Hawks Fire some assitants

[DBAHO]

#1 I don't like this move cos they fired Marshall Johnston, making it now almost a certainity that Dean Lombardi will be the next GM. I don't mind firing the other guys but not Johnston, he built Ottawa into a weiner, oops I meant winner.

 

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks, who appointed Bob Pulford interim general manager last month when they fired Mike Smith, took the "interim" tag off Pulford's title Wednesday as part of a front-office realignment.

 

 

The Blackhawks hired television and radio analyst Dale Tallon as assistant general manager. He replaces Nick Beverley, who was fired along with three other members of the team's front office.

 

 

For Tallon, the announcement marks his second time in the Blackhawks' front office. A 10-year NHL defenseman with Vancouver, Chicago and Pittsburgh, Tallon served four years as the team's director of player personnel.

 

 

"Dale has had experience in the scouting end of the business and he has done a very good job," Pulford said. "We think his hockey knowledge will be a great benefit to the Blackhawks in all areas."

 

 

The Blackhawks, off to a 5-5-3 start, also fired Marshall Johnston, director of player evaluation; Bill Lesuk, director of amateur scouting; and Joe Yannetti, director of pro scouting.

 

 

Replacements for Johnston, Lesuk and Yannetti have not been hired yet.

 

 

Tallon had a hand in drafting Steve McCarthy, Pavel Vorobiev, Michael Leighton and Tuomo Ruutu, all of whom remain with a team that has made the postseason just once since 1997.

 

 

"I always felt that I had some unfinished business," Tallon said.

 

 

Smith lost a power struggle with coach Brian Sutter and was fired. He had just begun his fourth season as GM and his third year working with Sutter, whom he hired in May 2001. But Sutter and Smith didn't see eye-to-eye, and management chose the coach.

[BridgeportHeather]

The reason they have been fired is because they were hired by Mike Smith. They are going to get people whom Bob Pullford wants as scout, etc.

[southsider2k5]

I like how they give Tallon credit on the Hawks rookies instead of Mike Smith

[southsider2k5]

I just read this interesting bit on ESPN about this whole incident.

 

Sources close to the sticky management situation in Chicago say the Hawks asked Marshall Johnston to take over as the club's GM after they fired Mike Smith. Johnston, who walked away from the GM position in Ottawa and joined the Hawks as their director of player evaluation, decided not to accept the offer. When the club went in another direction, Johnston was fired along with assistant GM Nick Beverley, director of amateur scouting Bill Lesuk and amateur scout Joe Yannetti. Johnston shouldn't be out of work for long. An excellent talent evaluator, Johnston helped build the Devils and Senators into top teams and there are plenty more that would benefit from his expertise.