This was just posted on the startribune Wild page, but here’s the link.

The quotes by agent Ron Salcer are strong. By the way, poor Brent Burns, but if he’s not groggy enough, he needs shoulder surgery. Salcer also talks Marian Gaborik in here.

I know Risebrough and Lemaire are gone, but this just seems irrevocable with Gaborik. He’s so close to July 1.

This just shows how pressing it is for owner Craig Leipold to hire a new GM, and besides letting him hire a coach, direct him to get on Gaborik’s doorstep ASAP.

By the way, I got an email from the Buffalo News’ Bucky Gleason, and the Sabres sent out a press release announcing GM Darcy Regier and coach Lindy Ruff are staying put.

(updated) 

OK, I’m back from a long walk along the Mississippi in an attempt to decompress.

It’s amazing how in two words (not that it went like this), “You’re fired!” changes everything.

Think about it.

Suddenly the frontrunners for the coach may change. Suddenly the Wild’s style may change. Suddenly the players who feel like they’re teflon may change. Suddenly the Wild’s philosophy’s may change, especially when it comes to drafting, trading and free agency.

The direction of the Wild changes forever just by two words.

Look, I like Doug Risebrough personally. I don’t want to stomp on somebody that just got this type of news. And the fact of the matter is, a lot of futures, and those of people I like and respect, are suddenly up in the air inside the front office and elsewhere.

But this needed to happen.

I didn’t think it would, mostly because of Craig Leipold’s history of being patient and also by witnessing the way the two co-existed as recent as the second-to-last road game of the season in Detroit.

But clearly he had the stomach for it.

And again, this needed to happen. Everybody who reads me regularly knows that I have been a giant critic of the way Risebrough has operated the past year. If you read my last three or four columns, you know my opinions well, and I’ll tell ya, it’s not easy when you’re on an island by yourself.

But where I really turned was Monday. At the news conference, Risebrough opened up with these words: “One of the things I regret as a manager not doing is managing the expectation a little bit.”

It was one of the most arrogant, insulting things I’ve ever heard from a GM that didn’t make the playoffs. It took every ounce of energy in me not to get the carving knives out yet again.

Want some contrast? Watch Edmonton’s Steve Tambellini at the Craig MacTavish press conference. He was angry, he raised expectations, he said everything needed to change, including evaluating the way things are done in the front office.

Risebrough? Expectations were too high. The fans need to be more patient. The media, especially that idiot at the Strib, doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

It is unacceptable to miss the playoffs. It is unacceptable to continue a philosophy where you don’t mind losing quality assets for nothing. It is unacceptable to not come to the rescue at the trade deadline when there are deals to be made.

People are paying real money to watch this team, and teams around the Wild are getting better. Somebody needed to stand up and say, “This isn’t good enough,” as I wrote two Sundays ago, and amazingly, Leipold did.

The Wild needed to change philosophy here, and to do that, the man in charge needed to go. That’s unfortunate, because like I said, Doug is a good person. But that’s the way it works in the cruel world of pro sports.

Simply, what Risebrough accomplished here — and yes, he made an expansion team competitive — didn’t warrant a job for life.

Leipold couldn’t take the risk that disillusioned season-ticket holders would disappear if he stuck with the same man at the helm. And he couldn’t take the risk that Risebrough would hire a coach he could control rather than the best man available and he couldn’t take the risk that the Draft would be messed up or that nothing would change as far as free agency goes.

This was a chance to get somebody in here who could hire his own man as coach and who would look at everything with new eyes. No previous opinions. No allegiances to certain players or people. No hatred toward the agent of the best player in franchise history. 

A new direction, and that is a good thing.

What’s amazing to me here is how nobody knew. Even Tom Lynn and Chris Snow and the majority of employees found out today, and this happened Tuesday.

It’s interesting, but my radar went up yesterday because a bunch of players had their meetings with Risebrough cancelled, but I just figured he was interviewing MacTavish or something. Yeah, right.

I hear Risebrough got on his Harley and drove.

Now, to move forward here, I talked to a lot of people today — some on the record, some off — who want this job. Many people have already solicited Leipold.

Here is the story with some candidates.

If it were me, I’d be on the next plane to Chuck Fletcher, the Pittsburgh assistant GM. I know him well, and the guy is one smart dude. I know Jay Feaster’s called already. I talked to Pat Quinn and Doug MacLean, who are very interested. I believe Neil Smith would like it. I think Rick Dudley would be a great candidate. I believe Pierre McGuire would be an interesting choice (he’s long been interested in getting into management), as would Nashville Director of Hockey Ops Mike Santos and assistant GM Paul Fenton.

You can see the list I’ve compiled. You can bet they’d be interested in Dave Nonis, but I can’t see Brian Burke letting him go from Toronto. Jim Nill in Detroit has been coveted by many, but he never leaves. Lots of people will line up.

Normally I’d think Tom Lynn would be a candidate, but Leipold made clear today he’s looking for “new eyes.”

Said Leipold, “If I’m someone out in the NHL, and this job is available, with the kind of players we have coming back next year and the kind of fan base, I would jump all over this.”

Had to trim this out of the sidebar, but I asked Quinn what he’d want more — coach or GM. He said, “I’ve enjoyed both jobs, am capable of doing both and have had success at both. I know the top job is the manager, but the one with more action as far as being in the heat of battle is the coach’s job. I’m certainly drawn to that. I’d be interested about either position.”

I’m sure I’ll be back on Friday.

(UPDATED, AND I’LL THROW ON ANOTHER BLOG LATE TONIGHT) 

According to two outside NHL sources, Wild GM Doug Risebrough has been fired by owner Craig Leipold. It is unconfirmed inside the organization.

Leipold was said to have agonized over the decision but decided, in the final analysis, that a change in direction was called for.

Here’s the memo from the team:

Minnesota Wild Owner, Craig Leipold, announced today that the organization will not renew the contract of President and General Manager, Doug Risebrough, beyond the 2008-2009 season.

“The entire Minnesota Wild organization is forever indebted to Doug for his substantial efforts in establishing this franchise’s solid foundation and winning tradition,” said Leipold. “The positive impact of Doug’s service will be felt for many years to come. We wish Doug the very best.”

The search for a new General Manager will begin immediately. The first order of business for the incoming General Manager will be to select the Team’s next Head Coach.

Until a replacement is found, Assistant General Manager Tom Lynn, will be acting-General Manager.

I will be on early this evening to blog more, but right now, I’m working the story.

I’ve talked to several people today, including a number of people interested in the job. I’ll throw stuff on later, and obviously in tomorrow’s coverage.

Here’s Jacques Lemaire, whom I reached in Montreal. He’s coming back to Minnesota tomorrow.
Lemaire

“I got a call from [assistant coach Mario Tremblay] and he told me this and I said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ It was shocking, it was shocking. I never expected it. I never thought he’d be fired after I left,” former Wild coach Jacques Lemaire said. “We tried to get this team better. What Craig thought was something different.
“Us, I thought we did some decent things there. We don’t know anymore what to think there. It just shows you the owner has a different perspective than a lot of people could go.”

Lemaire was unable to get in contact with Risebrough.

Lemaire, by the way, does not want the job.

From the Leipold conference call:

– He made his decision a month ago.

– He told Risebrough Tuesday, and he took it professionally.

– The new GM will only be GM, and not GM and President

– On whether Lemaire would have been fired if he didn’t quit, Leipold said he hasn’t thought about that because he always assumed Lemaire was leaving.

– He has a little of former GM’s and bright stars he’s interested in. Candidates have solicited him already today via call and email.

There will be lots of speculation that Leipold will want to hire his former GM in Nashville David Poile, who’s on a year-to-year contract. I know from a source the two spoke yesterday. However, the Tennessean reported last July that in the sales papers, Leipold is prohibited from ever hiring Poile for a job with another NHL franchise.

In other news:

Like Marian Gaborik before, it appears goalie Niklas Backstrom’s groin pain was stemming from a hip problem.
Hesitant to speak because he had yet to talk with Wild acting GM Tom Lynn, Backstrom said Thursday he may need surgery.
“I saw a doctor today, and the team doctors, and we have to decide now in a couple days if I need surgery,” Backstrom said. “I need to get other opinions, and also from back home in Finland. It’s tough for me because everything’s in English, so I need someone to translate to me so I know exactly what’s going on.”
Backstrom said he hoped to talk to Gaborik so he can see his hip specialist, Vail’s Marc Philippon. He said the recovery from an operation “is speculated, but in my mind, I’ll be ready by the start of the season.”

Left  wing Andrew Brunette had successful reconstructive surgery on his right knee Thursday and he will begin rehab immediately.
Left wing Derek Boogaard will have surgery on his right shoulder Tuesday and will be ready in time for the start of next season.

The Wild beat my Islanders. Blasphemy!

Funny thing, but after tonight’s game, the NHL tested out the huge STANLEY CUP FINAL AND STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS signs in the middle of the ice to test for TV. It looked pretty out of place.

The Isles are a shell of my former favorite team, but you know what, the Islanders are ravaged with injuries and clearly have to hit rock bottom to get a couple top, top draft picks (it should pay off in the long run). Plus, the cast of minor-leaguers on the ice who have little to play for but future jobs showed some heart.

Coach Jacques Lemaire wasn’t exactly enamored with the way they played, saying they tried to “run us out of the building,” and went after their skilled guys like Bouchard and Miettinen and Zidlicky. Lemaire said it’ll be interesting what’ll happen when the Wild plays the Islanders again next year and a lot of Isles were “brave.”

The guy running around the most was one of ours — former Gopher and St. Paul native, Kyle Okposo. Okposo was a slashing, cross-checking machine tonight. He must be taking pointers from teammate Brendan Witt, who’s made his entire living cross-checking and slashing people.

In the third, after Okposo tried to remove Zidlicky’s kidneys, Clutterbuck and Okposo were having an unbelievable barking match from penalty box to penalty box. Then Clutterbuck started gesturing. I thought he was pretending to wipe tears or something. After the game, I asked Clutterbuck what he was doing and he said, “Told him to shave his neck. I told him if he can’t grow it on the rest of his face, why try at all?” 

Clutterbuck, by the way, had seven hits and now has 317, the most-ever recorded by the NHL in the short period it’s been recording the subjective stat.

Marian Gaborik — awesome. Two goals, two assists, best player on the ice. Gaborik’s known for lethal speed, a lethal wrister. Well, all six of his goals this season are from the goalmouth. “He’s taking notes, I guess,” quipped Owen Nolan.

Nolan scored a goal and two assists. So did Andrew Brunette. Marek Zidlicky, whom I’ve picked on lately, was great, and not just because of his three assists. Antti Miettinen and Martin Skoula scored goals as well.

Wild’s back to 10th in the West, tied with 78 points with ninth-place Nashville. Anaheim’s about to hop into seventh, meaning the Wild will be one point from eighth-place Edmonton, which has a game in hand on Minnesota.

Needless to say, you know which opponent — and where — the Wild plays next. The Wild’s won like once in Calgary since the FIRST Bush administration, so let’s just say, that needs to end. Huge back-to-back in Alberta coming up for your Minnesota Wild.

OK, read the gamer and notebook in Thursday’s paper. Some funny stuff in there. I especially liked Jacques Lemaire talking about tonight’s 3-on-3 action, saying he was “like numb,” and Clutterbuck talking about his fight with Sean Avery.

Back to Minnesota for not even 24 hours for me tomorrow, then off to Calgary.

(more…)