There seems to be a growing trend in the NHL - that so-called NHL “experts” are nothing more than know-it-all, egotistical, failed professionals.
Across TV and radio dials, fans are being entertained by nothing but ex-players, coaches and management types who have settled into cushy jobs as ‘analysts’ for the sport they failed to make a career of.
Like them or not, understand that their opinions and their critical views of current players, coaches and management – to say nothing of how they would do things better – carries absolutely no credible weight.
NHL Studio Analysts
Barry Melrose, ESPN - Career coaching record: 84 wins, 112 losses, 29 ties
Matthew Barnaby, ESPN, CBC, TSN - NHL Totals: 834 games played, 113 goals, 187 assists, 2562 penalty minutes
Darren Pang, TSN, VERSUS - NHL Totals: 81 games played, 27 wins, 35 losses, 7 ties, 0 shutouts
Mike Milbury, CBC, VERSUS - NHL Totals: 754 games played, 49 goals, 189 assists, 1552 penalty minutes. As a GM for the Islanders, he traded away traded away defensemen Zdeno Chara, Wade Redden, Bryan Berard, Eric Brewer, Darius Kasparaitis, and Bryan McCabe; goalies Roberto Luongo and Tommy Salo, and forwards Olli Jokinen, Todd Bertuzzi, Tim Connolly, and Raffi Torres. Milbury also chose Rick DiPietro first overall in 2000 over Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik;
Pierre McGuire, TSN, VERSUS – Career coaching record: 23 wins, 37 losses, 7 ties
Nick Kypreos, Rogers Sportsnet – NHL Totals: 442 games played, 46 goals, 44 assists, 1,210 penalty minutes
Doug MacLean, Rogers Sportsnet – Career coaching record: 107 wins, 118 losses, 41 ties. As president and general manager for the Columbus Blue Jackets, The team never posted a winning record, going 172–258–62 under MacLean's leadership.
Gord Stellick, FAN 590 - General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs from April 1988 until August 1989 and traded Russ Courtnall for John Kordic.
Keith Jones, TSN, VERSUS - NHL Totals: 491 games played, 117 goals, 141 assists, 765 penalty minutes.
Bob McGill, LEAFS TV – NHL Totals: 705 games played, 17 goals, 55 assists, 1766 penalty minutes.
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.
None of the above names made any kind of lasting impression on the game. They did nothing to contribute positively to the growth of the NHL and failed to earn the type of notoriety that most dream of.
The difference between guys like Pierre McGuire and Scotty Bowman, for example, is skill. Bowman, at the tender age of 76 is still very much active in the game, currently residing as Senior Advisor of Hockey Operations for the Chicago Blackhawks, and is still recognized in the hockey community as a winner. Pierre McGuire, not so much.
NFL Studio Analysts
The NFL has analysts like Superbowl winning coach John Gruden, 3 time Superbowl champion and future Hall Of Fame receiver Michael Irvin and Michael Strahan who holds the NFL record for most sacks in a single season.
NBA Studio Analysts
The NBA has former league MVP Charles Barkley, the best three point shooter to ever play the game in Reggie Miller and Magic Johnson.
MLB Studio Analysts
Baseball employs six-time All-Star and 2004 Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Eckersleyand Cal Ripken, a 19-time All-Star, two-time All-Star Game MVP and 2007 Hall of Fame inductee, amoung others.
Why is the NHL not following suit? Fans would be much more inclined to listen to the opinion of someone who was actually good at the game they are critiquing than the worst general manager in league history telling them that Brian Burke made a bad trade.
There are good, respectable analysts out there like Peter Laviolette, Craig MacTavish, and Ed Olczyk to name a few. It’s just too bad that they are few and far between.
What’s the old saying? Those who can’t do in the hockey world, preach.
