Reading the Play: When Captains Abandon Ship
Posted: July 26, 2012 | Author: Covering the Puck | Filed under: Reading the Play (Commentary) |
July 26, 2012
Some major names made headlines in the NHL this week. The big news out of Columbus on Monday?
Blue Jackets pull off a blockbuster
Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson bubbled over with enthusiasm as he announced the deal: “We are excited to complete this trade today as we believe the acquisitions … have advanced the club and put us in a stronger position to achieve our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”
To help introduce Columbus fans to the new players who will be leading the charge for the Cup, the Blue Jackets summarized their career highlights to date:
- Two seasons ago Brandon Dubinsky “set career highs” in goals, assists, and points. (This past season, according to official NHL statistics, his scoring fell by 20 points, almost a 40% drop in production.)
- Four years ago Artem Anisimov ranked fifth in scoring in the American Hockey League. Also, his name is “pronounced a-NEE-see-mawv.”
- Last year Tim Erixon ranked second in points among defensemen on the AHL’s Connecticut Whale. No pronunciation guide was provided for his name.
Talent of that caliber doesn’t come for free, of course, so in exchange the Blue Jackets sent Steven Delisle, a conditional third-round pick, and their captain Rick Nash to New York. The considerate Blue Jackets helpfully summarized the career highlights of Nash as well. He “is the Blue Jackets’ all-time leader in”:
- games played (674)
- goals (289)
- assists (258)
- points (547)
- power play goals (83)
- power play points (182)
- game-winning goals (44)
- shorthanded goals (14)
- hat tricks (5)
- shots on goal (2,278)
- multi-goal games (45) and
- multi-point games (136)
Also, this past season “he led the club … in goals (30) for the eighth straight season and points (59) for the fifth straight season … , while setting a career high in games played (82).”
Anyone can see why Howson was so excited to complete this trade. The Columbus coup, however, was upstaged the next day by the second major news story of the week. The big headline was featured prominently on the Philadelphia Flyers’ website Tuesday:
News for the nearsighted
Here’s a closer look:
A Weber is worth 63 words
Philadelphia’s four-sentence story was dwarfed by coverage around the rest of the league. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren’s terse statement contrasted with the Predators’ press release announcing “the most important hockey transaction in franchise history.”
Nashville, a feisty team on the ice, showed some spirit from the front office, defiantly proclaiming that the Predators won’t “be pushed around by teams with ‘deep pockets.'” Hear that, Minnesota?
Despite Nashville’s well deserved pride in their triumph over the would-be poachers from Pennsylvania, troubling questions remain about the loyalty and commitment of their captain after his dalliance with another team. On Tuesday The Tennessean quoted Weber’s agent, Jarrett Bousquet, saying, “He’s glad to be back…. He’s really happy that ownership made the commitment to him.”
Five days earlier, Bousquet had told TSN Radio 1050 Toronto that Weber would “like to play with the Philadelphia Flyers. He doesn’t want to go through a rebuilding process again.”
Weber himself, slinking back into town with his Predator tail between his legs, disavowed Bousquet’s claims that he wanted to leave Nashville. According to The Tennessean, Weber said in a teleconference yesterday, “I was never a part of any of that. I didn’t make any statements publicly.”
Like a straying husband trying to win back a betrayed wife, Weber professed deep feelings for the city of Nashville, the people of Nashville, and the on-ice employees of Nashville: “I love the city of Nashville. I love the fans and my teammates.” He even expressed great affection for the Predators’ facility, saying “everyone that has played [in Nashville] knows how great the city is and … they love the atmosphere at the rink.”
But surely fans and teammates anxious for reassurance can’t help but notice that Weber failed to mention the franchise and team itself and said nothing about how great it is to play for Nashville. No doubt Nashville boasts better barbecue and warmer weather than Philly, but does Weber really want to play there?
The Predators may put on a good face, but they must confront the strong likelihood that their longtime captain and franchise player would rather not be with them. General manager David Poile, quoted on the league website, likened the 14-year contract to “a marriage”; given that Weber was dragged to the altar after attempting to elope with the Flyers, some marital counseling may be in order.
An awkward family reunion
History does offer hope for reconciliation between Weber and the Predators. Avalanche captain Joe Sakic had a well publicized fling with the Rangers in 1997, signing a front-loaded $21 million offer sheet designed to break the bank for a financially struggling Colorado franchise, but the flirtation was never consummated and, over time, Avs fans renewed their love affair with Sakic. Unlike Weber, though, Sakic made sure his affection for Denver was never in doubt, reported in the (New York) Daily News as saying, “Everyone knows how much I like it here.”
Nashville is not alone in experiencing a captain’s betrayal. The Predators at least have a chance to mend their relationship with their captain; two other teams this summer have lost their star captains entirely. Zach Parise, fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, fled New Jersey for his home-state team and $98 million. And Nash, who requested a trade away from the Blue Jackets months ago during the season, was clearly thrilled to escape Columbus. The giddy Rangers said on their website that joining New York was a dream come true for Nash and offered a “Rick Nash Quote Book” featuring such memorable lines as: “I wanted to play somewhere that I wanted to be and my number one priority was to be here, and I’m just happy it worked out. This is a world class team, and I’m excited to be here.”
Someone pinch Rick Nash
Every NHL locker room has a revolving door; players constantly come and go. But losing a captain is more than an ordinary roster change and is particularly disheartening when the captain runs for the exit. One other team lost its captain this summer to retirement, but the end of Nick Lidstrom’s tenure is also an occasion to celebrate his long, productive, and exclusive relationship with the Red Wings. The departures of Parise and Nash and the near loss of Weber were rejections of their respective teams, and for New Jersey and Columbus, outright abandonment.
A captain isn’t supposed to abandon ship — even when it’s sinking and certainly not when it just sailed to the Cup Finals. Didn’t Rick Nash or Zach Parise ever watch Star Trek? Captain Picard, the epitome of leadership on the final frontier, always resorted to self-destructing the ship before he’d surrender the Enterprise.
Who best to steer the ship?
In space, at sea, or on the ice, being abandoned by a captain is tough to take. The crew members left behind can’t waste time trying to make sense of their leader’s desertion; they’ve got to scramble for the life boats or try to swim to shore. Even if they make it, they’ll probably spend some time feeling marooned.
Covering the Puck 
Reading the Play: When Captains Abandon Ship
Posted: July 26, 2012 | Author: Covering the Puck | Filed under: Reading the Play (Commentary) |Comments Off on Reading the Play: When Captains Abandon ShipJuly 26, 2012
Some major names made headlines in the NHL this week. The big news out of Columbus on Monday?
Blue Jackets pull off a blockbuster
Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson bubbled over with enthusiasm as he announced the deal: “We are excited to complete this trade today as we believe the acquisitions … have advanced the club and put us in a stronger position to achieve our goal of winning the Stanley Cup.”
To help introduce Columbus fans to the new players who will be leading the charge for the Cup, the Blue Jackets summarized their career highlights to date:
Talent of that caliber doesn’t come for free, of course, so in exchange the Blue Jackets sent Steven Delisle, a conditional third-round pick, and their captain Rick Nash to New York. The considerate Blue Jackets helpfully summarized the career highlights of Nash as well. He “is the Blue Jackets’ all-time leader in”:
Also, this past season “he led the club … in goals (30) for the eighth straight season and points (59) for the fifth straight season … , while setting a career high in games played (82).”
Anyone can see why Howson was so excited to complete this trade. The Columbus coup, however, was upstaged the next day by the second major news story of the week. The big headline was featured prominently on the Philadelphia Flyers’ website Tuesday:
News for the nearsighted
Here’s a closer look:
A Weber is worth 63 words
Philadelphia’s four-sentence story was dwarfed by coverage around the rest of the league. Flyers GM Paul Holmgren’s terse statement contrasted with the Predators’ press release announcing “the most important hockey transaction in franchise history.”
Nashville, a feisty team on the ice, showed some spirit from the front office, defiantly proclaiming that the Predators won’t “be pushed around by teams with ‘deep pockets.'” Hear that, Minnesota?
Despite Nashville’s well deserved pride in their triumph over the would-be poachers from Pennsylvania, troubling questions remain about the loyalty and commitment of their captain after his dalliance with another team. On Tuesday The Tennessean quoted Weber’s agent, Jarrett Bousquet, saying, “He’s glad to be back…. He’s really happy that ownership made the commitment to him.”
Five days earlier, Bousquet had told TSN Radio 1050 Toronto that Weber would “like to play with the Philadelphia Flyers. He doesn’t want to go through a rebuilding process again.”
Weber himself, slinking back into town with his Predator tail between his legs, disavowed Bousquet’s claims that he wanted to leave Nashville. According to The Tennessean, Weber said in a teleconference yesterday, “I was never a part of any of that. I didn’t make any statements publicly.”
Like a straying husband trying to win back a betrayed wife, Weber professed deep feelings for the city of Nashville, the people of Nashville, and the on-ice employees of Nashville: “I love the city of Nashville. I love the fans and my teammates.” He even expressed great affection for the Predators’ facility, saying “everyone that has played [in Nashville] knows how great the city is and … they love the atmosphere at the rink.”
But surely fans and teammates anxious for reassurance can’t help but notice that Weber failed to mention the franchise and team itself and said nothing about how great it is to play for Nashville. No doubt Nashville boasts better barbecue and warmer weather than Philly, but does Weber really want to play there?
The Predators may put on a good face, but they must confront the strong likelihood that their longtime captain and franchise player would rather not be with them. General manager David Poile, quoted on the league website, likened the 14-year contract to “a marriage”; given that Weber was dragged to the altar after attempting to elope with the Flyers, some marital counseling may be in order.
An awkward family reunion
History does offer hope for reconciliation between Weber and the Predators. Avalanche captain Joe Sakic had a well publicized fling with the Rangers in 1997, signing a front-loaded $21 million offer sheet designed to break the bank for a financially struggling Colorado franchise, but the flirtation was never consummated and, over time, Avs fans renewed their love affair with Sakic. Unlike Weber, though, Sakic made sure his affection for Denver was never in doubt, reported in the (New York) Daily News as saying, “Everyone knows how much I like it here.”
Nashville is not alone in experiencing a captain’s betrayal. The Predators at least have a chance to mend their relationship with their captain; two other teams this summer have lost their star captains entirely. Zach Parise, fresh off a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, fled New Jersey for his home-state team and $98 million. And Nash, who requested a trade away from the Blue Jackets months ago during the season, was clearly thrilled to escape Columbus. The giddy Rangers said on their website that joining New York was a dream come true for Nash and offered a “Rick Nash Quote Book” featuring such memorable lines as: “I wanted to play somewhere that I wanted to be and my number one priority was to be here, and I’m just happy it worked out. This is a world class team, and I’m excited to be here.”
Someone pinch Rick Nash
Every NHL locker room has a revolving door; players constantly come and go. But losing a captain is more than an ordinary roster change and is particularly disheartening when the captain runs for the exit. One other team lost its captain this summer to retirement, but the end of Nick Lidstrom’s tenure is also an occasion to celebrate his long, productive, and exclusive relationship with the Red Wings. The departures of Parise and Nash and the near loss of Weber were rejections of their respective teams, and for New Jersey and Columbus, outright abandonment.
A captain isn’t supposed to abandon ship — even when it’s sinking and certainly not when it just sailed to the Cup Finals. Didn’t Rick Nash or Zach Parise ever watch Star Trek? Captain Picard, the epitome of leadership on the final frontier, always resorted to self-destructing the ship before he’d surrender the Enterprise.
Who best to steer the ship?
In space, at sea, or on the ice, being abandoned by a captain is tough to take. The crew members left behind can’t waste time trying to make sense of their leader’s desertion; they’ve got to scramble for the life boats or try to swim to shore. Even if they make it, they’ll probably spend some time feeling marooned.
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