Survey results: Blackhawks fans want outside hire for new president

Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz made his first big move in some time by firing president and CEO John McDonough on Monday. Wirtz’s son Danny, who is the team’s vice president and alternate governor to the NHL, will be the interim president during the team’s search for a new president.

Second City Hockey asked readers seven questions about the move and what should come next. Here are the results.

Did Rocky Wirtz make the right decision in firing John McDonough?

The initial reaction to Wirtz firing McDonough was more changes would be on the way. The next thought was the business and marketing areas appear to be doing well, so why fire him and not make changes within the hockey operations department. Fans seem a bit mixed on it, but the majority is in favor of the move to oust McDonough.

Should the Blackhawks promote someone within the organization or hire from the outside?

In Wirtz’s statement Monday, he said the team needs a “new mindset to successfully transition the organization to win both on and off the ice.” His remark is clearly in step with the fanbase, which wants a fresh set of eyes on the on-ice product.

What department(s) should the new president be in charge of?

There have been discussions among media members and fans about how the Blackhawks should go about their search. The No. 1 topic on that matter is the question above. It’s odd to see so many fans want a mix of business and hockey operations due to the consistent negative comments about McDonough due to his lack of front-office hockey experience upon his arrival to the Blackhawks.

Who do you think is the best in-house executive option to be president?

Blunk leading this group is quite surprising given that he came over from the Cubs like McDonough and worked closely with him. If fans wanted McDonough gone wouldn’t that also be true for Blunk? Maybe Jon Greenberg of The Athletic can answer that question. MacIsaac being the second choice makes sense given his responsibilities are within the business and hockey operation departments.

Which former Blackhawks player do you think is the most qualified for the president role?

Olczyk remains a popular figure among the majority of Blackhawks fans while others have grown weary of his catch phrases, shout outs and book sale pitches during broadcasts. His stint as the Penguins head coach didn’t last long after an 8-17-6 start to the 2005-06 season, but since then he’s been a fixture on local and national television with NBC. The Sharks have made the playoffs every season since 2004 with Wilson as GM except for 2014-15. The Canadiens have made four postseason appearances under Bergevin’s tutelage, but have missed the past two seasons and three of the past four.

What should happen to Stan Bowman?

These results went as expected for the most part. Fewer fans voting for him to remain in his position and more votes for a move to a senior advisor role would’ve made sense.

Should coach Jeremy Colliton be fired?

This is another expected result as the majority of fans want to see changes trickle down through the organization. But there is a segment of fans willing to give Colliton one more season to prove he can turn things around.