Adam Foote, one of five Avalanche players to have their number retired, who has worked for the organization as a defensive coach at times since retiring as a player, has officially departed the organization.
The Avalanche confirmed that Foote, 46, has left the organization to spend more time with his family. He has one son, Callan, who was drafted in the first round of the 2017 NHL draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning and another, Nolan, who is a 16-year-old left wing with the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League.
Foote was seen as recently as a week ago with other members of Avalanche scouting and management in Plymouth, Mich., for the World Junior Summer Showcase. He was on the ice for last month’s Avalanche rookie development camp, working with defensemen as a coach.
TSN’s Darren Dreger, in a conversation with Buffalo radio station WGR, first reported the news of Foote leaving the organization – and was critical of it.
“Adam Foote was a player development guy, but highly respected. He was a guy that the management types of the Colorado Avalanche would lean on from time to time,” Dreger told WGR. “Now, he’s got some focus elsewhere with his son Cal drafted high by the Tampa Bay Lightning. His younger son, Nolan, he’s going to be a high pick. Both are playing for the Kelowna Rockets this year. So there might be a level of distraction. But with a first-round pick being a defenseman and a high second-round pick being a defenseman, how do you allow Adam Foote to walk away from that organization? So there’s a lot of things that need to be corrected and perhaps straightened out in Colorado.”
0 Comments (5 conversations)
I don’t get this criticism. Maybe, there was no way to keep him in the organization.
In context, it was part of a larger criticism Dreger had about the team, still having not traded Duchene.
Peardon97
I don’t get this trade Duchene narrative the media has drummed up the past 18 months or why it’s some sort of failure it hasn’t happened.
The way I understand it, management (Sakic) wants to strengthen the defense and land a top 4 D under 25. He looks at his roster and realizes it will take a premier player ala Dutchy or Landy , who was also available, in order to accomplish it. The Ole give to get…thats fair and straight forward
The handful (4-5)of teams needing a Duchene either doesn’t have the assets (MTL, NYI , CBJ kinda) or are as unwilling as Sakic to budge from want ever they’ve offered(Nash, Car)
They haven’t been just trying to unload a contract or sell off an old player. They have a legitimate need and an asset to spend it on. If the need isn’t addressed why spend the asset?
This whole thing started because they are trying to obtain something they haven’t been able to get anywhere else (top 4 D under 25)not because Duchene needed to be traded. Then or now, I don’t want Dutchy traded for pennies just because the media thinks it has to happen.
The only problem I have with Sakic in all of this is how long it’s drawn out. It doesn’t help player or team and if he didn’t like the offers a month ago he should have sat down with Matt to make sure things could move forward and stated publicly he was off the market
Sunfunbun
For the Avalanche to improve, it’s been quite apparent that Duchene does not fit the role of go to player. Sakic has acknowledged as much by him putting the trade Duchene ideas into the media, awhile back. That the media sees a GM put up in no uncertain words that he wants Duchene traded, and then doesn’t seem to act with either urgency or efficiency, what do you expect? It isn’t a narrative of the main stream media, it’s something they don’t get why the Avalanche, the worst team in the league which needs change, has a GM who said specifically he wanted to trade an asset in Duchene, and then just sits saying he’s not getting the right deal, probably says to them that the organization lacks clarity and ability to execute properly.
Or, maybe Sakic is respecting Foote’s desire to be closer to his family… Oh the horror.
I agree. I will add that in my mind, not trading Duchene is a compliment to Duchene. Sakic is showing how much he thinks of Dutchy by not accepting offers that don’t meet his criteria. We think he is worth a top 3 D-man under the age of 25. If the other GM doesn’t agree with that, well it’s the other GM’s and teams that Dutchy should be insulted by. So come home, use that as motivation, and go out there this season and score 35 goals and show em’ what they missed out on!
earl08
Good, perhaps now we’ll see less chipping it off the boards and a better focus on passing and puck moving
pixelrebirth
I never got the impression Foote had a huge role anyhow on the team. Felt like that one on one session you got every once in a while where you spend an hour and maybe learn one thing you forget in a week.
I am not opposed to moves that remove legacy people from the organization. We need to think in fresh new ways. Id love to see a 28 year old, out of some random city, hired because he was a prodigy at modern nhl defense… not saying that is easy, but this organization needs NEW blood.
Foppa wants to come back as an assistant GM? No thanks. Ray says he really wants to work in player development? No thanks. Some no name that has excelled as an assistant on an NHL team for 2 years… hell yah!
Post lockout hockey is way different than it was before the lockout… it took 10 years to be realized but it just flat out is not the same.
Out with the old in with the new…. let’s do this.
and a great reason for sakic to be removed.
the elder players leaving the team now are needed.
sakic is running the people we need away and he is making horrible decisions for the team and its progress.
sakic is the one that needs to go.
Rockiesghost
Dreger is an idiot. For some reason he thinks that he has become a hockey expert rather than being a reporter.