from Geoff Baker of the Seattle Times,
The most quietly famous hockey resident of Poulsbo has a view of the Hood Canal from a home on five wooded acres of gorgeous Kitsap County property.
Bert Marshall also has some well-honed views on Seattle’s incoming NHL expansion franchise and the importance of hiring the right team builders, starting with the general manager and then the coach. During 15 NHL seasons, Marshall, a stay-at-home defenseman, played for some of the best and worst teams in league history: from Gordie Howe and the mid-1960s Detroit Red Wings, to the California Golden Seals expansion disaster, to a New York Islanders squad that grew into a dynasty.
But by the time Marshall got to the pre-dynastic Islanders, the architects of that squad were leaning on him to show younger players the work ethic needed to differentiate the best from worst.
“I like to say that I was the guy the stars had to play against before they could be stars,’’ said Marshall, 75, whose life here in Washington now on two-plus decades has been nearly as unassuming as his career. “I think I held my own.’’
He’s paying attention locally now to how NHL Seattle builds its own on-ice product. The group has considered hiring a GM this summer rather than next year, a decision hinging on the caliber of candidates expected to become available.
“That’s the one hire you’ve got to get right,’’ Marshall said. “Everything else will flow from that.’’
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