Around the NHL 2024-2025

[wiscrev]

If you want to blame the Hawks management and coaches, sure, I am with you
assigning blame to a 22 year old kid, not a chance

humans are imperfect and expecting out of a 22 year old "he should have stood up and said something (if he knew)"

Spot on.

 

[Snubbed4Vezina]

Dustin Wolf.

Vladar has stolen a few games in recent weeks too. It's been frustrating to watch because I don't think I've watched a single Flames game this season and felt like they outplayed the opposition.

 

[joe galiba]

He owed it to his younger teammates in Beach and Black Ace 2 as the undisputed captain of the team. It wasn’t just upper management and coaching; the players harassed and bullied them as well, and they were fine with it staying silent if it won them Cups.

What’s most telling is his lack of comments after it all went down and was brought to the light. It was basically a no-comment, no sympathy for Beach, nothing. For someone who has - since his entire draft year - been lauded for the intangibles that nobody else has, it was an extremely disappointing response.

I’m not saying he can’t come back. I just want to see what his response will be for the scandal that happened under his captaincy. I think that’s fair, no?

he was captain for hockey, which is a game and not real life, I guarantee if a player needed advice on real life stuff they would be looking to an older player, not a 22 year old Toews

as the parent of 3 kids in their 20’s, I can say with absolute certainty that they don’t have perspective that comes with getting older
I know personally that if I see something not right, I would hesitate to say things when I was a young adult, that I now will absolutely call out (sometimes to the embarrassment of said children)

just my perspective

 

[Memento]

he was captain for hockey, which is a game and not real life, I guarantee if a player needed advice on real life stuff they would be looking to an older player, not a 22 year old Toews

as the parent of 3 kids in their 20’s, I can say with absolute certainty that they don’t have perspective that comes with getting older
I know personally that if I see something not right, I would hesitate to say things when I was a young adult, that I now will absolutely call out (sometimes to the embarrassment of said children)

just my perspective

I’m sorry, but if you’re captain of any sports team (and yes, I’ve played basketball at the high school level) or if you’re a veteran with a younger player, I expect much more than letting a younger player get taunted about being raped or, worse still, joining in.

Toews was the captain. He was regarded as the captain with supposed impeccable intangibles, maturity, leadership, etc. from the very day he was drafted, from juniors on up. He was lauded throughout his career as the modern Yzerman as far as captaincy.

Don’t tell me he couldn’t have done anything to stop his teammates from acting like assholes. He had respect in that locker room from a young age. He just won a Cup as the captain. Don’t tell me his best option is to let his teammates have laughs at the expense of younger players who are likely already feeling like utter shit get piled on further.

There’s hazing - which, yes, I underwent, but it was light, like, carrying the equipment my freshman year, and the seniors and juniors were genuinely cool dudes, one of whom once went so far as to drive me home when I didn’t have a ride back - and then there’s flat-out malicious bullying like what happened in the 2011-2012 preseason. Yes, the coaching was f***ing awful, yes, the management was f***ing awful, but when it came to the players, Toews should’ve shut that shit down from the start, point blank, no excuses - which he said himself, that there were no excuses. He damn well knew it was wrong - or was the scouting report on him, Mr. Intangibles and Captain and shit, a complete f***ing lie?

But I’m not even concerned about that. My main concern is when he had the opportunity to speak up for Beach and Black Ace 2, a decade after it comes out of the shadows, his best response is nothing. He basically said, “I wish we could’ve done something different, but we were focused on playing hockey.” Not a mention about hearing his own teammates taunt and torment Beach and Black Ace 2 the very same preseason after because that certainly wouldn’t look bad on him, right?

It speaks volumes about his supposed “intangibles”, “leadership”, and “maturity” when it all vanishes under actual scrutiny.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Both of you are making good points. For Beach and the other guy, I think this is a metaphysical, human experience issue.

 

[Reality Czech]

Well don't you remember when he basically said he didn't feel like playing? So the multi millionaire got sad and took his ball and went home. f*** him and his loser ass mentality.

I find it pretty hard to believe a pro athlete would rather sit at home and not play if he had a choice, so I'm gonna take him at his word regarding the health issues. I may not like Toews or the Hawks but I doubt he has a "loser mentality"

 

[Xerloris]

I find it pretty hard to believe a pro athlete would rather sit at home and not play if he had a choice, so I'm gonna take him at his word regarding the health issues. I may not like Toews or the Hawks but I doubt he has a "loser mentality"

Are you forgetting the hawks guy, I think it was Hossa that he mysteriously became allergic to hockey equipment the very same season he went from like 6-7 mill a year to only 1 mill a year because of his stupid contract? The Hawks sure do have a lot of players that come down with mysterious illnesses when the team starts to suck or they dont make as much money as they use to.

 

[Reality Czech]

Are you forgetting the hawks guy, I think it was Hossa that he mysteriously became allergic to hockey equipment the very same season he went from like 6-7 mill a year to only 1 mill a year because of his stupid contract? The Hawks sure do have a lot of players that come down with mysterious illnesses when the team starts to suck or they dont make as much money as they use to.

Yeah and I also heard an interview with Hossa where he explained it in detail, and it made sense to me. I was skeptical of his story till I heard that, but I doubt he just made up an lie just to cover for the fact that he didn't want to play anymore.

Calling it an allergy was a bit misleading, but basically the mold and moisture caused an irritation on his skin similar to eczema that wouldn't heal properly if he was putting on the equipment regularly. I'll spare you the details but it involved open sores, pus and other nasty things.



I know it's fun to take shots at the Hawks, but I wouldn't question the competitiveness of two guys like that.