Visiting the Office Of...Shean Gardiner

2023-11-12

Welcome once again to ""Visiting the Office Of..." an interview series that goes behind the scenes with the general managers of the Elite Hockey Experience.

In this edition, we sat down with Shean Gardiner, who of course just guided the Florida Panthers to their first Stanley Cup this past summer.

Naturally Shean had some great answers for us, but on top of that he also dropped some massive breaking news. So be sure to read to the end for an official announcement from the Panthers front office.

Enjoy!

So Shean, how and when did you join the Elite Hockey Experience? Had you been involved with sim hockey before?

I joined EHE in April 2020. Getting here was not as easy as I originally thought. At that point my experience in sim leagues was about 2 years, during which time I had managed to change several leagues for various reasons.

Andrew Payeur Blue Jackets GM told me that this was the best sim league and I decided to try to get in. It took me long enough to hear back from the league management, but the longer I watched it the more I realized I wanted to be here. It was probably about 2 months between my first application and the time I ended up here. As I've said many times before, I'm very excited to be a part of EHE.

How do you look back on your first season in the general manager's chair in Florida?

Honestly, it was pretty awful. Most of my time was spent learning the league rules, which admittedly I have to learn on a regular basis.

As for the team - I took over the Panthers during the 2019-2020 season. At that point, the team was out of the playoff picture, but there was a core I liked about the team. I decided to try to learn everything first and not make any big decisions.

Obviously your biggest EHE achievement came just a couple months ago, with the Panthers taking home their first Stanley Cup. Has the party ended yet, or are you still celebrating?

Speaking of me, the party is long over for me. It's all about the new season. Getting to the top is easier than staying there. And the guys are still on vacation- judging by their social media feeds :) 

In the two seasons prior to the championship run, your team had strong regular seasons but then couldn't get over the hump in the postseason. Was there a point in the 2023 playoffs where you started to believe this could really be the year? Or were you nervous right until that final buzzer in Game 5?

Yes, you're right. The experience of previous years showed us that it doesn't matter at all how you played the first 82 games of the season. We moved from series to series.

As for that moment, it was Game 7 against the Flyers. When the final siren sounded, we realized that this was our chance! But there were nerves to the end, despite the final score of the Final series 4:1. Four games out of five ended in overtime, where there is no margin for error. We won in 3 overtimes - we were lucky somewhere, of course. But without luck, I think it's impossible to win the cup at all.

At the start of the season it looked like your team's bread and butter would be its offence, with John Tavares, Mark Stone, Jamie Benn, and Tyler Seguin up front, and Morgan Rielly, John Klingberg, and Noah Hanifin anchoring the blue line.

Instead, the offence was just okay (12th in the league in goals, 20th in shots for, 21st on the powerplay) but the defence was suffocating (1st in the league in goals against, 1st in shots against). Were you surprised at your team's shutdown ability? Or do you think that part of their game was underrated?

I was more surprised than not, but the thing is, I always try to find a balance between offense and defense. Guys like Lindell, Myers, Ryan, they're huge contributors to the overall success. Even if they're not as bright on offense, they do a great job on defense. And by the way, Mark Stone has played PK from time to time. And of course I can't help but talk about the phenomenal play of Sorokin! Ilya had a brilliant season!

Indeed, and with him under RFA control, Benn, Seguin, Rielly, Esa Lindell, and Head Coach Todd McLellan all under contract, and Tavares franchise tagged, the core of your team is basically locked up for next year. So how do you like your chances of repeating as champs in 2023-24?

Right, plus Mark Stone also have a franchise.

We are keeping the core, but the competition in the EHE is so great that it will be very difficult without upgrades. Of course, our goal is the cup! It feels good :) but I'm sure there are at least 7-8 other teams in the league with the same goal :) And in general it is extremely difficult to make predictions and assess the chances in such a competitive league. Before the start of the 2023 playoffs, none of the experts rated us highly. Almost every year there is some kind of sensation.

It's no secret that you've taken a methodical approach to building your team, with stacks of files on every player and careful consideration put into every move. Is this your "stereotypical German" side coming out, or do you simply believe a patient strategy is the best path to success in the EHE?

Yeah, I can rather refer myself to the conservative school of GMs. Although sometimes when I see some guys changing their roster beyond recognition in 1-2 seasons, I also want to do something similar :) but then emotions subside and reason kicks in, which makes me go in the direction I've already chosen. Can we call it a "stereotypical German" side? I don't know, that's what stereotypes are :)

Of course, anyone who has dealt with German bureaucracy would likely have something to say about the stereotype of "German efficiency."

Oh yeah, that's right on the mark!. German bureaucracy is something special! And I confess that sometimes it annoys me terribly! But when you become a cup winner also thanks to this organization, it doesn't seem so bad anymore:)

You're not just conservative with trades either--you've also been quite selective in free agency, having put pen to paper on just five NHL contracts over three off-seasons. And yet two of those deals have been big-money additions in the form of Tyler Myers and Tyler Seguin. Which version of the Panthers should we expect to see during the 2023 Free Agent Frenzy?

To my way of thinking, the UFA market is utter insanity :) it's easier for me to watch from the sidelines :)

The big money signings of Myers and Seguin were very difficult for us. Especially Tyler's contract. At the time, I felt it was what we needed, but I also realized the risk of what I was doing. I was very excited.

Myers was a little bit easier. We knew exactly what we were getting and were extremely happy with the 3 seasons he spent with us. Look at his utility stats: +23, +20 and +38! That brings us back to the issue of the defense lines.

The Portland Pirates have been struggling for some time now, with another playoff miss last season pushing their postseason drought to five seasons. Is it a priority for you to reverse the fortunes of your AHL team?

No. We view the Portland Pirates solely as a place to develop our young players who are not yet ready to play in the NHL. We realize that the success of an AHL team may reflect the prospects of the main team in the future, but our strategy is different.

Totally switching gears here, but an EHE general managers' meeting in Europe seems somehow inevitable. How would you feel about hosting?

Really? I haven't heard anything about it...but it would be really cool to meet up! Although sometimes due to busy months it doesn't seem like it would be possible to meet up with friends who live an hour away.

Over your time in the league, have you made one trade that you're particularly proud of? And no, you can't say Conor Garland (laughs).

:) I can't single out any one deal. All the deals I made were necessary to a greater or lesser extent. Before acquiring this or that player, we carefully considered his future role in the team. As time has shown, we did everything right:) The acquisitions of Benn, Klingberg, Hanifn and Dadonov were nothing outstanding, but all of these players were important in winning the Cup.

Any trades you wish you could take back?

Of the trades that have been made, I wouldn't take any of them back. But I can single out one imperfect trade, when before the 2020 draft I had the opportunity to acquire the 2nd overall pick in exchange for the 3rd overall [plus somthing]... and get Tim Stutzle. At that point, we didn't want to move an additional asset and were prepared for any scenario. Perhaps that's the only thing I really regret at this point. But we are still counting on and hope that this year will be [Byfield's] breakout year and we will see him on the Panthers' main team next season.

What advice would you give to a GM just starting out in the EHE?

The advice is to enjoy. EHE is truly the best sim league out there. If you have any questions, you can always ask any GM and you will definitely get answers. Be sure to study the rules and don't be scared by the fact that there are so many of them :). Talking, make new acquaintances, participate in discussions.... But don't relax either! The competition in the league is so great that everyone is always looking for an opportunity to strengthen their team. If you "hesitate" and your tops will leave you :) But I'm sure you won't regret that you became a part of EHE.

Grab your crystal ball and look at the Panthers three years from now. What do you see?

We already have some great young players - Keller, Byfield, Samuelsson, Peterka, Gunter - who we hope will be the future of the franchise. We have set the bar too high and we can't upset our fans.

As a matter of fact, we've been preparing a big announcement for them that is just about the future of the franchise! And I want to take this opportunity to announce it now:

On 11.11 at 12:58 pm(CET) was born a baby girl and immediately joined the Panthers' leadership staff and was promoted to "assistant" Panthers GM.

We believe the Panthers will get even stronger with her arrival, as well as strengthen their draft work starting in 2024.

I will be less available for a while as I will be busy with all the organizational things, but nevertheless I will always stay in touch!

Big day for me and my wife, big day for the Panthers!

Wow, that's huge news, and we here at "Visiting the Office Of" are honored to share it!

Congratulations on the new arrival, the Stanley Cup victory, and thanks for taking time out to talk with us during what is surely a busy time for you. Best of luck in 2023-24!

Thanks for the invite and thanks for the congrats! Good luck to you and the Islands in the upcoming season!