Shake up in the office PAT LaFONTAINE RESIGNS

[nfreeman]

From what I am gathering, the issue appeared to be difference of opinion on how long and the depth of the rebuild. PLF and TN were here under the impression it would be a quick one to two year rebuild. Murray was hired, probably told that's what they think it will take, and he probably said he would need to dig deeper before he would know for sure but he would be open to whatever the best way to go would be. Murray apparently did his work and came back that it needed to be a 3 to 4 year rebuild, not a quick one and there was no way that would work. PLF disagrees and now there becomes a fundamental difference of opinion on how to go about it. The Sabres back Murray, the guy PLF hired, PLF says this isn't what I signed up for and resigns/throws a hissy fit and gets fired. Nolan also was here expecting it was going to be quick, but now with a 3 year extension offered, basically is going to be here to do all the heavy work and lifting and then potentially replaced by Murray's handpicked coach once they get back to a level where they are competing for division titles and or championships. So now Nolan is in the position to take a job where he is going to do all the hard work but potentially not be in position to reap the rewards of that work which is probably what PLF is telling him and why he is hemming and hawing now about it...

 

What are you gathering, exactly? What specifically is there that supports this theory?

 

If this were true it would make PLF look even worse in my eyes as it isn't something that couldn't have allowed him to stay on till the end of the season.

I'm going with he went and negotiated a three year deal with TN and even arranged a press conference last week Tuesday. When word got out, the brakes were put on and he eventually quit in a tantrum.

 

You mean word of the TN extension? So PLF was PO'd about a leak regarding the extension and that resulted in him quitting?

 

That would be pretty strange.

[Stoner]

Nick Kypreos ‏@RealKyper 3m

#Sabres /LaFontaine settle terms on his multi yr deal. Won't be hearing from Pat anytime soon as he also signed a non-disclosure agreement

 

So he can't disclose that he was pining for some good Broadway shows?

[spndnchz]

I responded to this in the Battista thread.

 

Lafontaine didn't bring this public. He was down with "the flu". He still hasn't said anything because I am assuming he is classy enough to let the Sabres play out the trade deadline without further distraction.

 

You can't criticize a guy for not talking when he has a non-disclosure agreement with the Sabres. BTW, all of them do.

[26CornerBlitz]

Buffalo debacle proves management by consensus never works

 

By: Ken Campbell on March 3, 2014

 

And when the Sabres hired Murray as their GM, they also hired his vision for the future of the franchise. If they didn’t like it – and they had to have known what it was before they brought him aboard – they shouldn’t have hired him. If they didn’t want a forceful, opinionated and decisive person to run their hockey department, they should have steered clear of Murray, who is all of those things.

[Kelly the Dog]

Buffalo debacle proves management by consensus never works

I think that quote is so blatantly obvious that it doesn't need to be said -- and needs to be repeatedly said.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

Not sure if this was mentioned but WGR is discussing how PLF was different behind closed doors (very difficult to work with) and Ted Nolan was not really communicating with anyone other than PLF (this includes assistant coaches and the team).

 

He was different behind closed doors to those who have only known Darcy Regier for the past 2 decades.....You have a guy with confidence in his ability, pride, and principles. If the radar goes off, he goes. That's why I would laugh at the people who would defend Darcy with, "Well of course he will let his painting hand be held...there are only 30 of these jobs in the world!"

 

Guess what, some people still have gumption.

 

 

[tom webster]

 

 

What are you gathering, exactly? What specifically is there that supports this theory?

 

 

 

You mean word of the TN extension? So PLF was PO'd about a leak regarding the extension and that resulted in him quitting?

 

That would be pretty strange.

 

No. I think he negotiated the extension on his own and when he got his hand slapped the press conference was cancelled and he had a tantrum.

[Ghost of Dwight Drane]

 

 

The concussion stuff is just plain stupid. But then again, read through this thread and it's obvious that people are clutching at just about any straw they can find. The one question I have off of your latest post is if LaFontaine is such a character guy that he will wait until after the deadline to say anything, why wouldn't he also wait to step down? The timing of this whole thing does nothing but make both sides look bad.

 

Because it was leaked??? He "had the flu". He already took a vacation.....the Sabres took too long to get on damage control and a resolution needed to be shown, as sloppily done as it was.

 

I just received this classified information..... A tape was slipped under my door......I believe what we have here is "Spike" Lafontaine, "Chester" Battista, and "Sylvester" Black.....

 

[SwampD]

Because it was leaked??? He "had the flu". He already took a vacation.....the Sabres took too long to get on damage control and a resolution needed to be shown, as sloppily done as it was.

To steal a line from Father Guido Sarducci,"You know who else I heard has the flu, Calvin Coolidge."

[SabresBillsFan]

I have liked Lafontaine since he was a Buffalo Sabre but if he hired Murray and they didn't see eye to eye he should have never hired him. I'm sure LaFontaine wanted to keep Miller and Steve Ott (Especially since Ott wanted to stay) and after Murray was set on unloading both I'm sure Lafontaine was pissed. I thought they wanted to keep players that wanted to be here.

This is my opinion if we are gonna do a complete overhaul like Darcy was doing you might as well keep it going and load up on prospects and more picks. This team wasn't going anywhere with Miller or Ott until they add alot more pieces. And you can't afford to lose two guys to unrestricted free agency for nothing. This team was 1 second line and 3 4th lines. No real true threats of goal scoring up front and nothing to really build around for the future up front. This team doesn't have much to keep up with Colorado in the future. I said this before and I will say it again this is gonna be at least 3-5 years before we see playoffs and I'm leaning closer to 5. If Murray plays his cards right and with all these picks he can land players that he feels a top line guys. We have a solid shot at having a great team for the future with these two upcoming drafts and with what we already have in the system. And I'm not talking about Grigs but more of Compher, Batiste, Armia, Risto, Zadorov, McCabe.

[K-9]

Nick Kypreos ‏@RealKyper 3m

#Sabres /LaFontaine settle terms on his multi yr deal. Won't be hearing from Pat anytime soon as he also signed a non-disclosure agreement

 

I was waiting for that. This serves both parties best. Fans won't like it, but we aren't privy to these things as much as we'd like to think that our financial support entitles us to be.

 

GO SABRES!!!

[IKnowPhysics]

I think unless Pat opens up later at some point in time, this will go down as a Sabres story that very few will know the details of, sort of like the story of what started the Hasek-Nolan feud.

 

Nick Kypreos ‏@RealKyper 3m

#Sabres /LaFontaine settle terms on his multi yr deal. Won't be hearing from Pat anytime soon as he also signed a non-disclosure agreement

 

Yep.

[Nitro60]

Pat left when he heard the Bills were not going to tag Byrd. Nothing to do with Nolan or the Sabres.

[Jsixspd]

Non disclosure agreement? Anyone still thinkling. "Concussions"?

 

These Penn State frat boyz /clowns of T-Pegs...apparently they learned well from the University of Coverups.

[SabresBillsFan]

Pat left when he heard the Bills were not going to tag Byrd. Nothing to do with Nolan or the Sabres.

 

I don't even know why people pay much attention to the Bills. They are a farm team for the rest of the NFL. When Marcell Dareus contract is up he will be gone as well. When will people learn why bother going to Bills game's and supporting a team that has no clue on how to put a winning team together and try to keep it together.

[IKnowPhysics]

I'd be surprised if most NHL front office personnel don't sign NDAs when they leave a job.

 

I bet Tim Murray signed one when he left Ottawa.

 

I bet Darcy signed one when he left here. Probably Lindy too.

 

It's not a sign of scumbaggery, it's a sign of a company trying to protect intellectual property and corporate knowledge in a competitive environment. Happens in lots of industries.

Edited March 4, 2014 by IKnowPhysics

[Jsixspd]

 

 

I don't even know why people pay much attention to the Bills. They are a farm team for the rest of the NFL. When Marcell Dareus contract is up he will be gone as well. When will people learn why bother going to Bills game's and supporting a team that has no clue on how to put a winning team together and try to keep it together.

 

That team will never amount to a tinkers damn while Ralph Wilson Jr owns it and Ralpie's boyz run it.

 

But that's a topic for another day and forum.

[etiennep99]

What's a kid like Grigorenko to think about this whole Pat Lafountaine affair?

 

Wasn't it Pat who said that Grigo had to learn to be patient and EARN his place on teams.

I think that Pat should look himself in the mirror. Twice now, Pat has been rushed into influential

positions and then left at the first sign of trouble. That's not a good example Pat.

 

My take on things is that Lafountaine was being forced into a figurehead role and that he didn't

care for it. That's not what he signed up for. But, come on. He should have at least stayed

to the end of the year. You gotta practice what you preach.

 

I take this all back if it was something more insideous that people are keeping private. Well,

except the Grigorenko part because this kid has to really have his head spinning right now.

[Hsoj25]

Whether PLF was 100% or 0% justified in this move, which we can only speculate on at this point, I believe it reflects poorly on him to have not delayed this big splash until after the trade deadline.

[SabresBillsFan]

That team will never amount to a tinkers damn while Ralph Wilson Jr owns it and Ralpie's boyz run it.

 

But that's a topic for another day and forum.

 

Very true. They just don't have a clue on how to run this team. Constant coaching changes, constant player changes lose 1 solid player just to use another 1st round pick on a player that just left. They will never get it. That's the only thing that puzzles me about the Bills Fanbase is why do you constantly show up to watch this garbage.

 

What's a kid like Grigorenko to think about this whole Pat Lafountaine affair?

 

Wasn't it Pat who said that Grigo had to learn to be patient and EARN his place on teams.

I think that Pat should look himself in the mirror. Twice now, Pat has been rushed into influential

positions and then left at the first sign of trouble. That's not a good example Pat.

 

My take on things is that Lafountaine was being forced into a figurehead role and that he didn't

care for it. That's not what he signed up for. But, come on. He should have at least stayed

to the end of the year. You gotta practice what you preach.

 

I take this all back if it was something more insideous that people are keeping private. Well,

except the Grigorenko part because this kid has to really have his head spinning right now.

 

I bet LaFontaine wanted to keep Miller and Ott and add pieces to it. Weren't they saying they want to keep players that want to be here and land Buffalo as a place where free agents can come. Tear it down and start over is what I'm guessing Murray has in mind plus like someone else said it buys him more years to right the ship.

[darksabre]

I'd be surprised if most NHL front office personnel don't sign NDAs when they leave a job.

 

I bet Tim Murray signed one when he left Ottawa.

 

I bet Darcy signed one when he left here. Probably Lindy too.

 

It's not a sign of scumbaggery, it's a sign of a company trying to protect intellectual property and corporate knowledge in a competitive environment. Happens in lots of industries.

 

Don't let that get in the way of a good witch hunt though.

[TrueBlueGED]

Non disclosure agreement? Anyone still thinkling. "Concussions"?

 

These Penn State frat boyz /clowns of T-Pegs...apparently they learned well from the University of Coverups.

 

To be clear, I don't think post concussion syndrome caused this. However, if it did, that's way more cause for an NDA than a power struggle. Mental health issues are not meant to be broadcast to the general public in scandalous fashion.

Edited March 4, 2014 by TrueBluePhD

[IKnowPhysics]

To be clear, I don't think post concussion syndrome caused this. However, if it did, that's way more cause for an NDA than a power struggle. Mental health issues are not meant to be broadcast to the general public in scandalous fashion.

 

Troof. Medical stuff for players is pretty much (undeservedly) public knowledge. Medical stuff for front office personnel is not and should never be.

Edited March 4, 2014 by IKnowPhysics

[Tondas]

Bunch of crap. You don't need an NDA when you resign benevolently and decide to go home and work for the NHL. Pugula is a terrible manager/executive (notwithstanding the billion dollars :rolleyes:).

[IKnowPhysics]

Bunch of crap: You don't need an NDA when you resign benevolently and decide to go home and work for the NHL. Pugula is a terrible manager/executive (notwithstanding the billion dollars :rolleyes:).

 

FTFY