Quote:
Originally Posted by GreenLantern2814
Yes, but there have to be not fewer than 30 other executives in this city who could do what KK does without interfering in hockey ops.
I'm not saying his time here has been a waste, but like everything, it may be time to move on, and he is a very replaceable piece.
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Severely underestimating King's abilities and skills. Most CEO's and executives in the city know how to run a business and make money in their field. King has basically to oversee things progressing on the ice, something he had no inside knowledge of, deal with an organization in shambles from top to bottom, and bring it back to respectibility in all areas...in the offices, on the ice, and in the community. Those take a lot of different skill sets, but he's done all that, and the Flames are successful, and are intertwined with the community, setup community partnerships, all for the good of the City.
With the Flames Foundation, and all the charitable initiatives, let alone a strong corporate following, that wasn't always there. Save our Flames spawned the Flames Ambassadors were setup in the late 90's as a last resort to get corporate Calgary recruited in the sale drive, and it was still a losing battle. But, he helped things stay positive, and waited for the person to turn around the team on the ice.
He's the go between for the owners and the GM's, day to day around the team, to give the high level details to a very interested ownership group who can't keep up with the day to day or week to week goings on...he's the guy, always has been.
Having that role and around the team day to day that daily pulse on the team, possibly the only one still around since he was hired in 2001, its hard not to be involved.
He's been in hockey operations, like it or not, intentional or not, since the beginning...first incident that I recall is Gilbert getting upset after a game at Vernon, and sending Vernon down to the minors while on an eastern swing. There were a couple of highly prominent members of the Flames organization ready to quit over that. King flew from Calgary to go out and mediate. So in addition to all the marketing and trying to fill seats with corporate and casual fans, build the TV side of things, new media side of things, etc, in a new job, he has to get involved in things.
Sutter was the hire that got him over the top...but, he also let Sutter do what he needed to do on the ice, and in the GM chair.
Also, I think as soon as Sutter, who he was close with, became a rookie GM, the two worked together pretty closely.
Darryl needing some of the help to navigate the business side mixing with a cap, and being a "have" team all of a sudden...and in that relationship, King likely was even more exposed to the day to day operations that Sutter was dealing with, working hand in hand with Darryl and learned a lot from him about hockey players and the dynamics of a hockey club day to day.
When Darryl was let go, I am sure King kept some of theat knowledge he acquired. I am sure the owners and maybe even Feaster, appreciated that experience. Feaster may also known that King, being around the club as long as he has, is a valuable person to have to bounce ideas off. Are bouncing ideas off the guy "meddling" in hockey operations? Don't know.
After all that, and even with experience he may have gleaned off of working with Darryl and being as close to the hockey operations for a half decade, should he be making decisions at a detailed level? Probably not. But he's also been given the trust of the Flames owners for almost 12 years, who are as passionate about hockey as most here, and have millions of dollars invested.
If they thought he was a hindrance or overstepping his bounds, that would be an issue brought up and addressed.
I'm not doubting that he's got opinions in hockey operations, but I'd like to know the form and depth that he's involved....certainly before he gets thrown out under the bus as the blame gets shifted around as the Flames start to fail.
Anyways, its easy to start pointing fingers, and maybe or maybe not he has worn out his welcome in that role, if for optics if nothing else. Being part of the sports conglomerate he's help build in this city with the Stamps, Roughnecks and Hitmen, and be the lead point for the next thing the Flames organization will provide the city, that being a new arena, is not a bad idea.
But, I would be quite surprised if he's overstepped the bounds of decision making that the owner, or Sutter or Feaster, have allowed him to have, in making any sort of critical hockey operations, including those that have lead to the situation the Flames are in right now. There are a lot of fingers to point probably, and singling one out as him is unfair and shortsighted without any of us knowing that dynamic within the Flames organization.
IMO.