That’s interesting about murray possibly scouting. It wouldn’t surprise me. I don’t really have any way to confirm it one way or another. Yeah, I don’t really have a problem with Murray getting his name on the cup as an asst. coach or a scout. I don’t even really totally agree with myself in the above post. Like I said, I’m of many minds.

It’s entirely possible Murray has coached his last game in the NHL. He’s not a spring chicken anymore, to use an expression that only people who aren’t spring chickens use. The only thing that mitigates the sympathy I have for TM in this situation is that I’m fairly certain we would not be in our current position if he were still the coach.

I’m fine with him getting a ring, and, like I said, I’m fine with him getting his name on. And, yeah, knowing that he has (possibly) continued to work for the Kings after being dismissed does make it “more okay” in my eyes.

Also, thanks for visiting the site!

In the comments to the article on Surly and Scribe (which I authored) there was mention that Terry Murray did scouting for the organization this season subsequent to his being fired as head coach. Not that I doubt the veracity of the commenter, but the comment is “unconfirmed” in a way. I thought for sure you would either know or be able to find out if it was true.

If it were true, would that fact rate as enough to qualify for the exemption, in your opinion? I mean, it’s not a lateral position relative to head or assistant cach, but it does maintain his employment beyond just paying him the remaining salary.

Also, did you think he should get a ring, if not his name on the cup? Where did your feeling end, and would Murray doing some scouting change whatever position you ended with?

Last year, Marc Savard played only 25 regular season games and none in the playoffs, but his name is on the Cup.

As for Loktionov, I’m not so sure. I think he’d have to play in the Final at this point.

As to your point about demoting Terry Murray rather than firing him outright, I agree that that would have been ideal in a lot of ways. Anyone with a degree of intelligence, who has watched this team closely over the last several years, would acknowledge your point about him being “co-architect” of this current team. He’s probably an ideal assistant — like I said at the time, he’s the badger in the old proverb about how the fox knows many things, but the badger knows one thing very well. 

But realistically, when has something like that ever happened? I can’t recall an instance offhand, in any big league sport. Unfortunately, it’s a political issue — it gets caught up in people’s egos and group dynamics. In that sense, I think TM would have been in an untenable position. In the back of everyone’s mind,  he would have been ‘the Head Coach who kind of got fired.’ He might even have replaced Kompon as the lightning rod for irrational criticism.

and i agree with you – feels lame that westy, drewy and loki would get the shaft.