Avs finally fire Granato, name Sherman GM

by James Mirtle on Jun 3, 2009 10:52 AM CDT Comment 25 comments

More photos » David Zalubowski - AP

The Colorado Avalanche Hockey Club announced today that the organization has relieved six members of its hockey operations staff from their respective duties. The list includes head coach Tony Granato, assistant coaches Jacques Cloutier and Dave Barr, goaltending coach Jeff Hackett, Assistant to the General Manager Michel Goulet and video coordinator PJ DeLuca.

The Avalanche will make an announcement regarding its new management structure later today.

>> team release

Say what you will about the job Granato did in Colorado this season, he didn't deserve to be strung along while the Patrick Roy drama played out in the press.

In any event, it's over, he's gone – along with a lot of others – and it's definitely going to be a new era in Denver next season. Virtual unknown Greg Sherman is taking over the GMs seat, moving up from the assistant's role under Francois Giguere last season.

Other front office notes, via TSN:

Craig Billington remains as Assistant GM
Eric Lacroix (formerly a Coyotes scout) is the new Director of Hockey Operations
Brad Smith remains as Director of Player Personnel but with expanded duties and responsibilities
David Oliver, based in Cleveland with the farm team, is the new Director of Player Development

"Greg Sherman deserves the opportunity to prove he can be an effective general manager in our business," said team president Pierre Lacroix in a media release. "He has shown that he possesses the necessary qualities required to be successful with this new challenge in front of him.

"Surrounded by a strong hockey staff and under my supervision, he will have all the necessary support to lead the Avalanche in this new direction," added Lacroix.

The full release is available here.

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The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters

by Jibblescribbits on Jun 3, 2009 11:20 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

1) Has to be one of the worst kept secrets of the past couple of months! LOL If you’re Granato This had to feel like watching your significant other dating other people right in front of you even before you’ve officially broken up.

I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else

by Fauxrumors on Jun 3, 2009 11:39 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The worst part was that many of us Avs fans truly felt they were going to keep Granato on as coach, partially because Pierre Lacroix is kind of stubborn and crazy like that, and partially because it still makes no sense to do this after courting Roy.

The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters

by Jibblescribbits on Jun 3, 2009 12:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

makes you wonder why the team was so quick to give up on Joel Quenneville. Replacing him sure didn’t work…

Blue and Gold (of Buffalo)

by Ebscer on Jun 3, 2009 11:53 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Quenneville

Quenneville has his limitations as a coach, and he wasn’t doing a particularly good job in Colorado. His coaching weaknesses were really starting to hurt the team. It’s not that he is a bad coach, but he wasn’t a fit for the avs…

That said hiring Granato certainly wasn’t an upgrade at all. The Avs completely botched the hiring of Quenneville’s successor, but letting go of Quenneville was the right move.

The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters

by Jibblescribbits on Jun 3, 2009 12:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I wish the Avs would quit promoting people from within the organization, and look for some fresh blood to come in. Sherman is an accountant not a hockey guy. Eric Lacroix is Pierre’s son. Ridiculous.

by chileiceman on Jun 3, 2009 12:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

and they fired Michel Goulet to hire Eric Lacroix. Disgusting.

Hyphens cause writers more trouble than any other form of punctuation, except perhaps commas.

by David Driscoll-Carignan on Jun 3, 2009 1:32 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What changes?

The guy who wrecked the franchise is still at the top. And now he’s installed his kid in the front office to be his proxy while some bean-counter holds the GM title. This has “fiasco” written all over it.

I predict that 12 months from now we’ll be talking about how the dramatic falloff in the Avs’ performance and attendance threatens to send them the way of the Rockies.

Why don’t the owners hold Pierre Lacroix responsible for his own mess?

by garth the hoser on Jun 3, 2009 12:45 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I predict that 12 months from now we’ll be talking about how the dramatic falloff in the Avs’ performance and attendance threatens to send them the way of the Rockies.

Stanley Kroenke is worth $3.5B and his wife is worth $3.4B, and they have invested heavily in the Denver Area, owning the Nuggets, Avs, Rapids(MLS), Mammoth (MLL), Outlaws (Outdoor Lacrosse) and Dicks Sporting Goods Park (Rapids park), and Pepsi Center. I don’t think the Avs are going anywhere.

Why don’t the owners hold Pierre Lacroix responsible for his own mess?

Because he won 2 cups as GM, and actually has been at the helm of what has historically been a strong franchise. This isn’t to defend him and say he hasn’t made a lot of mistakes, but he’s earned some leeway and an opportunity to turn it around. He’s made some awful trades and hires, but the Avs have made the playoffs in all but 2 seasons since coming to Colorado, and a lot of that has been Lacroix. 1 awful season after 14 years of success is not enough to fire the guy.

and too be fair about his son, Eric Lacroix was pretty successful scout with the Coyotes, whose problems aren’t on the ice, but in the front office. While I’m not particularly happy about the nepotism, I can’t say that he’s not qualified for the position he was given either.

The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters

by Jibblescribbits on Jun 3, 2009 12:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Pierre Lacroix?

oh my bad…I thought you were talking about Glen Sather.

Glen Sather is a Hockey Genius.

http://glensathersucks.com/
http://twitter.com/ThGeneralissimo

by poploser on Jun 3, 2009 2:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL

I find sometimes it's easy to be myself
sometimes I find it's better to be somebody else

by Fauxrumors on Jun 4, 2009 9:12 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think they are in that much trouble. They have had a lot of success and built up a solid fanbase, I expect. A few down years aren’t going to be enough to lose all the fans, unless they keep getting worse and worse so it looks like the team is swirling down the drain at an increasing rate. A few bad years will probably be tolerated the same way most fans do – grumbling, dissatisfaction, some drop off in interest – but rebounding alright once it looks as though there is improvement.

I think that the jury is out on use of “fiasco” right now – with Tampa Bay still hanging onto the title for the moment. :)

"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams

by Baroque on Jun 3, 2009 4:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That picture of Tony G. was actually accompanied by the following caption:

“You mean I wasn’t fired two months ago?”

2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Dry Humping Mediocrity

by Mike @ MHH on Jun 3, 2009 1:21 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Timothy Geithner is now running the Aves too?

Is it just me or does he not look a lot like the US Treasury Secretary?

by The Falconer on Jun 3, 2009 3:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Did Jeff Hackett really deserve the boot? Oh sure, the goaltending stunk this year, but you can’t turn dog food into fillet mignon.

"Sweet Zarley Zalapski, Batman!"

by ZarleyZalapski on Jun 3, 2009 4:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't think so

I think we were all pretty impressed with what he did with Theo…

The 2008-2009 Colorado Avalanche: Slumpbusters

by Jibblescribbits on Jun 3, 2009 4:14 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

We in Calgary are well aware of the problems of bringing a new coach in and forcing him to fit in with the old assistants. As good a job as Hackett may have done, the Avs next coach deserves to pick his own staff.

by Resolute on Jun 3, 2009 6:56 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Good point, Resolute. I think Hackett will find some sort of goaltending consulting job somewhere else soon enough.

"Sweet Zarley Zalapski, Batman!"

by ZarleyZalapski on Jun 4, 2009 3:22 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I heard the Habs were looking for a new goalie coach…?

by Habs on Jun 4, 2009 11:18 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If memory serves...

Lacroix the Younger resigned his post in Phoenix well in advance of the Patrick Roy fiasco, even.

Makes you wonder who else was in on the joke-on-Granato, as early as a month ago. When Tony left the room, were Sherman and Billington exchanging knowing glances, back in April?

Worse still, was Goulet?

by TD O'Dell on Jun 4, 2009 9:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs