Culture: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization.
When we think of culture, a struggling hockey team usually isn’t the first thing that comes to mind. You may think of some National Geographic picture from the Far East. You may think of some awful high school history class that you slept through. Or maybe you throw a “counter” in front of the “culture” and you are caught thinking about San Francisco, the 1960s, and the Grateful Dead playing the Fillmore. No matter which continent or decade your brain takes you, chances are you probably aren’t thinking about hockey teams trying to find their way to the playoffs.
Well, if you’re a hockey fan, you should probably start.
Since the final day of the regular season, no organization has embraced the importance of culture like the Dallas Stars. That was the day that their relatively new owner replaced the familiar face in the GM’s office and brought in the fresh, new face that has been in the object of NHL teams’ desires for the past decade. The moderately capable Joe Nieuwendyk was replaced with former Red Wings’ assistant GM
Jim Nill to turn the good-ship Dallas Stars around and point them in the general vicinity of victories. Unfortunately, Nieuwendyk had certainly been handcuffed by shaky ownership and tight budget constraints for the better part of his four-year tenure. But now with a new owner—and new money—in place, it was someone else’s turn to bring success to American Airlines Center.
But why? The Stars had surprised many people around the league by making a last season push after a trade deadline fire sale. The young, inexperienced team finally faded down the stretch, but the organization had acquired some good young talent (and draft picks) in the process. The AHL affiliate in Cedar Park (Texas) had just finished the regular season with the best record in the Western Conference. By all accounts, the future seemed bright enough to have Timbuk3 wearing shades.
The answer lies in an idea much bigger than wins, goals, or even advanced stats. No, this was a change that was designed to have much further reaching changes—and we’re not just talking about a new logo or a shiny, new jersey. This is where the aforementioned Jim Nill comes in.
From his first statements as a member of the Dallas Stars’ brass, Nill made it clear that he was going to bring his experiences from the Detroit Red Wings to Big D. No, he wasn’t going to bring Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg with him (unfortunately), but he was going to bring something far more important from the Motor City. His plan: to bring the magic elixir that has been the secret to the Red Wings’ success for the better part of two decades. And it’s a formula that won’t cost owner Tom Gaglardi a single penny against the salary cap. But it’s not something anyone will ever be able to point to on a stat sheet as the secret to success.
The Red Wings’ secret during their 22-season playoff streak has less to do with the players on the ice and more to do with the belief within the four walls of their locker room. The Steve Yzermans, Sergei Fedorovs, and Larry Murphys have long since given way to the Henrik Zetterbergs, Pavel Datsyuks, and Niklas Kronwalls of the world. But the pride in the organization and honor of continuing the tradition of excellence has been passed on from superstars, to grinders, to everyone in between since the first George Bush was still in office.
That’s what we’re talking about when we throw around highbrow phrases like culture, team philosophy, and impeccable character.
That’s the umbrella under which Jim Nill learned the business. He spent 19 years in the Red Wings’ front office—including 15 years as the assistant General Manager under the esteemed Ken Holland. If you could pick any organization and any executive to apprentice under, it would be hard to beat the Red Wings and Holland.
As the NHL was gearing up for the start of the Stanley Cup Final, here’s what Nill told Hockey Night in Canada Radio about his history with Detroit and vision for Dallas:
When he talks about good pieces in place, he could be talking about a budding star in Jamie Benn, the uber-professional Loui Eriksson* (Editor's Note: Traded yesterday to Boston, so not so much), or the underappreciated Kari Lehtonen. He could be talking about youngsters like Brenden Dillon, Cody Eakin, or Alex Chiasson that all showed flashes of promising potential at the NHL level this past year. Or perhaps he was talking about the AHL affiliate Texas Stars and their recent run of success in cultivating young players and maximizing their potential—both on an individual and team level. It’s something Nill respected even before he agreed to sign on with the Stars. After all, he was the head of player development in the AHL for the Red Wings organization and has been running their entire draft as assistant GM. He knows there’s potential there:
Accountability and pride. There’s that culture thing again. He’s not alone in harping on changing and shaping a culture within an organization. When John Davidson left St. Louis and joined the Columbus Blue Jackets organization, he’d tell anyone who would listen that the key was to get the team to believe they could compete. He said that was the same challenge that he faced when he joined the St. Louis Blues in his previous role in their front office.
It’s not just lip-service. Changing a culture, while wildly difficult to pull off, can pay off with the highest prize. We’ve talked about the Red Wings’ expectation of success each and every year. But they aren’t the only team that has put that into place and seen the fruits of their labor. Los Angeles Kings’ GM Dean Lombardi has repeatedly said that he’s been trying to create a strong culture since the day he took the job in 2006. He saw how things worked in the Philadelphia Flyers organization and the family-like atmosphere surrounding past and present players. Guys in the locker room knew it was important to be a “Flyer.” He had a specific style of play they expected—no matter which 20 players were in the room for a given season. And past players would still be around the team; because there was a feeling that once they were Flyers, they were Flyers for life.
Lombardi took that concept and applied it to the Kings from day one. They built an organizational identity from the ground up—from Ontario in the ECHL, to Manchester in the AHL, all the way to Los Angeles. Players were indoctrinated in a certain style of play and a certain way to be a professional. Former players were brought back and an alumni association was created for former players to be welcomed back into the fold. It’s no wonder that the Kings were labeled the “Flyers West,” and it had more to it than just the number of players from Philadelphia on the roster.
Today, the Kings have been to the playoffs for four consecutive years, been to (at least) the conference finals each of the last two seasons, and one their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. For the first time in their 46-year history, they can be considered perennial Cup contenders. And they’ve done it with the core that they drafted and acquired to be a family-type of organization.
Needless to say, changing the culture of a team can pay dividends when everyone at all levels of the organization buys into the plan.
A great culture alone isn’t enough for success. Just like a team can’t have long-term success without a strong foundation across the entire organization, they aren’t going anywhere without talented players. But combining talent, belief, and purpose together in healthy doses will put any team in position to be successful for not only a single year, but over multiple years and multiple generations of players. Again, just look at the Red Wings and Flyers. The former has made the playoffs for 22 straight years and the latter had made the playoffs 16 of the last 17 seasons coming into this year.
The first step for Nill will be to fill the cupboard with prospects with potential that play the way he wants the game to be played. As CBC’s Elliotte Friedman noted when Nieuwendyk was fired, ““… there is a good chance that in a year or two, we will look at his tenure differently.” Friedman continued, “The Stars have some real young talent. A shrewd evaluator like Jim Nill does not take this job without seeing that.”
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/opinion/2013/05/nhl-awards-picks-30-thoughts.html
With four picks in the top 54 selections in the 2013 Entry Draft, it will be imperative for Nill to augment the already respectable prospect pool. It’s no secret that building through the draft has proven to be the most well-traveled route to recurring success for NHL teams. Perhaps the single-most reason that Jim Nill has been coveted for years is because of his role in Detroit: he oversaw player development in the AHL and was the final decision-maker at the Draft. Put those two roles together and in many ways, the Red Wings’ future has always been Nill’s responsibility. Looking back at their record of consistency, it looks like he was wildly successful while being accountable for the future.
One of the first moves Nill made in Dallas was to keep around a guy who is made from the same cloth: assistant GM Les Jackson. Jackson has been with the team for 25 years and by all accounts, is a Stars’ “lifer.” The Dallas Stars’ media guide describes his responsibilities: “His role consists of managing and overseeing the club’s scouting program, as well as monitoring the development of all amateur and professional prospects.”
In other words, he’s always been in charge of the Stars’ future. It’s no wonder that Nill has so much respect for Jackson—they’ve been running in the same circles for the better part of two decades.
Stars’ President and CEO Jim Lites has worked with both Nill and Jackson and hopes the two of them can join forces to create something special at the Draft table. Even though Nill has only been with the Dallas organization for two months, Lites has already been asked about the two draft gurus who have been given the mandate to reinvigorate the club. His answer should have everyone current and former Dallas Stars fan energized for the future:
<blockquote>“They’re two peas in a pod. They finish each other’s sentences. They are on the same page, and yet they are also coming at this with two different sets of eyes. They have different experiences, they respect each other’s views, and I’m confident they’re going to do a great job together.
“I’ve been around this game for a long time, and you can’t find two guys with better reputations. They are hard-working, and prepared, and experienced, and just really smart. I honestly think that’s what it comes down to, you have two smart guys who can make really smart decisions.”</blockquote>
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/dallas-stars/headlines/20130527-heika-jim-nill-les-jackson-go-from-enemies-to-partners-as-dallas-stars-prepare-for-nhl-draft.ece
For his part, Lites has been doing more that answering questions about his new General Manager. Lites was part of the Stars’ organization during the glory years around the turn of the century and again during the Tom Hicks era in the 2000s. He was instrumental in selling the sport in North Texas when the team moved south from Minnesota and, frankly, proved irreplaceable during his four years away from the organization. Not only is he known in hockey circles as a strong hockey mind, he’s understood from the outset that it was important to grow hockey’s roots in Texas. Due in large part to his efforts, saw an 1157% growth in USA Hockey memberships from 1991 (pre-Stars) to 2010. In other words, Lites has understood that it was important to get kids (and adults) out there playing hockey.
That effort to get people playing hockey had sorely been lacking before Lites returned to the organization in 2011. In his absence, hockey steadily declined in popularity in the Metroplex—and accordingly, the Stars took a major hit at the box office. Of course, putting a losing product on the ice didn’t help sell tickets, but a strong, motivated fanbase will help an organization survive the lean years. Without a lively, engaged fanbase in a non-traditional market, you have the Phoenix Coyotes.
Lites’ efforts will be even more important in the coming years. Owner Tom Gaglardi has already stated that he expects at each draft, the organization is planning three years out. Considering his experience with junior hockey as part owner of the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL, he understands that developing young prospects is just as important as acquiring the talent in the first place.
While building a team from the ground up has proven to be successful in the long-run, it has also proven to be tough on any organization in the short term. The Penguins had the worst attendance in the league during their rebuild during the 2003-04 season. Before Chicago had the Madhouse on Madison, they had thousands of people dressing up as empty seats from 2003 until they started to turn things around in the 2007-08 year. The Kings saw their attendance dip to the lowest levels since they moved to Staples Center when they were trying to rebuild during the 2007-08 year.
Considering the Stars were 25th in the league in attendance (in terms of capacity), it looks like the fans in Dallas may wait until the rebuild is showing progress before they return in droves. Just like so many other teams across North America, the Dallas Metroplex loves their teams when they’re winning. With the Rangers contending for the World Series and the Cowboys being the apex of the State of Football, the Stars have to fight to convert and keep every hockey fan they can find.
The blessing looks as though it could be a curse for the Stars fans in the next few years: the Stars are going to be patient. In fact, Jim Nill has already said that the biggest lesson that he’s learned from his mentor Ken Holland is how important it is to be patient when others are calling for drastic action. But that’s exactly what Gaglardi, Lites and Nill are looking for—stability and consistency.
For now, the Stars have made it clear that they are going make the most of the draft with their assembled dream team spearheaded by Nill and Jackson. The next step will be bringing in the right veteran players to help teach the younger players exactly what it takes to succeed at the NHL level. Nill’s first player personal transaction spoke to his desire to add at well-respected veteran by acquiring Sergei Gonchar’s rights—and subsequently signing him to a two-year deal.
Gonchar will undoubtedly help quarterback the power play that struggled last season and he has the ability to eat up minutes on the blueline, but the main reason he’s in Dallas is his experience. He’s been to the playoffs 13 times, Stanley Cup Final three times, and won a Cup with Pittsburgh in 2009. Just as importantly, the last two times he missed the playoffs, he was helping lay the foundation with young teammates with the Penguins and Senators. The man has won a Silver and Bronze medal at the Olympics and participated four times for Team Russia. He’s been around players that know what it takes to succeed at the highest level—HE has succeeded at the highest level.
GM Nill hopes that Gonchar will be able to walk into the Stars’ locker room and fill the same role he expects out of the returning Ray Whitney. He expects both to be respected leaders and set a strong example for the younger prospects that are on the horizon and hope to make their mark in the NHL.
“Part of our game plan is we want to add some veteran presence to our team. We have some good young kids coming, but you need to have veteran presence,” Nill told Mark Stepneski at Stars Inside Edge. “It’s a man’s game and he’s been a great player for many years. He had a great year last year. We know that he looks after himself, he’s a highly conditioned athlete. I come from the model in Detroit and we’ve had a lot of success with the older players that look after themselves and bring veteran presence. He’s a piece of the puzzle. He brings great leadership in the dressing room and will bring high skill level to our backend. … He has high leadership skills and is a great character player. We want to add that to our team.”
http://starsinsideedge.com/2013/06/07/stars-gm-jim-nill-talks-sergei-gonchar-deal/
Some players from last year’s roster should already have a good idea of what it takes to be a professional after seeing Jaromir Jagr and his notorious preparation and conditioning. Nill has seen it himself during his time with Red Wings and has already shared his expectations with his new players in Dallas:
<blockquote>“If there’s anything that I learned in Detroit, that’s one thing. I told a story today and I told the players this the last time I’m going to talk about Detroit. I remember when we played Pittsburgh in the last year when they beat us in the Final in the seventh game. It was a Friday night, Saturday morning I came back to the rink not expecting anyone to be there. All the sudden, I go to the dressing room and there’s Chris Chelios, who’s 42 years old, getting a workout in 8:30 or 9 in the morning after we just lost in the Stanley Cup Final. He’s 42 years old—if anyone doesn’t need to be there, it’s him. But that’s why he’s still playing at 42 because he learned a lifestyle. What it takes to be a pro. That’s what I really mean by bringing a culture, that’s learning to bring it every single day to be the best you can be.”</blockquote>
Marek vs. Wyshynski Radio (April 30, 2013)
For his part, Gonchar already bought into Dallas’s plan for the future before he ever put on a Stars jersey. He had to waive his no-trade clause for the Stars to even trade for his rights—then agreed to a contract before he could have hit the market as an unrestricted free agent. “The most important reason I signed with Dallas is because after I talked to them I find out they are going to sign more players,” Gonchar said. “They are going to improve the team and they are going to do whatever it takes to make that next step. That’s what made me sign with them.”
http://starsinsideedge.com/2013/06/10/quotable-sergei-gonchar-on-signing-with-the-dallas-stars/
He certainly sounds like a believer—and that’s the first step for any culture change. Belief.
It’s not like the Stars haven’t already proven they can be successful in Dallas. Since moving from Minnesota, they’ve won seven division titles, two President’s Trophies, made two Stanley Cup Final appearances, and won a Stanley Cup (no matter what fans in Buffalo will tell you). They’ve proven that they can make it work on a large scale over the long term—but those days seem like more of a memory than a history to build upon.
Rewind to the last couple of years at Reunion Arena and the first couple of years at American Airlines Center to see just how strong the Metroplex market can be for hockey. The team on the ice was challenging for Presidents’ Trophies and Stanley Cups while the fans in the seats were racking up a 238 game sell-out streak while they were cheering the home team to a Texas-sized amount of victories. The team was great, the fans were passionate, and the organization was healthy.
That was then. Jim Nill and Tom Gaglardi are working to bring it back to the now.
Back in the 60’s, the Grateful Dead would end plenty of shows with the track “The Music Never Stopped.” Nill and Gaglardi are looking to bring that culture out of the Fillmore and into a much bigger venue—the American Airlines Center. This summer is only the first step to get back to that place that they know exists.
Matt Reitz is Founder/Creator of the hockey website ViewFromMySeats.com ◉