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Back in the game Former Winnipeg GM Smith takes over Blackhawks
Posted: Monday December 13, 1999 02:40 PM
CHICAGO (AP) -- Mike Smith didn't get the general manager's title Sunday. He just got the job of running the floundering Chicago Blackhawks as the team's manager of hockey operations. Smith's appointment is the latest move in a major overhaul that began last week when senior vice president Bob Pulford was called out of semi-retirement to return as general manager and head coach. Bob Murray was fired as GM and head coach Lorne Molleken demoted to associate coach. Now the Blackhawks turn to Smith, a former GM with Winnipeg, an associate GM in Toronto and a consultant under Pulford from 1995-97, to turn around the franchise. "I've been hired to rebuild. I wouldn't be here if things were going well," said Smith, who holds a doctorate in political science and Russian studies from Syracuse. "The first step is to become a competitive team for the playoffs. The second step is to become a team in the top one-third of the league." His title may be manager of hockey operations, but there is no doubt he will perform the duties of the general manager. Smith will evaluate personnel and the current scouting system, lead the Blackhawks in the draft, conduct trades and sign free agents. "I think the personnel is better than the record," Smith said of his initial evaluation. "There are real good players here. ...We'll evaluate our players to be sure who we have and what their contributions will be. I don't think the barrel is as empty as I've been reading. "Don't expect to see a lot of player changes, certainly not for a while. I'm not going to step in here and in five days try to make a statement by a trade or sending some players to the minors." The Hawks are 2-4 since Pulford returned as GM and coach and 7-19-4 overall after Sunday night's 2-1 loss to Calgary. They have missed the playoffs the last two seasons. While in Winnipeg, Smith drafted Teemu Selanne, Keith Tkachuk and Alex Zhamnov, now with the Blackhawks. Pulford said one of Smith's top moves while in Toronto was acquiring goalie Curtis Joseph. Smith left the Maple Leafs after a power struggle with team president Ken Dryden. Pulford said Smith was the only person he talked to about taking the job. And he made it clear that Smith is running day-to-day operations. "He's in charge," Pulford said, adding he no longer could or wished to handle the duties of a GM, a post he held for nearly 20 years before being replaced by Murray in 1997. "I don't want to sit in the middle of an ice-cold rink in December somewhere in Canada. I don't want to do that. Those days are done," he said. Smith has already met with Molleken, who is still running the team from the bench as Pulford stands along side him, offering advice. Pulford said a decision on whether he will leave the bench before the season ends and turn it back to Molleken full-time will be discussed "as time goes by." Molleken's future, Smith said, is not an immediate priority. Molleken was promoted from assistant to replace the fired Dirk Graham last season and led Chicago to a 13-6-4 mark in the final 23 games. Then he got the job full-time. Or so he thought. When the Hawks got off to another slow start and were obviously one of the NHL's weakest teams, he was demoted. "I just gave Lorne an idea of how I operate and what I expect of coaches," Smith said. "Right now I don't think anybody's job is on the line," he added. "But those of us in this business know your jobs are always on the line. You don't get tenure." Smith, 54, had been operating a consulting business for NHL clients since leaving Toronto at the end of last season. "We feel he will help take us in the direction we want to go," Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz said.
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