Manitoba Moose General Manager Craig Heisinger recently took a break from playoff preparations and sat down to answer your questions.
Click here to listen to the Heisinger interview, or read the transcript below. Visit Moosehockey.com again soon for the next Ask-a-Moose feature!
|
 |
1. Hey Zinger! Was just cruising your team’s website and I just wanted to ask you, how is your day going, and what have you worked on so far today? Stephanie
|
 |
Well, today’s been a lot to do with planning for playoff dates for the second round. Whether you get there or not is another story, but that takes up (some time). Was over to Gateway (Arena) to watch practice. Talked with Claude Noel, who used to coach Milwaukee and is now with Columbus. And now back at the rink and trying to catch up on things I didn’t get done this morning and do these questions.
|
|
2. What types of transactions does the NHL parent club look after, and what does an AHL GM typically look after? Thanks and congrats on another great season! Stephanie – Richmond, BC
|
|
The day-to-day work between an American League team and the NHL team, most of the work is done by the American League team and the NHL parent club looks after very little or next to nothing, other than if they need a player on recall. They’ll call and say they need him, and typically, at least half the time, we would do the travel, they would do the NHL paperwork, and we would do the AHL paperwork. But the day-to-day operations of an American League team are done by the American League team, and there is very little done by the NHL parent club.
|
|
3. Would you ever consider GMing at the NHL level? Wes and Mark
|
|
Never is a strong word, but based on the fact that I haven’t perfected doing it at this level, I’d have to say no. At some point, I’d maybe look at it, but first and foremost – and I’ve said many times – I’d like to win here in Manitoba more than anything else.
|
|
4. What was your reaction when you heard that Dave Nonis was being let go as GM of the Vancouver Canucks? Candace – Winnipeg, MB
|
|
I guess I was very much surprised. There had been some rumors, but I was very much surprised. I was a Dave Nonis fan and I thought he had done a good job in Vancouver, and so I was very much surprised that they let Dave go.
|
|
5. Do you anticipate any changes in your relationship with the Canucks now that Mike Gillis has been named the club’s new GM? Jeff – Vancouver, BC
|
|
I can’t answer that question. I don’t know Mike Gillis, other than a couple of clients I’ve had of his in the past at training camp. So it would be unrealistic of me to answer that question. I assume Steve Tambellini will probably remain liaison between Vancouver and Manitoba, so based on that staying the same, I wouldn’t anticipate many changes. But that may be naïve thinking, and we’ll have to wait and see.
|
|
6. Hey, I just wanted to say that you guys had a great season considering everything that went on – guys getting hurt, call-ups, etc. My question to you is: What are you most proud of with this team this season? And I also want to say that that was a real classy move to send Mark Derlago down to Bakersfield! Michael – Winnipeg, MB
|
|
Thanks for the compliments on the season, but the season’s the season and the playoffs are the playoffs. Hopefully we can extend the playoff season here a little bit longer. I’m not sure if I can put any one finger on what we’re most proud of this season. I think our resiliency as a group because of how many players we went through was probably the thing that sticks out to me about the year and will probably stick out further down the road. It was a season where we had so many players, and we sort of just changed the parts but the machine kept working. So I think that’s what I would say we’re most proud of about this team.
|
|
7. Mark Derlago recently re-signed with your club. What are the chances we’ll see him in the Moose line-up next season? Michael
|
|
I think that’s up to Mark. He’s come in and proved . . . well, I was going to say a lot of people but that would be incorrect . . . He’s come in and proved me wrong, basically, about my opinion about his abilities. He’s going to get an opportunity here next year if he wants it, but it won’t be handed to him. He’s going to have to continue to earn it, but up until this point, he has done that, and we’ll see how he does in the playoffs if he gets an opportunity. But I would anticipate, whether it’s with a contract or just a training camp opportunity, that he will get an opportunity if he wants to try to prove he can play on our team.
|
|
8. What two new guys that you have signed to a PTO or ATO have impressed you the most this season? Trevor – Winnipeg, MB
|
|
It’s difficult to single players out, but I think the two guys I think are Greg Rallo, who has come in on a PTO and has earned a regular spot on our team, and I think he’ll probably continue to do that going forward. And I think the other guy that’s made an impact here is Travis Ramsey. He hasn’t played lots, but when he’s played he’s been effective. And he’s a big man that moves good and he’s a lot of what we don’t have. So I think those two guys, Ramsey and Rallo, are the two guys that have sort of have had impact on our group here.
|
|
9. At what age or level do you start scouting for talent? Tjay – Winnipeg, MB
|
|
I would say the Western Hockey League is where we start, but there’s 16-year-olds that play in the Western Hockey League, so I’m not telling you that we’re watching 16-year-olds, but we watch once they’re 18 and not drafted, for the most part. We pay a lot of attention to the Winnipeg players. You devise a list at the start of the year, regardless of age there, just so we get sort of a book on how they may do going forward. I would say the Western league and College is where we start, but we pay attention to the 19 and 20-year-olds in Junior and the sophomores and the seniors in College.
|
|
10. Hello from Spokane, Washington. I would like to ask the GM how he sees the development of Spokane’s favourite son, Michael Grabner. Michael was an incredible player to watch here in Spokane, and we’d like to know what the GM thinks of his future! Rob – Spokane, WA
|
|
Well, I think Michael has got a ways to go as a full player, especially in his development in everything else but scoring goals. He’s able to score goals, but he needs to develop into a much more rounded player, where when he doesn’t contribute on the goal sheet, he still has an impact on the game. But he’s made some great strides this year as a young player, and he’s scored 20 or 22 goals, and as a first-year player, that’s an impressive feat.
|
|
11. Which Moose player do you feel came the furthest in getting their game to the NHL level this year? John – Victoria, BC
|
|
You know what, that’s a good question. I think in the second half of the season, Cory Schneider made some strides, but he’s only done it for half the season, and I think that question could be better answered at this time next year. I think Mike Brown is the guy that’s come the furthest over the last three years and had a real significant impact this year and was able to spend a couple of months up in the NHL. I would say that I think he’s the guy that’s come the furthest, not just this year, but in his process.
|
|
12. Congrats on a great season and with your series vs. Syracuse. With all the call-ups and injuries, how has this season compared to previous seasons? Would you say its been the most challenging of your career? A.J. – Brandon, MB
|
|
I don’t know if it’s the most challenging, but I think this year, if you didn’t have some experience under your belt, would be very challenging. But because of the scouting we do between our amateur guys and Bruce Southern in the East Coast League all the time, we have a very good handle on the players, so when you don’t have that handle, it causes you to lose sleep and that. I would say yeah, the season has been challenging, and to go through 53 players, I hope we never come close to that again. But there’s some things that worked into our favour as well. The key is that you don’t feel sorry for yourself. These things happen to all teams, and it’s how you react to it that gives you a chance. Every team loses lots of players, and I think our forte is that we’ve been able to react and bring in quality people as replacements – not just quality players, but quality people. And that has a big factor in the end result.
|
|
|
