Elliotte Friedman Outlines Power Struggle In Penguins' Front Office
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - Less than a week after the Penguins fired their general manager, we're still left looking for answers about why this really happened.
CBC Hockey Night In Canada's Elliotte Friedman joined Starkey and Mueller to talk about his latest report that the ownership group wanted Ray Shero out because of a clause in his contract that stated he had the final say on hockey decisions.
It was after Shero decided to keep head coach Dan Bylsma around after the 2013 season that Friedman did some digging into Shero's contract and discovered this.
"I did a little research into it, and the clause was there about how Shero had the call, and Ray Shero stood up for his guy," Friedman said. "From what I understand, he said that, 'You guys put me here as the general manager to make these decisions, let me make these decisions,' which I think general managers should do, and he got that way. A year later, I think the Penguins felt very differently, and they knew that if they wanted to make their own decisions, they had to take out the guy who had that clause in his contract. I believe that had a lot to do with it, I do."
Friedman also went on to elaborate on his idea that this Penguins' ownership group and front office want more of the decision-making power to themselves.
"If you look at the way it's going, it makes a lot of sense if Pittsburgh wanted to go this way, Mario Lemieux wanting to become involved in more day-to-day operations and having somebody underneath him," said Friedman. "Like if Pat Brisson had accepted the job, I think it could have worked out pretty well with Lemieux kind of the guy at the top and Brisson kind of running a lot of the day-to-day things."
Friedman also talked about team President David Morehouse, whether or not he wants more power in the hockey decision-making process, the direction NHL front offices are heading these days and if the Pens will follow the latest trend.
Elliotte Friedman
(Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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