Fortifying the Front Office

As the National Hockey League firms up plans for the 2021 Expansion Draft scheduled for July 21, Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis announced two key hires in hockey operations who will help identify the 30 players selected that day and draft picks made in the league's amateur draft July 23 and July 24. Jason Botterill will join the franchise as an assistant general manager and Norm Maciver is slated to be director of player personnel.
Both executives are former NHL players who subsequently cultivated successful front office careers in the sport. Botterill worked for the Pittsburgh Penguins during a 10-year stretch in which the team won Stanley Cups in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Maciver spent the last 14 seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks, who won three Cups, too, in 2010, 2013 and 2015. Joining the Kraken-and working with Francis to build a first-ever NHL franchise here in the Pacific Northwest-represent an opportunity neither of them could resist. Both are wholly impressed with their new Kraken colleagues across the organization.

"Everyone in hockey is extremely excited about what's happening in Seattle, and I am thrilled for this unique opportunity," said Botterill. "I'm looking forward to working with the diverse and talented group that Ron has assembled."

"I am excited about the prospect of building something from the ground up," said Maciver. "I'm so glad to be able to help meet the challenge of building a team in an ever-evolving league."
Botterill and Francis worked together in 2019 as part of three-manager group putting together Canada's team for that year's World Championships, along with former NHL GM and goaltender Ron Hextall. "We clicked from Day 1, with our communication, who would handle different duties, everything," said Botterill. "People are drawn to the Seattle organization because of Ron's professionalism, how articulate he is and how much he cares. There will be no ego in developing this organization, just coming up with the best ideas on how to put our team together."
"Jason brings a great deal of experience and has worked with some of the best in the business," said Francis, referring to NHL GMs such as Jim Rutherford (also a Francis mentor), Cliff Fletcher and Ray Shero (who hired Botterill in Pittsburgh).

"You're only as good as your mentors," said Botterill, who has received a lot of credit from those mentors about finding and developing young players who push a team toward championship caliber while staying under the league's salary cap. Penguins fans know the value of players such as Jake Guentzel, Conor Sheary and Bryan Rust during those Cup years in 2016 and 2017; Botterill was a leader in supplying those young contributors among others on the Pittsburgh playoff rosters.
One example shows the mentor admiration that still holds today: Botterill was hired away from Pittsburgh in May 2017 with Rutherford not about to block a rare opportunity for the then-40-year-old to be GM for the Buffalo Sabres. When Pittsburgh was on the cusp on a winning its second straight Cup in June that year, Rutherford invited Botterill back to fly in the team's family plane to witness the Cup win in person and, as tradition offers it, be on the ice to celebrate at game's end.
Maciver appreciates those celebrations and holds his own fistful of sweet Cup night memories. He talked Monday about watching the core of Chicago's title teams coming together: the poise at such young ages of defenseman Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook, also forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. It's fitting he mentioned the defensemen first; Maciver played the position in 500 NHL games for seven teams over 12 seasons. Three of those hockey years he was a teammate of Hall of Famer Francis, one season in Hartford and two more in Pittsburgh.

Maciver comes to Seattle comprehensively fortified with the many perspectives of NHL team members: Player, assistant coach (NHL and American Hockey League), scout, management executive and getting traded as a player four times. His Chicago years focused on player development and evaluation, always making himself ready "to give my honest opinion" to GM Stan Bowman on players developing in the Blackhawks organization who could help win those championships.
"Norm was involved in Chicago's recent Cup-winning teams and brings a lot of experience and knowledge," Francis said. "I know him from our playing days and am pleased to reunite with him. He will do a fantastic job as we build out our team."
Along with six Stanley Cups between them, both Maciver and Botterill know success and adversity as players. Maciver starred for the 1999 International Hockey League champion Houston Aeros in his final professional season and earlier notched four impressive seasons for college hockey powerhouse Minnesota-Duluth, participating in a historic four-overtime NCAA Final in which Bowling Green prevailed. In the NHL, Maciver played with Hall of Famers in Pittsburgh and Edmonton. The Oilers put him on waivers during a contract dispute, resulting in Maciver recording his best statistical season (17 goals, 46 assists) with Ottawa's first-year expansion team during the 1992-93 season.
Botterill played 88 NHL games for four teams (Dallas, Atlanta Thrashers, Calgary and Buffalo) across six seasons until a concussion ended his on-ice career during the NHL lockout season of 2004-05. A four-year player at another NCAA powerhouse, the University of Michigan, Botterill returned to his alma mater to earn an MBA and interned with the NHL's Central Registry. His Michigan teammates included future NHLers such as forwards Brendan Morrison and John Madden and goalie Marty Turco. Michigan won the NCAA title with Botterill on the roster in 1996. What's more, Botterill is the only Canadian to ever win a gold medal in three straight World Junior Hockey Championships.