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Only room for one man in charge in Chicago

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Al Strachan

Veteran sportswriter Al Strachan is a hockey contributor for FOXSports.com and appears regularly on "Hockey Night in Canada," "The Score" and Sirius Radio. He is the author of "Go to the Net" and the coauthor of Don Cherry's "Hockey Stories and Stuff".MORE>>
Updated Jul 15, 2009 7:08 PM ET
     
 
If you had to pick one name that would explain the firing of Chicago Blackhawks general manager Dale Tallon, which one would it be? Cristobal Huet? Brian Campbell? Marian Hossa? Perhaps even Matthew Barnaby? Each has his merit. But the best qualifying name belongs to a guy who is not on the roster and never will be. Jim McDonough. He came over from the Chicago Cubs in 2007 to bring the Blackhawks into the 20th century — and he succeeded. Having accomplished that, he brought them into the 21st century. He's a marketing whiz. He is the primary reason that the Blackhawks now play in front of packed houses. So backward was the Hawks approach under the late Bill Wirtz that the NHL's collective bargaining agreement wound up with a clause that expressly prohibits large-market clubs from receiving revenue-sharing payments. Everyone knew that if the league didn't take that approach, Wirtz would put more effort into earning revenue-sharing payments than in repairing the devastated fan base. So after Wirtz's death, McDonough was brought in as club president with a mandate to make the Hawks franchise great again. In many ways, he has done that. The Hawks, who for decades had taken a back seat to a minor-league team, the Wolves, are once again part of the Chicago sports picture. But all reports from inside the team say that McDonough is not an easy man to work with. No, let's rephrase that. McDonough is easy to work with as long as you let him make all the decisions and always have his own way. As soon as he arrived on the scene, he had a blow-up with Tallon because Tallon had hired a trainer without getting McDonough's approval. But if a GM can't even hire a trainer on his own volition, how can he be expected to run a hockey club? All season long, the whispers out of Chicago followed the same theme. McDonough was looking for an excuse to fire Tallon. But the Hawks continued to play well. At the end of the season, the whispers were amended slightly. If the Hawks went out in the first round, Tallon would be fired. But the Hawks won the first round, then another. Assistant GM Rick Dudley, who was reportedly fully aware that his chances of continuing to have Tallon as his boss were rapidly dwindling, left the team to join the Atlanta Thrashers. Even so, with a bevy of top-notch young players on the roster and a strong playoff showing, it appeared that Tallon might ride out the storm. But the signing of Marian Hossa to a 12-year, $63.3-million deal, combined with the indefensible decision to rely on snail mail to send out qualifying offers, exposed Tallon once again. And this time, he is gone.

Devils try an old approach

In most places, time marches on. In New Jersey, it marches backward. The Devils are a franchise that sits resolutely in the past. The players are treated like children, just as they used to be a half-century ago. Attendance at team meals is mandatory, for instance, and no alcohol is allowed. You're 35 years old and you like a glass of wine with dinner? Tough. You can't have it. Team rules forbid it. Now, Jacques Lemaire is coming back as coach to bring with him his hockey genius and his love of terminally boring defensive hockey.
It is a widely accepted fact of life in the NHL that Lemaire is a brilliant coach. And to be fair, there have been times when he has shown a flair for creativity that has eluded many of his colleagues. But the facts are these: In eight years in Minnesota, Lemaire's teams won only two playoff rounds. In 15 years as a National Hockey League coach, Lemaire has won only one Stanley Cup. Those aren't terrible numbers. But they also aren't indications of brilliance. Peter Laviolette won one Stanley Cup in a lot less time. So did John Tortorella. And Randy Carlyle, just to name a few. The Devils could have followed what has become a profitable pattern in the NHL lately and brought in a young first-time coach like John MacLean. Instead, they went backwards. They'll do the same in the standings.

What could have been

Many Joe Sakic anecdotes have surfaced recently since the slam-dunk Hall of Famer announced his retirement. Here's one from the 1998 Olympics in Nagano when Canada faced a shoot-out situation against the Czech Republic and Dominik Hasek. Sakic was injured and not in the lineup, but as soon as overtime ended, he tried to rush down from his seat in the stands. Sakic wanted to tell his teammates how to improve their chances of beating Hasek — start fast, then slow down and/or go a little wide. Hasek always came out as the shooter approached the puck, then backed up. Sakic believed that if the shooter slowed down, Hasek would have to keep backing up and would expose more open net. The arena was so crowded, however, that Sakic didn't make it in time. Without his advice, all five shooters simply advanced in a straight line at a steady speed. Hasek stopped all five. Robert Reichel scored one for the Czechs and they won the gold medal. Sakic never said whether he would have suggested that Wayne Gretzky be selected as one of the shooters.
Tagged: Joe Sakic, Blackhawks, Brian Campbell, Red Wings, Devils, Marian Hossa, Avalanche

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