Game Day (The Uncensored Life of an NHL GM)

From former NHL general manager and bestselling author of Draft Day comes an behind-the-scenes insider’s look at the toughest job in sports.

There is no other job in professional sports more dynamic than being a general manager in the NHL. Every day—all day—GMs deal with the owner and financial staff, the coaching staff, the players and their families and agents, the office staff, sponsors, luxury-box holders, season-ticket holders, and corporate boxes. And then there’s the media: news-hungry no matter where they are, from Toronto and Montreal to Miami and Los Angeles. GMs are responsible for free agency and salary cap headaches, and the number one job of a general manager: team construction. GMs are the final decision-maker on all hires, fires, trades, and buyouts—after, that is, they have cleared all this with the owner. Through it all, GMs need a very thick skin and they make for easy targets. Keeping the entire fanbase happy is impossible, and their job, while enjoying every minute of the experience, is always at risk.

In Game Day, MacLean shares insights from GMs current and past, finding out what makes these hockey executives tick. What trades do they regret making? Which player do they wish they’d drafted? What coaching hire seemed wrong from the first practice? What’s it like to hoist the Stanley Cup or, conversely, miss the playoffs and head for the links? Game Day is a must-read for anyone who wants to know the secret moves made behind closed boardroom and locker-room doors.