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Cheese
07-20-2015, 09:12 PM
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July 21, 2015


Flames GM Cheese steps down, leaving brutal legacy


Besides the timing, the only surprising thing about the news that Calgary Flames VP/GM Cheese has relinquished his post is that it was audible over the champagne corks popping and celebratory noises from the CPHL and Flames Nation after the inevitable finally occurred.


Assistant GM Pierre “Monster” McGuire will move up to acting GM, taking over a job that many assumed would be his if the Flames continued to struggle. They have, and it is.


From the Flames:

Calgary Flames President & CEO Ben Ring announced today that Cheese is stepping down as Executive VP and General Manager of the hockey club. Effective immediately, Pierre “Monster” McGuire has been appointed acting General Manager and will assume full and complete responsibilities for day to day hockey operations.


"Cheese has performed valuable service to the Calgary Flames organization for many years," said Ring. "He was the leader that ignited a renaissance of Flames hockey, moving us from a non-playoff team to an organization that was viewed as a respected and popular contender each year. We thank Cheese for his leadership and his important contributions to re-establishing the Calgary Flames as a Model T franchise. As we enter the next phase of our growth in the CPHL, we are restructuring our leadership and processes. We are pleased that Cheese has agreed to assist in an orderly transition and will provide his valuable guidance in the process. He remains dedicated to the success of the team he worked so hard to build".


"We will move forward under a new administration with Pierre leading our hockey operations as Acting General Manager," said Ring. "For the remainder of this season, Pierre will be provided the opportunity to evaluate the team from the GM's chair and build a long term plan. We believe that while we continue to compete for a playoff position this season, this period will provide both the organization and Pierre time to decide on critical future decisions."



Pierre, the architect of many articles on the Flames youth system while in Abbotsford, gets a shot at the helm; this time of an overpaid, overage team that missed the playoffs for the first time despite being a well-paid team.


Basically, there are maids in Los Angeles who had an easier mess to clean up after Motley Crue stayed in their hotel than Pierre has in Calgary; post-Cheese.
The sins of the former GM? Allow Jorge Jonsson of the Calgary Herald to count the ways:



They're old, expensive, set in their ways. No picks in the Top 100 in any of the last five NHL entry drafts. their top "young" players are (Andrey Makarov, Eddie Lack and his father, Riley Nash and Dylan Olsen). Now there's a boy band that'll top the charts. “People, roll out of bed and sniff the dark roast already.”


Yet the ground is littered with casualties - the unfortunate Tim Hunter, assorted assistants - yet it's always, apparently, a coaching deficiency. Cheese still stands defiant, apparently as bulletproof as Elliot Ness' flak jacket. Why? How?
He should've been gonged last winter.



Instead, he's gonged in July, having built a roster that already has $71,750,000 (via Kap Geek) tied up for 2015-16 with 3 holes on the roster.


From Dome Beers, a Flames blog, a take on Cheese's firing:


Cheese did a lot for this franchise, bringing back its legitimacy, both in the local market and across the league. He took the team from being a 70 point one to a 90 point one. We thank him for that, and we will always thank the man for reigniting the fan base, but let’s face facts, old Cheese does not smell very good! If he had just changed his socks!


But the man went crazy. He was like one of those Korean Emperors who drank mercury and lost his mind. Burish? Bernier? Halischuk? And that's just this year. That is us not even talking about the coaches or all the traded draft picks. Something in the Soju? Too much Kimchi?


He had to go, but at the end of the day, he wasn't the only one who has to go.
In some ways, Cheese is very much like Swayze11 in Colorado, and not just because they both hired ####ty coaches.


Neither GM could manage the cap, at times playing shorthanded because of it. Both relied on old familiar faces rather than going cheaper and younger. And both spent gobs of money in the wrong places!


All of which leads to a team being at or near the bottom of the conference and, in Cheese's case, out of a job months after it should have happened.


Check out a nice roundup of Cheese's many moves as GM at Outside Hockey.
http://cphl.calgarypuck.com/cgi-bin/postteamtrades.cgi?4
Laughable indeed. Good riddance, Stale Cheese is simply not edible to the fans of the Flames…bring on Pierre “Monster” McGuire! It’s Time for MONSTER hockey in Calgary!


/edit
On a more personal note...thanks to everyone playing this game. LOVE you all. This game is the best of its type on the internet and deserves active players, which I simply am not. I have taken more responisibility over seas and have added another year to my arrangement so just do not have any time. Maybe in the future ....
Until then...Live long and prosper!
Go Monster go!

Pierre "Monster" McGuire
07-20-2015, 09:27 PM
LOL! Amazing outro Cheese! Self-deprecation at its finest.

Thanks for having me everyone. Take it easy on me. Cheese left me a mess ;)

Drury18
07-20-2015, 09:35 PM
It was fun being resident "AHL Expert" while it lasted. I guess I better start fighting for the "Best Female GM" title back. Which one of you guys have it now?

Seriously though, sorry to see you go Cheese. You were a huge help when I was starting with the league and great to chat with and provide direction. I know you did tons to recruit players for the league and put a lot into it. Huge loss to the league.

Oh yea, and welcome PMM. Forgot that part.

Da_Chief
07-20-2015, 09:51 PM
Later Mould, stay in touch.

Welcome Monster! That is quite the mess you have to clean up, my best suggestion would be to keep going for this year and keep adding more players to win now.

Caged Great
07-20-2015, 09:54 PM
It always sucks to see a good GM leave. All the best Cheese, enjoy your newly found free time.

Flickered Flame
07-20-2015, 10:04 PM
Good luck with everything, thanks for all the chats and of course thanks for bringing me into the league all those years ago. Talk to you when you return!

dsavillian
07-20-2015, 10:05 PM
The cheese does not stand alone

or does he? I'm not sure where I was going with this.

Later duder! Have fun living the life of a non-forum dwelling member of society :)

Swayze11
07-20-2015, 10:14 PM
Really sad to see you go. Talked lots hope to see you back very soon! Cya around old man.

Are you still going to be a part of the commish team? Really liked what you have done there.

JonDuke
07-20-2015, 10:14 PM
No, no, no, no. Hell no!!
I'm hooked worse than a heroin addict because of you.
My wife despises CP now more than ever before, my kids often forget what I look like, I have periodic nightmares revolving around losing my Kakao contacts, my entire "bookmarks" are now CPHL links, and I go multiple days without showering.
All because of you.
You invite me here, and then you leave?
I cannot explain the sadness that has engulfed my soul.
I don't remember feeling like this since Lenny died in Of Mice and Men.

For real though...Thanks for getting me hooked and for never once complaining at the multitude of "advice" I sought, which was borderline harassment. Best of luck with all your new free time!

Welcome Monster! Sorry bout your luck!!
Cheese was ready to deal Datsyuk my way in exchange for Hishon. I was trying to convince him to throw in a 5th. That's where talks stalled.
Just so you're up to date on that end.

TurdFerguson
07-20-2015, 10:17 PM
Thanks Korea

We all hope to live our dreams and you did; relinquishing the Raines of the wretched Oilers franchise and seizing control of a floundering Flames organizations.

Like a great great great great grandfather, I enjoyed our lengthy but seldom conversations. So wise...and cheap. I can still hear your text-to-voice "in my day, Larry Robinson was worth a damn...but you can have him for a couple firsts...I can't send cap".

At any rate, I'll have the nurses ready your Meds for your return. M = Monday TU = ...ahhh you know the drill.

아무것도 오래된 치즈 같은 막걸리와 함께 간다

Slava
07-20-2015, 10:20 PM
Sorry to see you go old man! I'm sure that you'll be back soon though and enjoy SE Asia in the meantime. Keep in touch!

3thirty
07-20-2015, 10:26 PM
Take care, hope to see you back soon when time allows! You were always active and helpful so thanks for everything.

Hanna Sniper
07-20-2015, 10:31 PM
I have nothing but the greatest level of respect my friend

If you ever find your way back into the league again, that day will be a good day. Don't forget to add to your picture thread now and then

take care boss

Tilley
07-20-2015, 10:34 PM
The King is no more. Thanks Cheese for inviting me to play... even after I was already in the CPHL. I hope you follow the trend of GMs leaving and realizing they need their CPHL fix. Thanks for the occasional trade advice and everything you have done for the league.

Hockey
07-20-2015, 10:48 PM
Well this has come as a bit of a shock to me. I figured you were a CPHL lifer. However despite what some people might say on here, life does come first. So thank you for giving me the opportunity to join this league. I do really look forward to the season starting and working with PMM.


Good Luck with everything Cheese and again thank you for letting me into this league.

TurdFerguson
07-20-2015, 10:51 PM
Just to be clear, Cheese did leave his credit card info with the hosting provider, right?

awkward timing i know, but even funerals have bills.

simmer2
07-20-2015, 11:06 PM
Dayel, always good chatting. It's unfortunate to see you leave.

Good luck!

JiriHrdina
07-20-2015, 11:08 PM
Thanks for everything Cheese.

devo22
07-21-2015, 04:11 AM
sad to see you leave Cheese. Take care and come back back when you have the time to do so!!!

welcome to the Monster :)

flambers
07-21-2015, 07:03 AM
Thanks for everything....

Sad to see you go.

smiggy77
07-21-2015, 09:29 AM
Thanks for inviting me to play. Best of luck in all your future endeavors!

droopydrew19
07-21-2015, 09:47 AM
You can never get rid of that stinky old man cheese smell. He will be back.

Until then.... best of luck

KevanGuy
07-21-2015, 10:12 AM
Thanks Cheese. I'm sure you'll be back.

I wanna be like Miikka
07-21-2015, 10:33 AM
Sucks to see you go Cheese, hope to see you back in the league soon. You were always online to talk trades, will miss that.

RT14
07-21-2015, 04:22 PM
Wow, that's unexpected and unfortunate news! Sorry to hear you're leaving Cheese. Always thoroughly enjoyed our talks and will miss having you around. Best of luck between now and when you inevitably return.

fundamentals
07-24-2015, 04:50 PM
Sorry to see you go Cheese. Thanks for all the help! Hope to see you back soon.

DropIt
07-25-2015, 07:44 AM
thanks for getting me in and hooked. hope to see you back

MJK
07-31-2015, 10:43 AM
The CPHL will miss you Cheese. All the best with your new responsabilites over seas.