Long before there were blogs or twitter there was a daily email list for Toronto Maple Leaf fans in which the author, Steve Kee used to, from time to time call upon Leafs management to “throw a bomb” in to the room. Well sports fans, that is exactly what Brian Burke did today. He undid many of the errors of regimes past. Burke blew up the Toronto Maple Leafs. The question that remains is if he blew em up real good?

It was a good old fashioned hockey trade though wasn’t it? I mean it’s the type of trade that we used to try to make when I was in fantasy leagues. Hell, it’s the type of proposals you sometimes see on message boards on hfboards.com. It was a good old fashioned hockey trade.

The best part of the trade, to me at least is that none of the experts, and I do mean NONE had this anywhere on their radar. Eklund, Garrioch, Berger, Kypreos, Dreger….not a word anywhere. Yes, some believed that Dion Phaneuf could be moved NO ONE had him coming here.

I know I say this time and again, but the hell with a business plan, but man was it fun following this on twitter today!!! Seriously, Dreger, Arthur, Kevin Allen, Mckenzie, Brady (all the awesome hockey bloggers) were on this with all us fans chirping in. It was good old fashioned fun. It was why we love sports. It was amzing to watch it unfold on twitter. Minutes after the press release went out about a press conference, twitter came to life. Everyone seemed to think JSG was the deal given the Ducks recent goalie signing. Then boom! Dreger tweets that something huge is going on. What seemed like hours later he tweeted again that Dion was a Maple Leaf. It was almost electric on Twitter. Everyone started chiming in with shock and awe. After the presser the rumours continued to grow on the Blake deal. Burke said the second deal would bring cap relief. How could the buds be adding JSG and getting cap relief. The OC register posted a story that the deal was Blake, Toskala for JSG and a 1st rounder. Sheer elation hit twitter. It wasn’t until just before the presser to announce the deal that Greg Brady was first to tweet that there was no pick involved. Seconds later Burke announced the second deal.

Back to the lack of noise. We heard that J.S. Giguere could get bought out or dealt here, but it hasn’t been on anyone’s radar of late. Think about all the “insiders” out there, and not a single one caught word of this. It’s a HUGE deal, 7 players and no one had any sense of it. AMAZING. Blake? untradeable. Toskala? untradeable. Bam- both gone. For those who acquired the Maple Leaf players, one has to think that Aristotle had it wrong when he wrote about The whole being more than the sum of its parts.

So, without further ado- here is what has been said around the globe so far on the trades:

First- some noteable quotes from those involved:

“We are in buying and selling mode,” said Burke. “Our goal at the start of the season is to make the playoffs. I know people are going to think there’s an issue here as far as my sanity. It’s still our goal.

“We have some guys who are in rental modes as far as our contracts. We’re listening on those guys. We’re looking to add as well.

“I think this deal takes some offence out of our lineup. That’s the next question, who replaces that offence?”

It’s kind of funny when you think about it. Come on now, raise your hand if you thought the Maple Leafs roster as assembled could ever land anything close to Phaneuf without dealing Kaberle or Kessel? Seriously the collection of spare parts on the Leafs in our minds had next to no value. Everyone was saying that with the exception of Kaberle, Burke would be lucky to get a 2nd round pick for any of them if he could dump them. Talk about turning nothing into something. So, the question is, what now can he do with those left who he has deemed expandable?

““Watching (Tyler) Bozak play, I’m confident he can get the job done,” said coach Ron Wilson. “We’ll bring up Marlies, but I haven’t been fair with Wallin in getting him ice time, but he’ll get some now. John Mitchell has a chance to focus on playing better without looking over his shoulder.

“I didn’t calculate how many goals we’ve lost. We’ll have to find ways to manufacture offence, but I’m confident when you give ice time to people, you can never calculate how much offence they’ll make up, but they’ll have opportunities and they’ll score on some.

“But with one fell swoop, we made ourselves the youngest team in the league. We’re not looking back, we’re looking forward now.”

Ahhh yes, HOPE. The one thing we Leafs fans haven’t had since the day Burke arrived. There wasn’t anything positive happening with this team lately and there didn’t appear to be anything on the horizon either. Younger is a good start.

“What I love about (Giguere) is, I’ve never had a goalie that worked this hard. This guy tries to stop every shot in practice,” said Burke. “He takes every scoring chance in practise as a personal challenge. Works like a dog. His technique is sound. He’s a battler. This is a guy who won a Conn Smythe in a losing battle (in 2003, when the Devils beat the Ducks for the Cup), and that doesn’t happen very often.”

This was, it appeared, Burke’s biggest problem with Toskala. It wasn’t necessarily the brutal play during games as much as it was his “preperation methods”. Burke clearly likes guys who work hard and try hard. JFJ’s goalie is gone. Toskala came in with huge expectations and he never lived up to them. When he was at his absolute best he should have been dealt.

“We want a battle in the net. Successful teams have a goaltending controversy all the time,” said Burke. “We want the guys battling for ice time. We want the guys where Ron has a tough decision: Who’s starting tonight?

“Successful teams have battles for ice time, battles for special teams. We’re trying to develop that. There’s got to be contests for jobs, contests for playing time. We haven’t had this here. We’ve had a sense of entitlement. We want to create tension where there’s enough talent level on the roster where the coach has a decision to make.”

I think that is correct. The problem is that neither of his current goalies have shown much to get excited about lately. Will that change? Let’s hope so.

““When you talk about Dion, when you talk about what you need in return, a big part was making sure you could get somebody who could handle the even strength minutes and fit in with the rest of the group,” Sutter said. “You had to get the defenceman back who could play those even-strength minutes and play that side of the ice, the right side. The next part was getting one or two forward that could play in the top nine, and clearly Stajan and Hagman can do that.”

The Ian White story is quite amazing. Going from a healthy scratch last season for how many games, to a key part of a deal for a guy like Dion is remarkable. As for Hagman, he is the only Fletcher move that has proven to have paid out what was expected. I think the biggest problem for the Leafs was that they had role players who had to play bigger roles on this team. Guys were expected to be 1st liners who are clearly 2nd or 3rd liners at best. They may very well excel in their new homes when less is expected of them.

“If the second deal happens, it’s manageable,” he said after the Phaneuf trade was announced. “Right now it’s like a new pair of underwear, it’s uncomfortably tight.”

Burke’s best line of the day, before the 2nd deal was announced, talking about the Maple Leafs Salary Cap situation.

Damien Cox:

“That it did tells you something about the way players are perceived and valued differently in different markets. See, most people see Phaneuf and his enormous salary and Hollywood girlfriend and colorful on-ice persona and think superstar. That White has more points than Phaneuf and a similar plus-minus on a much worse club would come as a surprise to many. So would the fact that in deals with Calgary to get Phaneuf and with Anaheim to get goalie J.S. Giguere, the Leafs gave up 57 goals and received only 11 in return. Still, both the deal with the Flames and the one with the Ducks share one component. The other club is taking most of the risk. If Giguere can’t play anymore – unlikely – the Leafs have added a big salary for next season, but dumping both Vesa Toskala and Jason Blake is a victory regardless of the return. At worst Giguere can mentor Jonas Gustavsson, a job Toskala didn’t exactly embrace. With the Phaneuf trade, Calgary added depth in the four Leafs acquired and may be a better team for the transaction.”

I think Damien is spot on. Everyone thought that either the current roster was worthless or unmoveable. Think about it, how can Burke lose on this deal. This team sucked, are they going to be any worse? Wilson and Burke saw things we would never see. They knew which parts were critical (probably few) and which were expendable. There were 2 guys who they probably would rather not have lost, Hagman and White. The rest of the group?????? PLEASE. In every trade there are players you don’t want to give up.

Calgary Sun:

“Ian White is highly under-rated.

Niklas Hagman gives the Flames another proven sniper.

Matt Stajan has setup skills, and Jamal Mayers packs a punch.

But none of these guys make the Flames more fearsome. ”

Perspective is a wonderful thing isn’t it? I think if I were a flames fan today I would be thinking what the hell!! Dion was a stud- having a tough time and this is all we got for him??

“Don’t get me wrong, the Flames win this seven-player deal hands-down — at least based on the expected short-term results — but there’s more to it than points and the prevention of goals.

The very reason Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke wanted to add Phaneuf to his roster is that YouTube aggression that made the former Flames defenceman such a big hit in his rookie season and garnered him a Norris Trophy runner-up position in his second year in the NHL. ”

Hands down? Hmmmmm. As a Leafs fan one has to wonder if the author has seen these guys play lately. Does this mean if the Flames make the playoffs then the Flames win it? What if they crap the bed and lose to Vancouver 5-3 after being up 3-0? It will be some time before we can say something like winner hands down…

“The upside with the addition of Mayers, Hagman and White is they play tough. They should have no trouble fitting in with the Flames and the image they want to project to opponents.”

They play tough? Come on man. The Leafs haven’t played tough all year! There are a lot of things you can say about the guys who got traded, with the exception of Mayers who apparently was tough one day, none have played tough lately.

“Based on the old adage of the team which receives the best player wins a trade, the Flames are losers. But it will take time to prove that theory.

A long time.

Phaneuf has shown he can be a major factor in games — albeit some times for both teams — and has yet to tap all his potential. Not known is exactly how much potential exists and whether he’ll make use of it all.

Could he be the next Chris Pronger? Maybe.

He could also be the next Wade Redden.

That possibility is a major reason Sutter pulled the trigger on a blockbuster. As was the emergence of Mark Giordano.”

I think these comments are fair. The problem in the NHL is that defencemen take longer to mature. Hell how many of us at various points have wanted Burke to throw Schenn out the window? You have to have patience with these guys. It says here that Sutter didn’t think he had the ability to wait. Darren Dreger is now reporting os a huge deal between the Flames and the Rangers- “Jokinen to the Rangers for Kotalik and Higgins” so this trade was obviously a precursor to something else.

Eric Duhatschek:

“Your first thought, upon hearing the news that the Calgary Flames traded Dion Phaneuf to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a blockbuster seven-player trade, was probably the same as mine: When did Flames general manager Darryl Sutter start channeling one of his greatly unlamented predecessors, Doug Risebrough?”

How many times was this reference made today? Seriously, and I don’t think anyone is saying that Phaneuf is the next Gilmour. Given the parties involved it just was too hard to believe what we were hearing.

“Still, the operative point about Phaneuf is that he was a Calder trophy contender, was a Norris trophy contender and theoretically could be that again. Who, among the players coming Calgary’s way, fits that bill?”

That’s just it. As Leaf observers it just doesn’t seem possible does it?

“Typically, any team that acquires a core player without giving up a comparable asset in return wins the deal hands down. Score this one heavily in Brian Burke’s favour – and when the J.S. Giguere deal is complete, something that was discussed as long ago as last summer, that’ll be a win as well.”

I am not comfortable saying it’s a slamdunk win, I just can’t view it as anything less than a non-lose. It’s a lot like the Gilmour deal.

“But this isn’t enough for a core asset, not nearly enough – and cannot be explained away as simply a move to shed $6.5-million (U.S.) worth of Phaneuf’s annual salary. On some levels, it looks like a panic move, borne out of desperation for a quick fix.

In the end, that Sutter would give up on Phaneuf at this comparatively early stage in his career is probably the most surprising part of the deal. That he couldn’t get more for him in return is probably the most disappointing. ”

Trying to be an unbiased observer, that is exactly what I thought when I heard the details on the deal. What does Sutter know that no one else does? Is Dion a bigger dog than anyone thinks? It just doesn’t seem right.

David Shoalts:

“By the time the Giguere trade was completed, Burke’s cap situation was actually better than it was at the start of the day. He shipped out a total of $14.93-million in salaries for this season and took on $13.25-million. That represents a saving of $1.68-million over the rest of this season. ”

And now we know why teams have cap guru’s – watching and listening to the numbers today was quite amazing. James Mirtle has a great snapshot look at the number$ involved in the trade here

“Burke said the trades, in addition to improving the Leafs defence and vastly improving the goaltending, were aimed at shaking up a country-club atmosphere on the team that persisted despite a lot of off-season shuffling.

“We have had a sense of entitlement here and we’re trying to change that,” Burke said. “Today is an important part of changing that.”

And now we know whom Wilson and Burke seemed to think were a part of that country club attitude. The old guard had to leave before the new mandate could be carried through.

Bruce Arthur:

“But that staircase remains stranded somewhere on the horizon, and in the meantime the Leafs had become a dead ritual of a team without a first-round pick. They were, in a word, pointless.”

Exactly- who the hell wanted to watch, as Brady and Watters said the other day there was NO reason to go to a game. The team sucked, they had no draft picks, the kids really weren’t playing all that much. There were more jersey’s in the stands for former Maple Leafs than current. It wasn’t a very good situation at all.

“And then Sunday, the dynamite. Goodbye, Ian White and Niklas Hagman and Matt Stajan and Jamal Mayers. And goodbye to Blake and Toskala, who might have been the two least tradable guys on the roster. Burke shipped out older guys, spare parts, replaceable pieces, toxic assets. Sure, White was having a whale of a season, but he’s not headed for a Norris Trophy anytime soon

Ah yes, Steve Kee’s proverbial bomb. Has ever a more accurate statement been written about the guys Burke dealt? Seriously. Older guys, spare parts, replaceable pieces and toxic assets! EXACTLY- it’s bang on, dead on and just purely brilliant.

“in the space of an hour, the Leafs GM changed the narrative of the entire season. Burke had spent much of the season reduced to a bystander; you saw him in the reaction shots during games, and in the occasional televised rant to the media. But he seemed neutered by the NHL’s cap system, like almost everybody else.”

I have wondered for months why the NHL teams even had GM’s. None of them have done ANYTHING since the beginning of the summer. We had heard lots of talk- but seen no action. There was no proof of life.

“But whether Burke has swung and missed or not, at least he’s taking a swing. This is the guy Leafs fans were thrilled to get; this is the guy who isn’t afraid to try, and isn’t afraid to fail. This is Brian Burke.”

Let me answer that one in the words of the immortal Hedo Turkoglu “BALLS”- Brian Burke has them. “BALLS” Brian Burke, unlike many of his GM breathern threw caution into the wind and pulled the trigger on 2 large deals. For that we should all be thankful. At least he was willing to take a chance.

“After being moved, Blake stood in a hallway in the Air Canada Centre and seemed visibly relieved.

“This is where it all is,” Blake said. “It’s not easy playing here. It’s a great organization, great fans, but there’s a lot of pressure. And it can get to you.

“Am I surprised? Yeah. Very. I never saw it coming. But I think it’s a good thing.”

A good thing? It’s a GREAT thing. Blake is another guy who never had a shot here. I hope he goes to Anaheim and lights it up. I hope he becomes the man. Most of all I hope he remains healthy for the rest of his life. Having said that, I am so glad that he is gone. The fact that we got something back for him is quite remarkable.

Bob McKenzie:

“If you subscribe to the theory that the team that gets the best player wins the trade, it’s pretty obvious who won the seven-player blockbuster deal between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames.

That would, of course, be… the Flames — because right here, right now — the best player in that group of seven is none other than Ian White.”

The numbers don’t lie. Statistically White is the leader. Again, you have to give it to the guy, he has worked his butt off.

“Calgary had to make this deal, and could make this transaction, for a number of reasons…..The Flames simply could not maintain status quo because their mix simply wasn’t right. They had to work too hard to score goals and had no choice but to change things up. This new mix will give them a better shot at generating goals.”

It’s always good to get that perspective. It’s just hard for me as a Leafs fan to see how this group helps them (Aside from the ability to make the deal they did tonight).

“Those who watch Phaneuf regularly say he continues to struggle in terms of being able to play the game without the puck. And that when the Flames leaned on Phaneuf to be better defensively, he bristled at the notion that he needed to change his game. Some might say it’s an ego issue, that Dion is happy being Dion and with how he plays and doesn’t like being told otherwise. Others would say he’s simply not good at that defensive aspect of the game and what you see is what you get. Others think in a less stringent defensive environment, where his strengths as an offensive defenceman and huge physical presence will be accepted and accentuated as is, that he will flourish and make the necessary adjustments to play a more complete game.”

It’s a gamble for sure. However, don’t ya think it’s one worth taking especially given the price paid?

“The other aspect of today’s blockbuster wheeling and dealing by Burke is that the Leaf GM is affecting a culture shock on his moribund hockey team, and that’s never a bad thing.

If nothing else, Burke and Calgary GM Darryl Sutter have provided us all a reminder of what it used to be like in the NHL, taking us back to the good, old days when managers weren’t afraid or restricted from taking a high dive into the deep end of an icy pool.”

Exactly, it was a really fun day today to listen and watch as this unfolded. These are things we traditionally only see once a year.

Darren Dreger:

“The Maple Leafs-Ducks deal is, temporarily, a win-win for both teams. But on the long term, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the winners on this deal because of what this allows them to do. On the short term, the Leafs will have approximately $1.5 million in cap space which they can manoeuvre between now and the March 3 NHL trade deadline. If you’re looking toward the long-term, you can look at the benefits in goal. J.S. Giguere’s contract expires after next season, so Toronto can weigh their options at that point.”

I agree with the guy who broke many of the stories today. Say what you want about DD, he gets the scoops and works hard.

Mike Brophy:

“So at the end of the day, the Leafs wind up with a stud defenceman and an expensive goaltender on the downside of his career; kind of a good-news, bad-news scenario.”

Brophy has more analysis in his article, but I got to sportsnet last and most of it has been written in the other columns too.

Scott Burnside:

“In short, this is a deal that smells ominously of panic.

Perhaps none of this might have come to pass had coach Brent Sutter been able to get more out of this talented Flames team. It was Brent, of course, who famously fled New Jersey this past offseason after failing to get a good Devils team out of the first round in two straight postseasons, claiming he wanted to spend more time with his family in Red Deer, Alberta.

Well, if you bought that line, you’d need to borrow a pair of old rubber boots from one of the Sutter farms. It came as no surprise to anyone that Brent moved swiftly to assume the head-coaching job that was made available when Darryl canned veteran bench boss Mike Keenan.

That little bit of synergy has now turned to a big bowl of muck.”

This is a very good article on the aura that is the Sutters. Take a look for more.

Allan Muir has a very good column (no exceptional nuggets specifically) that you can read here too

Puck Daddy:

“Brian Burke: The Environmental Protection Agency should have started its investigation of Burke by the time you read this, because there has to be something criminal about his massive dumping of toxic assets on Sunday morning.

The only valid concern here is that Burke has overspent on his blueline while Phil Kessel skates without another offensive player at his level. Burke was able to get away with this sort of roster in Anaheim, because Ryan Getzlaf(notes), Corey Perry(notes) and Chris Kunitz(notes) all made under $1 million and Dustin Penner(notes) made a pre-offer-sheet salary as well. The Leafs would have had a young player on that level making peanuts next season … but now the Bruins will. ”

Seriously, I know I have said it a few million times, but I can’t believe Burke got anything let alone Dion + JSG for the guys he let go.

The Anaheim perspective on the deal is here

Adrian Dater:

“The conventional wisdom on any trade usually goes: whoever gets the best player in a trade, wins the trade. It’s true that the Toronto Maple Leafs probably did get the most talented player in their
blockbuster deal with the Calgary Flames early Sunday morning. And it’s true that Toronto could be the “winner” of the deal in the long run.

But for right now, Darryl Sutter hit a home run for the Flames. I picked them to win the Stanley Cup before the season, and I feel better than ever about that pick now.”

Dater is the first out there to call this a homerun for Calgary, but time will tell.

“already had plenty of garlic, with A-list players such as Jarome Iginla, Robyn Regehr, Jay
Bouwmeester and Miikka Kiprusoff.

The Flames now have a better balanced sauce with the four Maple Leafs in the mix. Matt Stajan is a nice pinch of oregano. Ian White is a nice dash of basil. Ian White is the cilantro and Jamal Mayers is the
thyme.

Sound goofy? Maybe. I’m hungry right now.”

Me too! In any event, I don’t know enough about the flames to comment. I remain steadfast that given the way the Leafs played I would be very hesitant to lay my hopes on adding any of them to another roster.

That’s all that’s out there for now. More updates as the day progresses tomorrow.

Oh yeah, the Raptors won again and the Argos tried to go cheap on a new coach and failed!

Wow what a great day, win or lose it was fun!

Damien is here

Calgary Sun is here

Eric Duhatschek is here

David Shoalts is here

Bruce Arthur is here

McKenzie is here

Brophy is here

Burnside is here

Puck Daddy is here

Dater is here

What a difference a day makes. Bruce Arthur takes the seat from John Shannon and voila, you have a co-host with some depth. Hell, the show was listenable again. Prime Time Sports was much improved tonight. Shannon and Kelley were replaced with Arthur and Blair and suddenly their was some humor, some insight and well a show worth listening to.

I have had the debate with others as to the value of the hosts vs. guests when it comes to sports radio. I’ll say this, If the hosts aren’t good I don’t care who they are interviewing the show is going to suck. A good host can save a bad guest, but the inverse isn’t true. I, and I am pretty sure I am the minority here do turn in for the guest over the host. I prefer listening to Brady and Wilbur as a choice. However, if their guests don’t interest me, I am done. Similarly, if Kelley is the co-host, it’s unlikely I am going to be listening to Mccown. This isn’t news I know, but the battle between the shows will come down to the guest. It’s not over the local guest either. Burke, AO and Colangelo all appear on both shows. There is no real race for getting the guest first, it’s the interview that matters. I don’t care who has Paul Kelly first, I care who gets him to say the most.

Speaking of Jeff Blair, did you catch his latest column on the Maple Leafs? It’s a dandy!

“But losing to another bad team – and doing so in the manner in which they did last night, blowing a 2-0 lead to the Atlanta Thrashers in front of a crowd that was considerably less than the 10,208 announced – also reinforces something about this team. It is susceptible even to clubs with just one really good player. Whether it’s in-game coaching decisions or preparation, it is nights like last night that make it impossible to view the 2009-2010 season so far as being anything other than a step backward – or at least an uncertain step sideways. Can’t beat the best if you can’t handle your fellow dregs. ”

Come on now, doesn’t that echo what we all say most mornings after another Maple Leaf loss? Blair hit this one right on the head.

“No serious questions have been answered. Most people knew Vesa Toskala was at best a backup on a mediocre team; nothing’s changed. He is a rally-killer, wholly unreliable. Other than Phil Kessel, the Leafs are a collection of middling forwards and third and fourth defencemen. But, hell, you know all this, don’t you? The Leafs know all this, too. Nikolai Kulemin and Tyler Bozak have, along with Kessel, formed a decent first line but ask yourself this: Do you want that to be the Leafs’ No. 1 line next season? Really? Uh-huh. Thought so. ”

Therein lies the problem with our Maple Leafs. The question I have for you is, do you think Brian Burke knew this and expected it. Does he know for example, that for right now his biggest enemy is time. It’s going to take a lot of time to turn this around. He gets a long contract because he knows just how long it will take to get to meaningful hockey games.

“It’s time for a fresh voice to explain these losses, because players are tired of answering questions and reporters are tired of asking them. They can only say, “We suck,” so often. ”

It is refreshing to hear Wilson talk so candidly some time about the lack of talent. It certainly beats hearing the coach say that he has never been surrounded by a more talented group. Who should the voice of this team be? Right now there is no player. It’s why there is no captain They lack leadership and character.

Mike Danton, sports fans is holding a press conference tomorrow. Do us all a favor and ignore it. This guy is a total piece of crap and to no one should give a rats behind what he has to say. The odds of me every watching a CIS game just went from slim to none.

i know I know Jack about NBA basketball, but am I correct that when your best player puts up 44 points, you have to win?? While on the subject, riddle me this batman, have you ever seen a less interested athlete than Hedo Turkoglu. Seriously, look at the guy’s expression on the court- He looks more intense in those pizza pizza commercials! Am I wrong?

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Blair is here

Greetings from Detroit.

I listened to the Leafs take on the lightning tonight on XM radio as I drove across the 401 and I have to tell you I have never heard a more boring play by play duo as the guy on Tampa radio, one of whom sounded like Phil Esposito. I may not love Joe Bowen, but at least you can listen to the guy. When the opposing team scores, Bowen isn’t as excited as those rare opportunities when the Buds score, but he isn’t totally monotone as whomever did play by play for the Bolts. No joke, when the Leafs scored tonight, he may as well been reading the phonebook. His voice didn’t raise at all. One word… BRUTAL.

Meanwhile, the MSM took on the Brendan Burke issue today. The articles ranged from the good (Arthur, and Blair), the fair( Damien Cox) , the over the top, (Steve Simmons), the yawn, (Michael Grange) and finally, the absurd, (David Shoalts).

“Burke’s support for son could change hockey and all of sports” – That’s the headline from Simmons article in the Toronto Sun. Now, this is a big story, but come on guys. Don’t go too overboard here. I could be totally wrong but I just don’t see players across the league all of the sudden opening their hearts and embracing gay athletes in their sport because of the Burkes. That isn’t in any way diminishing the courage of either Brian or Brendan.

Simmons’s article isn’t all bad though:

” It took the kind of temerity his father is known for Brendan Burke, at 21, to go public. And Buccigross’ piece should be mandatory reading for those who care about family, love and support.

In various forms, I’ve known Brian Burke for almost 30 years: The longer I’ve known him, the more depth I’ve discovered. When you strip away all the noise, the headlines, the made-for-TV bluster, what you’re left with is a large man with an even larger heart.

“Just don’t tell anybody,” he once told a colleague. “I don’t want to spoil my reputation.”

But here is big, loud Burke now, in a remarkable position of sorts: In the historical and sometimes hysterical homophobic hockey world, he can suddenly become the voice of tolerance, the voice of acceptance. He can tell people it’s OK to play hockey, be belligerent, and be gay. He can tell people it’s all right to coach and manage and scout: Sexual preferences really aren’t anybody’s business. ”

That is important and entirely accurate for sure.

Meanwhile check out Michael Grange, a writer who’s work I generally enjoy:

“If you’re gay but can skate, handle the puck and stand up for your teammates, come on out.

A fantasy of a forward-thinking hockey future or a reality close at hand? It depends whom you ask.

The NHL is still waiting for its first openly gay lodge member, either active or emeritus. There’s never been a gay player come out during his career in any of the other three major North American team sports, either, and only a handful in retirement. ”

That’s just the start of a rambling piece that really doesn’t say all that much.

Here is, in my opinion the best Damien had to offer:

“Burke, the president and general manager of the Maple Leafs and one of the best-known figures in all of hockey, learned of his son’s sexual orientation at Christmas 2007. He knew ahead of time that his son, a student at the University of Miami (Ohio) and a student worker on the school’s highly regarded hockey team, had spoken to Buccigross and that a story was to be released Tuesday afternoon.

“The feedback has been awesome,” Burke said Tuesday, about three hours after the story was first posted. “My emails have been off the charts.”

At the same time, however, Burke believes there will be those who won’t embrace the family love inherent in his acceptance of his son’s orientation or of Brendan’s decision to go public with his sexuality. Burke remembered that when he was in California in November to vote in the U.S. presidential election – he voted for Barack Obama – he was aggressively confronted by anti-gay activists protesting a same-sex marriage proposition on the California ballot.

“I told them to (expletive) get lost,” said Burke, who also voted for the proposition. “But over the next two weeks, yeah, I expect to get some hate mail over today’s story. There is going to be a backlash. All I care about is if Brendan is prepared for it. It takes jam to do what he’s done.”

All things that I didn’t know about Burke before and am more impressed with him after learning. I read the quotes from Burke and you can 100% envision him saying those things.

Jeff Blair, hits one out of the park on this one, along with Bruce Arthur:

“t never hurts to have somebody tell you, “It’s okay.” But while Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke’s support of his son’s decision to publicly acknowledge his homosexuality is welcomed both for what it says about Burke as a father and administrator, it does little to make the shower stall any less tyrannical.

History suggests that for all the good intentions and words to come out of the story of Brian and Brendan Burke, as reported this week by ESPN.com, and for all the right-thinking ideas espoused, homosexuality is still a taboo in team sports. Actors, artists, singers and politicians have all managed to acknowledge being gay without necessarily ending their careers. But team athletes haven’t – not while they’re competing. ”

Call it cynicism, or negativity, but unfortunately, I think Blair is most likely right. It’s too bad, and it’s doesn’t reduce the positive effects of the Burke Boys, it’s just a sad commentary on the world of professional sports.

“One of the most telling aspects of the ESPN story on Brendan’s struggle with how to tell his father the news is the seemingly enlightened reaction of the University of Miami (Ohio) RedHawks men’s hockey team to the report. Although the cautionary part of it is Brendan Burke is not a player, but a student manager with the team and that counts when ranks close – as baseball learned all too well during the steroid era, for example.

So we’re a long way from where we need to be. It is the locker room that must be the area of effective change, and an active player who must be the agent of change, if being gay is to become less of a taboo in team sports. ”

I think Blair is entirely correct. Again, a sad commentary on where we are, and a rather large admission that the effect of the Burke boys won’t be nearly as great as the headline writer on Simmons’ story.

“The demeanour of the players tells much more about their feelings with regards to gay athletes than their words. ”

That is how Shoalts opens his piece on the story. It’s the beginning of the end for Shoalts. Why ask a question if you aren’t going to believe the question. If you ask it of guys, there has to be certain degree of faith that the answer you are given is truthful. Secondly, last time I checked I didn’t know Shoalts to be a licensed psychologist or lie detector who can sense that he is being lied to.

“All of those questioned were sincere in saying they would, like the Leafs GM, support any family member who revealed they were gay.”

Then why ask the question? Why start with the preamble that every quote in your piece is not to believed? Shoalts went down the line, Maple Leafs, players and coaches, and Tampa Lightning players too. He has quotes from multiple players. Yet he leads with a line that suggests he doesn’t really believe them. Why bother reading on? In all it’s not a bad story but for the beginning. Kind of surprising given the author.

We can’t be surprised by the coverage. The MSM is in the news business and this is news. It’s bigger than life because it’s Brian Burke and he is in Toronto. It’s good attention if it changes anything. However, I think Blair is probably right though, until a current NHLer comes out, little will change. We still live in a hurtful society.

In other news, the Buds almost lost one tonight having choked on a 2-0 lead. They percervered and won, beating Tampa, in Tampa for the first time in regulation. Small, tiny steps for this team. Let’s see them string a couple of these together, then we can get excited.

Happy US turkey day to all celebrating- prepare for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Simmons is here

Grange is here

Cox is here

Blair is here

Shoalts is here

So many different angles to take on this story. There is the proud father story, then there is the Maple Leaf fan side and lastly the courage/this is not a story about “me” take. Where to begin.

Let’s start with the basics and maybe as I write, well things will fall into place. John Buccigross, a writer/analyst for ESPN, yes the same network that no longer caries the NHL (live games) has written a story that is, for lack of better words, incredible and courageous and inspiring.

The story is about Brendan Burke. Yes B U R K E. As in son of Brian B U R K E. The same Brian Burke, President and GM of our Toronto Maple Leafs. The same guy who believes hockey teams need to be built with the appropriate levels of Pugnacity, Testosterone, Truculence & Belligerence. That Brian Burke.

Buccigross’s story tells the tale of how Brendan, former college hockey player took the most courageous step in having to reveal to his friends, family and father Brian that he is gay. It is quite the read, to say the least.

I would, you know, usually take quotes and snippets out of Buccigross’s story and comment on them. The problem is, the entire story has to be read. It’s that good. I will provide you with 2, because I can’t help myself:

“It’s time to tell Dad, a most public example of hockey machismo, that you are gay.

Finally, you say it. Awkwardly. You basically stumble along trying not to make it a big deal before just blurting out, “And I love you guys and wanted to tell you that I’m gay.”

There is a brief silence.

Dad is surprised when you tell him that you are gay. He never suspected at all.

Your stepmom speaks first: “OK, Brendan, that’s OK.” And gives you a reassuring smile. Then your dad says, “Of course, we still love you. This won’t change a thing.”

Your dad and stepmom both get up and hug you and say they love you. You and your dad then sit there alone for about 15 more minutes watching hockey. Your heart rate is still at a snow-shoveling level. You then hug Dad again, and you go to bed”

Can you imagine the fear, notwithstanding the relationship Brendan had with his dad, that this young man must have felt in the moments leading up to the conversation? We all, and I mean all, can relate to a situation in which we had to tell our parents or our father something that we knew was going to hurt. Wrecking the car, getting arrested, flunking a class, needing lots of cash…We have all, I am sure been there, sweating in the moments before we have to come clean. I am pretty sure that nothing any of us did ever led to the anxiety that Brendan must have felt.

“”I had a million good reasons to love and admire Brendan. This news didn’t alter any of them.

I would prefer Brendan hadn’t decided to discuss this issue in this very public manner. There will be a great deal of reaction, and I fear a large portion will be negative. But this takes guts, and I admire Brendan greatly, and happily march arm in arm with him on this.

There are gay men in professional hockey. We would be fools to think otherwise. And it’s sad that they feel the need to conceal this. I understand why they do so, however.

Can a gay man advance in professional hockey? He can if he works for the Toronto Maple Leafs! Or for Miami University Hockey. God bless Rico Blasi! And I am certain these two organizations are not alone here.

I wish this burden would fall on someone else’s shoulders, not Brendan’s. Pioneers are often misunderstood and mistrusted. But since he wishes to blaze this trail, I stand beside him with an axe! I simply could not be more proud of Brendan than I am, and I love him as much as I admire him.” — Brian Burke”

And as I am sure many of us would (hopefully) find out that at the end of the day, our dad’s(and parents) are quite remarkable people. Irrespective of the news we have to deliver, we get the response and reassurance that we need.

The difference is that Brendan didn’t go to his father, his parents with a “problem”, or a confession as many of us did/do. No Brendan went with something entirely different. Brendan doesn’t have a problem, at least not one that is a mistake, or something that mom or dad could fix.

Brian’s response is the one that hollywood writes, the one that many of us only hope that we have the courage display. The difference, is that Brian Burke isn’t just any dad. He’s Mr. testosterone. He’s represents the good old boys network of hockey, and if that isn’t enough, if he wasn’t a big deal before, given his current role, he is bigger than life.

So while Brian says that this story isn’t about him, it is absolutely about him. This past summer I had to attend a class put on by Hockey Canada so that I could coach little TSM’s hockey team. It was a class on ethics. We were shown video’s that contained every stereotype from the game of hockey that we all know and expect. Parents yelling at kids, parents yelling at coaches, coaches yelling at kids and parents and so on… I am not suggesting that Brian Burke is an advocate of any of these things, but he comes from the same place where many of these originated. He is old school hockey. He is building his hockey team based on old school hockey. He is Brian Burke… He is Pugnacity, Testosterone, Truculence & Belligerence. None of the things that are commonly associated with being gay.

For Brendan, one can only imagine what his life has been like over the last several years, living in a very homophobic environment unable to be who he is and having to pretend who he isn’t. That would be extremely difficult for a mature adult in the normal world. For a mere kid in the world of sports and hockey had to be grueling. Then, having the strength to admit the darkest of his secrets to his friends and family given all the extra factors involved in this very unique case…… I can’t imagine.

The response from Burke is nothing short of incredible. As a relatively new father I can only hope that I would have the same response to my kids should they come to me with that type of scenario. Let me make this perfectly clear, I have no problem with anyone’s personal choices. I am not bothered one way or the other. I truly believe in a persons right to chose whom they live with and love. Having said that, we all know that it is one thing to say it, but until it is our kid who comes to US…all bets are off. Anyone who says differently, I don’t think is being entirely honestly with themselves.

Bruce Arthur has a great take on the Burke’s story:

“”It wasn’t like: deep breath, pause. What’s the right thing to say?” Burke said in a telephone interview last night. “It didn’t change anything. I love him, and I’m proud of him. The story isn’t about me. It’s about what my son’s doing.

“I don’t think I did anything different than any parent who loves their kids.”

He’s right, and he’s wrong. Burke is right that Brendan’s courage in telling his family, and the hockey team for which he works – who, to their credit, responded with a collective shrug, and offered support even from unexpected circles – is admirable. Brendan apparently quit playing hockey in part because the casual homophobia felt in every locker room was too much, and he wasn’t willing to conceal himself any longer. And while it’s one thing to open up to those closest to you, it’s another to open up to the world via ESPN.com.”

That’s entirely accurate. This, is not, as the saying goes, your father’s chevrolet. These are not normal circumstances. If they were, Buccigross wouldn’t be writing about it, McCown wouldn’t be talking about it and Cox and Arthur wouldn’t be writing about Buccigross’s story.

“That’s progress. Last summer, a few months after he has taken the Leafs job, Burke called Brendan and invited him up to Toronto for Pride weekend. He took his son to go watch the parade. That’s why Brian Burke is part of the story of his brave young son. “I love my son,” says Burke. “And I’m very proud of him.”

The admiration I have for Brian Burke as a fellow father, as a hockey fan, as a Maple Leaf fan and most importantly just as a human being couldn’t be any greater. Yes he is GM of our team. Yes I am pissed that the team is near the bottom of the league. In the end though, underneath the testosterone, the hunter, the fisherman, the man who doesn’t sleep when his team loses is a good father and a good person. That is something Leaf fans everywhere should take great pride in. At the top of the food chain is a guy who does right.

The debate about whether sports figures (usually athletes) should be role models for our kids rages on. In this case, any kid couldn’t do much better than looking up to Brian Burke. Whether he delivers the Leafs to the promised land or not, his heart is 100% in the right place. Forget all the bravado, he is first and foremost a father. That isn’t always easy.

To Brendan, my hat is off to you. The road ahead likely isn’t going to be easy. We live in a world full of hatred for people who are different. It sounds like you have an incredible support system around you. I hope that they are there for you on those days when someone says or does something stupid. You are most courageous and are an inspiration to all of us, young and old. You have taught us not be afraid of who we are and what we believe in. That’s beyond honorable, it’s something your parents must be VERY proud of.

TSM
@yyzsportsmedia

John buccigross’s must read story on ESPN is here

Bruce Arthur is here

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight

Bruce Arthur Co-hosts….

5:20 Kypreos

5:42 Doug Smith, toronto star

6:05 Don banks, si.com

6:30 Paul Kelly

6:45 John Buccigross, ESPN.COM

On 640 with Brady and Watters thanks to Mike S.

- Steven Stamkos of the Lightning

- Dave Randorf of TSN on the Grey Cup

- Hockey insiders Darren Dreger & Bob McKenzie at 6:10

Quick article review and then Ron Wilson’s potential shot…

If you only read one article on the state of the Maple Leafs, make it Bruce Arthur’s column. It really is a fair and accurate assessment of the where we are today:

“Let’s go over the checklist. What general manager Brian Burke wanted was a team that created a fear-free environment for the skill players; what he has is a fear-drenched environment for his goaltenders. What Burke wanted was a team that played an aggressive, no-Leaf-left-behind style of physical play; what he has is a group often reduced to tentative pylon imitation, afraid to take a penalty on a team that can’t kill penalties.
Oh, and this team still needs work on shooting the puck down the ice on the penalty kill – they failed three separate times on Colorado’s first man advantage. No, seriously, they have trouble shooting the puck down the ice.”

That’s a pretty good summary wouldn’t you say??? Seriously. Where the hell is the team that was fun to watch during exhibition season? I mean Kadri is gone and Bozak back on the pharm, but was Jason Allison the gel holding this team together? Seriously what the hell was in the water up at the Deerhurst?

“Throw in the regression of Luke Schenn, the unwise grittiness of guys like Mike Komisarek – who took a boneheaded elbowing minor 50 seconds after the Leafs cut it to 2-1, leading to a decisive Colorado goal – goaltending only slightly better than that provided by a fire hydrant, and you’ve got a recipe for disaster.”

It isn’t pretty, that’s for sure. On the Schenn thing, how come I haven’t read sophomore jinx yet? Seriously??? Can someone smarter than me tell me that already this season his minutes are down? I mean why else is this guy choking the splinters out of his stick?? He is playing as if he screws up on a shift he will be send to the Marlies…..

“But panic, frankly, is a perfectly reasonable response to this. Before last night’s game the deckchairs were rearranged, in the hope that it would motivate the entire crew. MacDonald and Tyler Bozak and backup goalie James Reimer were elevated from the Toronto Marlies; Toskala – he of the .812 save percentage after the Monday night massacre – was sent for a rather convenient MRI, which was expected to detect his badly sprained confidence

I am so glad he wrote that. What else do people want from Leaf fans? Apathy? Would the media be happier if people were saying gosh gee wilikers, will get the next time????? It’s ok to see things for what they are.

“We don’t seem to have much resilience,” said Leafs coach Ron Wilson, whose sarcastic condescension isn’t playing so well, just now. “So I think right now getting some younger people in there that don’t carry a bunch of baggage around is the way to go.”

Baggage, six games in? Oh, boy. And forwards Matt Stajan and Nicklas Hagman, who had combined for five of Toronto’s 12 goals in the first five games, were benched. Why them?

“Why not?” answered Wilson. “It has to be significant changes. To sit out guys who play on the fourth line but have given a really good effort makes no sense to me.

“We have to shake things up … It can’t always be like the movie Usual Suspects.”

This team already seems shaken enough, thanks. And it certainly looks like there are a lot of the usual suspects hanging around. For all the talk of change, nine of Toronto’s forwards were here last year, mostly on the top three lines, along with more than half their defencemen. Unsurprisingly, this team hasn’t figured out how to play a Burke style, which makes sense, since they’re not Burke guys.

That’s right. 100 percent right. There is a lot of work left to be done by the GM. Unfortunately he is in a bad spot. There clearly aren’t reinforcements on the farm. If there were, they would have made the team. He can send down some vets, however in doing so he has to replace them. Say he goes and gets more experienced (older) players. Then those players will be taking ice time from the kids. We know the battle cry, we have seen this movie before. There is only 1 thing that solves this, or maybe 2. First, is SOLID goaltending. I don’t care what anyone else says, a team plays differently when it plays in front of a goalie that they trust. If you fear that every mistake is going in you will take less chances and make more mistakes (which do in fact end up in your net). Second is time. WIlson and this group need some time.

Ron Wilson’s Shot?

Now, riddle me this batman. Last night Steve Simmons, during Wilson’s post game press conference suggested that nothing is really going right for this team. Wilson’s response surprised me. His response was “well, your right, that is what happens when you set high expectations.” Now, maybe most people didn’t catch it. Maybe too few in the room were paying attention. From where I am sitting, there is only 1 person that set high expectations and his initials are BB. You can watch the video right here. The media didn’t set expectations. I am pretty sure that Ron Wilson didn’t either. Who else could Wilson be referring to? Maybe it matters. Maybe it doesn’t. I am going to file that under the hmmmmmmmmm column. I think it’s worth keeping an eye on.

Imagine if you will that Vesa Toskala pitched a no hitter, and the Maple Leafs rolled over the Montreal Canadiens 6 love. Bear with me for a second here. Every story tomorrow would have said the same thing, Leafs Nation is already planning the parade route, well here’s the cold water on that good feeling, it’s only one game and besides the Habs suck, wait till they play a real opponent. You know I am right. So you can easily bet on what we are going to get from the press today: Same old Maple Leafs; We told you they will be killing penalties all night; If this continues they will rue trading the number one draft pick; Another OT loss…do I need to continue? They are a predictable bunch aren’t they?

Look, it’s one game. No more no less. It’s no more meaningful than a 6-0 shutout would have been. The teams played their last exhibition game only a few nights ago and suddenly we are in life and death? Sorry I am not buying it. Now, if this goes on for weeks and weeks, well then we will have something to talk about. One game? Yawn. So brace yourself for it Leafs fans, the sharks will be circling tomorrow.

On the positive side, Bruce Arthur continues to show why he is one of the best writers in town:

“Last night, Toronto opened its season against a team built another way – the Montreal Canadiens, whose three skilled free-agent signings, if laid end to end, would be about as long as Chris Pronger’s stick. Toronto, meanwhile, added sizeable glass-mashers like Mike Komisarek, Francois Beauchemin, Exelby, and pugilist Colton Orr.

“It’s a little out of character as to where the NHL’s going,” Montreal general manager Bob Gainey said of Toronto’s path the other day.

Indeed, it’s not quite in keeping with the National Hockey League’s migration towards speed and skill – see Pittsburgh, Detroit, Washington, Chicago, etc. – but it’s in keeping with Burke’s world view, antediluvian or not. And as he did with Anaheim in 2007, he will seek to prove that a big-bodied, physical, crash-bang team can also win a Stanley Cup in the new NHL.

“Time’s going to tell what helps more,” says Toronto defenceman Luke Schenn. “Size or speed.”

Look, team Burke isn’t going to be a bunch of thugs like, as Arthur alludes to, Slapshot. The reality is, at least in my world, it’s much harder to find tough guys who can play than it is the Poni’s of the world. It’s even harder to find the superstars. Burke started somewhere, as we all must when we take on a project. Burke truly believes that in hockey anyways, size matters.

“But it’s not as if Toronto was crack-the-glass physical – they were outhit on the night, and as Montreal’s Glen Metropolit put it, the physicality was “nothing out of the norm.”

“I think that everyone’s getting confused that we’re just going to rumble our way through the league,” said Leafs coach Ron Wilson, an avowed opponent of staged fights. “I want [Komisarek and Beauchemin] on the ice, not sitting in the penalty box.”

Well, that was a bit of a problem. Komisarek was positively Burkean, for good and bad. He chirped with Laraque after a scrum; he added an elbow or a cross-check after every close encounter. And in a telling moment, Komisarek wrestled with Scott Gomez after he ran over Leafs goaltender Vesa Toskala, and jumped in and pounded Moen after the latter did the same. As the new team slogan goes, No Leaf Left Behind”

Hell at least he went after Gomez! These games, especially the early ones are about setting tones,learning teammates tendencies etc. Relax people, it’s one game…breath deeply.

“Sure, this Toronto team isn’t going to the Broad Street Bullies, or the Charlestown Chiefs. As Exelby says with a grin, “There could be a few inner Ogie Ogilthorpes in this room that are waiting to be unleashed at some point, [but] right now we’re just going to try to stick together as a team, and crack everybody when we can as far as finishing checks.”

But this team will have to find a balance between physicality and common sense, and it’ll have to kill penalties, as Anaheim did three Stanley Cups ago.”

Exactly Bruce. You can’t tell whether or not this has happened in the first game, week or even month.

“”I know Burke has said they’re going to come out and play on the edge and play hard, and that’s great,” says Canadiens defenceman Hal Gill, one of the lumbering giants of the old NHL. “Who doesn’t want to do that? But you have to be in control, and in check.

“I remember last year, it was a similar situation where Tampa Bay was really in your face, hitting you. [But] if you moved the puck well, if you executed well, it was ineffective … everyone wants to be physical, but it’s a fine line between going one way too much. You need to make plays.”

Of course, Burke believes in that, too; he just hasn’t had time to properly address it. But in the meantime, the tone has been set. One way or the other, there will be a price to pay.”

Exactly!! How refreshing to get that point of view from a scribe the day after the first game. I mean come on folks- shouldn’t the sky be falling??? Wait till you read Berger’s blog….

Couple of thoughts on the game:

I thought the anthem was the best ever for the ACC
Viktor Stalberg was AWESOME
Passing on the powerplay was awesome
Luke Schenn earning the least ice time of all the D (18 minutes) is quite a difference from last year
Wayne Primeau’s 4 minutes is pretty low; Roshill’s 2 minutes is low but Colton Orr’s 1 minute plus- ouch!
Defense looked lost on faceoffs, have to believe that will be worked in the next practice.

In case you didn’t catch Ron Wilson’s post game presser here is what he had to say:

§ Pleased with the effort
§ Some of the Defencemen had a tough night, poor decisions
§ Forwards played well, lots of shots
§ Need to take fewer penalties and have a better pk
§ Komisarek answered the bell, other defencemen need to do the same, happy with komi’s play…setting a tone…rings a bell for rest of the guys
§ Vesa was fine, nothing he could do on the goals
§ Stajan had a very good game
§ Stalberg was the best forward, smart decisions, consistent play, made some nice plays
§ Grabovsky= good game…getting back etc…
§ Forwards did a great job

read Arthur here

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Media Day is usually one for eternal optimism, and Toronto Raptors General Manager Bryan Colangelo simply couldn’t resist giving another confident prediction…

From the National Post’s Bruce Arthur:

“Bryan Colangelo cannot help himself. He’s a smart guy, and he knows that expectations can be dangerous. He knows that any words he speaks will be carved in stone, whether they’re definitive or not, and that anything less will be considered failure. He knows, because that’s what happened last year.

But the general manager of the Toronto Raptors is so excited he’s practically vibrating along with his ever-whirring BlackBerry. He’s proud of what he’s done. Go ahead, ask him what he expects from this team, nine new players and all. Then, sit back and watch.

“Expectations are obviously that we’re going to be much improved over a 33-win team last year. Beyond that, I’ve never been one to put a number on it,” Colangelo says. And you nod, sure.
“We clearly have an expectation and a desire to get back to the playoffs. But I want us to be in a position where we’re … challenging for advancing to the second round,” he adds. That’s a big goal for a team with nine new players and a first-time head coach, but Colangelo is rolling now, so you nod, sure.

“That means you’re probably putting yourself in a position for the fourth or fifth seed. How many wins does that take? The number doesn’t really matter, but I always want to beat something previously, and 47 wins is the franchise record, which we’ve done twice before now. I’d like to think there’s a way to beat that number,” he continues. OK, so he’s sort of putting a number on it now.

“If you look and say what’s it going to take to be a fourth or fifth seed, I think you’ve got to be at a minimum of 50 games,” Colangelo says, finally wrapping up. “So are you shooting for a target of 50 games? Yeah, I think that’s what we should be realistically looking at.”

Looking at the roster, and the flaws found within the improvements, this is certainly a bold, if not overconfident, prediction. The Raps might win 50 games – More likely, they won’t. Still, it’s not unreasonable, and Colangelo is clearly selling his revamped squad like a proud parent.

We won’t know about the win total for months – For now, I find Colangelo’s decision to make any sort of numbers-based prediction quite interesting. It’s a here-we-go-again statement from the GM, after telling fans that last year’s team was his best yet, “on paper.” If you’re Colangelo, why not talk about progress, optimism and future success without mentioning a win total? Will a 46-win team now qualify as a failure? For me, no. But for many fans, maybe.

On the other hand, many Raptors fans will remember hearing former GM Rob Babcock utter these words in 2005, after dealing Vince Carter and bringing a young, inexperienced roster to training camp:

“There will be growing pains, no doubt about it. Whether we win or lose more games than last year, I think if you look at us on paper, we probably will not win as many games as last year. We more or less have the same team back with the exception of Donyell Marshall, who was an integral part of our team last year. We’re replacing him with rookies.”

Babcock was ripped mercilessly for his honest answer. Was he supposed to spin the team as “solid on paper,” knowing full well he’d be lying?

Obviously, Colangelo finds himself in a totally different situation this year – The team is undoubtedly improved from last season and could easily have a win total in the high 40s. But there are still glaring flaws (rebounding and defense) that may hold the Raps back. I agree with Arthur that Colangelo truly believes in his prediction, but should he have made one?.

If Colangelo thought the Raps would only win 41, would you want him to say it? As a fan, would you rather hear talk of 50 wins, or of steady improvement?

-DL

Here’s your bikini of the day from bikinibeat.org:

On Fan 590 Tonight-

- open phones with Jeff Blair from 4:05 to 4:40
- co-host from 5:00 to 7:00 is Stephen Brunt
- Roundtable guests are:
James Deacon
Bruce Arthur

On 640 with Brady and Watters Thanks to Mike S.:

- Live from WEGZ Stadium Bar
- Bob The Bear Cowan with his NFL picks
- Jim Nill, assistant GM of the Red Wings
- hockey insider Darren Dreger at 6:10
- Jonas Siegel from Detroit

Haven’t had to do this in a long time, so, without further ado, around the league we go with all Paul Kelly, all the time:

“But hockey is not what the NHLPA is about. The NHLPA is about – and we’re basing this on the history here – greed, paranoia, occasionally criminal malfeasance, reflexive combativeness, and, most of all, power. Other sports unions may have similar pressures, but none eats itself quite like these guys. And when the union cashiered Paul Kelly in the early hours of Monday morning at an uncharacteristically trendy Chicago hotel, the snake swallowed just a little more of its tail.”

Bruce Arthur with another great opinion piece on this story. It really is hard to believe what the PA has done to it’s own reputation. Unless the whole story comes out, the NHLP is going to be looking dumb, dumb dumb.

“Kelly, however, appears to have been canned for the unforgivable sin of not treating the NHL like a blood enemy on issues trivial and serious. The 30-player executive board, who made the final call, issued a statement on the matter. Here is what seem like the most relevant passage. “While it is unfortunate things didn’t work out with Paul Kelly, we made an informed decision, it is the right decision and we know what we did what was best for our Association,” read the statement. “We are potentially only two seasons away from the expiration of the [collective bargaining agreement] and we feel now is the best time to make a move to ensure that we have optimal leadership in place to improve and protect our members’rights.”

Now, Mr. Arthur, you work for the National Post, one of the only papers that is well intune with what goes on in this city, how can you be surprised by this tactic. There are only 2 people in the world who would recommend this type of response. One, was on both radio stations this afternoon and he single handedly ruined the Canadian auto sector and the second is the mayor of Toronto. Improve your member’s rights????? Is this the same group that keeps saying it’s not such a bad deal??? Not only that, you have the commissioner on record every 5 minutes telling everyone how great business is and that no teams are in trouble!! What more do you want??? You want to fight the owners, play back Gary Bettman’s interviews and radio shows for the last 12 months…

“Look, being head of the NHLPA is about protecting the interests of the members. There’s nothing that says you have to care about the fans, or the league, or the game. Fine. But not only did Kelly appear to be interested in fighting for causes that players cared about – participation in the Olympics and revenue generation, among others – the former U.S. prosecutor was a reasonable man, on the right side of issue after issue. Just listen to his take on the league’s television deal with NBC and Versus, the former Outdoor Life Network that cannot be seen in about 40-million U.S. households. “We have to push our two partners to do a better job of covering our sport, or we have to go in a different direction when that contract comes to an end,” Kelly told the Sports Lawyers Association on May 16. “[Versus] is not ESPN. It doesn’t have a sports highlight show. It doesn’t have a lot of properties people want to tune in to, unless you are a hunter or a fisherman, or you like turtle wrestling.”

EXACTLY- hell I thought he was too harsh, too litigious!!!

“Why doesn’t this happen in other sports unions? Billy Hunter has helmed the NBA Players’ Association since 1996; Gene Upshaw was in charge of the NFLPA from 1983 until his death late last summer; and in baseball, where the MLBPA is by far the most successful sports union in history, there have been a grand total of two executive directors since 1966: Marvin Miller, and Donald Fehr.And then there are these guys, too often blinded by the hothouse madness that this game sometimes engenders in this country. When Paul Kelly took this job, he told the Canadian Press, “I really do believe that it’s a new day. I want it to be a positive relationship between the NHL Players’ Association and the league. I think we owe it to the fans to put that lockout, work stoppage, and all of those issues behind us.” Paul Kelly could have been good for hockey. But what is good for hockey is not necessarily what is good for the NHLPA. It could be, but it isn’t.”

These guys just can’t get out of their own way. Some how, some way the truth will come out as to who is behind this. This is about 1 thing and only 1 thing, EGO. Behind this mess is 1 person with a big ego. Bet on it.

Kelly McParland also of the National Post offers this one liner:

“This is hard to admit, but the NHLPA almost makes Gary Bettman look reasonable in comparison. How does this league manage to prosper when both sides of the labour-management divide as such dolts?”

Exactly!! How the hell is this possible. If I am a reasonable player I am pissed. Really pissed. I would love to know if I can stop paying union dues!

Damien chips in with an excellent blog too:

“So Paul Kelly has followed Ted Saskin and Bob Goodenow out the door, and the release from the NHLPA this morning regarding Kelly’s departure was downright hilarious in its unwillingness to provide the hockey world with any specific information on why Kelly has been ousted. This morning’s release said the executive committee “voted overwhelmingly” to dump Kelly, the man who put Eagleson in jail, and said it followed an “in depth analysis of the NHLPA’s operations.”Everyone is reading something into this, that it’s the result of the unseen hand of Goodenow, or the departed former ombudsman Eric Lindros, or hardliners like Chris Chelios and Dwayne Roloson, the people who got rid of Saskin after he was found to be spying on association e-mails. Must be a nice office to work in, huh? So comforting to always know the guy who’s working in the office beside you may be secretly plotting against you. Goodenow and Saskin had a parting of the ways, and Kelly and Lindros were at each other’s throats for months. Now it’s lawyer Ian Penney and ombudsman Buzz Hargrove that may have led the charge against Kelly, men who were supposedly under his charge at the union.”

We all have heard about cancerous work environments, does anyone else wonder if the NHLPA is where the label was invented??? Seriously, how, besides with loads of cash will they get anyone to work there????

“Meanwhile, most players simply want nothing to do with the union, not surprisingly given the way the organization collapsed during the 2004-05 lockout. The players now know that when push comes to shove there will be those among them that will jump ship and seek to cut their own deal, that the Europeans in the group will simply pack up and head home to play if there’s another work stoppage, all of which adds to the internal distrust that has come to be the main feature of this dysfunctional organization. The NHL general ignores the thoughts of the union because it can, because the union is too busy fighting itself to mount an effective opposition to policies and programs of the league with which it might disagree. Players are now coughing up more than 20 per cent of each and every paycheque to an escrow fund that few understand. The league has ignored the NHLPA on topics like franchise relocation and television, and now will once again have little or no idea who they should be dealing with at the union.”

It’s a total embarrassment. Did anyone else know that not one but two Maple Leafs were apparently part of the group in on the firing????

“Talk that a more hard-line approach is required by the union is nearly laughable now that the league knows that it can break this weak-willed bunch just as easily in 2012 as it did in 2005. There is no rival league and there is no other meaningful employment option for hockey players who draw hundreds of thousands of dollars in paycheques.Maybe Kelly wasn’t hardline enough for some. But he was practical and reasonable. His biggest error may have been a naive belief he could trust those with whom he was working. The knives at the NHLPA, it seems, are never actually put away.”

What more do the players want? Is it a perfect contract??? No. Is it the slaughter that we have been lead to believe??? No. All contracts are give and take, they don’t need a warrior to go in fight every time. They had that in the Goodenow and well, we know how that worked out….

From Eric Duhatschek:

“But on Sunday night/Monday morning when the NHLPA’s executive board dismissed Paul Kelly as executive director, it is hard to see the move as anything except a palace coup – a grab for power, fought between two factions within the organization that had been an odds since this past February, or where Eric Lindros resigned as ombudsman, reportedly because there weren’t enough contentious issues to arbitrate. In one corner of this fight, you’ll find Lindros – who currently has no official standing in the organization – plus his replacement as “interim ombudsman”, Buzz Hargrove, along with Halifax labour lawyer Ron Pink, and lawyer Ian Penny, a holdover from the Goodenow era who’d received a lucrative multi-year contract extension from the NHLPA executive board during last June’s meetings in Las Vegas. In the other corner, there was Kelly, Glenn Healy, the director of player affairs and Patrick Flatley, assistant director of player affairs. With Kelly out and Flatley reportedly having resigned on the heels of the Kelly firing, it is hard to imagine Healy staying on beyond the day – or week. ”

How does Lindros wield so much power???? I mean does he threaten these guys? What is it about him???

“Unless the executive board can cite some, as yet-to-be-publicized grievance against him, you’d have to suggest Kelly accomplished a fair bit in 22 months on the job.

About the only hope now is that the executive board does the right thing and conducts a full and independent search for a replacement – and doesn’t simply turn to the rabble-rousing crew that showed Kelly the door.

If the NHLPA were a hockey team, you’d have to conclude there is only one possible course of action now – introduce a scorched-earth policy. Burn it to the ground, start from scratch, boot everybody out the door, and then rebuild the organization one staff member at a time. Given its history and this latest round of infighting, it seems to be the only way they’re going to get it right. ”

How can you have any faith in a group that, in history has proven to always get it wrong????

Bruce Dowbiggin:

“Can you be fired for being too media friendly? If you’re deposed NHL Players’ Association executive director Paul Kelly, talking openly with the press cost you plenty. In the considered opinion of NHLPA ombudsman Buzz Hargrove (pray tell, how did Buzz Hargrove get into hockey?), Kelly’s willingness to talk to the media before vetting every single gerund and participle with the union’s executive committee was proof positive of his failings as a leader. That was part of the message in a carefully scripted critique of Kelly delivered to the NHLPA executive board Sunday evening in Chicago.

Hargrove’s poison pill (on behalf on unnamed complainants) was subtle in its verbiage. The long-time leader of the Canadian Auto Workers, who somehow succeeded NHLPA ombudsman from Eric Lindros, couched the accusations against Kelly in the cloak of process and constitutional dereliction. It was a more calculating strategy than Lindros’ self-pitying resignation letter that excoriated Kelly for not heeding his counsel on the multiple daily visits he made to the executive’s office.

But it was effective. The taint of “media suck” resonates with hockey players. Bred to stoic silence, most NHL players– especially Canadian players– view the press about as fondly a man views his annual prostate exam. Giving up too much of yourself in public shows hubris, a lack of team spirit and vanity unbecoming a “real” man. ”

If that is really the reason, I want to be there when the wrongful termination papers are filed.

“But to those mounting a palace coup – and who once coveted Kelly’s position themselves – Kelly’s candour demanded his removal, at considerable cost, in favour of… hmm. It’ll come to us. Yet who could possibly want the untenable executive director’s position after this?

Who could balance its contradictory demands? Some day, they will produce a business book on 10 easy steps to shooting yourself in the foot. And the NHLPA will conveniently supply all 10 of the steps.”

I don’t say this often, but Bruce is on to something here. It’s as if the NHLPA followed the Maple Leafs mismanagement playbook of years past.

Kevin Allen:

“My greatest concern about the NHLPA Executive Board’s decision to fire Paul Kelly is that the current détente between the league and players could give way to the renewal of the Cold War.
Certainly all is not rosy between the league and its players and there is going to be saber-rattling from both sides as we head toward the end of the current Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2011 or 2012, depending upon whether the NHLPA exercises its last option to extend.
But in terms of managerial style, Kelly seemed like a moderate, particularly in comparison to Bob Goodenow who always acted as if he wanted to fight every battle with nuclear weapons.
As I’ve said many times, the heavy-handed Goodenow was the perfect choice when he took over the NHLPA years ago because players were significantly underpaid when he came aboard. He fought the good fight to change that, but he could never seem to stop fighting.
Kelly is a more likable guy, and a more skilled politician. Although it’s impossible for players to win the PR battle in labor battles because fans can’t relate to $2 million salaries, Kelly has a gentlemanly demeanor that plays well on television. When you review reader comments about his firing, it’s clear fans like him. His popularity might have served the NHLPA well in the next CBA battle.
The media definitely liked him, and perhaps his close relationship with the media didn’t sit well with players.”

I think Allen is right. I get the sense that Kelly was as close to a likable union leader as we could have seen. Part of labor negotiations is the pr battle and it looks like Kelly was laying the ground to win that, or at least not lose it as badly as Goodenow. That he was articulate, respectful and thoughtful shouldn’t have cost him his job. Who were the dunces who thought this was problematic???

“My read on Kelly was that he was person whose opinions often passed the “reasonable” test. He seemed to embrace common sense diplomacy. My belief was that when it was time to battle, Kelly could be a bulldog and when it was time for peace he could be a statesman.”

Isn’t that what the union should have wanted?? What more do you want??? Is the problem that he was becoming more of the story than the players??? if so, what a sad state of affairs.

Russ Conway is an expert on these matters having covered them for years, NESN covers the Bruins:

“This is a very sad day for hockey,” Hall of Fame hockey scribe and former Lawrence Eagle Tribune NHL and Bruins beat writer Russ Conway told NESN.com on Monday. “Unfortunately, the union continues to drink the Kool-Aid.”Conway — who was responsible for bringing former NHLPA head Alan Eagleson to justice with his best-selling book, Game Misconduct: Alan Eagleson and the Corruption of Hockey — knows the NHLPA inside out, and he is right on the money. Many players claim they are not kept in the loop with regard to what goes on with NHLPA matters — some even acknowledge they really don’t care to know but just want to play hockey. That’s all fine and refreshing to hear to an extent, except when something like this latest NHLPA debacle occurs”

By all accounts many members of the PA aren’t happy about this. Most just want to play hockey. Can you blame them???

“According to sources, part of this group’s desire to get rid of Kelly also stemmed from Kelly ordering an internal audit (by a top former FBI forensic accountant) of the players’ association’s expenses during the previous three years before he took over. That audit was still ongoing prior to Kelly’s dismissal. Sources claim that through the audit, Kelly discovered that then-interim leaders Penny and Lindros were spending millions of dollars of the union’s money. Lindros ended up resigning, but word is, that move fueled this attack on Kelly, and Lindros was very much involved. Kelly also beat out Pink for the executive director job, and the belief is that Pink is still sour over that.”

And there we may have the smoking gun….If this is true, then the players are dumber than I ever thought possible, just ask the good folks at E-health Ontario or the OLG!! If Kelly was looking into their spending and was gonged for doing so……………………

“Unfortunately, as Conway pointed out, the 30 player reps that voted Kelly out Monday didn’t realize or appreciate what they had in Kelly. A hard-liner will now take over, and the cold war between the NHL and the NHLPA will resume. When the current collective bargaining agreement expires on Sept. 15, 2011, fans may be in for some more wrangling between the union and the NHL.”

Seems to be a common theme no, Armageddon is coming, makes you feel all warm and fuzzy no?

The winner on the day has to be Ken Campbell of the Hockey News:

“In firing Kelly, the players made it abundantly clear they are not pleased with the current direction of their association’s affairs. There are allegations Kelly was too media friendly, a little too cozy with those who occupy the upper reaches of the NHL and the fact that he didn’t connect as well with the players as they hoped he would. It’s funny, really. Remember the good old days when integrity and competence carried a certain amount of weight? Kelly, a former federal prosecutor, has those two qualities in abundance. Obviously, the players don’t put a whole lot of stock into those virtues these days.”

Seriously, I mean who the hell do these guys think they are kidding??? The only knock on the guy that I am aware of is that he has been friends with Bill Watters for 25 years!

“The thing you need to know about NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, assuming he’s still holding down the post in 2012, is that he not only does well in confrontation, he likes it the way Tie Domi used to like getting into fights. Bettman thrives on confrontation and will do anything he can to come out on top when he feels his authority is being undermined. Ask Bob Goodenow if Bettman likes confrontation. Ask Jim Balsillie the same question. In fact, I would argue that if Bettman were not up to his hips in turbulence over the situation with the Phoenix Coyotes, he’d probably be doing a little jig right now over what’s going on with the NHLPA these days.”

I am not suggesting that this is anything like September 11 or the war in Iraq, however does anyone recall “W” instilling fears during the campaign about national security, saying that American wouldn’t be safe under John Kerry?? What did Lindros say, that the PA would get killed in the next round of negotations if Kelly were at the helm???? Was the rallying cry, we need a Bettman buster? As much as I don’t like Bettman’s public persona, how can you not respect the guy. I just don’t get the tactic the PA has taken and why they have put faith in Lindros.

“What makes this all so confusing is that the players seem to want it both ways. Those who wanted to return to playing hockey went behind Goodenow’s back four years ago and negotiated a deal that got them on the ice and making big money. Many of those same players are now carping about having to put a good portion of their salaries into escrow in case revenues don’t grow along with expenses. The same players who needed someone to get them a deal were more than happy to throw Goodenow under the bus, but it seems now they want those very qualities in their new leader.”

And this is surprising why???? Seriously, this is the way this union has acted since the beginning of it’s existence.

More from Campbell:

“Paul Kelly lost his job early Monday morning for reasons that are so preposterous it risks making the NHL Players’ Association the laughingstock of the sports world. The executive director of the NHLPA was on the job and had yet to negotiate a single collective bargaining agreement for his constituents, yet was fired because he hadn’t turned every single issue with the league into a turf war. He didn’t steal millions of dollars and get convicted of his crimes the way Alan Eagleson did. He didn’t get the job under false pretenses and spy on members’ emails the way Ted Saskin did. No, the reason why Kelly was fired is that he’s not Bob Goodenow, the guy the players dumped when they found he was taking too hard a line against their employers and wouldn’t deliver them what he thought was a namby-pamby CBA during the lockout.”

it’s really laughable, the more I read it the more I want to laugh.

“If the players think the payout they had to make to Saskin was a lot of money, they’ll be staggered by the amount they’ll have to give Kelly to go away. And that’s because Kelly might have one of the all-time cases for wrongful dismissal. The uprising against Kelly was led by former ombudsman Eric Lindros, advisory board head Ron Pink and interim ombudsman Buzz Hargrove, along with some others within the current ranks of the NHLPA. So think about it. The ringleaders in Kelly’s dismissal are a former player who has run up against the establishment at every turn and resigned from the PA because he couldn’t work with Kelly (Lindros); the man who didn’t get the job when the PA decided Kelly would be a better choice (Pink); and one of the most confrontational labor leaders of our generation (Hargrove).”

What I don’t get is how these guys have any clout or respect with their peers. Why or how does anyone listen to them? Please tell me it’s apathy. No one wants to deal with this crap so they let the power hungry idiots do it and then they all wake up and say what the hell have we done? How long before the executive committee all quit???

“They represent the old guard of the association whose philosophy was to oppose the league on every single issue and make a confrontation out of everything possible. All of which is fine, if that’s the way the union wants to do business it certainly has the right to conduct itself in that manner. But the question is, if that’s what it wanted, why was Goodenow shown the door in the first place and why was he replaced by Kelly, who had made it clear from the start that he was going to conduct the association’s business in a less confrontational way? Goodenow was deemed to be expendable when the players looked at the possibility of missing two years of paychecks and promptly soiled their pants. One season had already been wasted and even though Goodenow told players long before the lockout to prepare to sit out for as long as two seasons, when push came to shove, the players opted to get back to playing hockey and making money.”

You can’t really be looking for a real reason behind this can you??? It is the sway of power from ego to ego. Nothing more, nothing less.

Scott Burnside:

“Imagine a group of cavemen sitting around a campfire roasting a mastodon. Now, imagine some of those Neanderthals leaping up and grunting, “Fire bad … cooked meat bad,” before dousing the flames and leading the rest into a dark, damp cave. Now you have a sense of the shocking developments within the NHL Players’ Association in the past 24 hours. Less than two years into Paul Kelly’s role as NHLPA executive director, a small but determined group of lawyers and former players toppled him from his post and once again left the players’ union lacking in credibility and facing an uncertain future.”

No, really, is there a better metaphor than that???

“The actual reasons for Kelly’s firing remain vague and Hargrove admitted there was no one specific reason for the dismissal. It is believed Kelly’s transgressions include his treatment of staff members in Toronto, his perceived closeness to the media and a lack of fractiousness when it came to dealing with the NHL and its owners. One former NHLPA executive member said if it’s true one of the reasons Kelly was overthrown was the fact he wasn’t confrontational enough with NHL executives, it’s a bad sign for future negotiations. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” he said. He said it’s important for the league and players to have a close relationship given the nature of the current collective bargaining agreement, which sees the league and players share in hockey-related revenues. He warned that without such a relationship, there is a potential to return to the “tragic” days of the past when there were frequent labor interruptions.”

It’s the NHLPA….what do you expect???? What is apparent is that a ton of player, agents and ex-union leaders are yapping:

“Another former NHLPA executive member was livid, saying the timing of this leadership change was “terrible.”

“We need to get behind Paul Kelly and let him do his job,” he said.

If those behind the movement really cared about the future of the union “they’d let this pass.” Further, he added, “if Eric Lindros really cared about the union, he’d let this go and get himself another job.”

One area that also infuriated this former union executive member was the interviewing of office staff to see how Kelly treated them.

“Who cares,” he said. “Do you think the president of Johnson & Johnson walks around worrying about hurt feelings?”

Many players, agents and former players contacted by ESPN.com expressed concern about changing leadership with a new collective bargaining agreement looming within the next couple of years.

One top player told ESPN.com that by the time the search committee gets around to finding a new executive director and gets up to speed, “he won’t have time to get his pencil sharpened before we’re in another lockout.”

“It’s the culture of paranoia,” added a former player and former NHLPA executive committee member. “And what sign does this send to the league? Where’s the stability at the union? It’s a year or two away from needing to negotiate a new CBA.”

It’s laughable. I have said that already right???

Pierre LeBrun:

“”Until we’re able to inform all the players on exactly what happened, we’re really not going to be too specific,” Horcoff, hopping on a plane, told ESPN.com. “There’s some information and some news that came our way that forced the hands of the executive board to go in a different direction.” Something they heard Sunday night prompted them to act because, from the conversations I had with some of those player reps before Sunday, they didn’t go into that meeting thinking they were going to fire Kelly. “I changed my mind after what I heard,” one player rep who requested anonymity told us Monday. But whether it was the report from interim NHLPA ombudsman Buzz Hargrove or the separate findings from player reps Matt Stajan, Mike Komisarek, Brad Boyes and Andrew Ference (who, along with an HR consultant, interviewed union office staff), the 30 reps heard enough to fire Kelly. It’s as stunning as it sounds. For my money, Kelly was someone I grew to respect in the past 21 months and his firing is big loss for the union. He was a big-picture guy with the conciliatory skills to make things happen with the league.”

Unitl the PA tells their story, assuming there is one, they will, as they always have, lose the PR war. Too many good people in hockey are backing Kelly here. It’s not one or two, it’s all of them.

“To me, what’s troubling is that a decision with such huge ramifications took place in two days with such a small group,” said one veteran player agent, requesting anonymity. “How can that small group make such a big decision? That’s the concern, regardless of whether you’re an advocate of Kelly or not.” Said another agent: “I’m dumbfounded by the immediacy of this decision. You’d think this should be deliberated for more than 10 hours. I would have thought something as significant as this would have involved more discussion among more players. I just think the general union populace should have had more of a say in this.”One very high-profile player, we can tell you, was livid Monday that he wasn’t apprised of any of this before it was too late. Hargrove, who told ESPN.com on Monday that he has no interest in replacing Kelly and told the executive board as much, said the player reps were told they could wait until they saw their teammates before making a final decision. “That was one of the options that the board members had,” Hargrove said. “They were very familiar with that option. But given the circumstances, given the findings that were presented to them, given the debate, they took a decision. It’s a decision they will feel very comfortable justifying with their fellow players once they see them in training camp.”

I think those who lead this thing know what would have happened if they waited, it would have turned into a public circus. Not only that all the agents would have rallied their clients and this mess would have turned into a massive fishbowl. It is, however remarkable that this was handled as quietly and as quickly as it was.

“In the end, however, maybe it’s a little rich for the rank-and-file players to complain. Fact is, most of the time, they care little about the ongoings of the NHLPA and many don’t even bother attending meetings (such as the players who went to the NHL awards event in Las Vegas in June but didn’t bother sticking around for the players meetings).

“Any player who was in attendance at the Vegas meetings would have known Paul Kelly’s leadership was being reviewed,” said one NHLPA staff source. But perhaps the shock firing of their leader will be a valuable wake-up call for all those apathetic players.”I hope there will be more of an awareness from the rest of the membership because of this,” one player agent said. “That’s the lesson to be learned.”

A buddy of mine never votes in the Toronto mayor election. He was irate during the garbage strike, calling me daily asking me how the hell this was happening. Every morning I told him the same thing, “go in to your bathroom and look in the mirror” The players who are likely doing the complaining are most likely the guys who didn’t want to be reps, who couldn’t be bothered to go to Las Vegas. You get what you pay for, the old addage goes, and it’s usually true. You can’t bitch and complain after the fact if you were too lazy to be involved during the fact. The only way this get cleaned up is if enough of the right guys start paying attention. History tells us that’s not likely.

My last word goes to the guy who owned this story. Darren Dreger broke the story that something maybe up and appeared to be the only guy in Chicago covering it live. From all us who love the game and admire those who cover it, we thank you Darren:

“He was invited in at least three times, the last being just after 3:30am eastern.

At this point Kelly was given news of his demise.

He bolted from the boardroom visibly upset, he refused to comment and simply retreated to where Healy, Flatley and others were waiting before quickly leaving the area all together.

There was a brief gathering of the divisional players reps with interim ombudsman Buzz Hargrove, general counsel Ian Penny and advisory board head, Ron Pink mulling about before the entire group retired after an incredibly long day.

At times, it was fascinating to watch.

Sources say there were moments of heated debate in the meeting, especially early into the discussions when Kelly and Healy passionately argued their case.

Hargrove was clearly a key player in this power shift and he was called in and out of the main board discussion on a number of occasions, the first including a presentation detailing some of Kelly’s alleged flaws.”

I am not sure a better script for this could have been written. It sounds like the Keystone Cops all over again.

Well, tomorrow should be another interesting day. Hope this wasn’t too long to read and you enjoyed it.

TSM

@yyzsportsmedia

Arthur is here
McParland is here
Damien is here
Eric Duhatschek is here
Dowbiggin is here
Allen is here
NESN/Conway is here
Campbell is here
Campbell is here too
Burnside is here
LeBrun is here
Dreger is here

As of this writing, Cnnsi, The Toronto Sun, the Boston Globe, and NYpost and more didn’t have stories up, please post links and quotes below..

Here is more from Damien Cox:

“Those who successfully plotted against him breached constitutional procedures, fudged internal reviews and used a variety of dirty tricks worthy of Watergate to finally triumph at 3:30 a.m. yesterday.

What self-respecting organization fires a key executive at 3:30 in the morning?

If there’s a single smart player on the executive committee, they’ve already figured out they’ve made an awful mistake by being convinced to axe a good man, thereby putting their futures in the hands of Machiavellian suits they wouldn’t trust as teammates.

Maybe that’s why more than 50 players spent yesterday lobbying Kelly’s right-hand man, the widely respected Glenn Healy, to stay on after his colleague Pat Flatley quit in the wake of Kelly’s ouster.

Healy’s the lone progressive left. Otherwise, the hardline labour mentality that led the lemmings over the cliff in 2004-05 is now on the verge of taking over again. All you had to hear was an old union guy like Buzz Hargrove – supposedly the NHLPA’s independent ombudsman, charged with bringing player complaints forward – detailing union business in various radio interviews yesterday to understand the old guard is back in charge again.”