Karmanos: Laviolette had to go
While saying the decision to fire Peter Laviolette as the Hurricanes coach was made by general manager Jim Rutherford, team owner Peter Karmanos said today he approved of the move.
"I didn't like our coach," Karmanos said. "His public persona and his private persona were two different things."
Laviolette guided the Canes to the Stanley Cup title in 2006, but the Hurricanes missed the playoffs the last two seasons and Laviolette was fired Dec. 3 of this season and replaced by Paul Maurice.
"We had the perfect storm in the year we won the Stanley Cup," Karmanos said. "We played this all-over-the-ice kind of style of hockey. It took about three-quarters of the season for people to catch on.
"If everybody remembers, the last part of the season, even the Stanley Cup year, we had a pretty tough go of it. We had a goalie who stood on his head. Martin Gerber had a career season with us and kept us in games, but pretty soon as the other coaches got used to the new rules and they figured out ways of defensing us, we didn't change much."
Karmanos said he also disapproved of Laviolette's tendency to quickly judge a new player.
"Peter would make, I think, too quick an evaluations of players," he said. "From time to time we had players Peter would, when they first came into our organization, would say, 'Oh, this guy is a fourth-line center.'"
As an example, Karmanos pointed to forward Eric Belanger, who was a part of the September 2006 trade with the Los Angeles Kings that brought Belanger and defenseman Tim Gleason to the Canes.
Belanger played 56 games for the Canes before being dealt to the Nashville Predators and now is with the Minnesota Wild.
"He's now a key part of the Minnesota team," Karmanos said. "And that happened with quite a few players and you just can't afford to lose those kind of assets."
Karmanos called Laviolette a "nice person" and said he "liked him a lot."
"I just felt we needed the change and we needed to win this year," he said.
Karmanos believes this year's team is playoff-caliber but said he did not think it would have reached the playoffs had Laviolette remained as coach.
"I think we have a playoff team. That's one reason Peter is gone," he said. "I don't think we had it together enough (to reach the playoffs)."
Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I'm happy Paul is back but he's going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently."
Karmanos was the keynote speaker at the Greater Raleigh Sports Council's quarterly meeting at the RBC Center.
About the blogger
A Raleigh native, Chip has worked at the N&O since 1979 and is in his second season as the Canes beat writer. He can be reached at chip.alexander@newsobserver.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @ice_chip.
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Yeah...he won you a Stanley
Tue, 11/03/2009 - 05:26 — hollisbxk271Yeah...he won you a Stanley Cup...and he had to go!?!?!?!? Paul Maurice has not done anything to make this team better, they're still puttering around the 8, 9th seed in the East.
Laviolette does a solid job of coaching the mediocre talent that Karmanos and Rutherford bring to the organization.
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The only reason Mo is back
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 12:27 — chibacityThe only reason Mo is back is because the Leafs are paying his salary.
Cheapness reigns supreme.
To me...
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 12:09 — penaltykiller74To me it sounds like PK is trying to alienate the fan base, so he has reason to relocate or sell the team. With comments like that, I can see it happening.
I'd love to see new ownership. I'd love to see LOCAL ownership come in and keep the team here. I'd like to think there are enough smart, business savvy, and hockey loving entrepreneurs in the Triangle that an owners group could be formed to purchase the team.
Then its just a matter of gutting the management from Mo on up. Leaving Ronny and Wesley, they earned it.
Why the Canes are struggling...
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 10:40 — turquhartWhy are we struggling this year? 1. In 2006 captain Rod Brind'Amour was one of the best players in hockey. He won the Selke award as the best defensive forward. This year he is dead last in the league in plus/minus, on paper the worst defensive player in the league. When one of your best players goes from the top to the bottom, it's going to have an impact. 2. When healthy, Erik Cole is one of the top power forwards in the league. Granted, he struggled early with the Oilers, but has turned it on, and is currently one of the hottest players in the league. Joni Pitkanen came in labeled an underachieving offensive defensemen. Some compared him to Sandish Ozolinsh; no way, Ozo was far more talented in terms of playmaking and offensive skills. Pitkanen's been a defensive liability, the trade a total bust. Cole absense has had a marked impact on Staal's production, and the overall physicality of the team (we're small, don't hit, and nobody parks themselves in front of the net). 3. Cullen hasn't regained the form displayed in 2006. Granted, here's had serious injury problems. In 2006 we had three dangerous lines. This year, with little production from the center position, scoring goals has been a challenge. We're far less talented on the backend than we were in 2006. Together, that's bad combination. Has Karmanos watched a single game? Seriously, I think he's simply taking a defensive posture, trying to rationalize the disaster this season has been, in the front office and on the ice. To blaim any of this on Laviolette is absurb. Lav was one of the top coaches in the league. Eric Belanger? I liked him, too. He was a great 3rd/4th line center...
Rutherford undermined Laviolette
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 08:14 — Caniac324Another thing everyone including PK should look at is how did JR publicly brow beating PL for most of the summer effect his ability to get the team to respond? I think JR did that with a purpose of Fireing PL at the first Opportunity. He knew how popular PL was with the fanbase and that he had to tear him down so that he could fire him. Same thing with forcing Francis to take a seat on the bench next to PM purely for smooting over bringing his BF PM back.
I think PK needs to evaluate the GM the sooner the better, and stop trying to devalue the Franchise by trashing it's run to the Stanley Cup.
Incredible
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 07:30 — rmmeliSounds like an attemp to rewrite history (if George Bush can try and do it, why not him). OK, so Laviolette had to go but to blame him for everything is just ridiculous. I thank Peter Laviolette for what he did but his time had come. When is Peter Karmanos going to look in the mirror and across to his buddy, Jim Rutherford? Maybe after he fires Paul Maurice?
Stanley Cup Run not Luck, Hard work, heart and a desire to win
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 00:33 — Caniac324PK sounds like a Buffalo fan, I thought he lived in Hockey Town? Well it seems he missed most of the 2005-2006 season and surely the Playoff run, I did not miss it! I was there and trust me that was a great run by a team that refused to give up or give in and they were led by a GREAT Coach!! No matter what PK and the Buffalo fans choose to believe.
Sad to see an owner undermine his own team's accomplishments that way in the media, he must be truely a bitter man. His personal feelings about Coach Laviolette controlling him that way. Pittiful really, we are lucky he is not around anymore than he is!
Peter Karmanos vs. Peter Laviolette
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 00:03 — caniac11You can say what you want about Lavi's coaching but let's look at each man.
Peter Laviolette - no personal attacks after he is fired. He says how grateful he is and how Canes fans really supported the team.
Peter Karmanos - in a rare appearance in Raleigh, makes personal attacks on Lavi and whether they are true or not - they are classless.
And, when is anyone going to hold Peter Karmanos accountable? In April he says, "I plan to come in and actually help work on both those areas myself two or three days a week starting in July," Karmanos said this week in a telephone interview from his Detroit office. "
See http://www.newsobserver.com/796/story/1055119.html for the whole story.
As far as anyone is Raleigh knows, this is his first appearance in Raleigh since that quote. And oh by the way, if he was going to be more involved, wouldn't he make that public since he stated it publicly?
I mean - what kind of owner spends 11 1/2 months a year 1200 miles from the team he owns, blows into town, makes personal attacks on a former coach and practically says that the Stanley Cup win was luck?
Certainly this is not someone we want around anyway. Thank God he lives in Detroit...... Too bad he owns our hockey team.
Head home PK!! Your not wanted around here!
Just dont agree. You
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 10:44 — SubwayScoundrelJust dont agree. You say "our" Hockey team? Sorry he owns it and nobody else would put a team in Carolina. In a league where they can not find owners, I am ok with what PK said. People say JR knew the fanbase liked PL and he needed to tear him down. Get Real !!!!
PL could not coach a defensive game if he was paid to. For almost 3 years, he kept doing the same thing over and over and over and it did not work the first time and not the last.
Read todays artcile. I agree with PK and glad he is the owner because there is no other owner who would have a team in NC and if you think I am wrong, start reading something besides the N&O for hockey news.
agree and disagree
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 12:11 — rmmeliI would agree that he owns the team and can say what he wants. But through all the comments in this blog there is talk of the Canes being a "classy" organization. Classy to me means keeping your comments for your own organization not broadcasting it across the media.
just plain Wrong
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 11:45 — Caniac324The first time, we spent an entire season as one of the top 3 teams in the NHL not Eastern Confernce but the NHL. During that season we beat the Top team in PTs Redwings at the RBC, yes all season everyone in the NHL kept waiting for the Canes to falter, well guess what it never happened.
With a great coach at the helm even as the team started 0-2 to Montreal he went to the young Back-up Goalie who shined as they responed and won the next 4 in a row against Montreal 3 of them in their building! The rest is history and HELL NO it was not a FlUKE or luck or lightning in a bottle.
The Canes missed the playoffs the past 2 years by a combined 3 pts, less see how a defensive coach does the rest of the way...I have a feeling it will be much worse..I am willing to wait and see but lets dispense of trying to demean all the great things that were accomplised during the PL years just because PK and JR have a personal dislike for him.
Here is a little hint for you about why the team is struggling, no matter what system or style you play, all the players have to give an honest effort every shift every game to be a consistent winning team!
Hopefully for the sake of the Fanbase and the future of this team in Raleigh PK will stop trying to disgrace the team by calling their biggist accomplisment "Lightning in a bottle" the result of the" Perfect Storm" which reads like "they got luckey" this is not productive at all for any part of the organization.
classless
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 00:24 — AN0NYM0USTotally Agree. Comments were unnecessary and classless. He's more of an embarrassment off the ice than the Canes have been on the ice. Clearly not part of our community. As he heads back to Detroit, my only comment is:
SSSSSSSSSeeeee Ya!
Give it back
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 22:40 — bu11durmSo if PK is suggesting the Cup wasn't really earned then maybe he should give back his ring. PK, we're waiting.
Memo to Pete
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 21:24 — DroptheGlovesYou are not in control of your mental faculties. I say that at your dismissal of the most coveted trophy in all of sports that YOUR TEAM WON, it was no fluke, I attended all of the playoffs and a lot of the regular season games, were you really there? You can't take that away from any member of the Canes or the Caniac Nation. Please place three pucks in your mouth sideways and repeat after me, "I will not impersonate a disrespectful owner anymore and I will not wear my Redwings Jersey in the closet anymore"
Poor Judgement and classless comments
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 17:07 — Richie7I just do not understand the Owner of a Franchise basically stating that it was a fluke that his team won a Stanley Cup.
As a full STH that really bothers me, that is something you would here from a Buffalo fan. I am shocked that he would say those things, I guess his dislike for PL was greater than his pride in his Franchise and the accomplishment of winning a Stanley Cup?
I understand that PM, PK an JR are all friends and that is fine, but if this is in response to the support of PL by the fans. Basically an attempt to throw PL and the 2005-2006 team performance under the bus for the sake of saying be glad we brought PM back, I think he may be surprised at the response!
Tacky, tacky, tacky. These
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 17:00 — SunTacky, tacky, tacky.
These remarks accomplish exactly what? More passing of blame.
He has a fundamental misunderstanding of this market if he thinks these remarks will go over well here.
Lavi won you a Cup. Invest your money - if you have any left, Mr Karmanos - in people paid to evaluate and draft talent. You'll be able to see the return on your investment in a playoff-calibre team.
Did I mention this was incredibly tacky?
Wow, how professional and classy.
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 16:50 — acidqueenOf course, you gotta wonder how much of that is the writer rather than the speaker.
Accurate comments by PK
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 16:29 — HockeydogI think Mr Karmanos was right on with his comments. Maybe there is more personal stuff about Lavi that Karmanos chose to take the high road on in the public. His assessment of the Cup run is right on. Karmanos has been involved in hockey most of his life, he is smarter than the average owner regarding hockey.
Honesty is the best...
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 15:43 — scomilI'm not sure why people get upset when someone in Peter Karmanos' position is being honest and frank. In today's society it is refreshing if anything, in my opinion. I agree with what he said. Laviolette did succeed in bringing a Stanley Cup to this area and organization and he deserves credit for that, absolutely. But he also wasn't about to change his style to reflect the adjustements in the style of the league to the "post-strike" style that he favored.
In a way, I admire Laviolette for that - he wasn't going to be the type of coach that the league style now demanded - if he felt the style was wrong. However, that also meant that it was time for him to move on. The style is back to the players protecting each other - the refs or the league office are not going to do it for you. If, as a coach, you can't live with that then you need to do something else.
I dont think this was a very
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 15:43 — ncsurveygirlI dont think this was a very classy move, there is a ring on his finger because of that man. The decision was made, so he just needs to move on, no point in dwelling on the past when we should be looking towards April.
Karmanos and Laviolette
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 15:27 — abramsdougI think Peter Karmanos was 100% correct about Laviolette and the absolute necessity of firing Laviolette. The team was going absolutely nowhere this season under Laviolette. The Hurricanes have a three game slump of poor performances. Perhaps tonight the Hurricanes will regroup. I hope Karmanos will permit Jim Rutherford to quickly obtain a Ruutu-like addition to the team. I am very skeptical that given the present state of the NHL, the Hurricanes can reach the playoffs, much less succeed in the playoffs without that necessary addition to the team. I appreciate Mr. Karmanos' candor. As a season ticket holder, I feel his frank discussion of the Laviolette situation speaks well for him and his character.
computer error gave duplicate posts; my apologies
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 15:29 — abramsdougcomputer error gave duplicate posts; my apologies
Karmanos and Laviolette
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 15:23 — abramsdougI think Peter Karmanos was 100% correct about Laviolette and the absolute necessity of firing Laviolette. The team was going absolutely nowhere this season under Laviolette. The Hurricanes have a three game slump of poor performances. Perhaps tonight the Hurricanes will regroup. I hope Karmanos will permit Jim Rutherford to quickly obtain a Ruutu-like addition to the team. I am very skeptical that given the present state of the NHL, the Hurricanes can reach the playoffs, much less succeed in the playoffs without that necessary addition to the team. I appreciate Mr. Karmanos' candor. As a season ticket holder, I feel his frank discussion of the Laviolette situation speaks well for him and his character.
Absurd
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 15:20 — CRE83I think this decision is just absurd! Ok, fire the guy if you think he's doing a bad job. But don't rehire another guy who previously did an even worse job! Of the two, Laviolette is the coach who won the Stanley Cup! Right off the bat, that makes him more valuable than his replacement who won nothing for the team.
Karmanos and Laviolette
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 15:18 — abramsdougI think Peter Karmanos was 100% correct about Laviolette and the absolute necessity of firing Laviolette. The team was going absolutely nowhere this season under Laviolette. The Hurricanes have a three game slump of poor performances. Perhaps tonight the Hurricanes will regroup. I hope Karmanos will permit Jim Rutherford to quickly obtain a Ruutu-like addition to the team. I am very skeptical that given the present state of the NHL, the Hurricanes can reach the playoffs, much less succeed in the playoffs without that necessary addition to the team. I appreciate Mr. Karmanos' candor. As a season ticket holder, I feel his frank discussion of the Laviolette situation speaks well for him and his character.
Staff Morale
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 15:11 — buffalo66thbackstabbing nonsensical comments from a blowhard who shows little loyalty to anyone (except Rutherford) or any area. I'm not sure I would want to be a Hurricane employee, let alone season ticket holder.
Mr. Karmanos' Comments:
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 15:10 — SkylinerAre the problems of the Hurricanes on the ice or in the front office? Mr. Karmanos seems to blame everything on Peter Laviolette except the sinking of the Titanic. Did Peter Laviolette, or any other coach for that matter... * Waste $1 mil on Melichar to play in Albany? * Fail to sign any real blue chipper free agents? * Bring an apparently weak player back after he refused to report to Albany? * Draft a player like David Tenabe so high? *Let a scrapper like Keith Aucoin go? *Pay Brookbank a salary to be the resident Healthy Scratch? *Remove a talent hawk like Ron Francis away from player development and seat him beside Paul Maurice? Guess who will replace Mr. Maurice? Genuis moves, all of them!! In paragraph 2 of Mr. Alexander's blog, Mr. Karmanos is quoted as saying "I didn't like the old coach," but in paragraph 11 he says "I liked him." Doesn't that kind of thought inconsistency reflect the Hurricanes play? Well, that's probably Laviolette's fault as well. We love our Hurricanes but suspect our coaches will look better when we stop wasting money on players who don't play and pay for some big bodies who can play and hit. Go Hurricanes!!!
"Of Maurice, Karmanos said:
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 14:53 — PowederedToastMan"Of Maurice, Karmanos said: "I'm happy Paul is back but he's going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently." "
---something Paul Maurice has NEVER done.
Karmanos needs to think about a new GM instead of blaming Lavs for missing the playoffs. By claiming the 'Canes had a perfect storm' in their cup win season is pretty much saying, "we stink as an organization..we got lucky that's it".
Dear Mr. Karmanos, I did
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 14:42 — RonMexicoDear Mr. Karmanos,
I did like the old coach and felt he did a great job last year with the injuries that occurred. I will be cancelling my season tickets for next season and hope you enjoy another long summer with no playoffs.
says it all...
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 14:32 — rmmeliOf Maurice, Karmanos said: "I'm happy Paul is back but he's going to be judged the same way as any other coach. We need to win more consistently." ...hmm :)
Becoming dysfunctional?
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 14:29 — xpukguyHow can you say this franchise is becoming dysfunctional when it has always been dysfunctional. 2006 was a fluke, a perfect storm as Pete K says.
Lavi outlived his usefulness and if you look at his work history, he lasted here about as long as he has elsewhere.
Our team, our tradition.
Gee
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 14:18 — esteban1949Too bad Mr. K can't convince the GRSC to fork over a few bucks to off-set the losses He will personally feel at the end of this season...as in RED INK...
Got to love Peter K.
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 14:12 — SubwayScoundrelCould not agree more with Peter K. Teams had us figured out. What has Mo bought? Better neutral zone hockey, better defensive hockey. Fewer break away goals on give aways. That N-zone stablilty was gone from Lavi's system and he did nothing to improve it while the rest of the league changed. Lavi could win in 2006 after the rule changes but he refused to change as style of play changed. Right place at the right time in 2006. Just not right for now.
I agree in total that with Lavi, the Canes would have less of a chance to make the playoffs and this team in this market in this ecomomy needs to make the playoffs.
Gotta love a tough talking owner who has lost millions yet knows he has to make tough decisions and will in the future.
AMEN!
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 11:39 — jgrant641I couldn't agree more.
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The logic of the Hurricane's owner
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 14:02 — PowederedToastManYeah...he won you a Stanley Cup...and he had to go!?!?!?!? Paul Maurice has not done anything to make this team better, they're still puttering around the 8, 9th seed in the East.
Laviolette does a solid job of coaching the mediocre talent that Karmanos and Rutherford bring to the organization.
schizo
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 13:51 — asiseeitSecond paragraph, eighth paragraph...does Karmanos, or does he not like Laviolette. I think we need to know.
Perhaps the eighth paragraph was taken inadvertently from notes made when PL was introduced as head coach.
karmanos
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 13:57 — chipalexander (author)liked him as a person (private persona) but not as a coach (public) leading up for firing. way team was playing, personnel decisions, etc.
nice, way to throw him under
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 13:47 — mluther9nice, way to throw him under the bus 10 times before you go on to say hes a nice guy. This organization is becoming disfunctional.
Becoming dysfunctional?
Fri, 01/16/2009 - 12:06 — CanarseYeah, right. They've always been dysfunctional! From how they operated in Hartford to how they dealt with the community when they arrived in Raleigh to mass layoffs of staff and poor relations with many community leaders.
2005 was the exception. This is back to standard operating procedures.
Looks like this was just
Thu, 01/15/2009 - 14:15 — SubwayScoundrelLooks like this was just posted after the lunch in blog style without building the article so it looks that way. My guess is the article tomorrow will build the story as a blog can not.