The outdated genius had lastly gotten one transfer forward of himself. That appeared clear. There have been eight video games left within the hockey season. The Devils, veteran crew, had been already contained in the bracket, comfortably, on the way in which to 102 factors. They’d been mailing it in currently, extra a mirrored image of the time within the schedule than any lack of expertise.
However the outdated genius couldn’t take any extra.
So Lou Lamoriello fired Robbie Ftorek with eight video games left within the 1999-2000 season. The Devils — then as now — weren’t precisely a major topic of discuss radio. There weren’t dozens of specialised podcasts deigned for Devils followers that may immediately trigger brush fires of shock, however there have been nonetheless easy chat rooms and such, and plenty of of them had been on fireplace.
Lamoriello was “traveling” that day, however I gave the Lengthy Island Marriott subsequent to Nassau Coliseum a name, figuring that’s the place he was touring to, since that’s the place Lamoriello’s option to succeed Ftorek, Larry Robinson, could be making his debut (I used to be writing sports activities columns for the late, nice Newark Star-Ledger on the time). He picked up on the primary ring.
