The recent coaching saga in Vancouver confirms an early learning during my lifelong involvement in hockey — it is often the owners who create unnecessary and intractable problems. Hanging out former coach Bruce Boudreau to dry in rainy Vancouver has damaged the credibility of the franchise and alienated, at least for the time being, its loyal fanbase..As well, the treatment of Captain Bo Horvat will likely have current and potential future players wondering whether the ownership is capable of, or committed to, winning. This from the highly successful Vancouver-based business Aguilini family, spanning three generations..From its corporate website, founder Luigi immigrated from Italy to build “a diverse network of companies: development and construction, property management, hospitality, food and beverage, sports and entertainment, technology, renewable energy, and significant viticultural and agricultural holdings.” Their charitable activities are also impressive.. Bruce BoudreauBruce Boudreau .The acquisition of a sports franchise has a range of owner motivations. For some, they simply love the sport and want to be involved. For others it is a status symbol and a high profile signal of success. For some, it's a competitive outlet. They are often family businesses and can provide a role for the next generation as the family expands..The motivation of the highly successful Aquilini family to own the Canucks might include all of the above..The following story suggests an additional dynamic..The history here with respect to the series of Canuck coaches during the past decade is revealing. Hiring the “next” coach back in 2013, the final three candidates were interviewed by a gathering of all three generations of the family. Significantly the general manager at the time, Mike Gillis, was in the background accurately revealing his lack of power and responsibility..One of the priorities of a general manager is to find the right coach and hold him accountable for the team's performance. As in any well-functioning organization, senior management’s role in hiring is to scan the universe, research, interview candidates, and then recommend the choice to ownership, or the board of a public company. Not accepting the recommendation should be unusual..The above process undermined the general manager and limited his authority over the new employee. One suspects this would never occur in the successful Aguilini business empire..Worse, the family then chose John Tortorella..An experienced and respected coach with previous stops in Tampa Bay (where his team won the Stanley Cup,) and New York, later Columbus and currently Philadelphia, Tortorella is blessed and burdened with a fiery personality: He is noted for his ongoing eruptions, fractious relationships with players and media and even altercations with fans..At the time, the Canucks featured a young and skilled team, including the Sedin twins, players who tend to perform better with a coach who is patient, nurturing, and possesses appropriate social skills — in other words, not Tortorella..When told of this story, my question was 'how could this happen?' I received a funny look and a very slow rendition of Aguilini ……. Tortorella. This ended soon and not well for the team, the coach, the fans, or the family..Fast forward through three more coaches to the highly unfortunate humiliation of Boudreau, dragging out what everyone knew was coming. As informed hockey commentators were chagrined and vocal, the loyalty and sympathy of the fans for Boudreau increased. It may be that the process was like Tortorella’s — a lengthy, family (not hockey) decision, and again undermining the roles, this time, of both the president and general manager..Turning to the current destructive dispute with team Captain and leader Bo Horvat, while entirely appropriate for ownership to determine its pay scale, the contractual breakdown displays a lack of understanding and/or commitment to provide Vancouver a winning team..According to recent comments by President Jim Rutherford, the impending free agent was offered a salary package commensurate with past performance. Given that Horvat has improved his game, in particular his skating, and at 27 is having his best year ever, Rutherford acknowledged the inadequacy of the offer and said that in his shoes, “I would do the same thing”, meaning seeking his value elsewhere..There is an old saying in hockey that “if you can skate, you're halfway there”. Any player, such as Horvat, who improves his foot speed and mobility automatically enhances his other skills..The owners should be rewarding self-improvement thereby encouraging other players. The current impasse means that Horvat will play out the season to seek his market value as a free agent, which in turn will drive a trade in the next few weeks before the deadline..As a former representative of players in their contractual and financial affairs, my experience with Jim Rutherford was most satisfactory and affirmed his integrity. This dispute over salary can only come from team ownership, regrettably undermining management’s future ability to attract top players. Undoubtedly other players, especially those such as Pettersson and Hughes, who will also command high salaries, will be wondering about the future possibilities of the team, and their prospects of earning future market value..Winning teams in the NHL require several core components — among them, two highly skilled centerman is important, preferably at least one with a physical presence. For example, many commentators today are worried about the Maple Leaf’s lack of physical presence notwithstanding two outstanding players centering the top lines and an otherwise competitive team..Given my distance from active involvement in the hockey world, I have asked a few scouts whether there are enough big, strong, and skilled centermen with a physical presence to supply one for each team in the league. There were resounding negative shakes of the head. If the owners, who share in the successful development of a scarce piece of any winning puzzle, are now unwilling to pay market value, how can the Canucks ever satisfy the fan base and attract or retain top players? Bo Horvat will be difficult and expensive to replace, if at all..The new coach, Rick Tocchet, played with both skill and grit. As a coach he demands a team that competes physically, already lamenting publicly after game 2, what he described as “soft play.” It is hard to imagine that the future of Bo Horvat was not discussed during the contractual negotiations between the new coach and the team..Wouldn't it be a fortunate stroke of irony if the result of the unseemly episode in the often troubled history of the Canucks also includes the signing of Bo Horvat?.It is certainly the hope of new coach Rick Tocchet and should be for the owners if they listen to the hockey experts employed in their organization.
