Staios sideshow in Hamilton
It is a curious sideshow that pertains to the Hamilton Bulldogs of the Ontario Hockey League and a pair of recent, eye-opening moves made by their president and general manager.
Perhaps it is mere coincidence and ironic timing but two major moves that Bulldogs president and general manager Steve Staios has made might well be suitable for a “things that make me go hmmmmm” segment.
The first was an unorthodox coaching switch in Hamilton from which head coach David Matsos and associate coach Vince Laise changed positions. As in, Matsos was bumped from head coach to associate coach by Staios and Laise was subsequently promoted from associate coach to head coach.
To be sure, Matsos has health issues dating back to last season so maybe the flip flop in coaching positions with Laise is all cool, even if some of us are tempted to say “hmmmmm.”
The second recent and just as suspicious move not only deals with Staios as the boss of the Bulldogs but also includes his son, Nathan.
As in, the elder Staios has actually traded for his son, sending second-round draft picks in 2020, 2021 and 2022 to acquire his lad from the Windsor Spitfires.
To be sure, the younger Staios is a good OHL defenseman, a 2001 birth-year youngster who Windsor took in the first round, 17th overall, at the 2017 priority selections draft.
But the catch is that ahead of the 2017 OHL draft, Staios, as the president and GM in Hamilton, said he did not want to be in position to have his son playing for a team that he manages.
Now, though, two years later, it is okay for defenseman Nathan Staios to be a member of the Hamilton Bulldogs that his dad, Steve Staios, is the president and general manager of?
Hmmmmm.
Maybe these two recent moves by the elder Staios are above board and really do pertain to a human and sensitive element.
Then again, the word that is not even a real word keeps coming back.
Hmmmmm.
Dave Branch needs to address the issue of coaches and owners having sons play for their clubs.
This became a credibility issue in Sudbury with the Burgess family and became a PR nightmare for the league in Flint.
It’s a clear conflict of interest that’s not good for the future health of a franchise when draft picks are involved.
But the Commish only seems to jump on these things when it becomes a story on TSN/Sportsnet.