Burke Fired

[Tigger]

Simmons and Feschuk must be doing a jig

... for some reason I have Church Lady's superior dance in my head, same tone of voice for each of them too...'isn't that special'

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

I'd have rather kept him as GM.  I want to see some continuity in staff, and unless the person is driving the team into oblivion (and no I don't think Burke has been) then I think it's okay to keep a good hockey person through some down times.

But I think Nonis is a good GM, too.

 

[Deebo]

8 Pages in a little over an hour.

The NHL is back.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

TSNBobMcKenzie: Dave Nonis is the next GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unclear whether that is interim or unconditional appointment.

That would be the most prudent thing to do IMO. Whether he stays or not, I have my doubts, unless of course, Brian had something to do with it.

Definitely the least amount of upheaval possible given we are 3 days from GMs being able to do their jobs.


edit: This is the path that Nonis took when he took over in Van.. Burke was disliked and fired by the new owner, gave Nonis the job.

This is still wacky.  Bizarre timing.

It would fit with what kind of man Burke is, always seemingly caring of others before himself. I'm sticking with a philosophical difference between Burke and the new ownership.

 

[Fanatic]

Either way, I am glad that the architect of the Phaneuf and Kessel trades is gone. Time to turn the page.

Phaneuf and Kessel are good players, but Burke has himself backed into too much of a corner with them.

How so?

Should Phaneuf be the captain? Is he deserving of the praise that Buke heaps on him? Is Kessel deserving of the praise from Burke? Maybe it is just a gut feel and I am wrong, but I always had the feeling that Burke planted his flag with Phaneuf and Kessel too strongly when maybe he shoudn't have. Is Kessel a great player. Yes? Was he worth the trade? Many think not. Was the Phaneuf trade a good trade for the Leafs? Yes. But should he be the captain? Is he as good as Burke always talks about? Many think not.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

TSNBobMcKenzie: Dave Nonis is the next GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Unclear whether that is interim or unconditional appointment.

That would be the most prudent thing to do IMO. Whether he stays or not, I have my doubts, unless of course, Brian had something to do with it.

Definitely the least amount of upheaval possible given we are 3 days from GMs being able to do their jobs.


edit: This is the path that Nonis took when he took over in Van.. Burke was disliked and fired by the new owner, gave Nonis the job.

This is still wacky.  Bizarre timing.

What was Nonis' first move as Canucks GM after taking over?  No reason, just curious.  ;D

 

[KW Sluggo]

There just HAS to be more to it than hockey.

It make zero sense even by the incredibly low standards set by ownership over the past 40 years (bags over coaches heads, giving away Lanny McDonald and Darryl Sittler,  etc etc).

Should be a doozy of a presser at 1:45.

 

[Corn Flake]

If the record justifies it then that is fair, but this should have been done in May/June last year, not 3 days before a completely frantic race to the start of a shortened season gets under way.  MLSE would have had 8 months to replace him.  Ridiculous to fire him now based on how the last 4 years have gone.

Different owners though. It's not all that uncommon for new ownership to evaluate their new employees and make changes.

Not surprising they would make a change, just making it today is completely ridiculous.  If it had been anyone other than Nonis, they were taking a massive risk doing this now.

 

[Redleaf]

Joking aside, I have to say I'm relatively torn on this one. On the one hand, I really liked Brian Burke in the abstract. I think he was a guy who I very much liked having as the public face of the hockey club and who I respected even when I disagreed with.

On the other...his record justifies this. The team is not in a particularly good place and people's dreams of a return to respectability via UFA's and trading for people with terrible contracts is a reflection of the crummy state Burke has left the club in.

If this firing is based on Burkes record, what can be said to those people who wanted the Leafs to do a long and proper rebuild??

 

[bustaheims]

What was Nonis' first move as Canucks GM after taking over?  No reason, just curious.  ;D

Drafting Cory Schneider.

 

[Corn Flake]

What was Nonis' first move as Canucks GM after taking over?  No reason, just curious.  ;D

History often has a way of repeating itself, no?

 

[BrownRolo]

This is just the NHL's clever way to get hockey fans interested again. Well Done I say!

 

[Kin]

Not surprising they would make a change, just making it today is completely ridiculous.

I don't agree. I think there's legitimate reason for it.

 

[GhostofPotvin29]

What was Nonis' first move as Canucks GM after taking over?  No reason, just curious.  ;D

Drafting Cory Schneider.

I...uh....well....

damn you.

 

[Corn Flake]

It would fit with what kind of man Burke is, always seemingly caring of others before himself. I'm sticking with a philosophical difference between Burke and the new ownership.

Me too, but the timing.... the timing is just so bizarre.  They've had since July to do this. But today?

 

[Kin]

If this firing is based on Burkes record, what can be said to those people who wanted the Leafs to do a long and proper rebuild??

That they're right? That the guy who half-donkeyed it got fired?

 

[Corn Flake]

this would explain the timing:

@warwalker Maybe Burke firing was supposed to happen last April; ownership delegated job to Bell/Rogers installation dept, just got around to it today.


;D

 

[lamajama]

I doubt that. In all likelihood, Nonis will be taking over, and he and Burke had a similar visions for the team.

Which would have me even more confused.  If you are getting rid of Burke for the team's performance, it doesn't make sense to promote his right-hand man to the position.  You'd think they'd undertake a huge cleanse. 

But then it could justify some of the posters' beliefs that this isn't hockey related.

The problem with your argument is that it's based on logic.

In the Bizzaro Ballardo world it is axiomatic that despite an abysmal 4 year record, the GM is retained, allowed to sack and replavce the coach (long term contact too) and then is fired days before the start of a lock out delayed and severly truncated season and as evidence of ownership's dissatisfaction with BB's management style and direction, it follows that elevating Nonis is the only course.

Just yesterday I thought MLSE had acted strange by firing the TFC coach and hiring a replacement who will be playing soccer in Britain for the first two months or so of our season.

Today, MLSE showed consistency if nothing else.

Just nuts.

Last year sure: sh*tcan Burke with a mountain of justification ..... but you don't do this, not now.

Good post. All I can say is it is the Leafs way. Apparently the "Blue disease" or whatever Burke called it, extends to the Penthouse suites and affects brains.

I feel sorry for the youngsters that missed Ballard.

I also feel very sorry for myself and wish I could leave this team..  :-\

 

[bustaheims]

I...uh....well....

damn you.

I know what you were thinking, but, he was GM for 2 years before that happened.

 

[BlueWhiteBlood]

It would fit with what kind of man Burke is, always seemingly caring of others before himself. I'm sticking with a philosophical difference between Burke and the new ownership.

Me too, but the timing.... the timing is just so bizarre.  They've had since July to do this. But today?

I'm kind of with Nik, certainly when we haven't heard any reason for this yet. It gives the new guy a fresh start and if there were "issues" between Burke and management, they certainly didn't want that going into a new season.