McGUIRE RETURNS TO SENS
Former analyst `super pumped'
Pierre McGuire's NHL career has come full circle.
The Ottawa Senators are adding a new face to their front office. It's expected the 59-yearold McGuire will be named Monday as the club's senior vice-president of player development.
McGuire, who last worked for the Senators as an assistant coach during the 1995-96 campaign, met with owner Eugene Melnyk several times over the last three weeks and is being brought on board to assist general manager Pierre Dorion, along with the club's hockey operations department.
Speaking to Postmedia in an exclusive interview Sunday from his home in Mont Tremblant, Que., McGuire said he couldn't be more thrilled to be joining the Senators by agreeing to what's believed to be a three-year deal. Melnyk and McGuire first spoke on June 20 and have had several discussions since.
“I'm super pumped. We're going to have some fun,” said McGuire. “I see my role as being there to help (Dorion), helping the hockey operations department, player development and being somebody who can help the organization. It's important to have lots of information when you make decisions and I'd like to think I'd be very good at gathering information.
“The biggest thing is, just bring my experience and knowledge of the league. I've been in the league for over 30 years. Over the last 23 years, I've had pretty much unfettered access to the league in terms of players and management decisions. That's something that's pretty helpful. I felt my conversations with Eugene and Pierre have been very fruitful and I've enjoyed them very much.”
McGuire is being brought in to support Dorion because, over the course of his television career at NBC, he's seen a lot of hockey and has an encyclopedic knowledge of players. Dorion and McGuire have spoken by phone several times in the last few weeks and met face to face Saturday in Tremblant to discuss the role and the overall plan.
“(Dorion's) vision for the team is really strong and I hope I can be that sounding board and that's the plan. He's got other people internally that he can bounce things off of as well,” McGuire said. “The amateur scouting department, led by Trent Mann, is phenomenal, their development program in Belleville led by Troy Mann has been great. There's lots of people internally.
“I'd like to think I can play a part in that.”
A well-respected evaluator of talent, McGuire's last job with an NHL team was with the Senators. He has been with NBC since 2006, but started his broadcasting career in radio in 1997 as a colour analyst on TSN radio's Montreal Canadiens broadcasts for five seasons. He then worked for TSN as a colour analyst on television for four years.
NBC wrapped up its NHL coverage with Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday in Tampa, Fla. McGuire has been seeking the right fit in a hockey operations department. During his daily morning radio appearances on TSN 1200, McGuire has praised the work done by Dorion and believes the organization has the pieces in place to be a contender down the road.
“I've been really bullish on two teams in the league: One is the New York Rangers and the other is Ottawa. Just because they've had a vision for how they want to build their team,” said McGuire. “With Ottawa, they're building the team the right away. They've got star players, a power forward in (Brady) Tkachuk, a tremendous defenceman in (Thomas) Chabot. They've made some amazing acquisitions, Connor Brown is a tremendous player and Josh Norris has been tremendous.
“You look at Nikita Zaitsev and what he's done. Artem Zub was a fantastic signing and Austin Watson's character has been tremendous. From outside, they've brought in good people and on the inside they've done some really good things drafting and developing when you look at guys like (Drake) Batherson and (Alex) Formenton. Last summer, they stole the draft with (Tim) Stuetzle, Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven. They had an amazing draft.”
This isn't the first time a team has tried to bring him out of the broadcast booth. McGuire has had several opportunities to work in the league, but it never seemed to be the right time or fit. McGuire and his wife, Melanie, will sell their home in New Canaan, Conn., and move to Ottawa full-time.
The couple's two children, Justine and Ryan, are both away at school.
The Senators have a big off-season ahead of them with the NHL expansion draft for the Seattle Kraken set for July 21. Dorion and the rest of the hockey department have been busy finalizing their protected list that has to be sent to the league Saturday.
Then there's the NHL draft set for July 23-24 and then it's on to free agency July 28 at noon. McGuire said, based on their meeting Saturday, Dorion is well prepared for the expansion draft.
The Senators have stated they'd like to acquire a centre who can play in the top two and a defenceman for the top four. Those could come either through a trade or free agency, so the expectation is McGuire will play a role with Dorion in those acquisitions.
“Before I even got to Ottawa, and I've had a chance to go over it with (Dorion), but the plan is really solid and concrete,” said McGuire. “I respect the vision that they have. There are organization needs that they have, and there are few perfect teams in the league. One of the things you try to do, and I believe (Dorion) has been doing this, is you try to get your coach, players the coach is comfortable with and players that will help the coach win.
“That's the process everyone is going through right now.”
He likes the work coach D.J. Smith and the staff have done in their two years behind the bench.
“That group didn't quit after a tough start last year and that was phenomenal. Their improvement in defensive zone coverage has been amazing. That's coaching and he deserves a lot of credit along with Davis Payne and
Jack Capuano,” said McGuire. “They've done some really good things as a staff. I've been a head coach, assistant, I've coached with the winningest coach in the NHL (Scotty Bowman), so I'm aware of the pressures and I've walked in their shoes.
“I know what they go through on a day-to-day basis and that's where I think I can help as well — both at the NHL and AHL level as well. You can see things are starting to come through here.”
McGuire said he's here to help any way he can. The Senators want to compete for a Stanley Cup and they'd like to push for a playoff spot next season.
“I told Eugene that Pierre Dorion has done a phenomenal job. I have no interest in his job and my job is to help the organization with anything they want,” said McGuire. “I wanted to get back in. This was the perfect time in my career to get back in. I've had other opportunities over the course of my career. This was something that really appealed to me. I'm really grateful for that.
“I'm coming here to help this team get to the next level.”
The biggest thing is, just bring my experience and knowledge of the league. I've been in the league for over 30 years.