There is currently a troubling mantra in the hockey world. If you look at the roster of executives in the league, it seems that the only way to reach that level (General Manager, to be exact), is to be an NHL player first. I have always challenged that sentiment, as the idea that you need to have played a game at a high level in order to understand the game from an office chair is simply irrational. Though if you talk to those in the industry, most of them agree that it is the only way to go – and those that make it to the executive level without having played are often looked down upon.
As Hall of Famer Jim Devellano once said, “This is bull. The job is the job… and I can be just as successful as an NHL player.”
Currently 16 of the 30 managers in the league are former NHL players – that’s 53.3%. Six played at Division I or minor league level (20%), and eight were either agents or worked their way through the scouting ranks from scratch (26.7%).
That seems like a fair percentage, no? But if you take a look at every manager that has won a Stanley Cup since 1967 expansion, the numbers are staggering. Out of 23 different managers that have received a ring, 65% never played NHL hockey, and a mind-blowing 52.2% never even played at the Division I college level. The same percentage of current GMs that are former NHLers won Stanley Cups without ever having played hockey at a significant level.
One of the reasons that NHL players often fail at coaching or managing is because of the extraordinary talent they once had. When players reach the NHL level, they often cannot explain why they were so talented. It’s an automatic, learned process, one that has been physically engrained in their brains. Great players do not think much while they are playing. They act on command, based on their training, experience, and familiarity with the game.
Wayne Gretzky was one of the best players of all time, but his coaching stint in Phoenix was mediocre, to be generous. Gretzky was great on the ice, but off the ice, he might not have been as efficient at explaining the game as someone who, from age 18-38, watched and studied hockey, rather than played it.
Now, I’m not claiming that former NHLers should never be hired for the job – that’s ridiculous. Former players indeed have great success, and non-players see failure – it’s all part of the job. However, I think it is about time to crush the refrain of needing high playing experience in order to do a job that involves knowing the game – not from a physical or talent perspective, but from a mental and psychological perspective.
After all, if you’re someone like Don Maloney or Mike Gillis, you might be able to deke through Dean Lombardi with one hand tied behind your back (he only played Division II college hockey). But he has a Stanley Cup ring – and more than likely, you do not.
Likewise, the legendary Sam Pollock probably couldn’t hit the net from the blue line. But there’s no argument that he was one of the most brilliant builders in the history of the game.
Alan Bass, a former writer for The Hockey News and THN.com, is the author of "The Great Expansion: The Ultimate Risk That Changed The NHL Forever." You can contact him at [email protected], or on Twitter at @NHL_AlanBass. 
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