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Oshawa Generals hire Jeff Twohey, formerly of rival Petes, as new GM — reports
Don't call it a comeback — Jeff Twohey hasn't exactly been away from the Ontario Hockey League in the 24 months since parting with the Peterborough Petes, which is what puts the sizzle into his pending hiring with the Oshawa Generals.
There was some hue and cry two years ago when the Petes let Twohey, one of the most respected front-office people in the league, go at the end of a season where they were blindsided by a perfect storm of injuries to principal players. Now he's apparently back with Peterborough's long-time Eastern Conference final. The Generals have a 5:30 p.m. press conference schedule to name their new GM, but Sportsnet's Patrick King reported late Thursday night that Twohey is the man in Oshawa. The Gens, in a nutshell, would be adding someone who knows the landscape of the league backward and forward. Twokey has stayed close to the OHL since leaving by scouting amateur players for the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes.
Mike Davies has more on how this is an ouch moment for loyal Petes fans, who haven't seen a playoff game since Twohey left. (To be fair, if star defenceman Slater Koekkoek does not have his shoulder wrecked this season, they would have.)
Twohey spent 30 years with the Petes organization the first three as a volunteer scout while attending Laurentian University's sports administration program.
He was hired by the Petes as a trainer and rose through the ranks as assistant coach and assistant GM before being named GM in 1993 after the departure of Dick Todd.
Twohey guided the Petes to two OHL championships as GM in 1996 and 2006 as well as winning in 1989 as a trainer and 1993 as assistant coach/GM.After four consecutive seasons of losing records, the Petes fired Twohey in the spring of 2010. He has served the past two years as an amateur scout for the NHL's Phoenix Coyotes. Twohey and his wife Nicole, who have two grown daughters Julie and Erin, live in Peterborough. (Peterborough Examiner)
Twohey's experience and solid reputation make this a much better hire for the Generals over someone with the qualifications but no previous track record as general manager, or someone from outside the OHL.
It's too early to guess at how Oshawa will approach next season after the consistently inconsistent 2010-11 campaign that might have left people wanting. They had 12 players in either their age-19 or overage seasons yet barely squeaked into the final playoff berth over (none other than) Peterborough. Then they teased and tantalized by extending the loaded Niagara IceDogs to six games in the opening round. Having the likes of Vancouver Canucks first-rounder Nicklas Jensen and second-round picks Boone Jenner and Lucas Lessio going into their likely final seasons in the league means there is a nucleus to build around. Centres Scott Laughton and Cole Cassels should continue making strides.
That being said, having the Under New Management sign out could also make it easier to accept a rebuild, going one step backward to go two step forwards. Twohey's capacity with the Coyotes surely means he has a read on the second-year players the Generals would add if they go younger.
Former OHL head coach Jim Hulton, who worked under Generals co-owner (and New Jersey Devils head coach) Peter DeBoer, has been suggested as a strong candidate to be the Generals' new coach. Hulton, too, had a bitter parting from one of the Generals' division brethren when he lasted graced the league. The Kingston Frontenacs did not renew his contract in 2006, even though Hulton has guided his hometown team to an 81-point season. Kingston has yet to match that result since Hulton, although the franchise's reputation appears to be well on the road to recovery.
Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet.
