Gauthier Can’t Escape His Critics in Ottawa

The Ottawa Senators ripped the Ducks, 4-1, Friday. The Ottawa Sun then ripped Pierre Gauthier, Duck president and general manager, in Saturday’s editions.

Gauthier should be held accountable for the Ducks’ poor season and should be fired, according to hockey writer Bruce Garrioch. Gauthier served as general manager of the Senators before leaving in the summer of 1998 to become the Ducks’ top executive. Garrioch has been a frequent Gauthier critic.

“The Anaheim Mighty Ducks made their only appearance at the Corel Centre [Friday] night, and if there’s any mercy in this world, then it will be their last with Pierre Gauthier as president and general manager,” Garrioch wrote.

“While he made the best deal he possibly could by sending Teemu Selanne to the [San Jose] Sharks for Jeff Friesen and Steve Shields, somebody should pay the price for the Ducks’ bad season and there’s no better choice than Gauthier.

“Pushing aside the man who hired him, Tony Tavares, Gauthier has bullied his way into becoming the man who makes all the decisions for the Ducks and it’s pretty obvious there’s been a lot of bad ones along the way.

“It’s time for the Ducks to take action and give Gauthier his walking papers. Attendance is down, the club’s record is awful and the fans can’t be naive enough to think Steve Shields is going to lead the team to the Promised Land.

“In his role with Anaheim, Gauthier has become nothing more than a lame duck.”

At the All-Star break, there were rumors that Gauthier’s days as team president and general manager were numbered. Gauthier was said to be set to remain with the club as president, but would soon hand the general manager’s duties to Neil Smith. A former New York Ranger general manager, Smith is a special consultant to Gauthier.

Gauthier denied the stories.

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* Records--Ducks 23-37-8-5, Blackhawks 29-32-7-3.

* Record vs. Blackhawks--1-3.

* Update--After a season-best five-game winning streak, the Ducks have lost consecutive games. This is the fourth of eight consecutive games away from Anaheim for the Ducks. The 10th-place Blackhawks are 5-3-2 in their last 10 but have almost no chance to rally for a playoff berth.