SAULT STE. MARIE, Ont. — When Kyle Dubas interviewed to be the general manager of the Soo Greyhounds seven years ago, the one thing he brought with him was a 100-page binder.



In it was a meticulous and comprehensive plan for how he would transform the OHL franchise, which had fallen to the bottom of the Western Conference and hadn’t won a league title or Memorial Cup in almost 20 years.



Dubas’ detailed blueprint eventually became known in the organization as “The Rising” — a nod to the Bruce Springsteen album of the same name, a favourite of the new executive.



The binder — and the plan within — helped get Dubas hired, making him the second youngest GM in OHL history.



In his first address to Greyhounds fans, the then-25-year-old spelled out his mission, listing in a letter some of the same talking points he had used in his interview. He explained his belief system. He explained what he learned in various...