Yes, I’m back. Yippee do!

I figured I better blog because the smart aleck son of a friend of mine sent me a text message saying, “Think you’ll blog again this year?”

Like father, like son

Back from Hawaii, and Ireland, and I’m ready to go back to each. Two awesome places.

The Brown Fox — Chuck Fletcher — is back in the office after landing this afternoon from Pittsburgh, where he attended Game 3 of the Finals and attended his first official GM’s Meeting — well, as a non-Interim, non-assistant GM — in history. Had to be cool.

What’s Fletcher been up to? Well, while I was in Ireland, he attended the Draft combine in Toronto last weekend, where he interviewed players and dined with the staff, including Tommy Thompson. On Thursday and Friday, he’ll conduct his first pro scouting meetings with Tom Lynn, Blair Mackasey, Jamie Hislop and Todd Woodcroft, among others.

They’ll be talking free agency, trades and likely whether the Wild should tender any offers to their own unrestricted free agents (i.e. Skoula, Veilleux, Bergeron or Foster). We know they’ll go after Gaborik, although it’ll be difficult at this late juncture.

(updated)

Fletcher has also been working on the coaching search. Same candidates as I’ve mentioned before. Todd Richards is still the frontrunner. I know for a fact Chuck went out to California to interview Richards, and that’s the place he wouldn’t tell me he was calling me back from (remember?).

But I still think he’d want to interview Detroit assistant coach Paul MacLean, who’s a bit busy right now.

If Richards gets the job, possible assistants include Claude Noel, Curt Fraser, Tony Granato and Mike Ramsey. Like I’ve said, I think Matt Shaw and Bob Mason have tremendous shots at being retained.

Lots of news going around the league. Jacques Martin is now the coach in Montreal, leaving Florida at a marvelous time with less than a month before the Draft and free agency.

All sorts of rumors out of Montreal that Mario Tremblay could eventually join Martin on that bench.

Florida will now conduct a full-on GM search, but owner Alan Cohen appears close to selling the team because I’m told that GM candidates are being referred to Alternate Gov. Bill Torrey and Tony Tavares, the former Anaheim Mighty Ducks head who just so happens to be leading the ownership group close to buying the Cats.

Some possible candidates in Fla.? Former Panthers coach Doug MacLean, former Panthers GM Rick Dudley, former Panthers captain Scott Mellanby, Hall of Famer and former Panthers analyst Denis Potvin, former Bruins assistant GM Jeff Gorton, TSN and NBC analyst Pierre McGuire and former Lightning GM Jay Feaster. Maybe former Wild GM Doug Risebrough would be interested, although he’s still on a two-week solo canoe trip, so he may not even know the job’s available

Lastly, aren’t you glad you’re a Wild fan? Imagine being in Colorado. Sorry, but at least Wild owner Craig Leipold conducts a far and wide GM search to get the best possible candidate and then announces him with a little fanfare.

The Avs do what they always do — hire internally.

Greg Sherman — the assistant GM — was hired today to replace Francois Giguere accompanied by the most underwhelming press release announcement ever. From Pierre Lacroix: “Greg Sherman deserves the opportunity to prove he can be an effective general manager in our business.”

I bet Avs fans everywhere are excited after that line.

It was also classy of Lacroix to finally fire Tony Granato after offering his job around the league for a month, including to former Avs star goalie Patrick Roy. Kudos to Denver Post writer Adrian Dater, who’s been all over that story for some time.

Speaking of Dater, he talked to Marc Crawford, who’d be interested in returning there as coach. Dater reports that Joe Sacco’s got an inside shot. Wonder if Jacques Lemaire would be interested, eh?

OK, I’m back on the clock folks. Blogs will be updated more regularly.

New GM Chuck Fletcher and owner  Craig Leipold fielded a lot of questions after the press conference about Fletcher’s preferred style of play — “uptempo, aggressive, fast style.”Fletcher joked that it’s not a “run-and-gun” style. He said he thinks the team has the personnel to play that way but admitted the new coach will adjust the system to his players and that defense will remain at the forefront of their approach.

Leipold talked at length about how he has heard indirectly that the defensive-minded approach of the previous regime hurt the team’s chances in signing big-name free agents. Here are more quotes from Fletcher and Leipold from after the press conference.

Craig Leipold:
“I like the way he talks. Uptempo, faster game. We think that’s something that our fans would like to see, that they’ve been telling us. Frankly, it’s almost a new game. That’s what most of the teams are now playing. I do believe that his type of game and the type of coaches that he’s talking about bringing in is one that’s going to really make fans happy.

“I made it real clear to Chuck that he’s accountable for providing us a Stanley Cup quality team. He has the complete flexibility and independence to build his own organization, including coaches, assistant coaches, hockey operations people, assistant GMs. This is his organization. I’m not going to meddle in it.

“This is the guy right now for this team to develop our players. His system and the way that he’s talking is exactly what I think we need at this time. I’m incredibly excited. I think he’s going to be able to take this team to another level that maybe we didn’t think we could get to.”

Leipold also admitted he’s disappointed high-profile free agents haven’t wanted to join the Wild. He said he thinks Fletcher can change that. “I do absolutely. And yes I have been disappointed. In the past I’ve been frustrated not knowing why those unrestricted free agents wouldn’t choose this as their home. We have everything to offer here. I think the system might have been something that held them back. I believe Chuck feels that way. Other [candidates] that came through felt that way so I think this is like the missing piece. They’ll look at us in a different light now and they’ll want to come play here.”
Chuck Fletcher:
“I think this style of play is used by other teams, but I don’t want to mislead people. This isn’t a run-and-gun style. There’s still strong defensive requirements. There are times when you’re aggressive and there’s times when you have to be more passive. You have to sit back. All systems are defensive in nature. Coaches teach defense and offense is sort of instinctive.”

(Coaching search?) “I guess the best way to put it is I’m going to spend the next few days trying to create a short list. It might take more than a few days. But at this point I wouldn’t say that there is a definitive short list.”

(On Gaborik) “He’s certainly a dynamic game-breaker and dynamic offensive player. I think he’s shown he can score goals with the best of the goal scorers in the NHL.”

(Prefer veteran coach or a young up-and-comer?) “I have no preference. I don’t think experience is necessarily the most important factor. But I want to get the right coach. I think we’ve seen veteran coaches be successful and we’ve seen rookie coaches be successful. I think if you’re a good coach, you’re a good coach.”

(Style of play) “I love physical hockey. We want to be uptempo. It’s forechecking, it’s on pucks, it’s separating the defender from the puck. It doesn’t necessarily have to be fighting, although I certainly believe in fighting as being a necessary element of a good club. But toughness to me is mental, it’s physical, it’s winning battles, it’s having your best player go to the net knowing he’s going to get cross-checked. That’s toughness.”

(Can this team play uptempo?) “I think every team does [have the personnel to do it]. You know obviously speed is an important element but so is intelligence. I think any team can a play a style. Again, the type of game may dictate whether you’re more aggressive some nights than others. But we want an identity of being an uptempo, hard-working, difficult team to play against and that’s what we’re going to strive to be.”

UPDATE, FROM RUSSO IN HAWAII: Just to stop any rumors before they start: Yes, Mike Keenan is now available as a head coach (fired by Calgary Friday). And he and Fletcher did work together in Florida (from 2000-02). But they will not be working together here in Minnesota. �

Aloha from Hawaii Gate 1 of Xcel Energy Center where it’s just been made official that Chuck Fletcher is the Wild’s new general manager.

Also, if you haven’t seen it, make sure to scroll to Chip’s previous blog about Tom Lynn staying on as an assistant GM.

We’ve got a good crowd out here in the lobby. Among the masses, I’ve spotted assistant coach Matt Shaw, goalie Niklas Backstrom, defenseman Brent Burns (his left arm in a sling) and a handful of other employees.

Prior to any remarks, Fletcher was presented a #09 team jersey after it was said a “new chapter, a new era” has begun for the team.

“What was good enough yesterday is not necessarily good enough today,” owner Craig Leipold said. He then called Fletcher the “obvious choice” for the job.

Here’s some of what Fletcher had to say this afternoon:

• On a coaching timeline, it is his first priority right now before free agency. He wants a coach with communication skills, leadership skills and someone who is “demanding but fair.” He also expressed that “experience is nice but not necessary.” He hopes to have someone in place by the draft, which is late next month.
• He affirmed that he wants a team with an “up-tempo, aggressive, fast style.” But the trap style is something every team uses, so Fletcher doesn not plan to completely eliminate it from here.
• Fletcher plans to reach out to pending free agent Marian Gaborik and agent Ron Salcer “in the near future.”
• He is open minded about what kind of front office and coaching staff he will hire, and plans to speak to every member.
• On his philosophy of putting the best team on the ice, Fletcher says it’s “drafting and developing” players, calling draft picks “gold to me.” Better drafts lead to a deeper system which leads to, in time, better trades.
• On managing expectations: “This has been my dream since realizing I was a really bad hockey player at age 8 … This was my way into the NHL … I’m ready for it, I’m not daunted by it at all.”

Hey everyone. This is Chip Scoggins, filling in for Russo while he gets some much deserved time on the beach in Hawaii.

Just got off the phone with Wild assistant general manager Tom Lynn, who said he has accepted Chuck Fletcher’s offer to remain in the same role. The two talked this morning and came to an agreement.

“I was told when I talked to him that he wants me to stay on,” Lynn said by phone from Houston. “He likes the work we do here. Chuck and I have known each other for years as assistant GMs working that side of the business. He said he liked the operation and he wanted me to stay on in my current role. We had a good conversation.”

I asked Lynn about his disappointment over not getting the job versus being able to stay in a place that he clearly likes.

“The best way to put it is I had gone to tell Craig [Leipold, Wild owner] that if wasn’t going to be me I thought Chuck was the best guy out of the people who were mentioned as potential finalists in the paper and everything else,” Lynn said. “I told Craig that and he laughed because that was his guy at the time. I think there is a measure of encouragement that he got the right guy. Someone I can work with and someone I look forward to working with. As far as the disappointment part, I’ve been saying for nine years since I came here that my main goal in hockey is to get my name on the Stanley Cup. And I would rather be on the Cup as an assistant GM than a GM on a losing team.”

Lynn said the particulars of his job still need to be discussed with Fletcher, mainly who will be the chief contract negotiator, which is something Fletcher also enjoys.

“We’ll sit down next week and [discuss] my responsibilities,” Lynn said.

Lynn said it was an easy decision to stay on in his current role rather than look for a fresh start somewhere else.

“I already knew from the start of the process that I wanted to stay on if Chuck was the GM,” he said. “I knew the type of people Craig was interviewing and talking to were all people I could work with. Obviously you know I love Minnesota. It was more than easy. It was what I wanted to do.”

We’ll be back after the press conference with reaction and quotes from Fletcher and Leipold.

Good day everybody. Just thought I’d jump on to say goodbye.
Not for good (unfortunately for some), but I’m heading outside the continental U.S. Saturday for a little more than a week. But I’ll have the cell phone, blackberry and laptop at my side, so I’ll be paying attention to the GM search as best I can on the sands of Hawaii.
How great were those Game 7’s last night, by the way? The conference finals should be extraordinary.
I did a Kevin Constantine story for Saturday’s paper. Remember, many considered him the potential frontrunner to replace Jacques Lemaire if Doug Risebrough was doing the hiring. But once Risebrough was fired, everything changed – for Constantine, too. Now his future is up in the air.
He should still be a candidate, especially after coaching the Aeros to at least the AHL’s Western Conference Finals. But it’ll be tougher for him just because of the perception he’s also a defensive coach, and the Wild’s new GM almost certainly will want to change the Wild’s style to a more up-tempo type in the post-Lemaire era.
I wasn’t able to squeeze in a lot of stuff about the Aeros, so I figured this would be a good venue for that.
Constantine never realized the Aeros had this run in them. After the team won its first four games, the Aeros battled inconsistency due to injuries and callups, including Cal Clutterbuck, Krys Kolanos, Peter Olvecky and John Scott.
Clutterbuck never left Minnesota after his Oct. 16 promotion, while Kolanos, Olvecky and Scott played a combined 72 games for the Wild.
“Whenever guys were gone, we weren’t that good to be honest,” Constantine said. “It just shows how much the players are the most critical factor in wins or losses. When we were healthy and had bodies, we put together runs.
“The turning point might have been when Kurtis Foster came down [on his rehab stint]. We won six in a row with guys like Foster, Kolanos and [Benoit Pouliot] all playing. So we went through stretches where we said, ‘Maybe this team has something.’”
Critics like me have blasted the Wild for not having much talent in the minors, and the reality is even though the Aeros have reached the AHL’s Final Four, they’re nothing without the scoring of veterans Kolanos (37 goals in 59 Aeros’ games), Corey Locke (15 playoff points) and Jesse Schultz (second-leading scorer in the regular season, injured right now), who all could become unrestricted free agents. And quite frankly, there’s a chance they all leave. Heck, a guy like Kolanos can probably make $1 million net in the KHL.
“Those guys carry us offensively, and then you try to wrap some detail around that,” Constantine said. “But I think there’s pieces here. I really do. I’m still a believer in Pouliot because I see talent and improvement. I just think sometimes in pro sports we’re not allowed to be patient, so sometimes it’s like now or never. But I think the guy’s going to be a good player. I don’t know what role. Don’t know if it’ll be a first- or second-line center role, but I think there’s a role for him as he matures through the business.
“[Justin] Falk, in the third [period Wednesday], looked like a very big, strong, calm defenseman. [Maxim] Noreau turned into a good defenseman. I don’t think the main future of the Wild are here, but I think there’s a lot of pieces here.”
Other bright spots include role players in Irmen and Robbie Earl, up-and-coming defenseman Marco Scandella, defenseman Clayton Stoner, who’s rebounded after years hampered by injuries, and goalie Anton Khudobin, who’s extremely unorthodox and raw but has carried the Aeros through the playoffs with injuries to goalies Nolan Schaefer and Barry Brust.
Remember, Carson McMillan’s there now practicing, and Cody Almond will be there too next year. And quite frankly, probably Colton Gillies.
Anyway, that’s my take on the Aeros. It was fun actually getting to see them play in Wednesday’s Game 7, 5-2 win at Milwaukee. 

I also wrote a Tom Lynn feature that should appear some time in the next few days on what he’s been up to the last month and the job he’s done in Houston – which makes him at least a candidate to be the Wild’s next GM – or certainly a GM in this league somewhere someday.
Chuck Fletcher and Pierre McGuire are still the frontrunners, I believe, but knowing Lynn, he probably impressed in his initial interviews with owner Craig Leipold. I still think Leipold’s at the very least a week away from naming a GM. To me, it was necessary to have a far-and-wide search, and Leipold’s done a quality job with it.
Like I said, I’ll do my best to keep tab from Hawaii. Talk to ya later Wild fans.

Lookee here

After keeping one eye on the Caps-Pens Game 7, for the first time in the series, the game didn’t exactly live up to the hype. Boy, the Pens just kicked butt, eh? Can you say butt on a blog?

The reason why I only kept half an eye really on the NHL game is I attended the Houston Aeros’ Game 7, 5-2 victory over the Milwaukee Admirals. The Aeros became only the third club in AHL history — and second Aeros’ team — to win two Game 7’s on the road in the same postseason (Peoria last round).

Kevin Constantine — or KC, as I’ve learned he’s called — won three Game 7’s as an NHL head coach — all three on the road, meaning that’s 5-0 in the NHL and AHL. And he says it’s even better because he did the same thing a few times in junior.

“I have no idea why, either. I wish I did,” Constantine laughed.

By the way, and I’m sure it’s been written by Ms. Conduct & Gang on their great Aeros’ blog, but the playoff beards are out and Constantine’s got the chops going for sideburns. Great story on that I’ll probably throw into the paper tomorrow.

They’re the triangle sideburns all the way down his cheek. Very John Fogertyish. I’ll think of a better description and blog it during my drive home (I’ll pull over first, I promise). And if you don’t know what Constantine looks like, he’s got red hair, so it’s a great look. I nearly almost took a picture of Constantine just for the blog with my camera phone while I was interviewing him, but to be quite honest, Constantine scares me.

Oops, thought of one. It kinda looks like this — Hans Klopek from the Tom Hanks’ movie, the Burbs (as a kid, I toured the Universal lot when they were filming that movie) — only much more grown in and nothing on his chin.

After losing 7-0 in Game 6, the Aeros shockingly bounced back. Corey Locke and Krys Kolanos scored 49 ticks apart in the first, Milwaukee cut it to 2-1 and then there were several tense moments until the third as the unorthodox Anton Khudobin made some great saves and offered some heart attacks. He’s raw folks, very raw.

Clayton Stoner, who played a great game, scored a huge power-play goal, then former Admiral Tony “Circus” Hrkac set up former Admiral Bryan Lundbohm for the backbreaker on a beauty of a 2-on-1. Locke popped one in an empty net.

Justin Falk, I thought, was the best defenseman. Outstanding game, especially in the third. Robbie Earl can skate like one of those NHL ‘95 games I used to play where you can press a couple buttons and the player goes into turbo boost speed. He’s one of the best skaters I’ve ever seen. Effortless, like the Niedermayers, but with more speed, believe it or not. Danny Irmen played a solid game as well. A couple other players didn’t play so well, but I won’t mention them and one particular because I’ll keep it positive for a change (give it a guess though).

I had other things I wrote down, and of course, I left the paper in my car (I didn’t blog last night because there was no wireless in the Bradley Center). I also watched the game from owner Craig Leipold’s suite along with Tom Lynn, Chris Snow and pro scout Todd Woodcroft — on condition the words “GM” and “search” never came out of my mouth

I appreciate the invite by Leipold. He’s a lot less stressed during non-Wild games, but still stressed enough. So it was interesting to get that up-close perspective. Next year I plan on watching every game from the owners’ suite at the X

Leipold had the Aeros over to his home earlier in the series, and he said it was a blast. So Leipold’s current farm team knocked off his old farm team — and actually the Wild eliminated Nashville twice if you consider the last home game of the NHL season. And continuing the theme I mentioned before the series, Tom Lynn beat Paul Fenton in the battle of the Wild GM candidates. Just a joke.

Funny moment during the game. They flashed the Marlins-Brewers score. I had no clue the Marlins were in town, and one of my best friends happens to be one of their announcers. I phoned (Canadian verb) him, happened to catch him between innings and we got to hang after the game for the first time since last hockey season when the Wild was in S. Fla. (he’s a Panthers’ announcer, too).

So that was cool and random. I know I had other things to mention, but I’m on little sleep and it’s on that sheet of paper that’s conveniently in the car. I’ll hop back on later.

So, after the game, the Aeros took a bus to Chicago to spend the night. They fly to Winnipeg today and open the conference finals against the Manitoba Moose on Friday-Saturday.

I have to hit the road for five-plus hours. It was a cool trip over to Milwaukee to see the Wild’s farm team in person for the first time.