1. Too bad Pierre McGuire isn't going to get the GM job in Pittsburgh. The negative reactions I saw on the internet this week about it were hilarious. Apparently being annoying and looking like an egg disqualifies you from being a general manager, according to most people.
I on the other hand, also learned that I was the world's only Pierre McGuire fan. In my opinion no one knows more about hockey than Pierre and I believe his knowledge will make him a successful NHL executive. I think the guy is a walking encyclopedia and I would welcome him to Phoenix to replace Don Maloney who I feel is far too conservative to run a low budget NHL team.
2. One thing that really bugs me about Don Maloney is that he never seems to do anything, and when something happens, it's usually such a letdown: see the trade for Martin Erat.
Martin Erat? That is your idea of how to put your team over the top for the playoff stretch? In another market, he would have gotten raked over the coals for that. In Phoenix? We just got a whole bunch of articles about the imaginary chemistry that was sure to occur by combining all the players on the roster born in the Czech Republic into some kind of Power Ranger's style Mega-Czech.
Now I keep hearing about Maloney wanting to give UFA Vbrata a raise. Vrbata is not a good third line option and the Coyotes need to replace their entire top six (except for Hanzal and Boedker) because they were among the most impotent offenses in the NHL.
Vbrata can be a useful player on some team, but the Coyotes need to let him walk. Well, they actually should have turned him into an asset at the deadline, but sometimes it's unclear if the team actually has a GM.
Anybody know what Pierre's up to?
3. The Coyotes are set to become the Arizona Coyotes on June 27th. I most likely will continue to call them the Phoenix Coyotes and can't think of anything I care less about than this empty gesture.
In Toronto, where I live, the Blue Jays play at the Roger's Centre, however, no one in the history of the building (who doesn't work for Canada's most despised company) has ever called it anything but the Skydome, which was it's original name.
I figure the name change with the Coyotes will be similar to that.
4. The team said in its' Town Hall Meeting with fans yesterday that they would raise ticket prices. They also said that Maloney will receive his budget in the next couple of weeks.
Two things bug me about this: 1) How can the team not have its' operating budget yet? They have been out of the playoffs for two months - that is pathetic. Not as pathetic as refusing to spend to the cap, but pretty damn close. 2) How can you raise ticket prices when you are not spending the money necessary to win? "Hey we are last in attendance, so our plan is to change our name in a meaningless fashion, raise ticket prices and spend an amount of money that ensures we will not be competitive." Solid plan.
5. The takeaway from these Town Hall Meetings is that they should stop. Absolutely nothing of interest was discussed and the whole thing had a feeling of corporate glad-handing. 250 people showed up to ask innocuous questions and hear owners and management spin and obfuscate.
If they really want these things to be meaningful, they should invite the team's bloggers (because the corporate coverage of the team seems to be pretty soft) and furnish them with free liquor: That would be a Q and A worth tuning in for.
6. I came across this, and it's hilarious in the sometimes non-hockey markets are almost cute when they try way.
http://www.ecollegetimes.com/news/view.php/132635/The-Yotes-have-the-athleticism-now-they
This quote specifically is classic: "They have a nice set of snipers, like Radim Vrbata and Mike Ribeiro, to balance out enforcers, like Captain Shane Doan and Martin Hanzal."
Anyways, that's all for today.
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