MacLean was a bad GM but a good President, at least he did a weekly radio show and tried to improve the team even though he screwed up almost every trade or draft pick he ever made. He was a hoot to listen to, mingle with when he was walking around the arena and a damn fun used car salesman... Oh, his teams never ended up 30th in the league either...
Priest/Howson might be the worst combo in the NHL over the last 5 seasons...
And therein is a big part of why I think he deserves equal billing with the current regime. As an expansion team he should have had a plan to build from the ground up a la Nashville & Minnesota. But by trading for and signing past their prime vets that helped somewhat but not enough he got a lot of draft picks that were just a bit too late. I remember Buccigross being all over him for this habit.
Doug was a hell of a salesman. And I'd rather have one guy to blame for a majority of the mess than two, especially when one is thoroughly insulated and near bulletproof because he's close with ownership....
Mike Priest and Scott Howson have, at best, held the ship in the same pattern it was in when MacLean left.
Oh, his teams never ended up 30th in the league either...
Devil's Advocate: Howson's previous four teams all were better than any of MacLeans.
On the playoff team, six of the top 10 scorers were all Howson acquisitions.
At the end of the day, we are just debating whether we want our **** sandwich with or without mayo, but I think ... and I never, EVER thought I'd say this ... but I think people forget exactly how pathetic the MacLean era ultimately was.
Doug did a lot of good for this franchise. He did a lot of the legwork before the first draft pick. I do believe that he had a deep love of the CBJ. Although not perfect he was a hockey guy, Howson on the other hand is an attorney who doesn't give a crap about hockey...hockey just happens to be where he has been able to move up the corporate ladder as long as guys like Priest are involved.
Although not perfect he was a hockey guy, Howson on the other hand is an attorney who doesn't give a crap about hockey...hockey just happens to be where he has been able to move up the corporate ladder as long as guys like Priest are involved.
Come on. Even if you want to dislike everything about the guy, at least acknowledge basic facts.
Doug did a lot of good for this franchise. He did a lot of the legwork before the first draft pick. I do believe that he had a deep love of the CBJ. Although not perfect he was a hockey guy, Howson on the other hand is an attorney who doesn't give a crap about hockey...hockey just happens to be where he has been able to move up the corporate ladder as long as guys like Priest are involved.
The attorney actually played in the NHL (albeit briefly), the carney barker did not play anywhere after Juniors. I agree that Doug did a good job selling hockey in central Ohio, but you're offline with the rest.
He waited 5 years to address a Day 1 need. He didn't bother to address an obvious whole in teh goaltending last off-season...unless you thought Dexy and the Midnight Runners was going to be our #1. Mason's rookie year was some time ago. This is his forth year, and he is only 23. Way too soon for a goalie to be dumped. And this year has been his worst by a significant margin. I don't think anyone thought he was going to complete implode this season. I don't think most fans were deluded enough to believe he'd ever get back their by last summer. Howson was.
I'm not going to go back and rehash this with an interloper from the Blues board.I live in Ohio. Have for the past 30 years. I watch the Jackets, they are my 2nd favorite team. Just because I don't post here, doesn't mean I don't follow the team. Seen far more Blue Jackets game in person then Blues. Proposed to my wife at the rink attached to Nationwide Center. I think I have a lot more knowledge then you give me credit for. I think everyone on here has heard me shoot down each of your remaining points about a thousand times.
Do yourself a favor--ask your coach what HE thinks of our GM.
The attorney actually played in the NHL (albeit briefly), the carney barker did not play anywhere after Juniors. I agree that Doug did a good job selling hockey in central Ohio, but you're offline with the rest.
Please don't let the facts stand in the way of a good story.
For Mason to implode, he would have had to have been more than a flash in the pan. He's not.
If Mason is anything more than a backup goaltender playing a limited number of games behind a Brodeur-esque goalie, this team will continue to struggle.
I stand corrected. Doug did win a Cup as a coach. Next you are going to tell me that Hitch never played hockey as a pro.
Doug came close, with one of the worst teams to ever make the SCF. Their backbone was Dave Lowry playing out of his mind, a 19-year-old Ed Jovanovski hitting guys, and John Vanbiesbrouck going on the most extended hot streak of his life.
Hitch was supposedly an exceptional player. His dad died, and he started eating to cope. During one of my random newspaper searches, I found a reference to a team in the WHL that used to play the A&W song whenever Hitchcock would walk across the ice before or after a period.
EDIT: It was Portland, and this is referenced in the Nov. 26, 1999 Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Unfortunately, it's a PPV article, so a copy and paste of a link wouldn't do any good.
Doug came close, with one of the worst teams to ever make the SCF. Their backbone was Dave Lowry playing out of his mind, a 19-year-old Ed Jovanovski hitting guys, and John Vanbiesbrouck going on the most extended hot streak of his life.
Hitch was supposedly an exceptional player. His dad died, and he started eating to cope. During one of my random newspaper searches, I found a reference to a team in the WHL that used to play the A&W song whenever Hitchcock would walk across the ice before or after a period.
EDIT: It was Portland, and this is referenced in the Nov. 26, 1999 Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Unfortunately, it's a PPV article, so a copy and paste of a link wouldn't do any good.
Again you people with your facts... I think I'll be quiet now.
That should be a fun conversation. Most of the coaches and GMs are present at Traverse City and most are very approachable. As long as you don't act like an idiot, they will talk hockey a bit.
For Mason to implode, he would have had to have been more than a flash in the pan. He's not.
If Mason is anything more than a backup goaltender playing a limited number of games behind a Brodeur-esque goalie, this team will continue to struggle.
I actually think Mason is done at the NHL level even at 23, he looks like a complete bust. Kinda reminds me of Jason Kidd. But, I was in a segment that thought he would turn the corner this year. Figured he had a couple of off years and now head his head on strait with a good offseason, but he can't stop a beach ball. His confidence is gone and the team plays really tight when he is in net, because they don't trust him.
I really thought the Jackets would be better then they are. Trust me, even in a rebuild, you are so much further ahead then the Blues were. (We lost Pronger and Pavol - who was the best forward on the team and wound up with Brewer, Lynch - who never played in the NHL, and Woywitka). We had no real prospects and a bunch of older players.
The BJs prospect system is much better then it has ever been and I think the scouting department is very good. Howson really blundered with Nash, but I think Carter should have handled being traded like a professional - and he didn't. You have JJ now and the D looks pretty good as Moore, Savard continue to grow. And JJ gets better. You have a very solid player in Feder and Nikitin has a lot of upside - keep in mind he couldn't speak any english last year - so as he gets more and more comfortable I expect him to become very strong (Kronwall type dman).
I certainly respect everyone's opinion. But, to me, the Howson / Priest debacle is way worse. They've created a complete mess that somehow they're trying to clean up. Amateur hour, plain and simple.
I put equal. Both have been pretty poor. GMDM had the luxury of excitement in the fan base for three years and couldn't hold it. His drafting record is, in my opinion, worse that that of the current regime. However, the current regime has lost complete value of the franchise with poor decisions, a terrible product and their complete bumbling.
I said equal. Doug didn't make Columbus look like a joke as much as Howson has, but Doug also didn't stock pile our team with young talent like Howson has. They are equally as bad, but If I had to choose between the two I'd rather have Doug controlling the team now.
I said equal. Doug didn't make Columbus look like a joke as much as Howson has, but Doug also didn't stock pile our team with young talent like Howson has. They are equally as bad, but If I had to choose between the two I'd rather have Doug controlling the team now.
It's like choosing the Devil or the Devils advocate, but yeah, I'd take MacLean right now over the Priest/Howson tag team. At worst MacLean could see a tornado coming and take action even if it was hiding in a mobile home, in other words, make a decision.
Oh, his teams never ended up 30th in the league either...
