Hockey Night in Canada's Scott Morrison delivers his insights into the world of hockey, on and off the ice.
Rutherford should be atop Leafs' list
Comments (17)
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 | 02:22 PM ET
By Scott Morrison
Said it once, will say it again.
The next person to lead the Toronto Maple Leafs, in what will be a newly formed position of president and general manager, should be Jimmy Rutherford.
Yes, he is gainfully employed by the Carolina Hurricanes and just signed a five-year extension a year ago.
But Rutherford is the perfect fit for the Leafs.
First, he could easily pick from where Cliff Fletcher leaves the clean up. Remember, in Carolina, often with budget issues, Rutherford built a Stanley Cup finalist, tore it down when he had to, drafted well and built it back up into a champion. Sound like a familiar challenge?
Understanding owner
Would he take the job? Rutherford isn't saying, of course, but there are those who believe that he would enjoy the immense challenge of the Leafs job. There are many in hockey, after all, who realize the dysfunction of the ownership but also realize the reward of being "the guy" to finally build a winner in Toronto. Remember what it was like in 1993 and 1994 when they only got to the semifinals?
Rutherford doesn't have an out-clause from his contract with the Hurricanes, but he has an owner who is a good friend, who appreciates how Rutherford worked hard many years ago to help get him an NHL franchise, then stuck with it and eventually created a champion against tall odds. So, sources around the league believe that if Rutherford, who grew up near Toronto and whose Mom still lives in the area, wanted to take on the job, Peter Karamanos wouldn't stand in his way.
As for the task at hand, like we said, Rutherford has experience, a proven track record, a championship ring, is media savvy, knows the league and can build a good organization and has the confidence to surround himself with good people. In short, he would be a perfect fit.
Potential runners-up
Others who would fit nicely include Anaheim Ducks general manager Brian Burke, but he has a year to go on his deal and is in the process of being re-upped by his ownership. The timing might not be right.
You could certainly build a case for Scott Bowman, or a Neil Smith, or a Ken Holland, but the latter won't be released by the Red Wings any time soon. There are a host of good candidates.
But in the end, the search committee has to decide on one and he is in Carolina.
As for firing John Ferguson, a case can certainly be made that he should have been allowed to finish out his contract. A case can also be made that this was the way the Leafs had to go. As is often the case with this regime, however, the way they went about firing Ferguson was wrong. He deserved a better exit, but was honourable himself till the end.
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About the Author
Scott Morrison, the recipient of the Hockey Hall of Fameís 2006 Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award, has been covering hockey for 25 years. The Toronto native began his career at the Toronto Sun in 1979. After spending more than 11 years as a hockey writer and columnist at the paper, Morrison became Sports Editor in 1991 and led the section to being named one of North America's top-ten sports sections in 1999 - the first sports section in Canada to receive the AP Sports Editors North American Award. Scott, a former two-term president of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association, joined Rogers Sportsnet in 2001 as Managing Editor, Hockey, and is currently both a commentator on Hockey Night in Canada and a columnist for CBC.ca.
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Comments (17)
Ondedge
Toronto
To MLSE, one Swedish expression of advice: The fish rots from the head.
Posted January 25, 2008 01:23 PM
doug
surrey
take dave nonis of the canucks so then a new competent mgr can be found-he is as exciting as watching paint dry
Posted January 24, 2008 11:27 AM
KokaneeKid
PG
In the past Steve Tambellinis name always seemed to have come up when talking about a new GM somewhere. Any thoughts on why his doesn't come up anymore?
Posted January 23, 2008 05:27 PM
Matt
Winnipeg
I have no issue with moving out all the veterans for draft pick(Sundin must be treated in a respectful manner) and starting over-- I want to see some light at the end of the tunnel ---rebuild
Posted January 23, 2008 02:35 PM
Sandeep
Philadelphia
Neil Smith would be one of the best choices, because not only he won the cup. But he won it with the Rangers. Anybody can win in Carolina or Anaheim, but it takes a different breed to win in New York. If he can win with one big market Original 6 team, why not another. Smith is going already prepared for the circus that's the Toronto Maple Leafs.
To be a sucess in Toronto, you not only have to be hockey savy, but media and people savy.
Posted January 23, 2008 01:27 PM
Don Smith
Halifax
Ah Cliff Fletcher, now how many cups did he bring to Toronto??
Posted January 23, 2008 01:15 PM
William
Toronto
Scott Morrison states:
"There are a host of good candidates."
I agree.
Bill Watters, seems to feel that Larry Tanenbaum and Richard Peddie are the problem and will continue to be the problem until Peddie is fired and Tanenbaum sells out his 13% interest.
I agree.
Only when Tanenbaum and Peddie are gone, then, the 'host of good candidates,' can come in and do the job proper and right without any interference from Mr. T and Mr. P.
Yes, it is very nice to make a good return on your investment however, in so far as the Toronto Maples Leafs winning the Stanley Cup, money from that good return and profit has to be put back in. This is not happening and has not happened for the longest time now.
There is no way that the Toronto fans are going to put up with being in the basement all the time. The time has come for the Stanley Cup to reside in Toronto, once again. Go Leafs Go!
Posted January 23, 2008 01:08 PM
Ronald Potter
Ferguson should never have been hired in the first place. In a town like Toronto, a province like Ontario and a nation like Canada, where my Maple Leafs are yours and everyones through a storied (and ever increasingly ancient history), you have to have several things:
Knowledge, experience and success in hockey;
Respect among your peers;
balls enough to put it straight to the Board room Scrooges;
and media savvy.
Having only the last one is about as good as peeing turpentine on a brush fire. Spectacular and noticeable but quickly leads to a fiery blaze where nothing but ashes remain.
To JF jr: come back to Toronto in 20 years and try it again.
Posted January 23, 2008 01:03 PM
David
Kingston
Ferguson was a scapegoat. The product on the ice has failed him and the coach. Ferguson had to be fired though to remove the distraction as it was becoming to much to bear. However, the new GM will not have a positive outcome on the win column, cause the ice product is still the same. Looking back on Fergusons' decisions is as they say "20/20 vision". The Lindros signing was a good one. He was on a tear until he broke his wrist. Tucker was amazing until this year. Allison and Blake signing were good on paper, so was Toskla. If they produced the same as they did prior, the Leafs would have many more wins. But those 3 did not produce. There is always that risk, but the blame cannot be 100% Fergusons. Trading away Rusk for Raycroft? Not that great of a move. The way he handled the whole Gilmour situation after Dougie got injured was clearly based on inexperience, so people lost confidence in him as a GM then.
Fletcher will not solve the problem. Remember when Cliff brought in Kirk Muller cause the fans wanted 2 Kingston-boys on the same team so Grapes could brag even more on HNIC? Good PR move, but it didn't save his GM job did it??
Posted January 23, 2008 12:29 PM
Aaron
Detroit
Why does everyone in Leaf Land keep dreaming? Scotty Bowman isn't coming, neither is Brian Burke. We are stuck in the doldrums that has been going on for years. I think that everyone wanted JFJ out so bad, that they wanted to see anyone take over the job. How can we forget what Fletcher did the last time around? So Fletcher is going to do his thing, trade away a bunch of people, and then some nobody who's daddy was a great hockey player, or someone who was a hero for the leafs in the lineup, but will be a failure in the front office will be brought in. I do not really think that getting rid of Sundin, Kaberle, Mcgivaway, or Tucker is that great of an idea. Sure you are opening up cap room, but how long will this "rebuilding" process take? Still believe the Leafs got a shot at the playoffs though..GO LEAFS GO
Posted January 23, 2008 12:13 PM
Dan
Calgary
Rutherford lost a lot of credibility with the Jack Johnson trade. That one still boggles my mind.
Posted January 23, 2008 11:17 AM
Rich
Brampton
Knowning how cheap the Leafs are, I cant see them dishing out big bucks for a quality GM. Cliff Fetcher is only a band aid solution to the JFJ issue, a temporary crowd pleaser. Once the hype is over (in about 2 days), the Leafs will hire a no namer GM (yet again) at a bargain basement price and you will see the samething occur next year and the year after etc...
History has a habit of repeating itself.
Unless the fans boycott, stop going to the games and buying leaf nation merchandise, nothing well ever change. Its the bottom thats important to management and stakeholders, not having the desire to win the cup is another issue.
Anyways Go Leafs Go, same sh** same raw deal.
Posted January 23, 2008 11:14 AM
Jeff
Um, Peter, do you know what "siblings" means?
Regarding the Leafs' woes, what's the motivation for the ownership to do much when they fill every seat every game? That's why they didn't get Gretzky. His presence would not have sold a single extra ticket. Until Leafs fans start boycotting games, management has no incentive at all to make big changes.
Posted January 23, 2008 09:40 AM
LW
you should bring back Tie Domi. Ever since he left everthing went down hill.....
Posted January 22, 2008 11:25 PM
rick strader
i,d like to thank jfj for doing the best he could in an unwinnable situation.my big question is what is an idiot like petty doing in a position like he has.was he cloned from harold ballard or did he reach this level of stupidity on his own
Posted January 22, 2008 08:27 PM
peter
How can any owner hire a man without experience sure john ferguson sr. was a good hockey player, but siblings do not always follow in the footsteps of their fathers, I do feel for Junior by the looks of him is a classy guy, but run a hockey team, with just pure instincts is beyond my comprehesion.....I would would still like to see Scotty Bowman at the front, but the top brass see it differently, suppose it is a money issue , and to build a solid hockey club will take a lot of money.......
Posted January 22, 2008 06:20 PM
Tony P
Ottawa
I agree I have to admire John Ferguson for holding his head high and not getting involved in any of the dirty mud slinging and back stabbing business that has been recently plaguing the Leafs organization. He did the best job he could and you can't really ask more from an individual than that. In the end, the Leafs ownership treated him like dirt. Its a no win situation in managing the Leafs. You will never please everyone, and someone will always be there with a hidden agenda to undermine you..management, shareholders, fans, media..it never ends. Best of luck in the future Mr. Ferguson, take a big breather, you deserve it.
Jimmy Rutherford would be a great candidate for that job although I can't for the life of me understand why he (or any other good hockey guy for that matter)would want it...at least not under the current ownership arrangement. The only real hope for the Leafs is that the Teachers sell the team soon..to a dedicated owner with hugely deep pockets, nerves of steel, and a wild and crazy passion to win a Stanley Cup. Not much to ask is it?
Posted January 22, 2008 03:43 PM