Quote:
Originally Posted by FAN
Hockey guy has just become a term to describe a guy who knows the game of hockey from a more technical standpoint, such as understanding how the game is played and having the ability to evaluate hockey talent. Hockey players are generally seen as hockey guys because players typically know when they see a good player, but that doesn't mean they make good scouts because scouting is all about the ability to project a player. I've answered you many times it's about learning the trade and developing the skills required for the position. Ken King is a hockey executive who has to know the trade by now. But I bet that if a coach, scout, or player starts talking about the finer aspects of hockey such as hockey strategy King would be lost. So you can watch the Flames play hockey 80+ games a year for the past 25 years and not be a hockey guy. You can be the team's physician for 30 years and not be a hockey guy. You can negotiate contracts and be the team's capologist and not be a hockey guy. But an equipment manager who has made the extraordinary effort to learn the game from the coaching staff might be in a better position to coach or scout than say Ken King or Jay Feaster.
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The first bolded point - how do you know he would be lost? He grew up in Canada, and his work with the Sun and Herald could have very well put him in contact with lots of great players and coaches. He may very well have picked the brains of many and he might be a pretty knowledgeable hockey guy by this definition, right? This was his 'dream job' - so obviously he was a huge fan of hockey to begin with, and he could very well have gone along much like the equipment manager in your example.
My point is there is no 'degree' of hockey. You watch some guys come up through the ranks of the NHL, retire, and then join the front office. Some are absolutely amazing personnel that do a tremendous job. Others are just.. well.. horrible. The greatest player in the game made a horrible coach. A guy that never played beyond minor hockey has been the best coach in history.
All I am saying is that it seems people throw out the 'hockey guy' thing out quite a lot, and I see two things wrong with it:
1) There is no clear cut definition of it. A lawyer is a lawyer once he completes his degree. When is a hockey guy a certified hockey guy? There is no consensus on this.
2) Plenty of hockey guys have been successes and absolute failures. What does it really matter in the end?