THE DARKEST of clouds hovered over the Wells Fargo Center at noon yesterday, threatening a downpour of epic proportions.
Inside, though, the sun's high beams were on. Accolades for a coach who has never dipped his toes into the NHL, from a first-year general manager who has never hired a head coach before.
Accolades for both from an 82-year-old chairman whose very approval of it clearly indicates a mindset that is now all-in.
Give the old man credit for this. Ed Snider defended the hiring of a career college coach yesterday by referencing the humble starts of Fred Shero and Mike Keenan, reminding us not only that his stewardship has not always been about hiring known quantities and former players, but also how long his tenure as head of this team has been.