Avalanche and Nuggets President Josh Kroenke said of managing both teams, "Wearing two hats ... has been a lot of fun. It's been an adventure, to say the least, but it's been a lot of fun, a lot of work. I think I'm learning how to better manage my time as I go forward." Kroenke, who has held his title with the Avalanche for two years and his title with the Nuggets for three years prior, said, "My roles have changed in the organizations as I've evolved. Now I would say it's very evenly balanced in how I spread my duties." He said of Avalanche GM & Exec VP/Hockey Operations Joe Sakic and coach & VP/Hockey Operations Patrick Roy, "They're great guys and they're hard workers, and those two in combination with their experiences in life as hockey players and now as a coach and executive, I think they're doing a great job" (DENVER POST, 4/13).
FLIGHT SCHOOL: In Winnipeg, Tom Brodbeck writes the Jets moving to the city in '11 was "by far the single biggest and most important thing to happen" to Winnipeg in two decades. The return of the NHL "filled a giant void," and fans now are "more united and committed to this franchise than ever before, perhaps because they know what it's like to lose it." The Jets "are back, they're our team, no one is ever going to take them away from us again and now, the club is headed to postseason play." In Winnipeg, it "doesn't get any better than that" (WINNIPEG SUN, 4/13).
MAKING A LINE CHANGE? Kings GM Dean Lombardi said of whether his idea of showing loyalty to current players still applies after missing the playoffs, "I am not giving up on the idea that loyalty is still part of building a team. But you better exercise it very judiciously, and I think that’s one of the things I’ve had to learn." He added, "You see this in baseball. Players are commodities. Treat them as such. Which means that those values of each other and loyalty don’t apply anymore. I will not go that far, although now I recognize that when you hit that well of cap space on loyalty, it has to go to the right (player) and it better be returned" (OCREGISTER.com, 4/12).
