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7th Player Award meaning changed?

wetcamelfood

Registered User
Aug 19, 2007
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I know the 7th Player Award seems to have lost it's meaning years ago anyway (based on some of the winners) but I noticed during the game coverage on NESN the last few games, Dale says "vote for the player that has gone above and beyond" and when Brick does the spot later, he says "above and beyond expectations". Now most of us know the latter is what is used to be about/is supposed to be for but I now wonder if the former is what a lot of the fans are hearing and therefore casting their vote on based on Dale's wording?

As far as I'm concerned they might as well just change it to a regular MVP award and be done with the controversy that comes up every year someone gets it that shouldn't based on the original criteria. Did they feel silly saying the original criteria when they knew no one was exceeding expectations this year and felt the need to change it on their own?
 
The internet vote ruined its significance as a trophy IMO and turned it into a popularity contest. Seguin won it because 15 year old girls thought he was hot.

Even now it's kind of shifted from an award for a guy who exceeded expectations to a rookie who was pretty good, which is essentially what it's been since 2004.

I can't figure out who I'd pick this year. Pasta could well be it, though only having a half-season worth of games makes me hesitant. Nobody on this team has exceeded any expectations IMO. I might just give it to Kelly for exceeding my expectation of being awful with being merely competent.
 
I thought Thomas summed it up well when he won it for the second year in a row when he said something to the effect that the fans must not have had very high expectations for him.
 
It is nothing more than a popularity contest. Last year Smitty deserved it but in previous years Kelly and Paille have gotten screwed due to popularity.

At this point Pastrnak will win it this year.

To me, the 4 Bruins who should be in consideration are Adam McQuaid, Chris Kelly, Loui Eriksson and Matt Bartkowski.
 
Only half a season but at this point it has to be Pastrnak.

Right after the draft I thought he was going back to Sweden for a year before making the jump.

Instead he wows at Dev. Camp. EARNS a shot in training camp, EARNS 1st line minutes in Providence, EARNS a short call up, EARNS his now full time status.

Look at the capitalized word there, this kid has EARNED everything he's got, couldn't be more proud to have a kid of that level of character in the Bruins organization (I'm sure being around guys like Bergeron, Chara, Seidenberg, Kelly, etc. hasn't hurt one bit either).
 
rcduthie77 said:
Only half a season but at this point it has to be Pastrnak.

Right after the draft I thought he was going back to Sweden for a year before making the jump.

Instead he wows at Dev. Camp. EARNS a shot in training camp, EARNS 1st line minutes in Providence, EARNS a short call up, EARNS his now full time status.

Look at the capitalized word there, this kid has EARNED everything he's got, couldn't be more proud to have a kid of that level of character in the Bruins organization (I'm sure being around guys like Bergeron, Chara, Seidenberg, Kelly, etc. hasn't hurt one bit either).
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He's played 27 games. He shouldn't be in contention. The minimum should be 35 games minimum by March 1 since the award is given out the first week in April.
 
Alicat said:
It is nothing more than a popularity contest. Last year Smitty deserved it but in previous years Kelly and Paille have gotten screwed due to popularity.

At this point Pastrnak will win it this year.

To me, the 4 Bruins who should be in consideration are Adam McQuaid, Chris Kelly, Loui Eriksson and Matt Bartkowski.
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I was with your logic until you listed off the four players you'd consider.

I mean...maybe on McQ. ? on Chris Kelly. ? on Loui Eriksson. And Bart is really a stretch.

Perhaps that speaks more to the team's performance this year, however, than to how I feel about that opinion.

It's most likely going to go to Pasta. It is tough given he hasn't played the majority of the year (I don't think at least...maybe he's at about half now), but he's really saved me having any sort of enjoyment watching the Bruins this year.

It's just really tough in a rather "down year" like this to figure out who is deserving.
 
GrumpyJ said:
I was with your logic until you listed off the four players you'd consider.

I mean...maybe on McQ. ? on Chris Kelly. ? on Loui Eriksson. And Bart is really a stretch.

Perhaps that speaks more to the team's performance this year, however, than to how I feel about that opinion.

It's most likely going to go to Pasta. It is tough given he hasn't played the majority of the year (I don't think at least...maybe he's at about half now), but he's really saved me having any sort of enjoyment watching the Bruins this year.

It's just really tough in a rather "down year" like this to figure out who is deserving.
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Excluding Pastrnak, who would you give it to?
 
Alicat said:
Excluding Pastrnak, who would you give it to?
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I don't even know. Seriously.

I don't want to say Pastrnak because I feel like I'm riding the pink hat bandwagon, but I seriously don't know who else I'd give it to.

Who has "gone above and beyond" this year? Anyone? Doesn't really seem like it.

Whether or not it's the "right choice" due to his lack of games played, it's hard to argue that it's been at least a bit surprising an undersized, finesse guy could step into the Bruins lineup rather seamlessly.
 
GrumpyJ said:
I don't even know. Seriously.

I don't want to say Pastrnak because I feel like I'm riding the pink hat bandwagon, but I seriously don't know who else I'd give it to.

Who has "gone above and beyond" this year? Anyone? Doesn't really seem like it.

Whether or not it's the "right choice" due to his lack of games played, it's hard to argue that it's been at least a bit surprising an undersized, finesse guy could step into the Bruins lineup rather seamlessly.
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He's going to get it because that's the nature of allowing the public to vote on it. To me, the media (jack, brick, goucher etc) should vote on it.
 
Alicat said:
He's going to get it because that's the nature of allowing the public to vote on it. To me, the media (jack, brick, goucher etc) should vote on it.
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I think it's unfair to claim THAT is the reason he's going to get it.

It seems to me that, despite the number of games played, he may very well be the most deserving.

It's the "pinkhat choice" as I said, but I also think it deserves some consideration as the honest best choice.

My issue would be was this a good year, where players like Dougie and say, Reilly Smith, were actually outperforming expectations, Pasta would still get it because he's the flashy new European. This year, though, it seems deserved.

Making some restriction based on games played so you can choose from a rubbish pile to force an award into someone's hands who really doesn't deserve it seems more wrong than giving it to a guy who wasn't called up to the big squad until later in the year (but whom has performed admirably and beyond what most people were expecting).
 
I have my own definition and thats all's that matters to me.

Who has played above what I expected? hmm....Pastrnak certainly

Kelly has been good to very good for where he is at.

Marchand has had a heck of a year but cant give it to him.

no body other than Pasta to me....and if the rule is 40 games or more I give it to Kelly. He's done everything but put shots in near open nets.
 
GrumpyJ said:
I think it's unfair to claim THAT is the reason he's going to get it.

It seems to me that, despite the number of games played, he may very well be the most deserving.

It's the "pinkhat choice" as I said, but I also think it deserves some consideration as the honest best choice.

My issue would be was this a good year, where players like Dougie and say, Reilly Smith, were actually outperforming expectations, Pasta would still get it because he's the flashy new European. This year, though, it seems deserved.

Making some restriction based on games played so you can choose from a rubbish pile to force an award into someone's hands who really doesn't deserve it seems more wrong than giving it to a guy who wasn't called up to the big squad until later in the year (but whom has performed admirably and beyond what most people were expecting).
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I'd only restrict it because of the fact it has become skewed by the pink hats.

To say a guy has gone above and beyond in 27 games is a stretch normally. unfortunately, with everyone underperforming, you cant cap it this year.

He's going to get it pink hat vote or not.
 
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Alicat said:
I'd only restrict it because of the fact it has become skewed by the pink hats.

To say a guy has gone above and beyond in 27 games is a stretch normally. unfortunately, with everyone underperforming, you cant cap it this year.

He's going to get it pink hat vote or not.
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Precisely.

I'm honestly all for suspending the award for the year. :laugh:
 
Alicat said:
He's going to get it because that's the nature of allowing the public to vote on it. To me, the media (jack, brick, goucher etc) should vote on it.
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He's going to get it because he deserves it. He has truly been a bright spot in a season that has been pretty blah.

The majority of the public that you would worry about when it comes to stuff like this has no idea who Pastranak is. This isn't a Seguinista situation.

It's an award voted on by the public. You could certainly make an argument that the team, and media representing the team, doesn't do a great job educating the voting public about what the purpose of the award is, but it's a fan-voted award. To have the media vote on it changes it almost 180 degrees, IMO.

They need to figure out what the award is for (fan favorite? MVP? Most improved? Most surprising?), and do some serious education/PR campaign around it.
 
Pastrnak is really the only option for the award this year, and despite the limited game action in Boston, he has earned it IMO.

Also, there is literally no one else on the roster deserving of the award based upon its original definition and purpose.

Ever since Bill Guerin won the thing twice in a row scoring 40 goals it has been a popularity contest and nothing more. It's truly a shame as it was one of the greatest awards to receive as a Boston Bruin.

I agree with the sentiment that both the Bruins and NESN need to do something about educating the public and their fans about what the award is really about and who should be voted on to receive it. A back-to-basics history lesson about what the award was instituted for, and an acknowledgement of the years in which certain players probably shouldn't have gotten it, as uncomfortable as that may be. The good thing is that most hockey players would know they didn't deserve it. Thomas knew it. Guerin knew it.

If they ever want this award to mean what it used to, they need to do something about who is getting votes. If they don't care that the award has become a bastardized popularity contest, then there isn't much you can do. IMO they should just stop giving it out if that's the case, but since there are sponsorship ties-ins and car giveaways and the like, that will never happen. Sad part is they'll probably just continue on giving it away and not do anything about it because that's easier.

EDIT: Oh, and while I'd vote for Pastrnak (and he's literally the only deserving candidate by the spirit of the award), if I had to hazard a guess for this year's winner, I'd guess Bergeron, because that's what the award's become.
 
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I'd vote for Marchand this year. He's been very consistent. Or maybe Krug, who's taken another step.

But who's kidding who, it's clearly a popularity contest.
 
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