Ken King - Is his time coming to an end?

[BigFlameDog]

Originally Posted by bluck

We've all heard it... full scale changes are going to happen.. Does this mean Ken King has his job on the line as well?

A true change of culture would involve King/Sutter/half of this room gone. I feel King's job should be on the line and in my opinion full scale changes start with him getting the axe. What good has he done the last few years other then ramble on and potentially handcuff our GM. (now I know he can't really do much else.. but it seems he still holds a lot of the cards with regards to trades/drafting etc..)

Changes need to be made.. and I feel it's time for a new "King"

Checkmate

Where did we hear it? Was there a confirmation e-mail I missed?

Why would you get rid of the most succesful President and CEO of the Flames...ever? You would have to believe all the ridiculous conspiracy thoeries that he secretly runs hockey ops from his ivory tower over a steaming cauldron.

Do you even know his job description? He is the president and CEO, he has grown the business immensely....this spray bomb hate and blame is getting ######ed.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Where have we heard that "full scale changes are going to happen"?

Given the need for a new building, the recent acquisition of teams like the Roughnecks and Stamps, and other factors I can't imagine the owners handing the keys to the kingdom to someone else right now.

I said the same thing in another thread about Feaster I believe. Ken King appears to be pretty integral to Flames sports enterprise they are building. I highly doubt his job is in jeapardy.

[Lt.Spears]

I think people are confusing Keng King's success with Calgary's success due to the energy industry.

Let's face it, people here have lots of money and are willing to spend big on Hockey, i dont see how Ken King is responsible for that.

[Dome Roamer]

Put me in the "I hope we can find someone else" category. I have zero facts to substantiate this but I believe he has way to much pull with the on ice product.

[Daradon]

Ken King is still the best president in the league IMO. I hope when he leaves it will be because he can't come to the Dome anymore. The guy is amazing.

One has to remember he's not really involved in the team decisions. That's not his job. The only real team decision he has is in regards to who the GM is. And he got rid of Sutter last year under pressure from the owners and the city. So that's been settled already.

I'm not sure why his name keeps coming up. I know people want to see the Flames in the playoffs again, but I'm not sure what you expect him to do.

[Muta]

This close to a new arena, King will not be going anywhere. He's very much in the thick of it.

Plus, just imagine back to how bad Rod Bremner was, and thank your lucky stars Kinger is here.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Lt.Spears

I think people are confusing Keng King's success with Calgary's success due to the energy industry.

Let's face it, people here have lots of money and are willing to spend big on Hockey, i dont see how Ken King is responsible for that.

I get that after another failed season the fans want blood but I don't think firing King will have any bearing on the success of the team on the ice unless his hands are in the cookie jar as has been thrown out in unsubstantiated rumors. I've never been a fan of how he seems at times overly involved in hockey operations but the bottom line is that the Calgary Flames have never been better as a business and a lot of that coincides with King's hiring in 2001. Makes zero sense to get rid of him unless he's at odds with ownership which I highly doubt.

[Mass_nerder]

Ken King has done an exceptional job for the Flames, and in theory, shouldn't need to be let go because of the on-ice product (since that's the GM's area); however, if the rumors are true, that Ken King has been the puppet master pulling the GM's strings, then he obviously needs to go.

[Parallex]

Ken King gone? Um... no. His job isn't to make the team successful on the ice, his job is to make the company profitable. Given the expanding nature of the company I very much doubt that his job is anything but secure.

[North East Goon]

Who was the genius behind hiring Feaster without interviewing any other qualified candidates for the GM position?

[Huntingwhale]

Wow, fire the President of a company who has increased revenue, increased community support, and overlooks a succesful business model (on-ice product aside). That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. OP do you even know what he does? Under King's watch the Flames have become quite the profitable company. WTF would you fire him??? What a dumb thread.

[Canada 02]

Ken King only manages the business side? The business is hockey. King said so himself:

"Anything short of year after year improvement should be challenged"
"While we run a building, and we run a food and beverage operation, the core of our business is the Flaming C and the hockey team."
"(The GM) and I hold the responsibility for our challenges and our setbacks"

- Ken King. Direct quotes from King on April 12, 2010

[Sylvanfan]

Maybe he should move up into a role of executive president of Flames sports and operations where he manages the whole eneterprise. From that he would have a subordinate to act as president of the Flames enterprise itself and implement the planning for the organization.

He's been around for a decade now, and after so long it's tough to come up with new ways to keep people interested. Some fans are starting to get sick of the message that comes down every year, and the longer on ice success doesn't happen there will be more angry folks.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Maybe he should move up into a role of executive president of Flames sports and operations where he manages the whole eneterprise. From that he would have a subordinate to act as president of the Flames enterprise itself and implement the planning for the organization.

He's been around for a decade now, and after so long it's tough to come up with new ways to keep people interested. Some fans are starting to get sick of the message that comes down every year, and the longer on ice success doesn't happen there will be more angry folks.

This is the position I would like to see him in. Something less hands on with the hockey operation and more hands on with the business operations. It was a good sign when he announced the Huff extension as it shows they are going to leave the football operations alone and be involved more in the business operations. Nobody carn argue Ken King has a good nose for running the business side of the franchise.

[North East Goon]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

This is the position I would like to see him in. Something less hands on with the hockey operation and more hands on with the business operations. It was a good sign when he announced the Huff extension as it shows they are going to leave the football operations alone and be involved more in the business operations. Nobody carn argue Ken King has a good nose for running the business side of the franchise.

It's a good sign unless Huff starts missing the playoff's annually, then who makes the decision for the new guy at the helm?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

It's a good sign unless Huff starts missing the playoff's annually, then who makes the decision for the new guy at the helm?

Hard to miss the playoffs in the CFL.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by North East Goon

It's a good sign unless Huff starts missing the playoff's annually, then who makes the decision for the new guy at the helm?

The same guys that made the decision to bring in Huff. Flames are majority owners now but they were on board when Huff was hired and most of the other partners still own a stake.

[dino7c]

I love how everyone blames the guy who has nothing to do with the on ice product

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

From the business side, hasn't King pretty much delivered though?

I am not sure how much we can blame him for the on-ice problems. There is "rumour" that he has been influencing hockey decisions, but unless something is concrete, then I don't see how he gets the blame.

He can certainly influence hockey decisions because it can effect the business side.


Hypothetical:

The hockey guys might say "This is going nowhere, we need to blow this up"

Ken King: "HEEEEEEEEEEEY, if we blow it up, we might not be able to charge the prices we charge or sell the jerseys we sell".

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Sylvanfan

Maybe he should move up into a role of executive president of Flames sports and operations where he manages the whole eneterprise. From that he would have a subordinate to act as president of the Flames enterprise itself and implement the planning for the organization.

I think that's the more likely scenario. At the Stamps press conference last week, he mentioned that now that they own hockey, lacrosse, and football teams, they'll probably be re-naming the Calgary Flames Limited Partnership and restructuring how they operate.

As part of that, I wouldn't be surprised to see King get a new title, and assume a higher level position within the overall organization.

The Stamps have Lyle Bauer as their President and COO, so I could see the Flames creating a similar position below King but above Feaster (or it could be Feaster with Weisbrod getting a boost to Associate GM).