McCrimmon’s big-league gamble paying off

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This article was published 01/02/2018 (2781 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

He rolled the dice on a major career change, leaving his hockey-crazed comfort zone in Manitoba to help build a brand new franchise from the ground up in a market that was anything but conventional.

The early returns have surpassed even his wildest expectations.

“I don’t think anyone saw this coming, that we’d have the level of success we’ve had,” Kelly McCrimmon told the Free Press Thursday afternoon at Bell MTS Place.

McCrimmon, 57, has helped author one of the best stories in professional sports. He’s the assistant general manager of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, who have shocked the hockey world this season by looking more like an elite powerhouse than the expansion franchise it is.

“Well, the master plan changes daily likely in lots of organizations in the league. For us, I think there was an expectation that success would maybe be challenging for a playoff spot, trying to stay in the race as long as possible,” said McCrimmon.

Instead, they’ve been the pace-setter, with a massive lead on top of the Pacific Division and second overall only to the Tampa Bay Lightning in terms of points. They appear to be a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

It was just 18 months ago the highly-respected McCrimmon made the difficult choice of stepping away from his duties as general manager and coach of the Brandon Wheat Kings, the Western Hockey League team that forms a part of his DNA. He had played two seasons with the club in the late 1970s and re-joined them as a coach and executive in 1988. He bought a one-third ownership stake in 1992, and the rest of the team in 2000, which he still maintains to this day.

Going from junior hockey in western Manitoba to the big leagues in Sin City was a major change in lifestyle, But there are no regrets.

“It’s gone tremendously well. The games in Vegas, they are a lot of fun. I say, we’re everybody’s second-favourite team. When we play, particularly Canadian teams or Original Six teams, those fans travel. And, of course, Las Vegas is a real destination. So it adds to the atmosphere in the building,” said McCrimmon.

Manitobans have been a big part of it. Winnipeggers Cody Eakin and Brendan Leipsic have contributed on the ice, while local product Cody Glass was their first-ever draft pick last summer. Flin Flon’s Vaughn Karpan is the team’s director of player personnel, while former Manitoba Bisons captain-turned Wheat Kings coach Bob Lowes is the assistant director of player personnel. Lowes was inducted into the University of Manitoba’s Hockey Hall of Fame on Wednesday night, with McCrimmon in attendance.

“Of all of the things that have gone well for our organization, to me it traces right back to the staff we were able to put together on our hockey operations side. That might be where we did some of our best work,” said McCrimmon. “It’s a hard league to win in. Unless you have those other pieces of the organization on solid footing, it undermines the things you might do well with hockey operations.”

McCrimmon’s many friends in this province include Winnipeg Jets owner Mark Chipman, general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff and assistant general manager Craig Heisinger. Cheveldayoff was an 18-year-old player on the Wheat Kings when McCrimmon became the team’s assistant GM. McCrimmon was a constant presence last year at Bell MTS Place, scouting both the Jets and all their opponents in advance of last summer’s expansion draft.

“(Winnipeg) is my second-favourite team. I used to say to Chevy and Zinger last year when I scouted that I can cheer for you all this winter but then we gotta change gears when we get up and running,” said McCrimmon. “I have a lot of respect for how they run their organization. There’s a lot to be learned.”

Having the Golden Knights and the Jets facing off Thursday night, separated by just two points at puck drop for the Western Conference standings lead, brought an instant smile to McCrimmon’s face.

“That is hard to believe, really,” he said.

While he may not have expected his own team’s instant success, McCrimmon believed Winnipeg’s time was coming as he watched them closely all last year.

“Quite frankly I couldn’t be less surprised. I think Winnipeg has a tremendous nucleus, they’ve been patient, they’ve done a great job with their drafting and developing. I felt last year, that when they turned the corner they would be good for a long time. And that’s exactly what I see when I watch them play,” said McCrimmon. “The game now in the NHL is so fast. They’ve got great speed, they have high-end skill, and they’re big. So to me, they are an excellent hockey team that’s gonna be a real tough challenge for anybody they play.”

The same goes for the Golden Knights, who were originally expected to be selling off many of their assets at the trade deadline in exchange for future draft picks and prospects.

“I’ve always said, when I was in Brandon or just looking at hockey in general, the players make your decisions for you,” he said. “I describe our team as having no great players but lots of good ones. Every player consciously or sub-consciously has something to prove. And every player has a better opportunity with our team then he did where he came from.”

mike.mcintyre@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @mikemcintyrewpg