An Actual Hockey Person

Don't know what's going to happen with Jim Balsillie's longshot bid to put an NHL team in Hamilton over the next few days.

But he's finally got a bonafide hockey man and NHL insider on his team.

Doug MacLean confirmed to The Star this morning that he has joined Balsillie's organization as a hockey "advisor." MacLean has extensive experience with NHL expansion clubs and started the Columbus Blue Jackets from the ground up. The likelihood is that he would become a senior executive with a Hamilton team, but he wasn't speculating on the future this morning.

"I'm an advisor, that's it," he said.

For the first time, then, Balsillie's group has an actual NHL insider on its roster, an individual who has been to NHL board of governors meetings and personally knows most of the movers and shakers at the highest level of the league. In fact, MacLean almost became part of a group that was going to buy the Tampa Bay Lightning several years ago before the tandem of Oren Koules and Len Barrie took on that particular project.

MacLean has spent the last few seasons working on television with Sportsnet and on the FAN590, co-hosting an afternoon show with Jack Armstrong. 

Some might quibble with his hockey credentials - although what he left behind in Columbus looks pretty darn good now, doesn't it? - there's no question the affable and quotable Prince Edward Island native would be a perfect front man for hockey in Hamilton.

That, of course, may still be a distant dream. But at least instead of suits and lawyers, there's an actual hockey man associated with Balsillie's push to take the Phoenix Coyotes and move them to Canada.

Comments

[other mark]

Yawn. Waiting for the puck to drop... and really don't care anymore where.

[Bold Bravado]

Damien, Looks like a last ditch effort to gain some credibility by the Balsillie camp. Really I don’t see what the fuss is about, Have the darn auction and get it over with.
May the highest bidder win!!
Here’s a thought, 1 yr ago Matts Sundin was the front page hockey headline. Any word? Has he retired for good this time?
Looks like the truth is coming out on the NHLPA. Amazing how former players instead of current seem to have the majority say!! Word to the wise, strike again and it will do irreparable damage to the league! Are they prepared to hurt the future of the game?

[james]

wow!!!! this changes things quite a bit, but mmmm, I remember listening to doug on the fan when this balsille coyotes story first broke and he didn´t seem very enthused with what Jimbo was doing, I wonder what got him to change his mind?$?$?$?$

[James]

This could be a win/win/win. Win; it makes the bid a touch less longshot. Win; it possibly gets MacLean into the scenario that, in my opinion, suits him best; a rebuild. Win; it possibly gets him off my daytime radio.

[Dennis Regan]

Happy to see "hockey" finally being part of this battle. Until now it has been all business and egos. Hope this will help.

[Mike]

That's funny, from the bit of him I heard on the Fan earlier in the summer, he didn't seem too impressed by Balsillie, his tactics, or moving the team to Hamilton against the leagues wishes. Wonder if he genuinely changed his mind or if the $$ for being an adviser was too good to pass up?

[obie]

I respect and like doug maclean as a hockey exec. but isnt strange that he signed on with Balsillie's group after he has been opposing balsillie's actions in trying to obtain the coyotes.

[Gerry]

MacLean seems to be grasping every straw that he can. Was'nt he supposed to be involved with the Russian league that was going to rival the NHL and steall all it's stars?
I hope this finally works for him, but what about his radio show?
Either way, this should at least give Balsillie some creditability. The only thing holding the Coyote's coming to Hamilton are the Leafs.
They stand to lose everything, and not even their self described saviour, Brian Burke will be able to save them.

[Dave Warner]

I like Doug but it is pretty funny to see him join the Balsillie team after he spent months ripping his attempts to buy the team through bankruptcy court on "the gameplan". I guess Mrm Balsillie didn't listen to the show....

[Dave Warner]

I like Doug but it is pretty funny to see him join the Balsillie team after he spent months ripping his attempts to buy the team through bankruptcy court on "the gameplan". I guess Mrm Balsillie didn't listen to the show....

[Patrick Cavaliere]

Somewhat surprised, but not entirely shocked. Every public statement Doug MacLean has made on the FAN590 regarding Jim Balsille's attempt to take over the Phoenix Coyotes has been adamantly and vociferously pro Commissioner Gary Bettman and the NHL Board of Governors. He has steadfastly and relentlessly argued against Balsillie’s tactics and strategies, and he has faithfully and without fault consistently towed the “company line.” This most recent revelation of an association with the Balsille camp is such an about-face for Doug MacLean in terms of his public statements and pronouncements, and it cannot be interpreted as anything else but opportunism and self-promotion. Of course, in the business world, these are traits that can often lead to success and power, but they can also lead, as in the case of the NHL, to increasing marginalization and isolation from a business community that gives every indication of having extraordinarily long memory, especially in this instances where it believes it has been betrayed.

[Gary M. Mugford]

Damien,

My memory is that MacLean has been rather pedantically anti-Balsillie during his radio appearances prior to his vacation. I'd be interested in 'why' he's recanted, beyond the obvious money inducements.

GM

[Curious]

I still do not understand why JB does not start his own league. The NHL would not be long inviting him into the NHL.

[Darryl]

I'm a little confuzzled here. I distinctly heard Maclean on Prime Time Sports, fencing with Bob McCowan how he didn't agree with Balsille's renegade approach and the NHL was perfectly within its rights to block anyone from moving a team that they wanted. Now he's joining them? Seems a little opportunistic to me.

[Nick]

I listen to Prime Time Sports on Fan590 alot and I remember Doug being BY FAR the most outspoken critic of Balsillie and his way of going about getting this team. Very surprising and proof that the mighty dollar can always sway an opinion.

[jeff]

Mclean may have blackballed himself from future NHL jobs with this move

[rocketreducer]

This guy was decidely pro-Bettman, pro-NHL just a few months ago on Mcowan's radio show just a few months ago...hmmm, money really does talk.

[Chill]

What looks pretty darn good in Columbus now is a result of undoing a lot of what McLean did. Sure, he drafted Nash, but remember how sure McLean was that Nash would bolt for the Leafs next year? He signed a new contract with the Jackets a few days later. McLean is an overrated blowhard. I hope for Hamilton's sake he remains a consultant if they do land the Coyotes.

[Garmo]

Damien,

Maclean, during this whole process had come out (quite loudly) in support of the NHL and against Basillie. We went on and on how Basillie is way out of line and going about things the wrong way. Funny how is opinion suddenly changes with the possibility of a job, isn't it?

[Tomatchen]

As a lawyer (although admittedly not a U.S. bankruptcy and antitrust specialist) and sports fan it has started to feel to me, with the developments of the past weeks, that Balsillie is actually going to win this thing. I think the key comment from Baum was his intimating that a non-sale was even possible. That means that he could be considering the NHL's offer to be essentially 'Zero', matching the Ballsy one's in conditionality. A non-sale means that nobody would pay a single dollar for this entity as it is, and the creditors get nothing. It sounds an awful lot like Glendale is going to have to concede a few things if it wants to see a penny...

Hockey in Hamilton - and so soon... Who'd-a-thunk a year ago?

[Niagara Mike]

Just another back door effort by a richy poo who can have what he wants, when he wants and how he wants... Can we really afford this clown as taxpayers? He wants us pay for the rink, to trust him when he overpays for a crappy team by a whopping hundred million bucks? And lets be serious, this is a crappy team.

Here's a poll question. Just what kind of so called REAL hockey fan in the Niagara Region would bail out on the Leafs or the Sabres (or any other team for that matter) just to for the sake of hopping on jimBi's bandwagon?

[Brendan Mississauga]

Nice to hear that the fellas on 640 at noon and 590 at 6:30 call Maclean out. Really "intriguing" to see what a flipflop Maclean has performed over the last couple of months. Certainly seems he's grasping for a last chance to get back into the league at any cost. Good on McCowan tonight too.

[Johnny the Juice]

Good riddance to McLean on the Fan. I always found him disrespectful of his cohost Mr. Armstrong, primarily for his (in McLean's opinion) lack of hockey knowledge. In fact, I found Jack well versed in all sports while McLean's knowledge dropped precipitously after hockey...

[Anderson Davies]

Anyone who sticks in a pin in that blowhard McCowan is number one in my books.

[jboy]

MacLean is taking one last kick at the can to get back into the NHL executive/management/coach anything at all role. McCowan called him out last night exactly the way it probably is. He's switched sides for the $$, which probably anyone would do.

But geez, does he ever look bad - when you shoot your mouth off, take a strong stance on one thing, then jump ship, as McCowan said, you are what you appear to be. How much credibility can he have now with anything he says about anything. Good luck Buddy - hope it works out.