The Coyotes "won’t name an interim GM" after Don Maloney was fired yesterday, but the search for his replacement "has already started," according to Sarah McLellan of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. The search is "being led" by Coyotes Majority Owner & Chair Andrew Barroway, investor Gary Drummond and President, CEO & co-Owner Anthony LeBlanc, who "anticipates the position being filled in no more than six weeks." Coyotes Assistant GM/Analytics John Chayka and Assistant GM/Hockey Operations Chris O'Hearn will "man the day-to-day operations on the hockey side until a new GM is announced." Maloney was the club's seventh GM after being hired in '07 and was "fired with two years remaining on his contract." LeBlanc said of Maloney, "He absolutely has done a great job of laying the groundwork for the future. However, we believe a change in leadership is needed in order to move our franchise to the next level." He added that the team's fourth straight non-playoff finish "didn't motivate" Maloney's dismissal, but a "'difference in philosophy' emerged in how the team should be managed moving forward with LeBlanc stressing collaboration, communication and analytics as key tenants." LeBlanc also mentioned the NFL Cardinals as "a model the Coyotes studied in how they want all levels of the organization to interact." McLellan writes much of Maloney’s best work "came after the team was dropped into bankruptcy" in '09 and "managed by the NHL for the ensuing four seasons before the current ownership group purchased the club" in '13 (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 4/12).
POWER SHIFT: THE HOCKEY NEWS' Ken Campbell wrote now that Maloney has "been ousted after laying an enormous amount of groundwork for the future success," someone else "will now come in and get most of the credit." Maloney’s firing will also "signal an about-face in how the Coyotes run their hockey department." Coyotes coach Dave Tippett "won the power struggle that cost Maloney his job," and his mandate will be to "win immediately." Speculation as to a successor "has already begun," with Stars Assistant GM Les Jackson "emerging as an early candidate." Campbell: "To really get to the bottom of why Maloney was fired, you actually have to look at the top, as in ownership." When Barroway bought into the team, originally 54% worth, "that was a good thing for Maloney because Barroway shared his vision." But trouble "started brewing" when Barroway "had to download some of his shares in the team" to Drummond. While Barroway still "owns more shares than anyone else, Drummond’s voice got louder." Sources said that Tippett "allied himself with Drummond and convinced ownership that the plan needed to be fast-tracked" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 4/11). NHL Network’s E.J. Hradek said "I feel bad for Don Maloney on this day, but that’s the way it plays out sometimes. A name to keep an eye on in the mix for the new GM is Les Jackson of the Dallas Stars. He has a long relationship with Dave Tippett. … I don’t think this was the right move” (“NHL Live,” NHL Network, 4/12).
PROMOTION FROM WITHIN? YAHOO SPORTS' Josh Cooper noted LeBlanc yesterday "talked up" Chayka, the "analytics wiz who was hired by the team last offseason at the age of 25." But LeBlanc "didn’t mention if Chayka would be a candidate to take over the position." LeBlanc stressed that the Coyotes and Maloney "aren’t parting on bad terms and called Maloney a 'wonderful human being'" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 4/11).
