Burke Fired
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OldTimeHockey
Active member
Snoop Lion said:
I remember exactly that, and I remember being pretty upset that they signed him.
OldTimeHockey
Active member
cw said:
Do they even have an explanation in there other than the title?
Corn Flake said:
I commented on this in another thread and I don't agree. As we all know very well, Burke is a man of principle. If he were told to do the Luongo trade or else, wouldn't it make more sense that he resign out of principle, rather than wait around to be fired? Wouldn't ownership have made it clear to him that that would be the end result?
It also assumes that Nonis A) believes that a trade for Luongo is practical and worthwhile, or B) that he is a soulless yes man who will tow the company line. Given Anselmi's comments that Nonis has full authority over the hockey team and providing that those comments weren't just smoke and mirrors, I don't think the latter is true.
Wouldn't it stand to reason that Nonis would have been aware of management's wishes and he wouldn't have been caught so off guard by what happened? I find it nearly impossible to believe that MLSE wouldn't have made Burke aware of his fate if he defied them.
Lastly, the Luongo rumours have been swirling since the summer. If Burke wasn't going to make the trade, that would have been apparent for some time. Why fire him now and not then?
Well... It's been a great success.
He came in, into a hockey crazed market, and got rid of a weak teams roster, contract errors, farm team, training staff etc. and replaced it with an ahl team that made it to the Calder final, and a playoff ready nhl team. Imo he did a great job to get this team to a respectable level. While handling scrutiny the whole way not to mention. I hope they keep him on staff for a while.
He came in, into a hockey crazed market, and got rid of a weak teams roster, contract errors, farm team, training staff etc. and replaced it with an ahl team that made it to the Calder final, and a playoff ready nhl team. Imo he did a great job to get this team to a respectable level. While handling scrutiny the whole way not to mention. I hope they keep him on staff for a while.
Corn Flake
New member
Hold on...
WHAT HAPPENS TO BURKIE'S DOG HOUSE I LOVE THOSE HOT DOGS!!!!
:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
WHAT HAPPENS TO BURKIE'S DOG HOUSE I LOVE THOSE HOT DOGS!!!!
:'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(
Kin
New member
Here's what I think happened, understanding that this is total conjecture on my part. I think someone, maybe Anselmi but likelier a new board member, asked Brian Burke about the Luongo situation. I think Burke said he didn't want to make the deal. I think the board member, because they tend not to be idiots, asked a follow up question along the lines fo "Well, then, what's the deal with the goaltending situation?". I think Burkes answer was probably along the lines of letting his group of so-so prospects fight it out this year and, if things don't go well, address it in the future via free agency or trade. I think the board member, rightly, would have pointed out that wasn't all that great a strategy. I think Burke probably said something to the effect of "Don't tell me how to run the team".
Something like that. I think people on the board looked at the team, looked at the state it was in and probably asked some pretty tough questions, questions Burke probably didn't handle too well, justifiably, because it looked an awful lot like meddling when he was hired on the condition of having autonomy.
So it was a clash, I think, where both parties were in the wrong to an extent but Burke's lack of results with which to shield himself ultimately doomed him.
Something like that. I think people on the board looked at the team, looked at the state it was in and probably asked some pretty tough questions, questions Burke probably didn't handle too well, justifiably, because it looked an awful lot like meddling when he was hired on the condition of having autonomy.
So it was a clash, I think, where both parties were in the wrong to an extent but Burke's lack of results with which to shield himself ultimately doomed him.
So, what you're saying is, a game-tying goal being scored with only 24 seconds left in the gold medal game has no bearing on Luongo?Nik Pollock said:
You say his numbers the last 3 years aren't horrid, but the numbers themselves say otherwise. Here's where his GAA and SV% totals where have put him in the regular season those respective years:
2010: 3.22 GAA (70th) .895 SV% (68th)
2011: 2.56 GAA (33rd) .914 SV% (40th)
2012: 3.59 GAA (83rd) .859 SV% (84th)
Those are horrible, unforgivable numbers. In 2012 both his GAA and SV% in the playoffs were worse than any starter put up that season, in 2010 Vesa Toskala was the only starter who put up worse numbers. In 2011, his numbers weren't horrible but certainly no better than average. Luongo has been a bad, bad goalie in the playoffs. As I said, his coach saw fit to bench him 2 years in a row.
Nik Pollock said:
I also think something roughly along those lines likely happened.
These new execs from Bell & Rogers would not be accustomed to nor likely to embrace an employee telling them to take their nose out of "Burke's" hockey team when they inquired about the direction of their billion dollar new acquisition. I can see Burke doing just that if the conversation flirted with trampling on his autonomy - which was likely given where the club is right now.
The other thing is, when one looks objectively at this club, it's four plus years down the road with Burke and they're still a considerable distance away from being a true contender. They lack a stud dman, a top 10 goalie and a franchise center that most Cup winners possess. And they also lack credible depth.
I think they're better off as a franchise overall than when Burke arrived but the question about "when are we going to have a parade?" was probably answered with a long list of fuzzy conditionals when the club got presented to this new board. The chances of Burke winning a Cup any time soon in Toronto, after four plus years, had to be realistically perceived as somewhere between grim and a real long shot. His retooling effort was likely doomed unless they gave him something like a six year extension.
Nik Pollock said:
Mouths like Cherry & Burke play well in the media. But most of these owners are like the MLSE execs. I don't see a personality like Burke appealing to them as the face of the league. That's a game that a guy like Bettman is far better at playing in terms of the folks the commissioner has to please: the owners.
Kin
New member
Justin said:
It has no bearing on him? No, what I'm saying is that the goal wasn't a bad goal like you say, it wasn't particularly his fault and that he played well in the tournament. It was a tough goal to let in but that doesn't mean the team won in spite of him.
Justin said:
C'mon, man, you can read better than that:
ZBBM
Active member
cw said:
Or he hadn't short-circuited himself by dealing for Kessel, who is simply not a guy you build a franchise around, yet Burke paid like that for him. And sticking too long, way too long, with Wilson, who was not the right guy to oversee a retool, let alone the rebuild that should have been undertaken.
Frank E
Active member
cw said:
See now, this is where I disagree.
Burke towed the league line, was always respectful of his fellow GM's, was very respectful of players, and is a character that would get the league some more press.
I guess we can discuss whether or not he'd get the job, and I'm not saying that he wouldn't be prone to the odd gaffe here and there, but I think he's been putting together a resume that would be presentable for Bettman's job.
I've said it before, and I maintain that he's chasing that job.