The new NHL franchise in Las Vegas did the Pittsburgh Penguins a huge favor. Instead of tapping someone like Jason Botterill to be their new GM they decided to go the retread route with former Capitals General Manager George McPhee.
I'm on vacation, not working, so I'm not "reporting" anything. But were I to wager who's LV inaugural GM, I'd put my money on George McPhee.
— Bobby Margarita (@TSNBobMcKenzie) July 12, 2016
Never go against The Bobfather even when he's on vacation.
This isn't surprising as the NHL is the league most apprehensive about giving the keys to the "younger" crowd.
NHL GM avg GM age is 54. Compare to MLB (45), NBA (50), NFL (51). NFL includes Cincy and Dallas, who have much older meddling owners as GMs
— Hawerchuk (@behindthenet) July 4, 2016
Average age of MLB GMs hovers around 41. Youngest NHL GM is 42. https://t.co/WFlWbi96la
— Andy Smith (@thatandysmith) November 11, 2015
For whatever reason the league has a hard time with giving people their first chance. This is true at the coaching ranks as well. George McPhee is 58 years old while some of the other up and coming NHL Assistant General Managers are younger IE: Jason Botterill (40) and Julien BriseBois (39)
Make no mistake Jason Botterill was indeed a person of interest and was more than likely given very strong consideration. From Chris Peters of CBS Sports
The expansion franchise is down to its final two candidates for the general manager position and expect to make that hire in short order. Additionally, the ownership group is closing on the team's name and logo.According to the report by Steve Carp, Florida Panthers president of hockey operations Dale Tallon and Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM Norm Maciver, both considered around the hockey world to be strong options, were not interviewed for the position.
Other names that have frequently popped up as in the mix include Penguins assistant GM Jason Botterill, Los Angeles Kings assistant GM Mike Futa and former Washington Capitals general manager George McPhee. However, Foley has been playing his cards close to the vest on this one and it is unclear who his two finalists are.
Any way you slice it Las Vegas going with George McPhee is a win for the Penguins. Jason Botterill's doctorate level understanding of the NHL's CBA combined with his openness to use analytics makes him the perfect new age hire for an NHL club. For now he can continue to do his excellent work behind the scenes for the Penguins even though it comes with little fanfare or credit.
Thanks for reading!