Pierre McGuire

McGuire was born in Englewood Hospital in Englewood, New Jersey, the son of Rex, an Irish-American and Sally, a French-Canadian.{{cite web |title=Pierre McGuire – passionate about hockey and family |url=https://themontrealeronline.com/2007/10/pierre-mcguire/ |website=themontrealeronline.com |publisher=The Montrealer |date=October 1, 2007|access-date=March 1, 2019}}Dellapina, John. [http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=518285 "USA, Canada rivalry has evolved over time"], National Hockey League, February 20, 2010. Accessed February 16, 2011. ""I think it really started to heat up when Gary Suter hit Wayne Gretzky from behind in the Canada Cup, said Pierre McGuire, the hockey analyst for NBC in the U.S. and TSN in Canada who was born in Englewood, N.J., now lives outside of Montreal and has split his life and citizenship between the two nations."{{cite news|last=Czerwinski|first=Mark J.|title=Nice and Tough|newspaper=The Record|date=January 30, 2003}} He grew up in the Montreal area (in Mount Royal, Westmount and Sainte-Adèle) and attended Lower Canada College.{{cite news|last=Meagher|first=John|title=McGuire tells it like it is|newspaper=The Gazette|date=January 30, 2003}}{{cite news|last=Hickey|first=Pat|title=Return to Forum inspires McGuire|newspaper=The Gazette|date=February 3, 1994}}

In 1977, his family moved to Cresskill, New Jersey, because of anti-anglophone sentiment in Montreal that made it difficult for McGuire's father to run his car dealership.{{cite news|title=Whalers Coach Has Local Ties|newspaper=The Record|date=November 17, 1993}} McGuire attended Bergen Catholic High School, where he played football and hockey.{{cite news|last=Dellapina|first=John|title=Local Football Star Now Behind Pens' Bench|newspaper=The Record|date=May 17, 1992}}

McGuire was a standout hockey defenceman at Hobart College from 1979 to 1982. He also pitched for Hobart's baseball team and played quarterback on the football team for two years.{{cite news|last=Gordon|first=Joe|title=McGuire makes name for himself|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=November 18, 1993}} He graduated from Hobart with an English degree. After college, McGuire played one season of hockey in the Netherlands. In 1984, he attended the New Jersey Devils' training camp, but he did not make the team.

McGuire began his coaching career at his alma mater, Hobart College, in 1984. He was paid only $500 a season; he made ends meet by working as a substitute English, math and physical education teacher in the Geneva, New York, school district. In 1985, he was named assistant hockey and lacrosse coach at Babson College.{{cite news|last=Monahan|first=Bob|title=Goalies Houghton, corliss Move On|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=September 8, 1985}} At Babson, he coached hockey under future New York Islanders head coach Steve Stirling. After three seasons at Babson, he moved to St. Lawrence University, where he was an assistant hockey coach from 1988 to 1990. While at St. Lawrence, McGuire met Scotty Bowman, who frequently visited his daughter at the school. When Bowman became director of player development and recruitment for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1990, he offered McGuire a job as a special assignment scout.{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Jeff|title=If you ask McGuire, assist goes to Bowman|newspaper=The Courant|url=https://www.courant.com/1993/12/01/if-you-ask-mcguire-assist-goes-to-bowman/|access-date=May 6, 2014|date=December 1, 1993}}{{cite news|last=Bernstein|first=Viv|title=Mcguire Joining Whalers Staff|url=https://www.courant.com/1992/08/27/mcguire-joining-whalers-staff/|access-date=May 6, 2014|newspaper=The Courant|date= August 27, 1992}}{{cite news|last=Zizzo|first=Mike|title=Hartford's Mcguire Has Come Long Way|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1993/11/28/hartfords-mcguire-has-come-long-way/|access-date=May 6, 2014|newspaper=The Orlando Sentinel|date= November 28, 1993}} When Bowman became interim head coach in 1991, McGuire was named an assistant coach.{{cite news|title=Transactions|newspaper=The New York Times|date=October 2, 1991}} McGuire won a Stanley Cup as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1992.

McGuire joined the Hartford Whalers on August 28, 1992, as an assistant coach; on September 8, 1993, he became the team's assistant general manager.{{cite web|url=http://www.courant.com/sports/hockey/hartford-whalers/hc-whalers-historical-timeline,0,5898691.story |title=Franchise Timeline - Carolina Hurricanes - Team |publisher=Courant.com |access-date=February 25, 2012}} On November 16, 1993, McGuire was named head coach of the Whalers, replacing Paul Holmgren. Holmgren had stepped aside due to frustration with insufficient effort from his players and a desire to focus on his role as the team's general manager.{{cite news|last=Panaccio|first=Tim|title=Holgren (sic) Quits As Whalers Coach|url=http://articles.philly.com/1993-11-17/sports/25945286_1_paul-holmgren-whalers-last-summer-whalers-coach|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140508031014/http://articles.philly.com/1993-11-17/sports/25945286_1_paul-holmgren-whalers-last-summer-whalers-coach|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 8, 2014|access-date=May 6, 2014|newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer|date=November 17, 1993}} At age 32, McGuire was the youngest head coach in the NHL. Before becoming coach of the Whalers, McGuire had never been a head coach on any level. During his six months as the Whalers' head coach, McGuire coached the team to a 23–37–7 record.{{cite web|url=http://hurricanes.nhl.com/club/page.htm?id=45638 |title=Franchise Timeline - Carolina Hurricanes - Team |publisher=Hurricanes.nhl.com |access-date=2011-12-26}} He was fired as head coach on May 19, 1994. After this termination, captain Pat Verbeek called it the best thing that could have happened to the Whalers. He said that his teammates had no respect for McGuire, and that McGuire was mocked by other teams.{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Jeff|title=Mcguire's Tenure A Bad Situation|url=https://www.courant.com/1994/05/21/mcguires-tenure-a-bad-situation/|access-date=May 6, 2014|newspaper=The Courant|date=May 21, 1994}}{{cite news|title=Pierre McGuire lands front office job with Ottawa Senators|url=https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/pierre-mc-guire-lands-front-office-job-with-ottawa-senators-141838524.html|access-date=March 21, 2024|website=Yahoo Sports|date=July 21, 2021}} In 1995, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman ruled that McGuire would forfeit half of his remaining salary due from the Whalers for providing confidential coaching evaluations to the Edmonton Oilers. These evaluations had been prepared while McGuire was employed by Hartford.{{cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Jeff|title=Mcguire Takes A Loss|url=https://www.courant.com/1995/05/03/mcguire-takes-a-loss-2/|access-date=May 6, 2014|newspaper=The Courant|date=May 3, 1995}}

Following his departure from the Whalers, McGuire became a scout with the Ottawa Senators. On November 22, 1995, he was promoted to the position of assistant coach.{{cite news|title=Senators name assistant coach|newspaper=The Gazette|date=November 23, 1995}} On January 23, 1996, McGuire was fired, along with head coach Dave Allison and goaltending coach Chico Resch.{{cite news|author1=Ken Warren |author2=Rick Mayoh |author3=Bernard Potvin |title= Senators fire Allison|newspaper=The Ottawa Citizen|date=January 24, 1996}}

On August 27, 1996, McGuire was named the inaugural head coach of the ECHL's Baton Rouge Kingfish.{{cite news|last=Lee|first=Feinswog|title=Kingfish name McGuire|newspaper=The Advocate|date=August 28, 1996}} He was given a three-year contract. McGuire led the team to a 31–33–6 record and a seventh-place finish in the South Division. On July 12, 1997, McGuire exercised an escape clause in his contract to become the radio analyst for CJAD's broadcasts of Montreal Canadiens games.{{cite news|last=Hickey|first=Pat|title= CJAD hires McGuire for Habs games radio & TV|newspaper=The Gazette|date=July 12, 1997}}

From {{NHL Year|1997}} to {{NHL Year|2001}}, McGuire served as colour commentator for the Montreal Canadiens' English-language radio broadcasts on CJAD 800, along with Dino Sisto. He also worked on some of the team's regional television broadcasts on The Sports Network (TSN) when primary colour analyst Gary Green was unavailable, and was a contributor to TSN's That's Hockey.

When TSN re-acquired the Canadian national cable rights to NHL hockey in 2002, McGuire was hired as its lead colour commentator.{{Cite news |last=Houston |first=William |date=2002-04-17 |title=Woman to anchor TSN's NHL games |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/woman-to-anchor-tsns-nhl-games/article1022593/ |access-date=2023-09-24}} With TSN, McGuire called the games along with play-by-play announcer Gord Miller or Chris Cuthbert.{{Cite news |last=Crouse |first=Karen |date=2010-02-26 |title=Narrating Canada's Quest for Gold in Men's Hockey |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/sports/olympics/27voices.html |access-date=2023-09-24 |issn=0362-4331}} He also handled special hockey events for TSN, including the NHL Entry Draft and international events such as the IIHF World Junior Championships.{{Cite news |last=Houston |first=William |date=2007-12-22 |title=World junior tournament top priority for TSN |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/world-junior-tournament-top-priority-for-tsn/article726957/ |access-date=2023-09-24}} In addition, he hosted a segment known as "McGuire's Monsters" where he covered a player who had significant impact through a combination of skills.

File:Pierre McGuire and Sidney Crosby 2017-05-10 2.jpg

McGuire joined NBC Sports after they acquired the rights to NHL games in 2006. There he worked as an "Inside the Glass" reporter with the lead broadcast team of Mike Emrick and Eddie Olczyk.{{Cite web |last=Halberstam |first=David J. |date=2019-05-21 |title=NBC's Pierre McGuire is the man in middle of it all; At NHL games, 'Inside the Glass' means heads-up! |url=https://www.sportsbroadcastjournal.com/nbcs-pierre-mcguire-is-the-man-in-middle-of-it-all-at-nhl-games-inside-the-glass-means-heads-up/ |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=Sports Broadcast Journal |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Kreda |first=Allan |date=2017-04-15 |title=NBC's Fixture Between the Benches Begins His Playoff Sprint |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/15/sports/hockey/pierre-mcguire-nhl-playoffs.html |access-date=2023-09-24 |issn=0362-4331}} Not only did he extend that role with TSN beginning in 2006,{{Cite news |last=Houston |first=William |date=2006-10-11 |title=Houston: TSN to break with tradition |language=en-CA |work=The Globe and Mail |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/globe-on-hockey/houston-tsn-to-break-with-tradition/article25683116/ |access-date=2023-09-24}} but he also worked for both networks at the time, including the Ice Hockey - 2010 Winter Olympics.{{Cite web |last=Cousins |first=Ben |title=Is Pierre McGuire Overstaying His Welcome In The Broadcast Booth? |url=https://bleacherreport.com/articles/359038-is-pierre-mcguire-overstaying-his-welcome-in-the-broadcast-booth |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=Bleacher Report |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Sandomir |first=Richard |date=2009-06-04 |title=NBC Goes Back Inside the Glass |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/nbc-goes-back-inside-the-glass/ |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=Slap Shot |publisher=New York Times |language=en}}

After the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, McGuire left TSN to work full-time for NBC Sports, but he continues to appear on TSN Radio.{{Cite web |date=June 27, 2011 |title=Pierre McGuire leaves TSN for Versus, NBC |url=https://nationalpost.com/sports/nhl/pierre-mcguire-leaves-tsn-for-versus-nbc |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=National Post}} From 2018 to 2021, he rotated with Brian Boucher on the broadcast team for NBC Sports.{{cite web|title=Report: Pierre McGuire removed from NBC's No. 1 NHL team in favor of Brian Boucher|url=https://awfulannouncing.com/nhl/pierre-mcguire-nhl-on-nbc-brian-boucher.html|website=Awful Announcing|date=September 4, 2019|access-date=September 4, 2019}}{{Cite web |last=Cowan |first=Stu |date=September 4, 2019 |title=NBC replacing Pierre McGuire on national NHL broadcasts: report |url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/hockey/nhl/hockey-inside-out/nbc-replacing-pierre-mcguire-on-national-nhl-broadcasts-report |access-date=September 23, 2023 |website=Montreal Gazette}}{{Cite web |last=Haase |first=Taylor |date=2019-09-04 |title=Report: NBC Sports removes Pierre McGuire from No. 1 coverage team |url=https://legacy.dkpittsburghsports.com/2019/09/04/pierre-mcguire-nbc-sports-tlh/ |access-date=2023-09-24 |website=DKPittsburghSports.com |language=en-US}}

McGuire also writes for Sports Illustrated and provides frequent audio commentary:

• New York's WFAN
• Toronto's Sportsnet 590
• Ottawa radio station the Team 1200
• the Ottawa Senators' fan podcast [https://web.archive.org/web/20061205012707/http://sensunderground.com/ SensUnderground]
• Montreal's TSN 690, where he can be heard on the Mitch Melnick show
• the [https://web.archive.org/web/20061121224807/http://www.team1040.ca/ TEAM 1040] in Vancouver, heard on the Canucks Lunch with Rick Ball{{cite web |url=http://www.team1040.ca/shows/canucks_lunch/ |title=TEAM Radio | TEAM 1040 AM | TEAM 1410 AM | Home of the Canucks, Whitecaps FC and BC Lions |publisher=Team1040.ca |access-date=2011-12-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415164548/http://www.team1040.ca/shows/canucks_lunch/ |archive-date=2009-04-15 }}
• Wednesday mornings on Calgary's Fan 960.

Beyond hockey, McGuire served as a reporter on water polo at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic Games for NBC; he worked with NHL colleague Mike "Doc" Emrick in 2012, and with Kenny Albert in 2016.

On July 12, 2021, the Ottawa Senators hired McGuire as the team's senior vice-president of player development.{{cite web |last1=Garrioch |first1=Bruce |title=GARRIOCH: Melnyk calls McGuire a key piece of Sens' Stanley Cup drive |url=https://ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/ottawa-senators/garrioch-melnyk-calls-mcguire-a-key-piece-of-sens-stanley-cup-drive |publisher=Ottawa Sun |access-date=12 Jul 2021}} At that time, McGuire had not held a managerial job with the NHL for nearly three decades. On May 9, 2022, it was announced that McGuire had been let go from this position.{{cite tweet |user=TheSuperAJ |number=1523694266697928704 |title=Hearing Pierre McGuire has been fired by the Ottawa Senators. @TSNSteveLloyd has confirmed. #Sens |first=AJ |last=Jakubec |date=9 May 2022 |access-date=9 May 2022}}

McGuire has been an outspoken advocate of removing the red line, which would allow skilled players to avoid the impediments of clutching and grabbing. In addition, he has campaigned for all players to wear partial visors. McGuire's outspoken personality led to an interesting story during the 2004–05 NHL lockout. McGuire claimed that more than 70% of NHL players, if asked to vote privately, would accept an owner-imposed salary cap; in response, NHL player Tie Domi said that McGuire was completely off-base. McGuire later retracted part of his claim, by saying that he should never have mentioned a percentage, but that he still strongly believed in his assertion.{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/indepth/cba/features/chronology.html|title=Faceoff 2004-05: Lockout chronology|publisher=CBC Sports Online|date=July 13, 2005|access-date=2006-07-21}} Ultimately, the players accepted a salary cap arrangement in the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement that was ratified in 2005.

McGuire is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada. He has previously lived in Mount Royal, Quebec; Westmount, Quebec; Sainte-Adèle, Quebec; Cresskill, New Jersey; Alpine, New Jersey; Fort Lee, New Jersey; Hingham, Massachusetts; and Montreal. He currently lives in New Canaan, Connecticut.{{cite news|last=Houston|first=William|title=A straight shooter scores with fans|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=October 8, 2003}}{{cite news|title= McGuire leaves TSN for gig with Versus and NBC |newspaper=The Daily Gleaner|date=June 28, 2011}} He has been married twice and has two children, both by his second wife.

{{Reflist|3}}

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{{succession box | before = Paul Holmgren | title = Head coach of the Hartford Whalers | years = 1993–94 | after = Paul Holmgren}}

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