Quote o' the day

by James Mirtle on Oct 1, 2008 2:30 PM CDT Comment 8 comments

Brian Burke gets the prize today in a response to a question from the Sporting News' Craig Custance:

Based on the Mathieu Schneider situation and salary cap issues Anaheim has had, I've heard people question your ability to manage the cap. What are your thoughts?

"It's a fairly ignorant observation. We won a Stanley Cup and then we had two certain Hall of Famers announce their retirement. Both assured me it was for real and we have been reacting since we won a championship. We were reacting to two defections and two re-enlistments. People can say all they want about mismanaging a cap, but it was the first time in the history of the league that a team won the Stanley Cup and two Hall of Famers retired. Would I sign the same two guys (Schneider and Todd Bertuzzi), yeah probably. Hindsight is very easy — critics have a much higher IQ than those who make the calls."

It's a bit rich to suggest signing Bertuzzi was the right move to make, given all that happened afterwards. You can read the whole Q&A here.
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Wow, maybe Darryl Sutter *isn't* the most arrogant and self-righteous man in hockey when it comes to dealing with the media.

by Matt on Oct 1, 2008 2:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It's a bit rich to suggest signing Bertuzzi was the right move to make, given all that happened afterwards.

I don't think that's Burke's suggestion at all.

by Earl Sleek on Oct 1, 2008 3:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think the Bertuzzi signing was one of the most objectively bad decisions by a GM since Millbury left the league.

Maybe for half the money and half the term, it could have been considered a calculated risk. But Burke was off by a 100% on both counts.

I do really hope Burke ends up GM in Toronto.

by Anshu on Oct 1, 2008 3:14 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

When you can't keep your own RFA after signing a UFA for the same price and then look back and say yeah I'd do it again, but play the "ignorance" card, you know what we call that? Denial.

by Anonymous on Oct 1, 2008 3:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I think the Mike Commodore and Wade Redden contracts may challenge for that title before long, but in the interim there is no doubt that the Bertuzzi signing was horrendous. Burke usually has a pretty good eye for talent, but the Bertuzzi signing was clearly based on nostalgia. To top it off, he appeared to be negotiating against himself in giving Bert that 2 year, $8 million deal.

An NHL GM should surely know that the phrases "32 years old" "effective power forward", and "back problems" never go together in the same sentence. Look at the history of NHL power forward types, and see how many of them remained highly productive past their 30th birthdays. The short answer is not many. Shanahan is one of the rare exceptions who comes to mind.

by Dennis Prouse on Oct 1, 2008 3:59 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Matt: Burke seems like a massive egotist, but he's certainly an entertaining one. I always enjoyed his quips and shots when he was a GM in Vancouver. Mr. Gillis's rhetoric isn't quite the same calibre.

by Darren Barefoot on Oct 1, 2008 4:28 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Hindsight is very easy — critics have a much higher IQ than those who make the calls.

Brilliant!

I agree with him 100%. I'm actually surprised that more GMs don't snap with some of the dumb questions they get from the "experts" over and over and over again.

I mean, imagine if in your job you were constantly being publicly questionned by people who have never done your job, but use the benefit of hindsight to criticize everything you've ever done - like somehow they've got the answers.

I love the idea of Wilson and Burke treating Simmons, Strachan, and Cox with the disdain they so deserve - on a daily basis. It will be way more entertaining than whatever happens on the ice.

by cferneyh on Oct 1, 2008 5:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs