Panthers to hire assistant GM?

Ben Volin of the Palm Beach Post is reporting that Florida Panthers head coach and GM Jacques Martin is looking to hire someone to help with his front-office duties.

In an official announcement, Martin said on Thursday that he will hire an “assistant general manager after the New Year’s holiday.”

“It’s going to be important to take away some of the day-to-day operations, so that I can focus maybe more on the coaching,” Martin said before Thursday night’s game against the New York Rangers. “One of the criteria, to me, is having somebody that’s already been a general manager, that has good experience with the day-to-day operation of a team.”

Martin was named GM of the Panthers back on September 3rd after Mike Keenan was “forced out” of the same position. So why has it taken so long for Martin to start the search for an assistant?

“The second half, in our business, there’s a lot more on our plate as a general manager,” Martin said. “You have a lot of issues that you’re going to need more time to focus on.”

Martin also confirmed that he has contacted “several teams for permission to interview potential candidates,” although he did not mention any names. According to reports out of Canada, Boston Bruins assistant GM Jeff Gorton, and Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Andre Savard are believed to be top candidates.

League sources have recently told the Palm Beach Post that Panthers’ current Vice President of hockey operations Jack Birch, and Chicago Blackhawks assistant GM, and former Panthers’ GM, Rick Dudley are also among the possibilities.

Back in September, the Palm Beach Post reported that the NHL’s Vice President of hockey operations Mike Murphy, Montreal Canadiens assistant GM Pierre Gauthier, and New York Rangers assistant coach Perry Pearn were among those considered for the job.