‘Regier knows that as much as anyone. For all the mistakes he’s made over the years, he’s certainly no dummy. He’s taken his share of lumps that come with being a general manager. Perhaps his hands were tied so tight he couldn’t perform his duties the way he saw fit. But if he’s compromised to that degree, why would he want the job? Ultimately, he was caught in the middle of trickle-down NHL economics. Everybody knows how it flows. It starts at the top.’