On Wednesday, Arizona GM John Chayka made a fairly significant hire, bringing aboard Doug Soetaert as the GM for the club’s new AHL affiliate in Tucson.
“We are very pleased to add Doug as the General Manager of the Roadrunners,” Chayka said in a release. “Doug has extensive experience as a general manager and is extremely knowledgeable. He is well-respected throughout the league and we are confident that he is an ideal fit for our team.”
Soetaert, 61, certainly comes with the wealth of experience Chayka alluded to:
-- He’s worked as a scout with the Coyotes, and Red Bull Hockey in Europe.
-- He’s served a GM and vice president of WHL Everett.
-- He’s worked as an assistant GM with the Calgary Flames.
-- He spent 12 seasons as a goalie with the Rangers, Jets and Canadiens, helping the Habs win the Stanley Cup in 1986.
Hiring a 61-year-old with this much experience is noteworthy, given Chayka -- the youngest GM in NHL history -- is 34 years younger than Soetaert.