Fletcher's flame burned bright in Atlanta

New Toronto Maple Leafs' interim GM Cliff Fletcher was also the first GM in the history of the Atlanta/Calgary Flames franchise, and later President/GM of the Maple Leafs.

Fletcher was the assistant general manager of the St. Louis Blues and had been in charge of scouting for the team. That followed a long stint in the scouting department of the Montreal Canadiens. He also worked as the general manager of one of the Canadiens' major-junior teams.

Fletcher was back in the news Tuesday when he was named interim general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Fletcher had served with the Leafs’ as team president, chief operating officer and general manager between 1991 and 1997. Fletcher, who was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Builder category in 2004, brings more than 50 years of experience to his new role with the Leafs.

“Cliff Fletcher is the ideal person to lay the groundwork of positive change for the Leafs,” Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment CEO Richard Peddie. “As all of our general managers have had, he will have the autonomy and responsibility for all hockey decisions with a focus on establishing a foundation from which the next general manager can build. He will guide us through the upcoming trade deadline and toward the draft and free agent signing period.”

In all, Fletcher had 16 years of NHL front-office experience and it all began in Atlanta.

The Atlanta owners got an indication of his character when they interviewed him. The owners were thinking they needed someone with Fletcher's skills to evaluate players and build a skeletal staff in the five months before the expansion and entry drafts. But they felt they could hire a more experienced general manager at the end of the 1971-72 season.

Fletcher turned down their offer because he didn't feel it would be right to lure front-office people from NHL teams if a new GM might come along in a few months and bring in his own people. Even though the Atlanta offer would have given Fletcher his first opportunity to direct an NHL team, he had the character to turn it down.

Fortunately for Atlanta hockey and Fletcher, the Flames owners met with NHL President Clarence Campbell and Canadiens GM Sam Pollock, who assured them that Fletcher was correct. Pollock and Campbell also persuaded the Atlanta owners that they had the right man in Fletcher.

"I had five months to hire a hockey department," said Fletcher. "I hired David Poile to be my assistant general manager. He had just finished Northeastern University, gone to the Vancouver Canucks training camp and was looking for a job. Then I hired Don Graham, the Detroit Red Wings' No. 2 man, as chief scout. Detroit was very gracious to let him come. The hardest part of the job was getting teams, in mid-January, to let key guys go. Aldo Guidolin and Les Moore joined us and that gave us three very good scouts.

"Not too many people remember this, but I hired Al Arbour as a scout. He had been let go as an assistant coach by the Blues around Christmas 1971. Al and I had been together all those years in St. Louis from when he was a player and then a coach. Al was a big part of Atlanta's first year. But the Islanders finished in last place that first season and asked to talk to Al. What could I do? I knew Al was a good coach but I had the most popular coach in the NHL in Bernie Geoffrion. It hurt like hell to let Al go, but you don't hold anyone back."

Pat Quinn was a Flames defenseman from 1972-76 and learned a lot from Fletcher, especially how to deal with people in hockey situations.

"I had an offer from the WHA Edmonton Oilers because I had played on the Edmonton Oil Kings team that won the Memorial Cup a few years earlier," Quinn said. "Cliff was the one to convince me to sign with Atlanta. His personality and persuasiveness made the difference.

"The big thing about Cliff is that he puts together organizations that show he cares about the people that work there, players and staff. He's not only a good, bright hockey man who knows players. He has a reputation for treating fellow employees very well."

Quinn considers Fletcher a role model in his development as a hockey executive. When his career was cut short by an off-ice injury, Quinn coached in the minor leagues and served as head coach of the Philadelphia Flyers while going to law school. He then began a long career in coaching and managing. He has been the general manager of the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Cliff Fletcher was still at the helm as GM when the Calgary Flames captured the Stanley Cup over Montreal in 1989.

"When you are around people in business and you see things you like, you try to adapt those things to your way of doing things," Quinn said. "I like the way Cliff dealt with people. He was straightforward and honest and treated you with respect. I wanted to deal with people in a similar fashion."

Fletcher was the only general manager the Atlanta Flames had. He started working in a trailer on downtown Peachtree Street, and eight years later the team fetched the biggest selling price at the time for an NHL franchise. Fletcher moved with the team to Calgary and guided the Flames to the Stanley Cup Final in 1986, and won the Stanley Cup in 1989.

Fletcher moved on to the Leafs in 1991 and quickly revived that struggling franchise. The Maple Leafs played in two memorable Western Conference Finals, in 1993 and 1994. Fletcher spent six years as general manager in Toronto. He then was a consultant for two years to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He became general manager of the Phoenix Coyotes in 2001 and was promoted to Senior Executive Vice-President of Hockey Operations the following year. Fletcher was relieved of those duties last year but remains under contract to Phoenix.

Fletcher was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004.

Longtime NHL broadcaster and former Flames forward Bill Clement remembers Fletcher with fondness and respect.

"Cliff Fletcher is a nurturer by nature," Clement said. "He's a nice human being who has proved you don't have to be cut-throat to be good."