Now that 2010 Team USA Hockey general manager Brian Burke is out of the running to lead the squad into this year’s Games, TSN’s Bob McKenzie believes the post is likely to go to Nashville Predators GM David Poile when the staff is announced in New York City next Saturday.
Poile served as Team USA’s GM in 1998 and ’99, and served as Burke’s assistant at the Vancouver Games, where the team took silver after losing to Canada in overtime of the gold medal game.
Poile is also the only GM the Predators have had in their fifteen years, and has been credited with creating a competitive team with a limited budget and market. And despite his success at the last Olympics, it was the fact that Burke was fired from his job as GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this year that ultimately knocked him out of consideration.
Of course, there’s still no deal in place for the pros to play in Sochi yet, but regular reports suggest that the IOC, IIHF, NHL, and NHLPA are getting closer to signing something every day. Stay tuned.
