CBC-Sports

Messier a good selection for Canada's GM at worlds

December 9, 2009 03:49 PM | Posted by   Scott Morrison  

Since he retired five years ago, Mark Messier has always said he wanted to manage a hockey team.

Now, of course, he is going to get that chance with Canada’s 2010 entry in the world hockey championships in May.

And the selection of Messier is a good one.

Even though he has no managerial experience, aside from the fact that he has been a special assistant this season to New York Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather, this assignment is different in some ways from being a GM of an NHL team.

There are no salary caps to navigate, no trades to be contemplated, no inevitable peaks and valleys of a season with which to deal.

Which is not to say it is without challenges. Far from it. This job is about putting together a solid management team, then a coaching staff, then being able to evaluate player talent and understand what is required to build a team.

Knowing the game

Having played in three Canada Cup tournaments, a world championship in 1989 and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, Messier understands the dynamic of assembling an “all-star” team for an international tournament.

He knows about team chemistry and the need to not only have skill players, but also players who are willing to do the dirty jobs.

The added challenge from, say, putting together an Olympic team is that you have a limited player pool from which to select, meaning just the 14 NHL teams that don’t make the playoffs and possibly a handful of others that make early playoff exits.

There are also a lot of decisions which need to be made in a short period of time depending on how tight the playoff races are.

It might also include selecting a coaching staff unless, of course, Wayne Gretzky decides he is willing to accept.

But Messier understands what makes a great team and he also can identify talent. Beyond that, he is smart enough to know he has to surround himself with experienced NHL hockey people, both in management and on the bench.

The intangibles

His ability to lead and help the team through difficult moments in the upcoming tournament, well, it’s like Wayne Gretzky in the 2002 Winter Olympics, when as executive director he helped guide Canada through an early crisis.

That’s what the likes of Messier and Gretzky are able to do – provide leadership even when they aren’t on blades.

I applaud Hockey Canada for not only rewarding players such as Messier for answering the call so many times internationally, but also for not always cycling through existing managers into the job and for being willing to take a chance on developing new managerial talent.

Now, Canada hasn’t fared well in the world championships that have followed an Olympics, failing to win medals in 1998, 2002 and 2006, but maybe Messier is the guy to snap the streak.

He may not be experienced as a manager, but it’s hard to fathom too many players saying no when "The Moose" calls with the invitation to play.

That alone gives him an edge over a lot of aspiring managers.

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