Savard/MacDougall

[fisher]

Some more PR for the Rocket coming out today. While there are at least two sides to every story...the theme, again for this one seems like that same old tune "support me just because".
Seems to me, this message is getting on lots of nerves.
If I recall correctly, this is not the first scout to have major issues with the Pres...didn't the entire Atlantic group pack it in a few years back or maybe it was just the head guy - a Johnston maybe? Problems, as well as solutions do start at the top.

[North Shore]

Well another gem of decision by the Rocket brass. I have no problem with the dispute with MacDougal. What I take issue with is the decision not to have an island scout. I think this sends a message that island talent is not important to the Rocket's future.

Certainly will not help improve ticket sales.

[SteveUL]

gdc said:

Well another gem of decision by the Rocket brass. I have no problem with the dispute with MacDougal. What I take issue with is the decision not to have an island scout. I think this sends a message that island talent is not important to the Rocket's future.

Certainly will not help improve ticket sales.

You have a coach/GM , team president and a few assistant coaches ... they should be able to get a good look at all midget/Jr/HS aged kids on the Island without a dedicated scout ... plus you probably have a couple of Maritime Scouts that see PEI kids at various events.

I doubt that Moncton and most teams have a PEI scout ... just a few Maritime Scouts that travel around to the various tournaments and follow the AAA leagues. Why should PEI be any different ? Too many scouts cost money. PEI gets scouted just like NB and NS do ... just because you don't have a scout living in PEI doesn't mean you aren't scouting PEI.

[North Shore]

steveul said:

PEI gets scouted just like NB and NS do ... just because you don't have a scout living in PEI doesn't mean you aren't scouting PEI.

Yeah right. If you have a scout in the province he will see the local players much more than he will on an occasional swing into PEI. Savard never said anything about local administration picking up that role in PEI. The article said

Meanwhile, Savard has no plans to fill the vacant position (it’s been removed from the Rocket website) and said he will rely on his Nova Scotia and New Brunswick scouts.

www.theguardian.pe.ca/index.cfm?sid=84218&sc=99


The message I got from the article was "PEI talent does not matter to this organization". This is just my interpretation but I imagine it is shared by others.

[Krang7]

All of the top end draft eligible Island players play with the Major Midget teams who are playing in NB all the time. They don't need to have a scout constantly going to watch the same 2 teams over and over again when their NB scout will see them plenty of times as is.

[Score]

gdc said:

What I take issue with is the decision not to have an island scout. I think this sends a message that island talent is not important to the Rocket's future.

Certainly will not help improve ticket sales.

Nothing like that at all.

Not having an Island scout shouldn't hurt them a bit......as SteveUL said, I doubt most teams have a PEI scout.

IMO, it does not send a message that Island talent is not important to this team.

[Score]

Former scout, Rocket differ on story
Kenny MacDougall resigns from post with the QMJHL?team after being questioned about Team Atlantic under-17 roster selections
CHARLES REID
The Guardian

Sometimes a difference of opinion is just that; other times it means more.

This time it’s meant the resignation of P.E.I. Rocket scout Kenny MacDougall, who was the P.E.I. scout for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League club.

MacDougall said he quit on Nov. 21 after president and governor Serge Savard Jr. questioned why no Rocket players make the roster for Team Atlantic, which will play at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in London, Ont., next month.

MacDougall is head coach of the Atlantic squad and he said Savard called him Nov. 20, the day the roster was released.

“(He said) as a Rocket scout, I owed them to take a Rocket player. Serge felt I was basically embarrassing their organization,” MacDougall told The Guardian on Tuesday. “I was told I could no longer work with them in a professional manner.”

Three Rocket players —goaltender Jon Waye and forwards Brandon Street and Brandon MacLean, fifth-, second- and first-round selections in 2007 respectively —were invited to the Atlantic team camp in July in Wolfville, N.S.

None of them made the final roster but three Island midget AAA players — Brandon Gormley of Murray River, Morgan Ellis of Ellerslie and Alaska’s Jordan Costello — all did.

MacDougall said his integrity was being questioned and wrote a letter of resignation before head scout Charles Marier could fire him.

“That’s what disappointed me. I can’t select people for Team Atlantic based on what a major junior team wants,” said MacDougall, a Stratford resident.

Savard said although he understands MacDougall’s view, they differ greatly.

“We felt our number one pick should have been easily selected,” said Savard. “(It) sends a message the Rocket made a mistake at the draft. “I see (his point) absolutely, but, I’m sorry, Kenny’s on my payroll. I have the right to call.”

Savard said with a struggling team, the Rocket is 10-14-1, his first-round pick wasn’t seeing much ice time, which limited his exposure and development.

It’s standard practice for most Q teams, unless the squad is high in the standings or has little choice.

“There are not a lot of 16-year-olds that play regularly. It depends on your situation,” Savard said.

He said he’s protecting his player, similar to when he called the QMJHL head office demanding to know why Charlottetown’s Chris Doyle wasn’t picked to replace injured Baie-Comeau forward Benjamin Breault on the league’s team for the recent ADT Canada-Russia challenge.

Doyle (29 points) is tied for 24th on the scoring list with six other players, including St. John’s Jean-Simon Allard, who took Breault’s spot.

Breault is 10 points behind the grouping.

MacDougall, who’s assistant general manager and director of player development for the MJAHL’s Summerside Western Capitals, said he will now concentrate on Team Atlantic.

Meanwhile, Savard has no plans to fill the vacant position (it’s been removed from the Rocket website) and said he will rely on his Nova Scotia and New Brunswick scouts.

[IslandersHKY]

The problem I have is how this all escalated which is ridiculous.

Kenny MacDougall is the coach of the Team Atlantic under 17 team not Savard. And he invited kids like MacLean, Street & Waye to the tryout camp giving everyone a fair shot and Kenny took the players who he felt were the right fit.

And Savard has no place to try and say who should or shouldn’t be part of that team it has nothing to do with the Rocket.

IMO the Rocket drafted both MacLean and Street has nothing to do with whether or not they should be part of Team Atlantic and doesn’t make the Rocket look bad.
What makes the Rocket look bad is that players taken after MacLean (and Street) like Randell, or Critchlow or Deschamp or Paradis are currently having more success. Of course it is only their first year but those are the measuring sticks not if they make the Atlantic Team.

Personally, I like both Maclean and Street and think they have great potential but to me
if Kenny decided that they weren’t the right fit for his team that is his decision which he would be more than capable of defending if other players taken end up struggling. Either way I say good for Kenny to not put up with that crap.

I also feel bad for MacLean who is kind of an innocent victim in all of this. I am sure that he feels bad enough about not being selected without having it being discussed publically like this. I mean great for a coach/GM/Owner to support his players to but to publically complain like this is not fair to MacLean IMO.


As well as I think some people misunderstand what the loss of MacDougall means to this organization. Kenny was not a dedicated PEI scout. Kenny has a full time job, he is also involved with the Summerside Capitals and some coaching for elite tournaments. What Kenny provided was some input on local players speaking as one of the most knowledgeable hockey people on the Island and he also helped out each year during Training camp.

In theory it is true that scouts from NB or NS can cover the Island’s players. But Kenny was extremely knowledgeable and really knew the local players and he ended up losing that valuable resource over something stupid like and got lots of bad press to boot.

Poor Management IMO.

[flipper]

The message I got from the article was "PEI talent does not matter to this organization". This is just my interpretation but I imagine it is shared by others.

Check the roster and count the (Islanders)

[North Shore]

krang7 said:

All of the top end draft eligible Island players play with the Major Midget teams who are playing in NB all the time. They don't need to have a scout constantly going to watch the same 2 teams over and over again when their NB scout will see them plenty of times as is.

Can not agree with that generalization.

Ignoring the small "p" politics and financial constraints of making a major midget team, not "All of the top end" players are playing major midget. Kids at that age develop a lot in short time spans. You get kids who in August would not make the major midget team but by January they grew a bit and developed and will not be seen in NS or NB.

Those are the kids who may not get drafted but might get an invite to a camp because a local scout happened to see some potential.

All that aside the real point of my original post was I felt the remark by Savard was another comment that illustrates why this team struggles to build a solid relationship with fans. If the club were able to convince Islanders this is their team maybe they would get more support even when struggling.

[North Shore]

flipper said:

Check the roster and count the (Islanders)

The roster was not published in todays paper. The club's GM was quoted as saying:
he will rely on his Nova Scotia and New Brunswick scouts.

Not all of us Guardian readers are plugged into the Rocket organization and know that the scouts from the other provinces cover PEI.

[bois]

I agree with HF


Losing Kenny is not a good thing

and it isn't MacDougall's fault MacLean is barely playing and putting up no numbers at all.... there are several 16 y/o kids playing Major Junior and contributing some to teams of all degrees of success.. Savard's suggestion there is little room for Maclean to develop with a last place team is foolish IMO

I'm sure it is somewhat embarrassing for the Rocket to have their top pick not on the team....but that is not MacDougall's fault.. many suggested MacLean was picked too high perhaps they were right

I would agree with Savard if his players were not given an opportunity but that isn't the case here

anyways I'm glad to see some reporting being done here.... not just another story swept under the rug so to speak

[IslandersHKY]

bois said:

anyways I'm glad to see some reporting being done here.... not just another story swept under the rug so to speak

Good point I actually have been pleasently impressed with the improved quality/quantity of coverage that the Guardian has been providing this season, although it still has a ways to go.

Unfortunately I can these types of articles being the type that Savard will be complaining about and potentially retaliating by limited the Guardian's access. The Rocket Mgmt has to learn you need to take the good with the bad.

[Krang7]

I wonder if people would rather Savard hadn't stuck up for his players and just let one of his scouts off for overlooking them? It likely could have been handled better, but I for one would rather see Savard speak up then to not do anything at all.

To me losing one of the team's scouts is better then having Savard turn his back on our top prospects.

[Score]

All they need is to have a couple "Atlantic" scouts........

Sure, it's not a great thing.....and it was probably not handled the best way, but I personally don't see it as being that big of deal.

But I'm sure some will.