From the Top
Entering his second decade with the Griffins, Bob McNamara was faced with a new challenge this summer: replacing the AHL's MVP, two other all-stars and about half his roster. All in a day's work for the general manager, who took some time out from his team-building for a little Q&A.
Griff Notes: Now that you have 10 seasons in the books with the Griffins, what do you consider to be your fondest memories and greatest accomplishments with the organization?
Bob McNamara: It has been a great run being here for 10 years. We have had a lot of winning seasons over the years with the numerous division and regular season banners hanging in the building, but obviously we would still like to win a championship. Looking back, one of my best memories would be opening night (of the inaugural season). Also, this past spring during the playoffs, Game 7 against Manitoba is one that I won’t forget. Going into the third period looking like we were out of it, and then coming back the way we did, it was pretty special.
Griff Notes: Looking back at last season, it may have had a disappointing ending but overall it was a fantastic year. How do you view last season, and what do you and the team take from it entering this season?
McNamara: We understand that when you are the best team in the league through the whole regular season, there are no nights off. Everybody is looking to knock you off the top, everybody is taking shots at you, and everybody is prepared for you. That takes its toll on a team over the course of a season, particularly when you get into a long playoff run.
At the end of the day, I think the Manitoba series took a lot out of us, going seven games. Physically, we were pretty beat up coming out of that series, with Donald MacLean really not playing any of the games against Milwaukee. So that hurt, and then obviously Milwaukee got a few players back (from the NHL’s Nashville Predators). And that’s the thing about the American Hockey League; there are certain things that are out of your control, like teams getting players back from the NHL when their parent teams get beat in the playoffs. You just hope that you get some breaks, and you need some luck to win championships.
We have been fortunate to be close before, and one of these years we are going to get there. But overall, it was a positive year.
Griff Notes: Do you feel there are now higher expectations of the Griffins after last year’s regular season championship? If so, is that a positive or a negative?
McNamara: There are always high expectations when you set a high bar like we have over the past several years. We always want to be a team that is going to compete in the regular season towards the top of the standings and then have playoff success. As we look back at last season, we want to build on that. We learned some things about our team, and also about ourselves. We will have a lot of the same guys back. There is going to be some turnover, but a lot of the core is going to be back as well. We will just build on last year and hopefully take it to the next level.
Griff Notes: You mentioned the player turnover for the Griffins this year, with potentially 10 of the top 11 scorers from last season playing in Detroit or other cities. What effects do you think this will have on the team, and how do you see some of these new young prospects fitting into the system in GR?
McNamara: Obviously we are losing some scoring with guys like Donald MacLean, Bryan Helmer and Eric Manlow leaving. Our veteran leadership has turned over significantly, but we are bringing some new veterans in. I think in looking at the new guys we have coming in, we’re probably going to be a team that is bigger and stronger defensively and quicker up front. We’ll have more speed up front, but maybe not as much of a natural scoring ability and more of a balanced scoring attack.
The speed certainly helps, and we will have a bunch of guys capable of scoring 20 goals, and maybe one or two guys that may have career years like MacLean did last year. It’s just inevitable, the way the American Hockey League works. You have guys that have great seasons and end up moving up or moving on, looking for better opportunities. You understand and you learn to fill the holes every year.
Griff Notes: Can you talk about what went into the decision to sign Greg Ireland and Jim Paek for another two seasons?
McNamara: Their record speaks for itself. They did a great job coaching the guys last year and I think they understand that their job is two-fold. They are here to develop players, but in the same sense, they are also here to win games. To develop guys in a winning environment, they have got to walk a fine line in terms of developing and winning.
They have done a great job with some of the younger players and others having career years. Guys like Tomas Kopecky had a great year, and Jim Paek has done a great job with some of the young defensemen. Greg, initially coaching a half season and coming in now with a full season under his belt, will be that much better next year. It was just a formality to get something done with those guys since, overall, they did a great job.
Griff Notes: Jimmy Howard had a great season last year, making the AHL All-Rookie Team, before experiencing an inconsistent playoff run. He’s been tabbed as the Red Wings’ goalie of the future, and now that this might be his last year in the AHL, what are your expectations of him this season?
McNamara: We expect a lot of Jimmy this year. Last year was his first year as a pro and he bounced around a bit. He went up to Detroit, he came back, and he suffered a little bit by sitting as a backup for a month or so. It took him a while to hit his stride, but he really played well towards the end of the season.
I thought he played well in the playoffs and then he got called up to Detroit. He came back and played some really good games for us but also some average games, and I think he understands that. As a young guy and as a first-year pro, having the pressure of being “the guy” during the playoffs is a new thing. He will certainly learn from that, and we expect him to have a solid regular season and hopefully a great playoff run. You never know, he may have the chance to go up to Detroit as well, but certainly he has got the potential and a tremendous upside.
Griff Notes: With Joey MacDonald and Stefan Liv in the goaltending mix as well, is there a frontrunner for the starting job, or do you foresee a wide-open competition and possibly a steady rotation?
McNamara: Jimmy and Stefan Liv are probably going to be the two guys we’re going to have here, while Joey may end up in Detroit for a lot of the season. I think their plan is maybe to keep him there for a bit and give him a chance to play and see how things go. And, obviously, make certain that Dominik Hasek is healthy, and keep a third guy there just to give Hasek a rest at times. I imagine that’s the way it’s going to work out, but I can’t say for sure. If Joey does come down here, we’ll have three guys and all three of them will battle it out.
Griff Notes: What effect do you think the new visor rule will have on the AHL?
McNamara: I don’t think it will have any negative impact at all. I think it’s a great positive as well as a long-time coming. I think at some point, you’ll see all guys wearing visors. Guys are crazy not to wear them with the speed of the puck and the sticks out there. It’s just unfortunate that it took a serious injury for the American Hockey League to move in this direction, but better late than never.
Griff Notes: As we enter the fifth year of the Red Wings affiliation, how has the relationship been over the years for both organizations, and is there a renewal in the making?
McNamara: I think it has worked out well for both sides. We’ve developed some players for them and we’ve been able to win here. And as I mentioned earlier, developing players here in a winning environment is our goal in conjunction with the Red Wings. When we sit down and talk about what we would like to do, that’s paramount for both of us, and they want their players to know how to win before they get to Detroit. So it has been a great relationship on both ends and we are obviously going to sit down this winter or this fall and talk about an extension. I don’t see any reason why not.
Griff Notes: The Griffins were one of five AHL teams to ink a partial affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers for the 2006-07 season. How did that come about?
McNamara: Edmonton offered us a player or two who can help our team and round-out our roster. They had a good experience with Nate DiCasmirro being here last year, they are somewhat familiar with Greg Ireland based on his stint as an assistant in Hamilton during the 2003 playoffs, and they have a high level of comfort working with us. We think Edmonton’s players will fit in well with the 16 or so Red Wings prospects on our roster.
Griff Notes: In your mind, what will be the greatest challenge of the upcoming season?
McNamara: When you bring in new veterans and you turn over as many guys as we are going to, getting the team to gel initially is a big challenge. I don’t have any doubt that the team is going to have success this year. It just takes a little time to get new guys together and to get everybody on the same page again and create that team chemistry. If there is going to be a challenge, that will be it early.
Griff Notes: Now that you have 10 seasons in the books with the Griffins, what do you consider to be your fondest memories and greatest accomplishments with the organization?
Bob McNamara: It has been a great run being here for 10 years. We have had a lot of winning seasons over the years with the numerous division and regular season banners hanging in the building, but obviously we would still like to win a championship. Looking back, one of my best memories would be opening night (of the inaugural season). Also, this past spring during the playoffs, Game 7 against Manitoba is one that I won’t forget. Going into the third period looking like we were out of it, and then coming back the way we did, it was pretty special.
Griff Notes: Looking back at last season, it may have had a disappointing ending but overall it was a fantastic year. How do you view last season, and what do you and the team take from it entering this season?
McNamara: We understand that when you are the best team in the league through the whole regular season, there are no nights off. Everybody is looking to knock you off the top, everybody is taking shots at you, and everybody is prepared for you. That takes its toll on a team over the course of a season, particularly when you get into a long playoff run.
At the end of the day, I think the Manitoba series took a lot out of us, going seven games. Physically, we were pretty beat up coming out of that series, with Donald MacLean really not playing any of the games against Milwaukee. So that hurt, and then obviously Milwaukee got a few players back (from the NHL’s Nashville Predators). And that’s the thing about the American Hockey League; there are certain things that are out of your control, like teams getting players back from the NHL when their parent teams get beat in the playoffs. You just hope that you get some breaks, and you need some luck to win championships.
We have been fortunate to be close before, and one of these years we are going to get there. But overall, it was a positive year.
Griff Notes: Do you feel there are now higher expectations of the Griffins after last year’s regular season championship? If so, is that a positive or a negative?
McNamara: There are always high expectations when you set a high bar like we have over the past several years. We always want to be a team that is going to compete in the regular season towards the top of the standings and then have playoff success. As we look back at last season, we want to build on that. We learned some things about our team, and also about ourselves. We will have a lot of the same guys back. There is going to be some turnover, but a lot of the core is going to be back as well. We will just build on last year and hopefully take it to the next level.
Griff Notes: You mentioned the player turnover for the Griffins this year, with potentially 10 of the top 11 scorers from last season playing in Detroit or other cities. What effects do you think this will have on the team, and how do you see some of these new young prospects fitting into the system in GR?
McNamara: Obviously we are losing some scoring with guys like Donald MacLean, Bryan Helmer and Eric Manlow leaving. Our veteran leadership has turned over significantly, but we are bringing some new veterans in. I think in looking at the new guys we have coming in, we’re probably going to be a team that is bigger and stronger defensively and quicker up front. We’ll have more speed up front, but maybe not as much of a natural scoring ability and more of a balanced scoring attack.
The speed certainly helps, and we will have a bunch of guys capable of scoring 20 goals, and maybe one or two guys that may have career years like MacLean did last year. It’s just inevitable, the way the American Hockey League works. You have guys that have great seasons and end up moving up or moving on, looking for better opportunities. You understand and you learn to fill the holes every year.
Griff Notes: Can you talk about what went into the decision to sign Greg Ireland and Jim Paek for another two seasons? McNamara: Their record speaks for itself. They did a great job coaching the guys last year and I think they understand that their job is two-fold. They are here to develop players, but in the same sense, they are also here to win games. To develop guys in a winning environment, they have got to walk a fine line in terms of developing and winning.
They have done a great job with some of the younger players and others having career years. Guys like Tomas Kopecky had a great year, and Jim Paek has done a great job with some of the young defensemen. Greg, initially coaching a half season and coming in now with a full season under his belt, will be that much better next year. It was just a formality to get something done with those guys since, overall, they did a great job.
Griff Notes: Jimmy Howard had a great season last year, making the AHL All-Rookie Team, before experiencing an inconsistent playoff run. He’s been tabbed as the Red Wings’ goalie of the future, and now that this might be his last year in the AHL, what are your expectations of him this season?
McNamara: We expect a lot of Jimmy this year. Last year was his first year as a pro and he bounced around a bit. He went up to Detroit, he came back, and he suffered a little bit by sitting as a backup for a month or so. It took him a while to hit his stride, but he really played well towards the end of the season.
I thought he played well in the playoffs and then he got called up to Detroit. He came back and played some really good games for us but also some average games, and I think he understands that. As a young guy and as a first-year pro, having the pressure of being “the guy” during the playoffs is a new thing. He will certainly learn from that, and we expect him to have a solid regular season and hopefully a great playoff run. You never know, he may have the chance to go up to Detroit as well, but certainly he has got the potential and a tremendous upside.
Griff Notes: With Joey MacDonald and Stefan Liv in the goaltending mix as well, is there a frontrunner for the starting job, or do you foresee a wide-open competition and possibly a steady rotation?
McNamara: Jimmy and Stefan Liv are probably going to be the two guys we’re going to have here, while Joey may end up in Detroit for a lot of the season. I think their plan is maybe to keep him there for a bit and give him a chance to play and see how things go. And, obviously, make certain that Dominik Hasek is healthy, and keep a third guy there just to give Hasek a rest at times. I imagine that’s the way it’s going to work out, but I can’t say for sure. If Joey does come down here, we’ll have three guys and all three of them will battle it out.
Griff Notes: What effect do you think the new visor rule will have on the AHL?
McNamara: I don’t think it will have any negative impact at all. I think it’s a great positive as well as a long-time coming. I think at some point, you’ll see all guys wearing visors. Guys are crazy not to wear them with the speed of the puck and the sticks out there. It’s just unfortunate that it took a serious injury for the American Hockey League to move in this direction, but better late than never.
Griff Notes: As we enter the fifth year of the Red Wings affiliation, how has the relationship been over the years for both organizations, and is there a renewal in the making?
McNamara: I think it has worked out well for both sides. We’ve developed some players for them and we’ve been able to win here. And as I mentioned earlier, developing players here in a winning environment is our goal in conjunction with the Red Wings. When we sit down and talk about what we would like to do, that’s paramount for both of us, and they want their players to know how to win before they get to Detroit. So it has been a great relationship on both ends and we are obviously going to sit down this winter or this fall and talk about an extension. I don’t see any reason why not.
Griff Notes: The Griffins were one of five AHL teams to ink a partial affiliation with the Edmonton Oilers for the 2006-07 season. How did that come about?
McNamara: Edmonton offered us a player or two who can help our team and round-out our roster. They had a good experience with Nate DiCasmirro being here last year, they are somewhat familiar with Greg Ireland based on his stint as an assistant in Hamilton during the 2003 playoffs, and they have a high level of comfort working with us. We think Edmonton’s players will fit in well with the 16 or so Red Wings prospects on our roster.
Griff Notes: In your mind, what will be the greatest challenge of the upcoming season?
McNamara: When you bring in new veterans and you turn over as many guys as we are going to, getting the team to gel initially is a big challenge. I don’t have any doubt that the team is going to have success this year. It just takes a little time to get new guys together and to get everybody on the same page again and create that team chemistry. If there is going to be a challenge, that will be it early.