News Article: Mike Babcock Pretty Much Confirms Melnyk Involved In MacLean Firing

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Hockey decisions should be left to people that have hockey knowledge and experience making these decisions.

Its like a mom making decisions for her kids WoW character because she pays for the subscription.

That would be hilarious. Pandas and gnomes everywhere.

 

[Minister of Offence]

Hockey decisions should be left to people that have hockey knowledge and experience making these decisions.

Its like a mom making decisions for her kids WoW character because she pays for the subscription.

The difference is mom bought this for her child, the owner bought it for himself.

A lot of people come here daily and second guess. The owner isn't much different, except he actually gets to play

 

[Micklebot]

why is this still happening

The team Clouston lost the room to was almost entirely different to todays team.
Karlsson, Michalek, Neil, Smith, and Phillips are the only players with significant time under Clouston.

Wiercioch (8 games), Greening (24 games),Condra (26 games), Anderson (18 games), and Lehner (8 games) all played mostly after Clouston's fate was decided.

They say it's easier to change a coach then all the players, but we've essentially done both. Phillips, Neil and Michalek are likely gone after their current contracts too, which leaves Smith and Karlsson in 2-3 years (I imagine Cameron has a good chance of lasting about that long given the circumstances). I could see Smith being moved before then too.

 

[Micklebot]

Every coach in the league was a retread at some point in time.

Even Mike ****ing Babcock.
...

Babcock wasn't fired though; He chose not to re-sign with Anahiem. He might do the very same thing to Detroit.

He's more like a hired gun than re-tread.

 

[pepty]

So to be clear...
Murry tells Melnyk it is time to rebuild and Melynk takes this opportunity to strip the budget to league minimum.
They hire MacLean and he somehow gets us into the playoffs where Melnyk himself said is the only time the team makes money.
Year two, lock out, MacLean gets us into the playoffs despite half the team being on IR, gets to second round and wins Jack Adams, while the team is STILL in the bottom payroll.
We lose Alfie (probably because of Melynk) and the team drops a big stinker and we just barely miss out on the playoffs despite being at the bottom of the league in the payroll and Melynk's reaction is to fire him so he can get his puppet of a head coach in?

Every time I get mad at Murray, Melnyk magically rears his head and shows he is the cause.

That rebuild was like a bait and switch. Everyone was calling for Murray's head and then with the rebuild which seemed to go well, everything was rosy again. But it wasn't a rebuild. It was as you say stripping the team down and leaving it there..

Alfie and Spezza left for various reasons but both asked about plans for the future, They were at the end of their careers and could see which way the wind was blowing and if they wanted a chance at a contending team they would have to leave.

Its funny reading the post about Melnyk complaining to Murray about team play.
Maybe Murray could have told that you get what you pay for. Maybe Murray is an enabler with Melnyk rather than telling him the hard truths.

 

[operasen]

There are days, especially given Melnyk's pension for talking on Toronto radio, that I think he would prefer to relocate this team to Vaughn or Mississauga; especially after the NCC says "no" to the Lebreton arena idea and he can be snubbed. There is simply no way he will take on to find people to invest 600 million + for that project, especially when the governments will not be involved.

I do not trust every word out of his mouth. His hands are way too involved. He owns the team and has the right to "play", and he does, but I'm not sure we see everything on the table.

Melnyk is like an iceberg - most is underwater and can be really dangerous.

 

[Vesa Awesaka]

There are days, especially given Melnyk's pension for talking on Toronto radio, that I think he would prefer to relocate this team to Vaughn or Mississauga; especially after the NCC says "no" to the Lebreton arena idea and he can be snubbed. There is simply no way he will take on to find people to invest 600 million + for that project, especially when the governments will not be involved.

I do not trust every word out of his mouth. His hands are way too involved. He owns the team and has the right to "play", and he does, but I'm not sure we see everything on the table.

Melnyk is like an iceberg - most is underwater and can be really dangerous.

lol.... theres no chance in hell theyd relocate the team if they wont relocate phoenix or Florida

 

[operasen]

lol.... theres no chance in hell theyd relocate the team if they wont relocate phoenix or Florida

Arizona could be Las Vegas by next year if no owner is confirmed. Its been years since the finances crashed and at some point all the other owners are going to tell Bettman - enough.

Seattle is looking and moving Florida balances the conferences.

Who knows what is in Bettman`s head in all this.

 

[pepty]

There are days, especially given Melnyk's pension for talking on Toronto radio, that I think he would prefer to relocate this team to Vaughn or Mississauga; especially after the NCC says "no" to the Lebreton arena idea and he can be snubbed. There is simply no way he will take on to find people to invest 600 million + for that project, especially when the governments will not be involved.

I do not trust every word out of his mouth. His hands are way too involved. He owns the team and has the right to "play", and he does, but I'm not sure we see everything on the table.

Melnyk is like an iceberg - most is underwater and can be really dangerous.

No question he would prefer to be in the Toronto market and would likely move the team if he could. but Bettman and the board of governors would not permit it. They want a team here in a viable market and if there is another team in the GTA they want an expansion franchise at a fat fee.He could sell though which would be great.

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

No question he would prefer to be in the Toronto market and would likely move the team if he could. but Bettman and the board of governors would not permit it. They want a team here in a viable market and if there is another team in the GTA they want an expansion franchise at a fat fee.He could sell though which would be great.

Bettman would force Melynk to sell before allowing him to move the franchise and either Anthony LeBlanc or the dude who owns Minto would purchase it then.

Melynk may try to talk a tough game but in the end the BOG won't allow a move to the TO market. Especially when there is a fortune in expansion fees they can get from a second Toronto team.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Bettman works for Melnyk

Bettman isn't forcing Melnyk into anything, any time soon

Petpy is just hysterical. He or she ought to take a deeeeeeeep breath

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

No question he would prefer to be in the Toronto market and would likely move the team if he could. but Bettman and the board of governors would not permit it. They want a team here in a viable market and if there is another team in the GTA they want an expansion franchise at a fat fee.He could sell though which would be great.

So now Melnyk wants to move the team to Toronto?

I also heard that he is trying to steal all of Santaslittlehelper's puppies so that he can make a grehound fur coat.

 

[BonkTastic]

I also heard that he is trying to steal all of Santaslittlehelper's puppies so that he can make a grehound fur coat.

I really like the vest.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

Awwww, crap. Now that Mr Burns song will be stuck in my head all morning.

Humbug!

 

[pepty]

There are days, especially given Melnyk's pension for talking on Toronto radio, that I think he would prefer to relocate this team to Vaughn or Mississauga; especially after the NCC says "no" to the Lebreton arena idea and he can be snubbed. There is simply no way he will take on to find people to invest 600 million + for that project, especially when the governments will not be involved.

Bettman works for Melnyk

Bettman isn't forcing Melnyk into anything, any time soon

Petpy is just hysterical. He or she ought to take a deeeeeeeep breath

You are confused. I said that neither Bettman nor the Board of Governors would permit the team to be moved even if Melnyk wanted to do that -in answer to the above post by operasen.

I would think that is common sense and the opposite of hysteria. Perhaps you should read and try to understand before you get your knickers in a knot and post a response that makes no sense.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Yeah I was drunk

My bad

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

Bettman works for Melnyk

Bettman isn't forcing Melnyk into anything, any time soon

Petpy is just hysterical. He or she ought to take a deeeeeeeep breath

WRONG. Bettman works for the LEAGUE. Which is every owner. His job is to maximize the value of the NHL to all its shareholders and not be betrothed to any one owner. If he didn't do that, then he would have let Jerry Moyes sell the Coyotes to Jim Balsillie so that he could move the team to Hamilton.

There is zero possibility of this franchise moving. This is a healthy market and I already mentioned two people that have been linked to the franchise as potential owners. Leblanc has outright said that he would love to own the Ottawa Senators as it is his hometown team.