Rating the Job Security of All 30 NHL General Managers in 2014-15
There was a time when NHL general managers were virtually immune to firing, with years and years to produce results on behalf of their teams. Times have changed, though, and there is now more pressure than ever before on GMs to show progress immediately.
A glance around the league confirms that. Fully one-third of NHL teams have made changes at the position in recent years, as executives who can't get the job done are either dismissed or kicked further upstairs into presidential or advisory roles.
The following slideshow focuses on the current group of 30 general managers, providing a brief history of each and an evaluation of their safety in their respective jobs. Read on for the details.
Bob Murray, Anaheim Ducks
1 of 30
A Brief History: Bob Murray has spent four decades in the NHL, starting as a player with the Chicago Blackhawks, where he spent his entire 1,008-game career. He moved into a front-office job with the team following his retirement and eventually became the club's general manager.
Following his dismissal, he worked behind the scenes in Vancouver under Brian Burke, eventually following Burke to Anaheim and replacing him in the top hockey job after he left for Toronto. The Ducks dipped briefly after his promotion in 2008 but have come on strong of late, with Murray being named the league's GM of the year in 2013-14.
Job Security: Anaheim currently sits tied for fourth in the NHL, and it doesn't take many brain cells to know that an executive with a red-hot team generally doesn't need to worry about his job.
Don Maloney, Arizona Coyotes
2 of 30
A Brief History: Maloney was a reasonably successful scoring forward over better than a decade at hockey's highest level, picking up 564 points in 765 games, which were mostly spent in New York (with either the Rangers or the Islanders).
His managerial career prominently featured both teams, with Maloney serving as the Isles GM in the early 1990s. Following his departure, he had a long stint in the Rangers front office before taking the top job in Arizona.
Job Security: Maloney has been with the Coyotes for most of a turbulent decade, and while the off-ice part of the team was often a mess, he has done a masterful job of getting results on the ice despite a shoestring budget. Arizona's team is struggling this season, but Maloney's track record should certainly keep him safe.
Peter Chiarelli, Boston Bruins
3 of 30
A Brief History: The Harvard-educated Chiarelli has degrees in law and economics, and got started in the game as a player agent before joining the Ottawa Senators. His work with the Sens started on the legal side, but he eventually rose to the position of assistant general manager. Boston hired him away in the summer of 2006 to fill its top hockey operations job, and he's been with the Bruins ever since.
Job Security: Chiarelli has made some controversial moves lately (notably the trade of Johnny Boychuk), but under his watch, the Bruins have consistently been a dominant club in the East, culminating in a 2011 Stanley Cup championship. Given his team's successes, it would be crazy to think he is in any danger.
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Tim Murray, Buffalo Sabres
4 of 30
A Brief History: Murray, the nephew of longtime hockey men Brian and Terry, has worked for a number of NHL teams over a 20-year front-office career that started on the amateur scouting side.
He worked for the Red Wings, Panthers and Rangers before joining uncle Brian in Ottawa as that team's assistant general manager. His history in focusing on amateur procurement made him a logical choice to helm a rebuilding Buffalo Sabres team, and he was hired to oversee the club in January 2014.
Job Security: With less than a calendar year on the job, Murray is just getting started. To date, he has focused primarily on accumulating young talent, and he'll doubtless be given some time to get the Sabres moving in the right direction.
Brad Treliving, Calgary Flames
5 of 30
A Brief History: The son of well-known Canadian businessman Jim Treliving, Brad enjoyed a largely unremarkable professional career that was primarily spent in the ECHL. He took an unorthodox route from there to a job in NHL management, working as the president of the Central Hockey League before taking a front-office position under Don Maloney in Arizona.
Treliving spent a little under a decade as Maloney's right-hand man before being hired by the Flames last summer.
Job Security: There is a grace period for any new executive, but with the Calgary Flames performing so well, Treliving wouldn't be in any danger even if he wasn't a new hire.
Ron Francis, Carolina Hurricanes
6 of 30
A Brief History: Francis is one of a number of exceptional former players in highly visible front-office positions around the NHL. The Hall of Famer spent the bulk of his brilliant career with the Hurricanes/Whalers franchise before retiring in 2005. He has served in a variety of roles with the team, both on the coaching and front-office side, and succeeded Jim Rutherford in the top hockey operations job in April.
Job Security: The Hurricanes have not been good, but Francis is still in the honeymoon phase of his GM career and has time to find his way.
Stan Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks
7 of 30
A Brief History: The son of legendary coach Scotty Bowman, Stan has spent his entire career as an executive in Chicago. He joined the team in 2000 as a special assistant to the general manager and moved up the ladder rapidly, eventually rising to the No. 2 role. In the summer of 2009, he replaced Dale Tallon and assumed the Blackhawks' top job.
Job Security: The Chicago Blackhawks have been either the NHL's best team or its second-best team during Bowman's tenure, depending on who is doing the counting. Despite being the son of one of the most famous men in hockey, he seems to be having little trouble carving out his own reputation.
Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche
8 of 30
A Brief History: Sakic's history as an executive is extremely brief; he's spent less than five years in the Avs front office. Instead, his primary qualification is his playing history, including more than 1,600 points in the regular season and two Stanley Cups with Colorado.
Job Security: Sakic is new enough to the role that firing him is not really within the realm of possibility, even with Colorado struggling in the early part of 2014-15.
Jarmo Kekalainen, Columbus Blue Jackets
9 of 30
A Brief History: Kekalainen's playing career isn't much to speak of; he bounced around Europe and North America and appeared in just 55 NHL games.
Instead, his primary achievements have come off the ice. Kekalainen developed a formidable reputation as a scout over 15 years split between the Senators and Blues, eventually rising to the rank of assistant general manager in St. Louis. He returned to Finland to work as the GM of Jokerit in that country's top league and was in that position for some time before being hired by the Blue Jackets.
Job Security: Yet another of the league's newly minted managers, Kekalainen will mark his second anniversary in Columbus in February. His arrival coincided with a turnaround in the team's fortunes, though it must be noted that much of the groundwork was laid by predecessor Scott Howson. Despite a slow start by the team in 2014-15, he is in no danger.
Jim Nill, Dallas Stars
10 of 30
A Brief History: For many years, Jim Nill's name came up whenever a GM opportunity opened up. He spent nearly 20 years with the excellent Detroit Red Wings, with better than a decade of that time spent as Ken Holland's right-hand man and as the executive in charge of the Red Wings' efforts at the annual NHL draft. Dallas managed to convince him to take over the Stars in April 2013.
Job Security: Nill might be new to the top job, but he has acted with the confidence of an old hand, showing no hesitation to make major moves. The most notable of those was the acquisition of Tyler Seguin from Boston, a trade that has worked out wonderfully for the Stars. Dallas has had some hiccups early in 2014-15, but there is no reason to believe Nill is in any danger whatsoever.
Ken Holland, Detroit Red Wings
11 of 30
A Brief History: Ken Holland's unremarkable career as a goaltender came to an end in the mid-1980s, when he opted to take a job with the Red Wings' amateur scouting department. Over the next 12 years, he'd climb the organizational ladder, eventually being promoted to the top hockey operations job in 1997.
Job Security: For many years, Holland's Red Wings were the model franchise in the NHL, an example that every club in hockey would have loved to emulate. For his efforts, Holland became one of the most celebrated executives in the game. Detroit's team isn't what it once was, but Holland himself is still well-regarded and was recently given a four-year extension.
Craig MacTavish, Edmonton Oilers
12 of 30
A Brief History: The Oilers and Craig MacTavish have long been synonymous. MacTavish spent nearly a decade with the team in its glory years as a hard-working checking centre, and after his retirement, he served on the coaching staff for just as long. After a stint in the Canucks organization, MacTavish came back to Edmonton in an executive capacity in the summer of 2012 and succeeded Steve Tambellini as general manager less than a year later.
Job Security: Like a lot of the men on this list, MacTavish hasn't really been in the job long enough to be at risk of replacement. He inherited a deeply flawed Edmonton club from Tambellini, and while he's been far more active than his predecessor, he has yet to get the team moving up the NHL standings.
Dale Tallon, Florida Panthers
13 of 30
A Brief History: The second overall pick in the 1970 draft, Dale Tallon had a decent career but not one that really lived up to his draft pedigree. After a decade as a player, he retired and went into broadcasting, working as an analyst for Chicago Blackhawks games.
In 1998, he transitioned into a senior front-office role, eventually rising to the GM position in the summer of 2005. His track record in Chicago was uneven, but he laid much of the groundwork for the team's current success and definitely had the team moving in the right direction when he was demoted in favour of Stan Bowman in the summer of 2009.
After a year in a senior role with the 'Hawks, Tallon was brought aboard to manage Florida's rebuild.
Job Security: There have been rumours that Tallon is in danger in Florida, as reported by Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. In four years at the helm of the Panthers, Tallon has yet to see his team win a playoff series, and in three of those four campaigns, the club has finished outside the postseason. Florida's play has improved lately, but with a 6-4-5 record, the club is three games under .500 and could go either way. Failure just might cost Tallon his job.
Dean Lombardi, Los Angeles Kings
14 of 30
A Brief History: Lawyer Dean Lombardi got into hockey as a player agent and was one of the first agents to make the jump to an NHL front office when he was hired by Minnesota in the late 1980s. After just under a decade first with the North Stars and then San Jose, Lombardi was named GM of the Sharks in 1996.
After some significant successes, Lombardi was dismissed in 2003 after a disappointing season. He spent several years as a scout with Philadelphia before being hired by the Kings.
Job Security: It's funny how easily things could have gone another way. Lombardi was hired by the Kings in 2006, and in his first five seasons, the team failed to win a playoff series. In 2011-12, L.A. barely made the playoffs and looked ticketed for another early exit, one which might have cost the GM his job. Instead, the Kings won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, and they've since added another to that total.
Lombardi's bulletproof at the moment.
Chuck Fletcher, Minnesota Wild
15 of 30
A Brief History: The son of longtime executive Cliff Fletcher, Chuck has paid his dues en route to his current position. His front-office career started with the expansion Panthers, and he spent nearly a decade in Florida as that team's assistant general manager. That was followed by stints in similar roles with Anaheim and Pittsburgh, with the Wild hiring him away from the Penguins in the summer of 2009.
Job Security: The Wild have steadily improved under Fletcher's watch. After three years outside the postseason, Minnesota made the playoffs for the first time under Fletcher in 2012-13 and last season advanced to the second round. With a combination of emerging young talent and high-end free agents, the Wild seem to be moving in the right direction, and as long as that continues, Fletcher should be in good shape.
Marc Bergevin, Montreal Canadiens
16 of 30
A Brief History: Montreal native Marc Bergevin had a long playing career, but it centered around the Chicago Blackhawks rather than his hometown. An NHL journeyman who spent time with eight different teams, Bergevin was originally drafted by Chicago and after his retirement joined the Blackhawks front office, eventually serving as that club's assistant general manager. He was hired by Montreal in the summer of 2012.
Job Security: Not only is Bergevin relatively new in his role, but the Habs have had success under his watch. The team made the playoffs in his first season as GM and last year advanced to the third round before being eliminated by the New York Rangers. With the Canadiens sitting at the top of the NHL standings, Bergevin is in absolutely no danger.
David Poile, Nashville Predators
17 of 30
A Brief History: It's hard to briefly sum up the career of a man like Poile, who has spent three decades as the general manager of NHL teams and four in one front-office capacity or another. Suffice to say that in 15 years at the helm of the Washington Capitals, his team made the playoffs 14 times, and that following his departure from Washington, he was hired almost immediately to oversee the expansion Predators.
Job Security: Poile's name was a popular one in the rumour mill last season, as Nashville missed the playoffs for a second consecutive year. The Predators have slowly and steadily improved under Poile's watch, making the playoffs for seven of eight seasons from 2003-12.
The team missed the postseason in both 2012-13 and 2013-14, resulting in the dismissal of longtime head coach Barry Trotz, but with a 12-4-2 record on the season, the Preds are one of the hottest teams in the league, and Poile presumably has a little breathing room as a result.
Lou Lamoriello, New Jersey Devils
18 of 30
A Brief History: After a brilliant career in a variety of capacities in the U.S. college system, Lou Lamoriello was hired as the general manager of the New Jersey Devils. The year was 1987, and Lamoriello was a somewhat shocking hire because of his non-traditional background. Nearly 30 years later, no GM has been with his current team longer.
Job Security: Lamoriello has guided the Devils to three Stanley Cup championships and made the team a model organization. He's a legendary manager, one already enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame for his efforts. It's possible that he'll have the job as long as he wants, though at the age of 72, it's fair to wonder how much longer that will be. New Jersey has now missed the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
Garth Snow, New York Islanders
19 of 30
A Brief History: Garth Snow had no management experience when the Islanders shockingly elevated him from backup goaltender to general manager in the summer of 2006. Despite poor results—the Isles have never won a playoff series under his watch and missed the postseason entirely in six of his eight seasons at the helm—he's been kept in place by owner Charles Wang.
Job Security: With the Islanders getting set to transition from Wang's ownership over the next few seasons, Snow would normally be in a dangerous position. However, an incredibly active summer saw him overhaul his team, and New York is currently in the top 10 in the NHL standings and appears primed for what could be its most successful season in 20 years.
Glen Sather, New York Rangers
20 of 30
A Brief History: A hard-nosed forward as a player, Sather's true calling lay in coaching and management. He forged his reputation with the Edmonton Oilers, a team he coached back during its WHA days, and he engineered a team that would win five Stanley Cups under his watch. In 2000, he left the Oilers to take the top hockey operations job with the New York Rangers.
Job Security: Sather survived some very poor years (and poor decisions) in New York, and with the team having success on the ice, it's unlikely he's in any danger of dismissal now. Like Lou Lamoriello, however, Sather is in his 70s and at some point may want to take a step back.
Bryan Murray, Ottawa Senators
21 of 30
A Brief History: There is no such thing as a brief history of Bryan Murray's exceptional NHL career. He enjoyed a distinguished run as an NHL coach with five different organizations; with 620 wins, he ranks ninth all time among NHL coaches (though he'll soon be passed by the Dallas Stars' Lindy Ruff). He's also been a GM for four different teams, taking over the top job in Ottawa in the summer of 2007.
Job Security: Murray's career has taken a back seat to health concerns. The 71-year-old has Stage 4 colon cancer and admitted recently to TSN's Michael Farber that at this point the disease simply isn't curable.
"There is no cure at this point for me," he told Farber. "The word is we’ll keep doing chemo and hopefully, reduce the tumors and the effect and I’ll get some time out of that."
Ron Hextall, Philadelphia Flyers
22 of 30
A Brief History: Ron Hextall had a long and distinguished career as a goaltender for the Flyers, and unsurprisingly, that's where he started his front-office career, too.
Hextall started at the bottom of the organizational ladder as a professional scout and worked his way up. That arc was sped along when Hextall followed Dean Lombardi to Los Angeles, where he served as assistant general manager for seven seasons. He returned to Philadelphia in 2013 in the same role, and after a year in the position, Hextall succeeded Paul Holmgren as general manager.
Job Security: Another relatively new hire, Hextall inherited a team with some significant problems and will doubtless be given time to put things in order.
Jim Rutherford, Pittsburgh Penguins
23 of 30
A Brief History: Jim Rutherford has only been on the job in Pittsburgh for a short time, but he spent two decades as the general manager of the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes before joining the Penguins. Although his team was not consistently successful, it did win a Stanley Cup in 2006.
Job Security: The 65-year-old Rutherford is yet another in a wave of new top executives around the NHL, and as such, he's almost certainly safe for at least a few years (and longer if he can guide the Penguins to a championship).
Doug Armstrong, St. Louis Blues
24 of 30
A Brief History: Doug Armstrong's managerial career has mostly been spent in Dallas. He joined the Stars organization in the early 1990s and spent nearly a decade as Bob Gainey's top assistant before eventually replacing him as general manager.
He spent six seasons at the helm of that club before being dismissed in 2008 after which he joined the Blues' organization. Armstrong took over as GM in St. Louis following the retirement of Larry Pleau in the summer of 2010.
Job Security: The Blues have consistently been a contender under Armstrong's watch but have now failed to advance beyond the first round of the playoffs in consecutive seasons. Still, he's done a strong job, and it would be a real surprise if St. Louis even entertained thoughts of replacing him.
Doug Wilson, San Jose Sharks
25 of 30
A Brief History: Doug Wilson enjoyed a distinguished career as a player, winning the Norris Trophy in 1982 and playing over 1,000 NHL games. He finished his playing career with the Sharks but took on various roles in hockey (including a stint with the NHLPA) before rejoining the team in a front-office role. He eventually replaced Dean Lombardi as general manager in 2003.
Job Security: Wilson's name frequently comes up in rumours because of the Sharks' inability to win it all. He's lasted as long as he has because San Jose has been consistently competitive; the team has made the playoffs all 10 seasons he's been in the top job and has won 10 playoff series over that span. But the lack of a championship makes Wilson vulnerable.
Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning
26 of 30
A Brief History: After a legendary playing career with the Detroit Red Wings, Steve Yzerman joined that team's front office, working with current NHL general managers Ken Holland and Jim Nill. After a relatively short period of time (four seasons) with the franchise, he was tapped to take over in Tampa Bay.
Job Security: The Lightning have had some ups and downs since Yzerman's hiring in the summer of 2010, and by 2013, he was frequently mentioned as a candidate for dismissal given the club's struggles.
However, the team has turned a corner under head coach Jon Cooper and is presently one of the top clubs in the league. Given his fine work, he should be safe for some time to come.
Dave Nonis, Toronto Maple Leafs
27 of 30
A Brief History: Nonis broke into the league with the Vancouver Canucks in 1990 and served two stints with the team (interrupted in between by four years with the NHL), eventually rising to the role of general manager in 2004. His three seasons as GM in Vancouver were somewhat inconclusive, and upon his dismissal in 2008, he rejoined ex-Canucks colleague Brian Burke, first in Anaheim and then Toronto.
When Burke was dismissed by the Maple Leafs in 2013, Nonis replaced him.
Job Security: Nonis hasn't been in charge in Toronto for all that long; he'll mark his second anniversary at the helm in January. Even so, there have been plenty of changes in the front office over his short time as GM, and with a disappointing team and a new president, he certainly isn't safe.
Jim Benning, Vancouver Canucks
28 of 30
A Brief History: Jim Benning had a decent but unspectacular NHL playing career, appearing in 605 games for Toronto and Vancouver. He went into scouting after his retirement, starting in Anaheim and eventually moving on to Buffalo, where he became the team's director of amateur scouting.
He was hired as the assistant general manager in Boston in 2006 and remained in that role until being hired by old teammate Trevor Linden for the GM job in Vancouver last summer.
Job Security: Benning has had a long and respectable front-office career, but he's only a rookie general manager. The Canucks are off to a fantastic 12-6-0 start, but even if they weren't, he'd be given time to prove himself.
Brian MacLellan, Washington Capitals
29 of 30
A Brief History: Brian MacLellan was a journeyman player, spending a little over 600 games in the NHL with five different franchises. He went back to school and got an MBA in finance after his retirement, working outside of hockey for several years before joining the Capitals as a pro scout. He's been with Washington in various roles ever since, previously serving as assistant general manager before succeeding George McPhee in the summer of 2014.
Job Security: MacLellan is another shiny new general manger, which means he's another guy who should have several years of security before he needs to start worrying about whether his neck is on the line.
Kevin Cheveldayoff, Winnipeg Jets
30 of 30
A Brief History: Kevin Cheveldayoff never made the NHL as a player, despite being a first-round draft pick of the New York Islanders. He did play in the high minors, however, and after retiring in his mid-20s, he took up coaching.
Following a very short time as an assistant coach, he was tapped as the GM of the AHL's Chicago Wolves, where he spent 12 years and won four championships. His work with the Wolves earned the attention of the Blackhawks, who hired him as assistant general manager. After just two seasons with Chicago, Winnipeg brought him aboard as GM in the summer of 2011.
Job Security: If Cheveldayoff were fired tomorrow, he'd have been dismissed after more than three years on the job without ever having traded one NHL player for another. He came close when he dealt Eric Tangradi for Peter Budaj, but both players were subsequently waived and sent to the AHL. Winnipeg is off to a reasonably strong start (10-7-3) but has never made the playoffs, and if that trend continues, at some point it has to cost a largely inactive general manager his job.
Unless otherwise noted, information and statistics via Hockey-Reference.com, HockeyDB.com or NHL.com and current as of the start of action on November 19.
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