|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| 11/15/2002 - Updated 02:37 PM ET |
|
NHL: Jay Feaster
Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2 p.m. ET The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the surprise teams of the NHL season so far. Led by young center Vincent Lecavalier and top goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, the Lightning lost only once in October and have remained among the leaders in the East. Tampa Bay general manager Jay Feaster joins us to talk about the team and the league. |
|
Dade City, FL:
Hockey fans are always discussing (mostly outrageous) trades we'd like to see. In the real world of an NHL G.M., how frequently do you receive a bona fide trade offer. Daily? Weekly? Monthly?
Jay Feaster:
While it is common practice to speak with other GM's on a very regular basis, i.e., once every couple of weeks generally, it is very rare that those conversations lead to direct trade talks. More common is that you discuss what you feel your team needs and you try to discover what the other team needs. Once you do that you try to look for ways to make something work.
waterbury, ct:
Jay, great job putting this team together! Is Vinny Prospal becoming more of a wing than a center, and is his scoring coming from that spot? Also is Brad Richards's shooting skill capable of launching him into a scorer rather than a set-up man?
Jay Feaster:
Prospal has been moved to the Left side in order for us to get him on our top two lines b/c we feel we need his offense. He has demonstrated that he is capable of producing from either spot. He is a very versatile player for us b/c if the need arises we can move him back to Center. In terms of Brad Richards, we believe that he is going to be a consistent 20 plus goal guy. He has struggled a bit early on with the goals not coming for him, but as you know he continues to rack up the assists. We are confident that if he keeps making it a point to shoot the puck they will start to go in for him and he'll be a 20 goal guy again this season.
Raleigh, NC:
Jay,
What happened to Shane Willis? Did the concussions really affect his play that bad that he couldn't stay in your line-up?
Jay Feaster:
Shane had a "so-so" camp. He wasn't really "bad" but he didn't step up and earn a spot on our 23 man roster. Players such as Sheldon Keefe, Jimmie Olvestad, Alexander Svitov and Ben Clymer all deserved to be here ahead of him. When he cleared waivers we sent him to Springfield. He has been generating a ton of scoring chances there, but he hasn't converted many of them yet. He is still part of our plans and right now he provides great depth for us.
Lakeland, FL:
Jay, just wondering what the situation with the payroll is. Do the Lightning have money to spend the upgrade the defense, and get that " offensive, puck-moving defenseman " or are you going to keep the team the way it is, even if we are in playoff contention in March?
Jay Feaster:
Mr. Davidson has been very good about making it clear to me that if we get this ship righted and we start generating the cash necessary to sustain our operations, he will put it all back into the team. At the same time, it is important that we keep winning and demonstrating to him on a daily basis that we are "working our plan." We need to show him that the plan we have developed to get this team where we want to go is the right plan and is not abandoned the first time things don't go well for us. By establishing our credibility with him, I am confident that when the right deal comes along to improve the Club the money won't be an issue. We just need to keep up our end of the equation by sticking with the plan.
Dallas, Texas:
Hi Jay, Is there any chance that we will be seeing Shane Willis up with the big club this season? What happened to this once promising youngster? Could he be part of a trade to fill a need? Thanks.
Jay Feaster:
Again, I answered one on Shane a bit earlier, but yes, he will be a part of the Club this season. I "touch wood" every time I say it, but thus far, through 19 games this season, we've not had any "serious" injuries and as a result, we've really only had one player recalled from Springfield and that's been a goaltender. In terms of what has happened, I think Shane's confidence has taken a bit of a hit since the trade last season, and he needs to get it back. When he does, look out, b/c he is an incredibly talented player.
Black Rock, CT:
Hi Mr. Feaster. I think you have done a great job with the Lightning this year. What are your thoughts on Martin St. Louis? Were you surprised on how much he has picked up his game?
Jay Feaster:
Thanks. Marty's start honestly hasn't surprised me simply b/c I was able to watch him last season prior to the season-ending injury he suffered. He was on a career pace and actually a point per game pace last season before he was hurt. With Vinny Lecavalier struggling at the start of last season, we felt that Marty was our best and most consistent player. The only question we had was how he would recover from the injury. As you've seen, he's been just great, and that's a tribute to the hard work he put in rehabbing the injury. It's great to have him pick it up where he left off and to have Vinny Lecavalier playing at such a high level right now!
Shreveport, LA:
Fellow Susquehanna Alum, what was your biggest break getting into sports?
Jay Feaster:
Being with the right organization at the right time. When I graduated from law school in 1987 I went to work for the law firm that represented Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Company, owners of the Hershey Bears. I was involved in a lot of work for HERCO in my two years of practice, and as a result I was able to go in house with them in a management capacity. From there, they asked me to become GM of the Hershey Bears and of their Arena & Stadium. That's how I got my start. Great hearing from a Crusader Alum!
Mobile, AL:
Are the Lightning involved with the community? Do you feel that most teams are also?
Jay Feaster:
We are extremely active in the community. We work through the Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation and we support a great deal of charitable causes. One of our biggest projects involves working with the Moffitt Cancer organization as well as Tampa General Hospital. Our players are great in terms of giving of their time and talent. They participate in many school programs including reading programs, Great American Teach-In, etc. Yes, I do believe that NHL teams both in terms of the players and the organizations recognize how fortunate we are to be able to be a part of the NHL and that it is really important that we give back to the local communities that support us. It's the right thing to do and we are fortunate that our players believe it as strongly as we do as management.
Mahwah, NJ:
Mr. Feaster- As a GM, do you concentrate on scouting players from US Division I colleges as much as those who play in the OHL, WHL, QMJHL organizations? I am asking because I feel a forward like Martin St. Louis would not have faired as well in Canadian Major Juniors as he did here in the US College level. What are you thoughts?
Thanks for your time.
Jay Feaster:
We scout just as strongly at the NCAA level as we do at the major junior level. We have scouts at every level of hockey throughout the world, and they all come together through the course of the season to determine which players will ultimately be drafted by our Club. You're observation about Marty is pretty good in that the college game probably opened up even more opportunities for him than Major Junior might have given his size. That's the real issue...you can't get hung up on the size factor. It's the size of the heart that matters most!
Halifax, Nova scotia:
Hi Jay, which player has demonstrated a particular on ice skill or strength that perhaps management wasn't relying on or is surprised to see?
Jay Feaster:
We've had a number of really pleasant surprises this season in the early going. What has been most gratifying to me is the resurgence of Vinny Lecavalier. I am so proud of the way he has responded to a disappointing 01-02 campaign and put it all behind him. He came into Camp in great shape and his attitude has been fantastic. It's great to see him get rewarded for his hard work. I've also been really pleased with the continued progress of Cory Sarich. From the second half of last season we felt he was one of our best defensemen and certainly a player who made great progress. We feel he's picked up right where he left off at the end of last season. Finally, we've been really pleased with the way Dan Boyle has elevated his game at both ends of the ice this season.
montoursville , pennsylvania:
Do you feel alot of pressure to win now , and if so how do you deal with it?
Jay Feaster:
Yes, I do feel a lot of pressure to win right now. Our fans have suffered here for so long that it's simply not reasonable to ask them to "wait" another year while we stock-pile draft picks and wait for young players to develop. We've made the Playoffs once in 10 years. We need to generate excitement in this market again, and you do that by winning. So, yes, the emphasis in everything we do is WIN NOW. In terms of dealing with it, I think that's the great part of pro sports...there's constant pressure, every day, to win and to succeed. You either enjoy that kind of pressure, and thrive on it, or you don't. It makes the wins and the little day-to-day victories all that much sweeter b/c you are constantly competing. I'm not sure it makes me a great person for my family to be around when we are losing, but that pressure and that competition is the juice that gets you going every day.
Saint Louis:
How hard was it to work out the deal that got the Bulin Wall for your team?
Jay Feaster:
Rick Dudley, our GM at the time, worked incredibly hard to get Nick to Tampa Bay. In fact, Duds was so dedicated to making the deal happen that he arranged to drive to an NHL General Manager's meeting in California with then Phoenix GM, Cliff Fletcher. As Duds said at the time, he wasn't going to let Cliff out of the car until he had the deal done. In fact, Rick was very concerned that if Cliff got to the GM's meetings without a deal already in place there would have been a lot of other teams battling to land that prize. Rick worked unbelievably hard to get it done, and fortunately he had assembled enough quality players and depth at the time to fashion a deal that made sense to the Coyotes.
Whitefish, Montana:
As a GM of an NHL team, what is the most frustrating/dissapointing part of your job that most people would never realize?
Jay Feaster:
For this team, and I can only speak of it from this team's perspective, the most frustrating thing is trying to build and gain credibility after so many losing seasons for this franchise. This is still a "football town" and we have a very good NFL team in town and some pretty good college programs nearby that fans follow with great passion and enthusiasm. For that reason, we battle for time and attention, not just in the media but with the fans as well. The only way we can gain the respect we covet is by going out there and earning it on the ice. That's been a theme this year, and the guys have really responded well to it.
Mobile, AL:
What are the goals for the Lightning this year? Next year?
Jay Feaster:
First and foremost, we want to make the Playoffs. We've been there only once in 10 seasons, way back in 1996. We want to be the ones to end that drought. At the same time, we feel that if we stay healthy we can compete for the Southeast Division title. As you know, winning the Division would give us home ice in the first round and that would be big for us. At the end of the day, whether it's by winning the Division or being the 8th seed, we want to be at the party for a change!
Lake Placid, New York:
Martin ST Louis is playing great, Lecavalier is finally showing he can play in this league and complimentary players like Brad Richards, Vinny Prospal, Freddy Modin and Ruslan Fedotenko are all doing very well. However aside from Boyle and Kubina the D is lacking. Will you be planning to upgrade by the deadline? Will you be planning to upgrade in the offseason? Will you upgrade by the deadline even if you are not in contention? Thanks
Jay Feaster:
I have to disagree with you a bit on the play of our Defense. While the two players you've identified, Boyle and Kubina, are the two that generate our offense from the blue line, we really like the play of our top two D'men, Cory Sarich and Jassen Cullimore. At the same time, Lukowich, Pratt and Neckar have all played well for us through the first 19 games. What we need to do is find a defenseman who can QB our Power Play. They are tough to come by, and acquiring one will mean we have to part with a significant asset. In terms of when, we are always looking to improve the hockey team. Every day. I expect that if we continue to play well and keep moving toward our goal of being a playoff team, we will look to improve those areas identified by the coaches and management as the season progresses, and we won't wait for the off-season. Our future is right now!
Fenton MI:
Jay,
Congrats on the fast start.
Will you be looking to add a power forward to add to your arsenal any time soon?
Jay Feaster:
Honestly, I think our most pressing need right now is the blueliner to QB our Power Play. We like our Top 6 Forwards a lot and we feel that Andre Roy is starting to showcase his own Power Forward abilities. We also view Modin as a Power Forward b/c he is able to dominate down low with the puck. That's a long-winded way of saying that I don't view Power Forward as the area where we need to improve right now. We simply have more pressing needs in other areas.
Cary, NC:
Mr. Feaster, Kudos to the success of Tampa Bay. Though I personally root for Carolina. What's the rumble about labor strife within the NHL, and how do you approach this from a general manager's perspective?
Jay Feaster:
Thanks. The labor issue is one that is dealt with at the League level by the Commissioner. As a General Manager my job is to focus on and worry about the team I manage, and believe me, that's a full-time job!
Whitefish, Montana:
Tampa Bay has one of the lowest payrolls in the whole league (New York and Detroit more than double of Tampa Bay's)...the feeling must be great when your team is ahead of high-payroll teams in terms of points...but when you first came on as GM for Tampa Bay, how much of a factor did the low payroll affect your job and ability to manage the team as best as you could?
Jay Feaster:
One of the things I said from Day One when I took over was that it was time for us to throw away the excuses. No more, "we're too young," "we're too inexperienced," "we're one of the lowest payrolls in the League" etc. When I was GM in Hershey in the AHL, we won the 1997 Calder Cup Championship with the lowest payroll in the AHL. That was combined in terms of the players on NHL two-ways with the Avs and the AHL players we signed to straight AHL deals. I enjoyed the challenge then and I still enjoy the challenge today. Money doesn't solve all of your problems. The NHL is littered with examples of teams that have spent their money poorly and have little to show for it in terms of either getting to the post-season dance or advancing toward the Cup once they get there. It is a challenge, no doubt, but it's one that we all have accepted and embraced here, from Team President Ron Campbell right through to our entire Coaching Staff.
Lopezville, New York:
My son just started Hockey. My brother law from europe thought the initiation program my son was in is a joke. My question is from your experience What is USA Hockey doing differently in the early stages that other country are doing a lot better? The number dont lie the european talent is superior. Thank you
Jay Feaster:
Quite honestly, I don't have answers for you on this subject. I leave it to people that have far more knowledge of the situation, although my personal opinion is that USA Hockey has made great strides over the years in terms of developing NHL caliber players and sending so many more youngsters on to NCAA institutions on scholarships. Unfortunately, I do not have enough personal knowledge of the situation to provide you with a good answer to this one. Sorry!
hartford ct:
what does it take to make it in the nhl in this millenium? my son plays youth hockey and i am looking for a reality check
Jay Feaster:
Our goaltending coach, Jeff Reese, summed it up pretty well recently in an e-mail to our scouts when he said that he wants goaltenders with passion. Guys who hate to lose and battle on each and every shot. Heart, drive, passion, a commitment to leave it all out there on the ice each and every game. The same qualities translate to position players. I'd much rather have a player who is willing to dive to block shots, and take hits to make a play, and be the first one in the corner and make the simply little chip out of the zone..in short, the guy who gives it his all each and every shift...than the most incredibly talented player in the world who shows up only when he feels like it and gives you maximum effort every once in a while. You'll never win with those players. You win with guys who want to compete. In terms of youth hockey, work hard on being the very best skater you can be and have fun with it.
Falls Church, VA:
There was a promising player traded to the Lightning from the Washington Capitals a few years ago named Jaroslav Svejkovsky. What has happened to him?
Jay Feaster:
He is out of hockey, suffering from post-concussion syndrome.
Baltimore Maryland:
What qualities make a good GM?
Jay Feaster:
I think the same qualities that make a good CEO or a good leader of any organization. As Teddy Roosevelt once said, and I'm paraphrasing, you need to have the common sense enough to hire good people to do what you want done and then you have to have the self-restraint to stay out of their way while they are doing it! Honestly, you need to hire good people who fit with your philosophy of how to build a team and you need to give them responsibility and the freedom to do their jobs and then you need to support them. You need to create an environment of success. I truly believe it's the very same things I did throughout my managerial career at HERCO.
Minneapolis, MN:
I would love to see the NHL eliminate the center red-line for "2-line offsides"! I am a huge hockey fan, and I watch all types of hockey (High School, College, & Pro). My favorite is the NHL because they have the most talent. But, it is frustrating to see the best players in the world be held back and restricted. To have a long pass that goes over the back blue line and the center red line whistled down just makes no sense. To use a football analogy, if they used this rule, then any pass over 10 yds would be whistled down. How dumb would that look?? In High School Hockey & College Hockey, those plays are very exciting and open the game up! I know the NHL is trying to open the game up, and if anyone watched the Olympics last year they would see how fun that was to watch!! Please do what you can to eliminate the center red line. What would it take? And, who would make the decision? Let's talk to them immediately, so they can fix it for next year! Thanks, Scott Riggs (Minneapolis, MN)
Jay Feaster:
What it takes is a recommendation from either the Rules Committee or the General Managers as a whole and then study by the Committee before presenting it for a vote to the GMs and ultimately the Board of Governors. I can tell you that this suggestion hasn't garnered a lot of support in the past.
Vancouver, BC:
Mr. Feaster: the only time the casual hockey fan hears a GM's name is during trade announcements or contract disputes. What does an NHL GM do on a day-to-day basis?
Jay Feaster:
You basically manage and oversee the day-to-day operations of the entire hockey department. That includes checking with the coaches and management of your minor league affiliates, speaking with the Director of Player Personnel about players through the system, reading the scouting reports our scouts throughout the world have filed via computer the night before, attending practices, meeting with the Coach daily to discuss issues affecting the team, meeting with the trainers to discuss injuries, speaking with player agents, working with various internal departments on everything from radio shows we need to do to full team functions in support of organizational goals. And then we do it all again the next day...
Fairfax, Va.:
Is Lecavalier ready to be a team leader? Or does he have to be one?
Jay Feaster:
Vinny is a team leader. He wears an "A" as one of our Assistant Captains. He has led this season by example. When his teammates see him battling the way he has this season, they want to battle too.
Saskatoon, Canada:
Hi, Jay. Do you project Evgeny Konstantinov to be your backup next year? As well, with Lecavalier, Prospal & Richards in the middle, do you plan on moving one of these players to the wing to make room for Alexander Svitov?
Jay Feaster:
Konstantinov has a wonderful opportunity ahead of him, but he has to start taking advantage of that opportunity. His work ethic has been too inconsistent for me, and we need him to step up. The opportunity is there for him. In terms of the centers, we have already moved Prospal to the wing. The plan for next year is that there will be a spot for Svitov as he is going to be a big part of where we want to go as a team.
windsor, ontario, canada:
Who was the Lightning's biggest
surprise in rookie training camp, and who is
the next rookie most likely to
crack the Lightning lineup.
Jay Feaster:
Well, the rookie who has already cracked the lineup is Alexander Svitov. He has been very solid for us and is going to have a great future. In terms of other pleasant surprises, we were pleased with JF Soucy in Camp and we really like Evgeny Artukhin.
Comment from Jay Feaster:
Thanks to everyone who logged on to "chat" today. I appreciate the opportunity to visit with you this way and also appreciate your kind words of support for the Lightning. Thanks and take care!
Comment from USATODAY.com Host:
Thanks to Jay Feaster for joining us today, and watch for more chat guests throughout the season at nhl.usatoday.com
|
| |
| |
| |
|
|
|
The Nation's Homepage
|
|
| |
|
|
Site map
