How Burke may avoid Sabres' drama with Flames' GM hire

The resignation of Pat LaFontaine as the president of hockey operations for the Buffalo Sabres is still a developing story. We may never know the real reasons behind the move, although there has already been plenty of speculation about a potential power struggle between LaFontaine and his GM hire, Tim Murray.

What really went on there? I have no idea. I don't pretend to have any idea.

It was certainly a fascinating story to watch unfold Saturday though and it jogged my memory on a Brian Burke quote from December I mined for Hockey Hearsay, when I was writing for Sportsnet.ca and editing the daily Hockey Hearsay column.

The quote came via The Calgary Herald and here's that edition of Hearsay too. It piqued my interest at the time, as well.

Burke, who, like LaFontaine carries the president of hockey operations role, was discussing his search for a new Flames GM and explained how that relatively new PHO role (in hockey, anyway) was structured as it relates to a GM.

“The thinking is — and this exists in a number of franchises in football, baseball, basketball, and now forward in the NHL — you’ve got someone there to steer the ship and mentor a young GM. First off, you avoid the big mistakes that young GMs typically make. And second, you don’t have to have an organizational shift, a major reorientation every time you bring in a new GM. You have someone steering the ship even if someone else is in command on a day-to-day basis.”

Read into that what you will, but it certainly seems like Burke has every intention of having veto authority on any move.

It may well be - again, this is just speculation - that LaFontaine was under the impression he would be able to have more input that he actually received with Murray as GM.

Food for thought, anyway.