Ducks Fire Gauthier as General Manager

Mighty Duck General Manager Pierre Gauthier was fired Friday, less than a week after the team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the third consecutive season.

Paul Pressler, the Disney executive who oversees the Ducks, said he would start searching for a new general manager immediately. Former New York Ranger general manager Neil Smith, who is a consultant for the Ducks, is expected to be a leading candidate.

This is another shakeup in an organization that was once extremely successful under Disney. The Ducks sold out 90 of 93 games during one stretch in the 1990s and their merchandise sales were among the highest in professional sports.

“Obviously we are disappointed in what we have been able to achieve the last three seasons,” Pressler said. “Although Pierre did a great job molding this team and helping us, I want to accelerate us becoming a Stanley Cup contender. With new leadership, we have a better chance of getting there.”

Whoever is given that task will have a small base of solid players, including Paul Kariya, on which to build. But it is also a team that finished 25 points out of the playoffs this season.

The problems are not just on the ice. Attendance at home games has plummeted the last five seasons, with the Ducks drawing crowds estimated at 6,000 for many games this season. Some team sponsors were concerned by the poor attendance and how they were being treated by the organization.

“I think this is good for us,” center Matt Cullen said. “The path we were following the last few years wasn’t taking us where we want to go. Obviously changes were needed. It’s great for us to have a fresh start. This will be good.”

Still, Duck players were stunned by the news. Even Gauthier appeared to be caught off guard.

“I had a meeting with him [Thursday] to discuss team matters,” defenseman Oleg Tverdovsky said. “He said nothing that led me to believe he wouldn’t be back. We are all tired of losing. I was concerned because we got to do something to make this better, make the playoffs, simple as that.”

Gauthier was general manager for four seasons, taking over a team that had finished 13 points out of the playoffs for the 1997-98 season and still hadn’t recovered from the firing of Coach Ron Wilson, ordered by then-team President Tony Tavares after the Ducks were eliminated in the second round of the 1997 playoffs.

Gauthier added two key players, defenseman Fredrik Olausson and forward Marty McInnis, and got immediate results.

The Ducks finished sixth in the Western Conference but were eliminated in the first round of the 1999 playoffs by the Detroit Red Wings.

Things unraveled quickly after that season. The Ducks finished last in the Western Conference in 2000-01 and were 13th this season. Gauthier added pieces--goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, forward Dan Bylsma and defenseman Keith Carney--but was unable to improve the overall quality and depth.

Gauthier’s hands-on style, plus a sometimes abrasive personality, intimidated many in the front office. One employee approached Gauthier with a question before the season and was dressed down, according to numerous sources. Gauthier compared the employee to a chair, there to be used only when needed.

Players felt he was aloof, some becoming angry this season when it was revealed Gauthier had faxed to other teams a list of 10 players on the trading block.

Gauthier also often contradicted several of his own statements.

He said Coach Craig Hartsburg was not the problem early in the 2000-01 season, then fired Hartsburg a month later.

Gauthier said he wouldn’t trade star forward Teemu Selanne, then sent him to San Jose a few months later.

But what hurt him the most was the team’s inability to make the playoffs.

“You never expect something like this,” Tverdovsky said. “But the other thing is when the team is not doing well, someone has to take the blame. Either the players or coaches, or the management.”