EHM The Blue Line

I do only because at one point it was an option for my son. But now...he is back to baseball as he got injured and had to sit out forever in hockey, and decided it was not for him. Good on him I said, but it came about 3 years too late.

Yeah I used to work for a CHL team the education policy is pretty good. Basically because they are smart enough to avoid the drama the NBA/NFL deal with as far as players education.

I think the thread has been overly harsh on hockey players as far as being "dumb" or bad with money. Anyone who has spent time around athletes of different sports or heck even just reading, knows it is very much a racial issue due to the culture and area where these sports cultivate and the cost invovled.

A hockey player making a bad investment on a restaurant is very much different than someone blowing all their money on gold rims for their cars and strip clubs. I don't remember the exactly statistic but its something insanely high like 80% of NFL players file for bankruptcy/financial assistance from the player union within 2 years of being out of the league. Tax problems suck, but I wouldn't solely blame the player for those, his management team should be all over that. Sports taxes are super complicated (you now file returns in each state that you play a game in for income)

The biggest problem for many athletes that think they're smart with their money is the "extra" cost. You buy that 100K Mercedes in cash sure, but the insurance is higher on that car, the premium gas adds up, maintenance costs more, etc. You pay 1m in cash for your mansion but you have association fee because its in a nice area, your property taxes are higher, etc. Your kids private school was nothing before, now all of a sudden you pay attention to that $5K a month holy rubbish! All those extras hit you hard when you stop playing.

I think only one person in this thread has been harsh on hockey players and ability to handle money etc. Everyone else seems to mostly be on the same page. I prefer though to think of the issues with NFL, NBA players vs NHL (and to some extent MLB) not so much being racial or cultural as OPPORTUNITY. Yes definitely some racial culture issue still, and some geographic issues that need resolving, but not as much as 25 years ago. The programs the leagues offer to players in NFL and NBA have come a long long way. But yeah....still appears to be some racial or cultural issues that you hear about in terms of gang life, etc
It is changing...but altogether too slowly and nowhere near enough. Society is trying to help change it in some areas, but unfortunately the cycle on BOTH sides of the cultural/racial issues have elements (people) that are still continuing to do what their parents, grandparents and anscestors did and are not 100% changing with societal attitudes.


This is for North America though, not sure this stuff happens in Europe so much. Enough edumacation big word stuff.



Grunt hit shoot score grunt

Montreal was already losing 0-3 with only 6 min done in the first period and now it's 7-3 for them. Ottawa sure knows how to lose a lead.

Yeah, they showed a lot of character, to come back this strong after such an awful start. Leaving Budaj in nets was a good decision. He bouced back well and surely he got a confidence boost out of it. Anderson, on the other hand... geez. Montreal shot only 23 times.

Unrelated questions... anyone knows anything about Alec Martinez? He's never really contributed offensively for the Kings, was scratched relatively often/for long stretches, and all of a sudden, he's got 15 points in his last 17 games. Is that what he was projected to become, some one-off lucky sequence or a bit of both?

I hate Montreal

I was watching the Wings game so I didn't watch it but it seems pretty crazy with the highlights!

I watch Jackets... agree with jester, looks crazy on highlights.

Boston is like some disease... and I'm happy about Colorado, hehe.

Avs have reached a couple of milestone with this win.

Varlamov tied-up with Roy with the most wins by a Avs goalie in one season. (Could even beat him)

This is their third best season in their history so far.

Roy is the 5th coach to reach 50 wins in his first NHL season. It's also only the second time the Avs reach 50 wins in one season.

Their 24 wins on the road are a new team record.

My devils may still have a chance at this!

DJP19 wrote:I hate Montreal

GO HABS GO

Gillis axed in Van. Not a shock. Now rumours about Linden as president and a few about Pat Quinn. Nicholson is something out there as well, and a few others. TOrts is safe .... for the moment. Fans all excited about Linden. Cracks me up. ZERO experience but such is life.

No surprise there for sure. Since the owners picked Torto I'm sure they'll try to keep him at least another season.

Depends on what looking for in a GM. If a puppet yes. If a guy who is allowed to make own decisions...not necessarily.

Not really to sure about it but that is how fans and pressure work in sports. Who are the Canucks going to get that is really better than him? The Canucks have a lot of success since he has been there then one missed playoff and gone? As been mentioned before they have had many injuries. I'm guess it is somewhat policitcal between him and owners. There was the rumor Gillis had a trade in place to send Kesler away but Owners were furious and told him no. I'm sure the handling of the goalie situation doesn't help either.

Still, I don't think he should have went even if he was 100% on everything he did.

I think they way he handled the goalie situation and the way it turned out is reason enough. I guess they have got rid of some salary, but all thy got in return for two starters was a good prospect(outcome undetermined), a backup up goalie and a fringe player. I think the AI in EHM could've done a better job.

DJP19 wrote:I think they way he handled the goalie situation and the way it turned out is reason enough. I guess they have got rid of some salary, but all thy got in return for two starters was a good prospect(outcome undetermined), a backup up goalie and a fringe player. I think the AI in EHM could've done a better job.

This is awesome explanation, made me laugh a lot. Thank you for that.

He was also part of giving Luongo that big long contract, not just the trading away part.

LOL. EHM AI better.

1. Bad trades all around. Ballard came to Vancouver for Grabner and a 1st round pick.
2. All they have to show for 2 star goalies is a guy who is a 4th liner (Mattias) on his old team which was a naff bottom feeding team, a young backup goalie (For now who MAY be a good starter one day) and a 2nd line C prospect (Horvat)
3. Bad drafting...Canucks have NOTHING on their roster for ANY of the drafts that Gillis did. At least regular roster. Corrado starting to come through.
4. Brand is suffering. For the first time in ages the Corporate Suites are not sold out, the rink is SHOWING as a sell out BUT....the rink has empty seats every game.
5. Public-THe general public in Vancouver is very impatient. Winning must happen. Especially with what they were sold by the franchise and GIllis.
6. He comes across as an arrogant, smug know it all in the public eye. Not like Burke who would snap on media but would also charm them.
7. He was arrogant about going back to the old ways of building this team, even as recently as two weeks ago, basically challenging the owner to fire him or his coach....because the coach . The coach and the GM did not want to play the same style of hockey.
8. The CORE of the winning roster-Sedin, Sedin, Kesler, Burrows, Luongo, Bieksa, Edler ARE ALL NONIS or BURKE acquisitions. No player outside of Hamhuis has come in here that Gillis brought in (save Erhoff) and had any kind of impact, and he lost Erhoff. Erhoff trade was only good one he has made that came out as a winner.
9. This franchise based on results of last 15 years under Quinn, Burke, Nonis has been considered a top 10 franchise for players to come and play for....now under Gillis you have players asking out of the team. Luongo, Kesler...who knows who else.
10. GM has not drafted ANY players from the WHL (Well 2 actually in his entire career here). Considering the success of WHL players in this city as players...this is not perceived as a good thing. Draft from back yard.
11. He has said NO to trades that other GMs are wildly critical of. Gillis is known to overvalue his roster big time.
12. he is not liked by other Gms because of his arrogance, smugness and his former agent days where he was a nasty fool (Pavel Bure agent when he asked out of Vancouver, all kinds of things in negotiations)...this led DIRECTLY to Nonis continually baiting him and changing his trade offer to less and less and less in Luongo negotiations and to Nonis pulling the plug last second at the Trade Deadline last year.
13. Most importantly though---this team is EXPECTED to be a succesful franchise. It has not been. So the guy was given a chance and failed dramatically since 2011 when he took a team to the Stanley Cup Final and failed. Dramatically.
14. Perception of Gillis is BAD BAD BAD.. I have yet to hear ANYONE speak out about him being a good guy, about him being a good GM who got shafted.

But being asked this by a Wings fan is funny....because they have hatchets out (or had) for their coaches and GM who are pereived by those in the game, the media and the public as the elite leadership group in the league (With Chicago)


It is not just one thing...it is all of them....and the city has come to expect winning and has not had it for a few years. Also expects entertaining hockey and the owner and GM misread things in hiring Tortorella as well. His style will not wash with Vancouver Fans unless they absolutely win the cup.

The Luongo thing on its own would not have been enough if....the Canucks had kept him and managed to make the playoffs. But with all that he has done poorly over the years...time to go.

Funny enough he did won the "GM of the year" one time IIRC? Seems like he probably won it because of the job the past GMs have done and not himself.

Yep...exactly.

SO now the Canucks have hired Linden. really? Another greenhorn? Who has upset everyone around the league way back when when he was President of the NHLPA. Oh goodie. Even got a big wig fired (Goodenow)

the circus continues. Yay. Because circuses are always entertaining.

Just cannot believe that Trevor took the job. so many downsides to him doing this..personally. He is seen as a hero and a leader and a god in this city. That is likely going to change, and his business acumen is amazing. He and his partner have done really well in the fitness and real estate businesses. Now he is putting his rep on the line as a hero, god, superman, and all. Boy has testicles that is for sure. Going to be an interesting ride for him.

Will hire GM hopefully by early June. Wants permission to speak with some guys working with teams and will consider Laurence Gillman and Lorne Henning who are with the team already (Smyl ruled out...thankfully for the Canucks...not a super smart dude....good hockey guy, but not smart)

Will evaluate the team and Torts as things go on. Met Torts for first time ever today.

came across as very confident and not arrogant as Trevor always does. I hope it goes well for him as he is an amazingly great person (Have met him several times) but this job in particular like in Toronto and Montreal is a giant powder keg.

Linden is arrogant? I never really followed Vcr closely but from afar he always looked to me like a good and calm leader. I'm thinking he could do a good job as a president but only time will tell.

No Linden is NOT arrogant. Gillis was arrogant. Linden is a guy who could be mayor of Vancouver, or god the way this city worships him.

Alright that's what I thought.

Batdad: Just a curious question. Why are you "most of the time" talking about Vancouver? It almost seems you were in war with them in your past life!?

batdad wrote:or god the way this city worships him.

Sorry batdad, but you spelled God wrong. I just had to.

Don't be offended. I'm -->