Insider Trading: Ken Holland on why he joined NHL Hockey Ops
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TSN’s Hockey Insiders examine the various topics discussed during Tuesday’s NHL GM meetings, why Ken Holland joined NHL Hockey Ops, the league’s internal promotions and the talk surrounding the struggling Pittsburgh Penguins.
Various topics discussed at NHL General Manager Meetings
JAMES DUTHIE: Here are your Insiders: Chris Johnston, Pierre LeBrun, and Darren Dreger.
The day after the Hall of Fame ceremony is always time for the GMs to meet with the NHL and get an update, and they also got a little bit of a warning, Pierre?
PIERRE LEBRUN: Yeah, James. A little chat about tampering from NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly to the GMs assembled in the three-and-a-half hour meeting. And as Bill Daly told me afterwards, more just a refresher that the league has not talked about, or emphasized the rules around tampering for a few years now, and he felt it was time.
I asked him “Well, why was it time?”, and he said the he was, quote, “a little uncomfortable” with some of the commentary that he saw in the media reporting heading into July 1 last year, and it gave him the impression that there had been negotiations before July 1.
He just wanted to remind GMs that you can’t do that before July 1, and that there are repercussions, in terms of fines and or potential loss of draft picks, so we’ll see what impact that conversation from Bill Daly had ahead of next July 1.
CHRIS JOHNSTON: And an item we told you about leading into the GMs meeting was the fact that the league had asked the GMs’ executive committee to come up with some ideas of tweaks they’d like to see with collective bargaining, due to start with the players in the new year.
I think the most interesting among the laundry list of responses they got is the idea of, perhaps, curtailing contract lengths even further than they are now.
You’ll recall in 2013, term limits were brought in. Seven years if you’re signing someone else’s player, eight years for your own player. There’s a desire, at the GM level anyways, to see that pushed back even further.
During that 2013 negotiation, the NHL pushed for five years. I’m not sure that’s a top priority issue for the league itself, but the GMs certainly would like it, and when those CBA negotiations start in January, it will be an interesting one to watch.
DARREN DREGER: Guys, coaches challenge, no surprise, was on the agenda. No discussion or debate, perhaps that also, was an NHL strategy.
But, the NHL general managers were asked to go away for the remainder of the season leading up to their March meetings and pay attention to other coaches’ challenges.
Yeah, goalie interference is always that controversial one, but the league wants feedback from the general managers. Ideas on the decision making process of the coaches challenge.
Should it be expanded? Do they need to shrink it? Bring those ideas back to the meetings in March.
Holland takes new job in NHL Hockey Operations
DUTHIE: Kenny Holland was on hand Monday night to present the Hall of Fame plaque to Pavel Datsyuk, terrific moment, and Kenny Holland has been presented with a new job, Pierre?
LEBRUN: Yes, he signed a one-year deal for the rest of the season with NHL Hockey Ops as a consultant.
He’s talked to Colin Campbell of the NHL about this possibility since the summer, but of course, also was taking calls from teams about a potential advisor role.
In the end, I spoke with Ken Holland after the GMs meeting, he said this made the most sense for him right now. It was the right fit to go into league Hockey Ops.
Let’s be honest, Ken Holland has always been super involved with potential rule discussions and changes. He is the brainchild of three-on-three overtime, so it’s a natural next step for him in the interim to join Hockey Ops, but he did say it was strange to sit on that side of the room at the NHL GMs meeting after all those years as a GM.
Senior Promotions in League Office
JOHNSTON: Late last week, the NHL made a bunch of senior internal promotions. Steve Mayer, Keith Wachtel, Steve McArdle, Julie Grand all got new titles, a bump in title, I would say.
But it’s the why here that I find most interesting, and that’s because the league is starting to look ahead a little bit. Gary Bettman being 72 years old, Colin Campbell, who went into the Hall of Fame, he’s 71.
The senior leadership of this league has been consistent for so long, and some owners are starting to ask “What’s the succession plan, what comes next?”
The likes of Bettman and Campbell have no firm plans to retire just yet, but I do think they want to make sure the senior leadership team is in place going forward, so that there is that continuity whenever it comes time for them to step away.
Penguins continue early season struggles
DUTHIE: On the ice, the Pens get destroyed 7-1 by Dallas, they are second last in the Metro. Where do they go? What do they do, Dregs?
DREGER: Well, look. Let’s be honest, Monday was embarrassing for everyone associated with the Pittsburgh Penguins. You’re right, seventh in the division, 24th in the National Hockey League. But I can tell you, despite what’s being speculated, there is no fire sale.
Now, Kyle Dubas, the general manager, did reach out recently to other general managers to say “Hey, I’m open for business. If you have any ideas, give me a call.”
That’s standard practice for NHL GMs, especially those who are struggling the way the Penguins are struggling, but there’s no sense of panic at this point.
DUTHIE: No one is going to feel sorry for them, three Cups in the last 15 years. But if this continues, it will be tough to watch Sidney Crosby end his career this way in Pittsburgh.