Tweak Those Resumés!

There are a lot of armchair general managers out there who think they can wheel and deal with NHL GMs. I'm not saying that some of their suggestions for improving a team are bad or wrong, but there are certain things that usually aren't factored into some of these suggestions. Whether it be trades, drafts, or free agent signings, everyone has an opinion for what a team should or shouldn't do. In saying that, if one still has dreams of being a player in the building of a team en route to a potential championship, it seems there may be a few job openings for someone who polishes up their resumé over the next week.

Thanks to a Bloom Sports post on LinkedIn, there are six general manager positions that need to be filled for the new professional women's hockey league! Strangely, not one of the former PHF GMs was contacted about these positions, so it seems that the New League will continue to try to walk its own path. Nevertheless, here's the Bloom Sports post for the general manager positions.

Before we get any deeper into the requirements for these positions, does anyone else feel that this is being rushed with the deadline being Friday, August 4, 2023? Usually, the search for a general manager for a team takes weeks or months, not one week of resumé collection. Why is this new league hiring general managers like they're seeking a general manager for a fast-food restaurant?

Based on what is being asked for in a candidate, it would seem like those with law backgrounds would be ideal in leading teams. There's a requirement to read, know, and understand the CBA that was negotiated between the players and league, and that's something that must be respected in any and all negotiations with players.

Beyond that, there are still so many holes in knowing how, where, and when this league will operate that managing a team might be the least of a general manager's worries in the early days of being hired. How does one work with stakeholders when the placement of teams has yet to be decided? How does one plan long-term growth and strategies if one has no home where those can be implemented? How can goals and benchmarks be set with no schedule of games or events for teams or the league? These seem important for success, no?

The desired characteristics make these positions even harder to attain for those not already in the sports administration business as the candidates being sought are wanted to have "7+ years of working within elite sports" which, as you may guess, leaves a lot of questions. What qualifies as "elite sports"? Does five years of experience make one less attractive for the position than someone with seven, ten, or fifteen years of experience? How do women's hockey players - who have worked within elite sports - gain the necessary experience to be a GM if they've never negotiated a contract to play nor have the depth of experience in understanding all the legalese in a CBA? This "desired characteristic" seems to be very exclusionary in its approach despite the importance of experience.

Most of the other qualifications are pretty standard for a management job, but I'm wondering if someone such as Sami Jo Small or Melody Davidson would be considered based on experience and knowledge. They meet most of, if not all of, the desired characteristics, but one has to wonder if they'll be considered based on their past histories with the PHF. In Small's case, she built a championship roster with the Toronto Six in the PHF's last season of play, yet she wasn't even extended the courtesy of being named as one of the new GMs. Does she meet the criteria being sought by the New League's overlords?

Everything about how this league is coming together seems like the same mistakes that have been made before. Little foresight, poor communication, worse marketing, and a lack of overall enthusiasm for whatever the league appears to be doing may end up being the hallmark of this New League. For everything we were told the PHF was doing wrong, it seems the former CWHL/PWHPA people are still under their own guise of their way being right despite their league being forced to close the doors.

That's not to say that this New League won't work, but there feels like a sense of déjà vu is setting in on how this league is being run. Just because the New League has more money to spend doesn't mean the results will be any different before if people don't start learning from previous mistakes. Right now, I'm not sure people who were previously associated with the management of the CWHL even learned from the mistakes that led to the demise of the league.

Honestly, one week for the best candidates to manage team to step forward is a bad look for this New League. Let's hope they find six passionate individuals who will find the voices they need to question bad decisions and poor foresight because everything this New League has done since acquiring the PHF's assets has been questionable at best.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!