Lamoriello has high pain tolerance
Leafs’ new general manager in no rush as he focuses on building a winning culture
There’s a word that has kept coming up this summer whenever Leafs president Brendan Shanahan hires someone significant to take over a key post of the team: Pain.
Mike Babcock said “there will be pain” when he took over as coach.
Now Lou Lamoriello — the architect of the three Stanley Cup championships by the New Jersey Devils — said the same thing Thursday as he was introduced as the Leafs’ new general manager.
“We know the roster needs some work,” said Lamoriello in his inaugural news conference. “That’s an understatement. That’s not saying that roster cannot have success.
“There’s no question you have to build a foundation before you can go anywhere,” he added. “Yes it could be slow, there could be more pain, because there could be more subtraction than addition to get that foundation, to get the right culture going forward.”
If nothing else, members of the Leafs front office — which got a bit more crowded but a lot more structured with Lamoriello’s hiring — are all on the same page selling a vision for the future while lowering expectations for this season, and probably next, while the team builds through the draft and the acquisition of prospects.
As Lamoriello takes over as the16th GM in the team’s history, the roster is more or less in shape. All that remains is an arbitration hearing for goalie Jonathan Bernier. True, there is talk of more moves following the trade of Phil Kessel. But it would appear Lamoriello wants to see how the players under contract perform for Babcock.
“We don’t know what they can do once they get under Mike’s direction and once we find out how many of them want to make a commitment,” said Lamoriello.
It might seem counter-intuitive to put the future of a team that has been promising fans a long, slow rebuild in the hands of a 72-year-old. But Lamoriello is a proven winner and gives the Leafs front office the experience it so obviously has been lacking.
“That’s why I thought Lou was a great fit,” said Shanahan. “I saw a lot of strengths with our group. I’ve always thought there are certain advantages to hiring people on their way up that are looking to prove themselves and have that sort of hunger and energy to make a name for themselves. But I do think we are lacking in some experience. So if I could map out or draw out a description of the kind of person that we wanted it would be Lou.”
It’s not just that Lamoriello can help here and now with signings and trades and relationships with other teams. It’s that he can mentor the entire front office — Shanahan included. The move also buys time for assistant GM Kyle Dubas, one of the brighter minds in hockey, but at 28 not ready for the GM’s chair just yet.
“He’s a young fellow who has tremendous ability,” Lamoriello said of Dubas. “If he doesn’t become a general manager here — I’m not going to be here for lifetime — it’s going to be his fault.”
It’s a three-year deal for Lamoriello, who was to take on a lesser role as president of the Devils after the team hired Ray Shero as GM. Things appeared rocky between Lamoriello and a new ownership group that wasn’t happy with missing the playoffs again this year.
So while the move came out of the blue — shocking fan bases in both cities — Shanahan had been working on it since the day the Devils hired Shero, knowing the competitive fires within Lamoriello hadn’t burnt out.
“I’m trying to create (an atmosphere) where the players are willing to give up their own identity for that logo in front,” said Lamoriello. “A team is like an orchestra. If the music isn’t good, no matter how good each and every one instrument is, everybody leaves. Success doesn’t come unless everyone of these individuals are committed to each other.
“We want to find players who want to be here, who want to win and who don’t want individual success. They want team success. I can’t remember the people who were the leading scorers when we won. But I do remember the names of the people who are on the Cup.” expression, taking the jersey off. What my relationship with the Devils . . . come on. I’ve been there so long, had so many great experiences, worked with so many great people, great staff, great coaches. No question, melancholy. Actually trying not to think of that right now.”
He is parting professional company with his son, Chris, a senior vicepresident with the Devils. And he has had to explain this wrenching shift to his granddaughters.
“The oldest one was the toughest. One of my granddaughters, when we didn’t re-sign (Zach) Parise, she didn’t talk to me for two weeks,” Lamoriello said. “I have no idea what I’m going to go through with my granddaughters because all they’ve ever worn is Devils stuff, all they’ve ever seen.
“My two sons and daughters know me well enough that I wouldn’t have done this unless I believed in doing it and I was committed to it.”
More cultural overhaul in Leafland, which is so obviously Shanahan’s overriding objective.
“There should be an appreciation and a showing of enthusiasm that you are enjoying being a Toronto Maple Leaf,” said the prez. “Culture doesn’t change overnight. We want to have people that understand, appreciate and show a joy for being a Toronto Maple Leaf.’’
Lou Lamoriello, Leaf. Way weird.