Blackhawks can McDonough

[jersey cubs fan]

The guy whose job it was to tell the owner they should be on television has been released from his contract.

 

[UMFan83]

Some marketing guy he was...couldn't even get the Hawks into a Winter Classic for 2 consecutive years

[WrigleyField 22]

That seems odd.

[jersey cubs fan]

That seems odd.

 

I agree, but only in terms of timing. McDonough isn't a hockey guy. He basically convinced the owner to bring the team into the 21st century and helped solidify the business and marketing side. But they need an influx of hockey expertise at the upper levels. It's a perfectly logical move if the goal is to overhaul hockey ops. McDonough wasn't the guy to decide who to bring in.

[WrigleyField 22]

That seems odd.

 

I agree, but only in terms of timing. McDonough isn't a hockey guy. He basically convinced the owner to bring the team into the 21st century and helped solidify the business and marketing side. But they need an influx of hockey expertise at the upper levels. It's a perfectly logical move if the goal is to overhaul hockey ops. McDonough wasn't the guy to decide who to bring in.

I've admittedly been fairly checked out on the Hawks. Has this been an idea talked about/expected by fans? I would have thought they'd just replace Bowman.

[jersey cubs fan]

That seems odd.

 

I agree, but only in terms of timing. McDonough isn't a hockey guy. He basically convinced the owner to bring the team into the 21st century and helped solidify the business and marketing side. But they need an influx of hockey expertise at the upper levels. It's a perfectly logical move if the goal is to overhaul hockey ops. McDonough wasn't the guy to decide who to bring in.

I've admittedly been fairly checked out on the Hawks. Has this been an idea talked about/expected by fans? I would have thought they'd just replace Bowman.

 

I’ve never noticed it as top of mind, people want hockey ops to change. Coach, GM included. But you can only hire right hockey ops people if a good informed leader is making that hire. McDonough was never going to be that guy.

[jersey cubs fan]

I do wonder though if there was something going on that caused Wirtz to change his mind or if it was just an inevitable move. Like was McDonough trying to pull the strings on the hockey ops overhaul himself and Wirtz intervened before he could do any more damage?

[WrigleyField 22]

I do wonder though if there was something going on that caused Wirtz to change his mind or if it was just an inevitable move. Like was McDonough trying to pull the strings on the hockey ops overhaul himself and Wirtz intervened before he could do any more damage?

Was McDonough not responsible for the Tallon-Bowman change before? I always thought he was responsible for the hockey ops side.

[UK]

They need to Theo the horsefeathers out of this hire and get a hockey guy not a business guy and start top to bottom like the Cubs and hopefully the Bulls did.

[WrigleyField 22]

They need to Theo the horsefeathers out of this hire and get a hockey guy not a business guy and start top to bottom like the Cubs and hopefully the Bulls did.

Well, I guess that's a little bit what I don't get. Unless hockey is just unique from other sports, it's not like it's odd to have a "non-sport" person in that CEO/President role.

 

Was McDonough too powerful that they couldn't just "Cane Kenney" him?

 

He had his chance to hire out a hockey head with Bowman and they don't want to let him again?

 

Under different circumstances they would have let him hire a new head of hockey ops, but there was a conflict in that vision (i.e. One side wanted to move on from Bowman and the other side didn't?)

 

Or they just didn't think he was the right person to lead the business side for some reason, so the hockey stuff was irrelevant?

[Wilson A2000]

I don't know enough about the Hawks to determine if this is true, but I heard that McDonough wouldn't let the team rebuild and that Rocky finally realized they aren't going anywhere soon without a rebuild. True or false?

[WrigleyField 22]

I don't know enough about the Hawks to determine if this is true, but I heard that McDonough wouldn't let the team rebuild and that Rocky finally realized they aren't going anywhere soon without a rebuild. True or false?

That would at least seemingly make sense why a move was made, otherwise I'd think he would have enough goodwill built up to hire the next head of hockey ops.

[WrigleyField 22]

https://theathletic.com/1781323/2020/04/28/what-im-hearing-about-the-blackhawks-as-a-team-president-search-begins?source=user-shared-article

 

Good recap article.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I wonder if I can McDonough too...