[Article] Canucks: Trevor Linden slams former GM Jim Benning in Sportsnet 650 interview

[LillStrimma]

40 minutes ago, JamesB said:

I have been a bit tough on Benning when I think the real failure was with ownership.  I still cannot understand it. That is not just another way of saying I disagree with ownership decisions. I really cannot understand it as Francesco Aquilini is a smart guy (and so is Roberto Aquilini).

If you think how Benning has talked in different situations. He don't take any resonibility and tries to blame someone or pad the back of someone special.

 

He probably outmanouvered Linden by saying what FA wanted to hear.

That is on Benning trying to have more power for himself. The latter decisions by him to make him and Weisbroad decide more by themselves also point in that direction.

So I wouldn't blame FA for listening to a car  salesman. Many on CDC were fooled by Bennings "honesty".

[Ballisticsports]

4 hours ago, awalk said:

"Slams" 

 

Boohoo Benning the Big Baby 

 

Linden sounds happy, unbothered, and ready to just tell the truth now that so much time has passed. Good for him.

Actually most of this is old news, when Linden promoted Bracket to take the reins after he was upset with how 2016 draft was handled

[Provost]

I flew back from Vegas (after seeing U2 at The Sphere) a couple weeks ago with Linden sitting two rows behind me.

 

He is always really super polite and friendly.  It must be hard to be “switched on” and ready all the time.  He must enjoy it overall though as he stays in Vancouver.  He could be largely anonymous in a lot of different cities.

 

 

[Metal Face Doom]

Just because Linden said it, doesn't mean it's 100% true.

[AnthonyG]

14 hours ago, Miss Korea said:

Aren't there still a bunch of Benning loyalists here who credit him with drafting Pettersson?  Imagine where we'd be with Cody Glass right now.

Weird because we never drafted Cody Glass? Benning selected Pettersson. He sent Ron Delorme AND Judd Brackett BOTH to go scout Pettersson and assure him. He listened to his scouting departments input and made a great pick. He trusted his scouts, how hard is that to accept?

 

Elias Pettersson ranked anywhere from 5th to 20th, on the outside of the top 10 by 5 different rankings.

 

[Blue]

15 minutes ago, Metal Face Doom said:

Just because Linden said it, doesn't mean it's 100% true.

Even if it is , Benning was the GM. He takes the credit and the criticism for the team. Ultimately they decided on Petey. And Benning could have overruled them and took Glass if he wanted to.

 

 

[Miss Korea]

1 hour ago, Jaimito said:

 

 

Fucking Matt Sekeres getting involved.  Oh God.

[4petesake]

11 minutes ago, Blue said:

Even if it is , Benning was the GM. He takes the credit and the criticism for the team. Ultimately they decided on Petey. And Benning could have overruled them and took Glass if he wanted to.

 

 

 

100%. Just like he owns the Juolevi and Virtanen picks.

The GM’s name is always attached to every pick. He gets the glory and the rotten apples.

[Curmudgeon]

I think we can all agree that the Linden-Benning-Wiesbrod-Desjardins era was miserable. Never forget that while most fans are in awe of the very thought of Linden, he was the guy who hired Benning, Wiesbrod, Desjardins and later approved the hiring of Travis Green, Nolan Baumgartner and Doug Jarvis. He also left Chris Higgins out to dry in a public meeting with season's ticket holders. To his credit, he did recognize that amateur scouting and drafting wasn't very good, even though he sold Benning to the fan base on the idea that JB was some sort of Jedi scouting master. Having said all that, I am surprised that Linden chose now to dump on Benning. I would have thought he had more class than that. Instead he just comes across as petty and vindictive.

[Elias Pettersson]

 

 

[Blue]

9 minutes ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

 

Linden doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd punch down unless he felt really wronged. 

[Alflives]

8 hours ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

So then what actual evidence do we have that our scouts (other than Judd Brackett) were at odds with Benning?    

 

 

Trevor made it clear. Then we had the crap selection of OJ the previous year. And Benning, we know, wanted Glass. Add to this Linden and Bracket both leaving. Our owner was the biggest fool here, when choosing Benning over the much better hockey minds that left. 

[Blue]

IN THE NET MOFOS

 

Edit wrong thread 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Blue

[conquestofbaguettes]

The man speaks

 

 

[conquestofbaguettes]

4 hours ago, Blue said:

Linden doesn't seem like the kind of guy who'd punch down unless he felt really wronged. 

 

Well yeah. He got fired because he was idealistic and not realistic about the business that is NHL hockey in Vancouver. Linden was talking tank and ownership saw hundreds of millions of dollars burning in front of their eyes. What did he think was going to happen. Lol. Ownership chose to stay "competitive" for the duration for a reason.

 

Here's former Canucks AGM Chris Gear talking about how and why things played out the way they did:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vmBXThA1fvQ&t=848s

 

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by conquestofbaguettes

[Alflives]

14 minutes ago, conquestofbaguettes said:

The man speaks

 

 

Benning! 

[Jeremy Hronek]

8 hours ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

 

When I wake up, the game will be over and I hope the Nucks will have laid the beat down to the Sens.

 

 

 

I'm starting to think that this is the best Canucks team that we've ever had outside of 2010-2012 and 1992-1994.  

 

We'll have to see how this team does if/when the inevitable injury occurs to one or more of our core players but holy fuck.

 

This team is about as real as John Goodman's breasts from what I'm seeing.  

[Hogs and Podz]

3 minutes ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

I'm starting to think that this is the best Canucks team that we've ever had outside of 2010-2012 and 1992-1994.  

Not as gritty as that 94 team and not a skilled top to bottom as that 2011 team but closer to the 2011 team is style of play and skill.  Coach Tocc seems very much like Quinn though.  Bluegar in next game... Beau probably out.

 

Kuzy-Petey-Miky

PDG-Millsey-BB

Joshua-Suter-Garland

Lafferty-Bluegar-Höglander

 

That looks really well balanced!  Maybe even gritty enough.  Will be interesting to see if Bluegar ends up being 3rd line center.  Lots of options.  

Love this team!

[conquestofbaguettes]

15 minutes ago, Alflives said:

Benning! 

 

Picked Pettersson.

 

And Benning's core is still alive and well and winning a ton. Thank you, Benning. And thank you to Allvin and Rutherford for continuing to retool around Bennings core.

Edited November 10, 2023 by conquestofbaguettes

[Jeremy Hronek]

6 minutes ago, conquestofbaguettes said:

 

Picked Pettersson.

 

And Benning's core is still alive and well and winning a ton. Thank you, Benning. And thank you to Allvin and Rutherford for continuing to retool around Bennings core.

 

-Pettersson

-Hughes

-Boeser

-Demko

-Miller

-Hoglander

-Myers

-Garland

 

Although I'm pretty sure many bone smokers at HF Canucks will probably give Judd Brackett and/or Thomas Drance credit for drafting and/or trading for the above players, lol.  

[conquestofbaguettes]

18 minutes ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

-Pettersson

-Hughes

-Boeser

-Demko

-Miller

-Hoglander

-Myers

-Garland

 

Although I'm pretty sure many bone smokers at HF Canucks will probably give Judd Brackett and/or Thomas Drance credit for drafting and/or trading for the above players, lol.  

 

Don't forget Podkolzin! And I'm sure will be back soon as well.

 

People can dodge and weave all they want but a GM's name is attached to ALL the player an organization drafts.  Good or bad, slam dunks or long shots. Picks on teams don't have long winded explanations of what scout wanted who and what the conversation were.

 

In the end,  the GM makes the final call and signs the dotted line. And Benning made the call on Pettersson. If he didn't, Petey wouldn't be a Canuck right now.

 

All I know is it's finally nice to see some pay off after all those years of losing seasons. But... rebuilds be like that. And people always love a good scapegoat.

Edited November 10, 2023 by conquestofbaguettes

[Kevin Biestra]

14 hours ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

I don't think Linden deliberately threw Benning under the bus as much as he did in simply expressing his thoughts to a question.  

 

Hilariously enough, I think Linden was subtly far tougher on Boudreau in the interview than he was with Benning or ownership, lol.   

 

But fuck it - who cares now.   

 

It's 2023.

 

Linden and Benning are about as relevant to the Canucks as my uncle's breasts.   

 

Yes, I was a BenningBro back in the day, and I predicted that 2019/2020 would be our 06/07 (surprise 2nd round appearance), 20/21 would be our 07/08 (small step back), and 21/22 would be our 08/09 'we've arrived' party.  

 

I was two years off.  

 

This year looks like it's our 08/09 year with bigger, better, and blacker things to possibly come.  

 

Let's celebrate what's in front of us instead of dwelling on issues from 5+ years ago.

 

The thing is I have always felt the fate of the Canucks and the state of your uncle's breasts are pretty closely linked.

[Jeremy Hronek]

3 hours ago, conquestofbaguettes said:

 

Don't forget Podkolzin! And I'm sure will be back soon as well.

 

People can dodge and weave all they want but a GM's name is attached to ALL the player an organization drafts.  Good or bad, slam dunks or long shots. Picks on teams don't have long winded explanations of what scout wanted who and what the conversation were.

 

In the end,  the GM makes the final call and signs the dotted line. And Benning made the call on Pettersson. If he didn't, Petey wouldn't be a Canuck right now.

 

All I know is it's finally nice to see some pay off after all those years of losing seasons. But... rebuilds be like that. And people always love a good scapegoat.

 

What's especially concerning to me is that a bunch of toxic media members, along with many fans at HF Canucks and twitter, are trying to discredit

e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g that Jim Benning did.  Their basic argument is this:

 

-Juolevi + Virtanen = Benning's fault

-Pettersson + Hughes + Demko + Hoglander + *insert decent prospect here* = Judd Bracket and/or someone else's idea.   

 

((they'll refrain from commenting on Podkolzin because we don't know if he's a bust or victory at this point)).

 

It's childish and ridiculous but that's exactly what's going on unfortunately.  

 

It's also of no coincidence that Miller was hated last by the aforementioned during Benning's tenure here but is now miraculously loved since Alvin put his stamp on the team.  Ridiculous politics.

[LillStrimma]

7 hours ago, Elias Pettersson said:

 

 

He used my word also, car salesman... He must have been one of the spin doctors on CDC. I wonder what user name he had here. I hope he doesn't think it's worth posting here since his dad is out.

[Elias Pettersson]

31 minutes ago, Jeremy Hronek said:

 

What's especially concerning to me is that a bunch of toxic media members, along with many fans at HF Canucks and twitter, are trying to discredit

e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g that Jim Benning did.  Their basic argument is this:

 

-Juolevi + Virtanen = Benning's fault

-Pettersson + Hughes + Demko + Hoglander + *insert decent prospect here* = Judd Bracket and/or someone else's idea.   

 

((they'll refrain from commenting on Podkolzin because we don't know if he's a bust or victory at this point)).

 

It's childish and ridiculous but that's exactly what's going on unfortunately.  

 

It's also of no coincidence that Miller was hated last by the aforementioned during Benning's tenure here but is now miraculously loved since Alvin put his stamp on the team.  Ridiculous politics.

 

It may be difficult to look soley at the draft, as it will continue to be Benning wanted this guy, Brackett wanted that guy.  At the end of the day, the Canucks hit a homerun on 3 picks, but also literally threw away 2 top 6 picks as well.

 

The draft isn't really what got Benning fired.  It was his free agent signings and his trades that did him in.  Loui Eriksson, Jay Beagle, Tyler Myers, trading a top 10 pick and a 2nd for OEL who now is going to haunt us and screw our cap for 7 more years, plus we have Garland on the books for 2 more years at $5 million when he is a 3rd liner.

 

Benning had a chance to completely wipe out alot of his problems by simply allowing the contracts of Beagle, Eriksson and Roussel to expire.  Instead, he doubled down and traded those contracts plus the picks on top in order to get his guy from Arizona who was going to come and lead us to the playoffs and save his job.  It completely backfired on him and now we are suffering as a result of that massive mistake.

 

If people want to give credit to Benning for being a great amateur scout, then go for it.  But in virtually every other area of the GM job, he was absolutely brutal.