray Shero to be New Jersey's new GM. It was assumed that Lamoriello was making a transitional step toward retirement.
Unquestionably, Lamoriello is one of the most respected management figures in the game today, and he's known as a strong personality. His hiring by Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan makes it clear that Shanahan doesn't intend to call the management shots behind the scenes.
The Maple Leafs have been a poor defensive team in recent years, and Lamoriello had a long history of winning in New Jersey on the strength of strong defensive play.
With Mike Babcock recently hired as coach, the Maple Leafs have the highest profile president-GM-coach triumvirate in the game today.
In 27 years as New Jersey's general manager, Lamoriello missed the playoffs six times. His teams won Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003 and lost in the Final in 2001 and 2012.
The only criticism lobbed at Lamoriello over the years is that he doesn't pay enough homage to the marketing aspect of the game. In recent years, it was said that his team's were not entertaining enough in a New Jersey market that still had to work to sell tickets. That will not be an issue in Toronto.
This is a bold move by Shanahan, one that shows that his ego is secondary to his objective to transform the Maple Leafs into a winning franchise. Lamoriello won't be a "yes man." He has own ideas on how to build a winning team, and Shanahan obviously has faith in Lamoriello's vision for how to win in the NHL.
It's not commonplace for college coaches or administrators to step directly into the NHL, but Lamoriello was Hockey East commissioner and Providence College athletic director when he was hired as president of the Devils. A few months later, he named himself general manager.
The Toronto Maple Leafs unveiled the most surprising move of the summer, hiring New Jersey Devils president Lou Lamoriello to be the team's general manager.
Lamoriello, 72, had stepped down as New Jersey's general manager after the Devils missed the playoffs for the third consecutive season and hired Ray Shero to be New Jersey's new GM. It was assumed that Lamoriello was making a transitional step toward retirement.
Unquestionably, Lamoriello is one of the most respected management figures in the game today, and he's known as a strong personality. His hiring by Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan makes it clear that Shanahan doesn't intend to call the management shots behind the scenes.
The Maple Leafs have been a poor defensive team in recent years, and Lamoriello had a long history of winning in New Jersey on the strength of strong defensive play.
With Mike Babcock recently hired as coach, the Maple Leafs have the highest profile president-GM-coach triumvirate in the game today.
In 27 years as New Jersey's general manager, Lamoriello missed the playoffs six times. His teams won Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003 and lost in the Final in 2001 and 2012.
The only criticism lobbed at Lamoriello over the years is that he doesn't pay enough homage to the marketing aspect of the game. In recent years, it was said that his team's were not entertaining enough in a New Jersey market that still had to work to sell tickets. That will not be an issue in Toronto.
This is a bold move by Shanahan, one that shows that his ego is secondary to his objective to transform the Maple Leafs into a winning franchise. Lamoriello won't be a "yes man." He has own ideas on how to build a winning team, and Shanahan obviously has faith in Lamoriello's vision for how to win in the NHL.
It's not commonplace for college coaches or administrators to step directly into the NHL, but Lamoriello was Hockey East commissioner and Providence College athletic director when he was hired as president of the Devils. A few months later, he named himself general manager.