| |
 Savard could return to Montreal
Posted: Wednesday June 02, 1999 09:25 PM
It's listed as a moving on, but make no mistake, Montreal Canadiens President Ron Corey was fired this week. Corey's legacy will be the building of the Molson Centre, a first-class sports and entertainment facility that will serve Montreal well for years, but Corey ran into problems when he started thinking he was a hockey man. He's been under fire for his dabbling with the on-ice product for several years now, and the fact that the Canadiens are losers and losing money was enough to push ownership in a new direction. The first replacement names out of the box include former Montreal general manager Serge Savard, Anaheim general manager Pierre Gauthier and Colorado general manager Pierre Lacroix. Any of the three are likely to take the job, especially Lacroix, who would love to return to his native Montreal and run the fabled franchise. Savard is also a primary candidate. He was fired by Corey -- some say unjustly -- and sources in Montreal claim he would like to come back as THE man in charge. Savard also has a great deal of business acumen, something that would appeal to the corporate bosses at Molson, the brewery that owns the team. However, other names are sure to emerge, including some non-francophones. Though the idea might seem foreign to the fans who for years have associated the Canadiens with the French element of the province, this is largely a business decision and the Molson people will be looking for the most competent businessman available. Insiders contend that the position is likely to be split into two jobs anyway. There will be a business and entertainment division and a separate hockey division. If that's the case, look for a more separate business operation. Is swap involving general manager in the works?As we told you last week, Ottawa Senators general manager Rick Dudley is looking to get out of his deal there and join the Tampa Bay Lightning and its new owner, Bill Davidson. However, negotiations are not going smoothly and sources say that Dudley is now trying to arrange a trade that involves him as a part of the package. The idea is not unprecedented in the NHL. There has been compensation for teams signing other front-office personal, including coaches, but a swap involving a general manager would be unprecedented. Former Buffalo Sabres coach Ted Nolan is still in the interview mix at Los Angeles and Atlanta, but the situation in Detroit has changed the pecking order somewhat. Wings' Lewis may go elsewhereAs we told you last week, Scott Bowman had opted to stay on with the Red Wings. That's likely to prompt assistant coaches Barry Smith and Dave Lewis to look elsewhere. Lewis is an in-demand assistant who was thought to be the prime takeover candidate in Detroit. With Bowman back in the fold, Los Angeles is taking a look at Lewis, a former player with the Kings when current general manager Dave Taylor was a player there. Lewis is considered a prime candidate in Los Angeles, but is also likely to talk to Atlanta and perhaps Phoenix. Smith, who has been with Bowman in Buffalo and Pittsburgh as well as Detroit, is said to be on Phoenix's interview list. Was Robinson's decision a signal on Demer's futureFormer Kings coach Larry Robinson has signed on with New Jersey as an assistant coach. Nothing exceptional there except it was thought that Robinson might take a similar position with Tampa Bay and Jacques Demers. Robinson has a house and a stable of polo ponies in Tampa. That he opted to sign with New Jersey is an indication that the new ownership in Tampa is making no guarantees regarding Demers' future. Jim Kelley covers the NHL -- and the Sabres -- for the Buffalo News. His notebook and rumor mill appear weekly on CNNSI.com. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
| |||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||
