On April 3, just a week after Neil Smith was dismissed as the team’s general manager, the Rangers were in Washington to play the Caps. There was much discussion that night regarding Washington GM George McPhee’s potential interest in moving from the Beltway to Broadway.
There was so much discussion, in fact, that the Capitals’ front office issued a formal statement declaring that McPhee was under contract for next season, and that Washington would
not, if requested, grant the Rangers permission to speak to
the GM.
That seemed to remove McPhee, one of the NHL’s bright, young, energetic executives from consideration for the job.
Not so fast.
The Post has learned from an impeccable source that while McPhee has, and has had, the offer of a contract extension in front of him for quite some time, and has generally reached an agreement in principle on the offer, he has not signed it. Thus, at least as of today, McPhee is not under contract for next season to the Capitals.
Thus, McPhee is now not only a candidate, but a leading candidate, to assume command of the Rangers once his current contract expires on June 30, six days after the Entry Draft in which the Blueshirts have neither a first- nor third-round pick.
According to one well-placed individual who spoke to The Post yesterday on condition of anonymity, McPhee is content in Washington; extremely comfortable with his relationships with Capital owner Ted Leonsis, the front office personnel, and with coach Ron Wilson. But, this source said, McPhee at the same time is drawn to the concept of coming to New York, where he played 109 games for the Rangers over the course of five seasons from 1982 through 1987.
A second source, somewhat further removed from the situation, told The Post yesterday that McPhee indeed wants the job at the Garden.
McPhee himself was unavailable for comment.
The list of candidates, all undeclared at this moment, thus now includes McPhee; Edmonton GM Glen Sather; Detroit coach Scotty Bowman; Detroit GM Ken Holland; NHL VP Colin Campbell; possibly Devils GM Lou Lamoriello, and, possibly, John Davidson.
The task of rebuilding the Ranger organization is a five-year job at the minimum. To that extent, the Garden would be well advised to hire a young, hungry, industrious GM determined to make his mark on the league. McPhee, who will turn 40 on July 14, certainly possesses those attributes.
A Hobey Baker Award winner out of Bowling Green, McPhee was a feisty, albeit injury-prone winger with limited talent and a big heart who was a Garden fan favorite in his playing days. McPhee has been Washington’s general manager for three seasons, presiding over the Caps’ trip to the Cup Finals in 1998, as well as the team’s 102-point Southeast Division championship this season. He came to Washington from Vancouver, where he served for five seasons as Pat Quinn’s Vice President of Hockey Operations and as the Canucks’ alternate governor.
McPhee often acted as Quinn’s bad cop in salary negotiations in Vancouver, where he earned a reputation as a hard-liner. But since coming to Washington, the GM has displayed a willingness to spend money on talent, witness substantial contract agreements with players such as Adam Oates, Peter Bondra, Olie Kolzig and Group III free agent acquisition Dimitri Mironov.
In addition, and this is no small thing, McPhee enthusiastically attempted to sign Mark Messier when The Captain was exiled in 1997. In fact, McPhee and the Caps actually offered Messier at least $21 million over three years, more than the $20 million guaranteed over three years he accepted from Vancouver. It is not out of the question that McPhee would attempt to bring Messier to the Caps this summer should the GM remain in Washington.
As well, McPhee was responsible for bringing Wilson to Washington in 1997, just weeks after the coach had been dismissed in Anaheim. Indeed, introduced as a team on June 9, 1997, McPhee and Wilson remain exceptionally close. It is not known whether Wilson, also offered a contract extension earlier this season, has signed for next year or whether he might be available to come to New York as part of a package with McPhee.
Garden president Dave Checketts, who is conducting the executive search, has refused to respond to inquiries concerning any potential candidates for the job. Indeed, largely because of the way he departed in 1994, Mike Keenan is the only man who has been ruled out of consideration – and he has been ruled out of consideration for the GM and coaching jobs, both.
As for McPhee, he’s not likely to be ruled out at all.
In fact, he is certain to be counted in … no matter what the Washington press release said on April 3.