JR Ewing

2 hours ago, flyercanuck said:

 

Yeah. Torts was roasted alive for those comments, and rightly so. Barkov is a hell of a hockey player, but it was just a silly thing to say.

11 hours ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

Here's another thing. Is it possible that the Flyers have their future number one guy in Denver Barkey, or do the senior advisors get antsy because of their size fetish? 

I strongly doubt it.

11 hours ago, BobbyClarkeFan16 said:

There's no way to fix the center issue other than draft and hope you nail one. There's definitely no quick fix though. This one is going to be tough to solve.

So much has to swing right in these things. You have to draft the right guy AND hope he doesn't get derailed by injuries, etc, etc, etc.

10 hours ago, OccamsRazor said:

Brayden Point says hello.

 

Sure he is 1 inch taller but but has the frame to get as big needs about 15 to catch Point but with a year or two in the AHL

Just about the only thing that Denver Barkey has in common with Brayden Point is his size. Point is small but has explosive speed; one of the two or three fastest players in the NHL. I looked up their respective numbers during their respective draft years in junior: Point outscored his next-closest teammate by 35 points. Barkey finshed 3rd in team scoring, 24 points behind the leader.

Small guys without a core skill which is elite are destined to be career minor leaguers or, if they catch on for awhile in the NHL, as depth players on league-minimum contracts. Without separation speed or incredible hands or a cannon shot, they're just too easy to neutralize because they're small guys in a big man's sport.

If Denver Barkey has a career like Derek Ryan, I would call that a success, given what he has in his toolbox.

@Math @ruxpinI don't like the IOC or the Olympic Committees of the various countries, who use money which could be much better spent than making sure a bunch of rich guys get richer. I don't like the sportswashing that goes on with the Games or the way it's currently being used in other sports like Formula 1. Trust me; I get all of that.

All of that aside, I want to see a true best-on-best tournament with the best players in the world, and the NHL's mostly non-involvement has been a bad business decision for a very long time. The World Cup of soccer is also a dubious-at-best scenario with respect to politics, but the various premier leagues around the world see the value in allowing their best players to spend two weeks involved in the highest level of competition, where the NHL always had a "why would we do that?" approach.

You don't want to be the biggest representation of the big headline tournament for a global event? Soccer leagues get it; their star player going off somewhere is going to sell jerseys and create interest in their product.  After 2008 there were a billion Messi Barcelona jerseys in circulation.

That didn't happen by accident.

edit -

I have to admit that it doesn't bother me to think of how horrified Pierre de Coubertin would be by the presence of pro athletes at the Olympics. Men born into great wealth and position get to take rather convenient positions on topics like this, while others have to feed themselves.

17 minutes ago, GratefulFlyers said:

Tage Thompson wow that’s surprising considering the 2 monster seasons the past couple years. But I see his stats from college and the A, not a lot there… I guess the Blues scouts saw something they liked a lot…26th overall ain’t bad! Looking forward to see how he fares in the POs …. one of these years…(sorry Sabres’ fans…it was looking good for a bit…)

Huge guys who can skate always get the benefit of the doubt.

6 minutes ago, GratefulFlyers said:

Anyone come to mind who rose above the odds? I’m guessing there’s some but I can’t think of any. Late-round picks who became incredible NHLers yes but guys who 

 

not so much….in fact none. But I’ve never been very familiar or knowledgeable of the guys in Juniors and college hockey. Anyway just curious….not a challenge (in case it sounded like one lol).

In the NHL right now, there's not a lot that pop into my head. Mark Giordano, who didn't establish himself until his mid-20s. He's a defenseman, though, so that can change things. Tage Thompson. He has incredible size but never really produced much until he exploded for 68 pts in 78 games when he was 24. Even in Thompson's case, though, he was a 1st round pick, so scouts saw promise.

1 hour ago, Martin Hare said:

Take a look at the key points of the agreement between the NHL, the IOC and the IIHF on the participation of NHL players in the 2026 and 2030 Olympics

 

https://ruiksport.com/behind-the-scenes-tug-of-war-in-negotiating-nhl-players-participation-in-the-olympics-what-were-the-key-points-in-the-deal/

The NHL has almost always had a very short-sighted approach when it comes to the Olympics. I'm glad to see the players going back.

18 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Nathan MacKinnon.

Not sure there is anyone in the league who can go from a complete standstill to full speed, with the puck, and maneuver around traffic like he can.
MAYBE Connor McDavid....but for some reason, MacK seems a bit more explosive, and he's pretty good at stiff-arming defenders as he protects the puck, not missing a beat as he sets up a play or shoots the puck himself.

I think a little bit of just the way it looks. McDavid is smooth and seemingly effortless, while MacKinnon looks like he and his skates are going to war against the ice.

Morgan Frost won't be an offensive star, but he has developed into a fine two-way centre with tremendous defensive ability. I'd keep him around.

The whole show is always good, but I've time-stamped it for Jones' portion.

Jarmo would have been fired years ago if he was in a Canadian market.

3 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Hmmm, I see.....oh, and ...

---Temporary insanity
---Greig told me, as he hit the ice, he thinks Bettman sucks!
---I thought I was hitting Sean Avery
---Dog ate my homework!   

Yeah, pretty much. He has an agent and a union and wants to use them to reduce the suspension and missed salary.

6 minutes ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

 

Appeals?? LOL....you kidding me? 

"Umm, well, Mr. DPS person.... you see, it really WASN'T me using a graphite weapon cranked across the cranium of my fellow player. No.
Not my game at all. That was someone else.
I suspect I was superimposed onto that footage....and please consider that I play for YOUR Toronto Maple Leafs" 
--- Morgan "Oh Reeeally" Rielly   

 

-"Come on, this is my first suspension."

-"I didn't mean to get him in the head. My stick rode up."

-"As Mr. Rielly's agent, I think these extenuating circumstances dictate a two or three game suspension instead."

17 minutes ago, RonJeremy said:

So even if some are found innocent, they will be terminated anyway? What a society we live in. Its funny how criminals in the NFL and NBA are still playing and in the Hall of Fame.

So, going with a scenario where they're found not guilty... People get terminated, not extended, etc, every day for engaging in conduct which may fall short of being criminal but still puts their employer in a bad light. I fail to understand how these guys have been hard done by.

36 minutes ago, RonJeremy said:

Hart is not gone, we still own his rights, so of he is traded, we will get something.  Due to the circumstances his value will he diminished.  Even if he is found innocent, corporations always turn their backs on you. Especially in today's gold digger,.me too society.

Regardless of what happens in their case, not one of those players will be traded, because their teams won't be able to get anything from any other team. Nothing. Not a draft pick or warm body. They're done anywhere in the hockey world with the possible exception of the KHL.

---

edit - When the time comes, the league will suspend the players and the teams will be permitted to terminate their contracts. Don't expect any of them to be traded.

3 hours ago, jammer2 said:

Hall was out of control in Windsor also. I suspect it started way before the OHL. Really frustrating, because if he was a decent human being and dedicated to honing his skills, he could have been amazing...even HOF material...but alas, hes a selfish, entitled prick that wasted his God given talent. 

It really shows the value in having somebody in a position of authority hold people like him to account at some point.

Mark Messier was a wild young man who cut a wide swath of partying across the NHL, particularly during his time in Edmonton, where stories from old cab drivers are legendary. When Messier was a rookie in the 1980 season, he was late to practice a few times, and finally just no-showed a team flight, so Glen Sather was pulling his hair out in frustration. Sather figured that some time riding the buses and hauling his own bags around as a member of the Houston Apollos in the CHL would straighten him out.

After a couple of weeks, Sather called up Al Rollins and asked how Messier was doing. Rollins told him the kid was terrific, was putting up points and was going to be a hell of a player... if he could learn to show up to the arena. Away from Edmonton, Messier ended up partying even more than he did before, so Sather recalled him, met him at the airport and made the 18-year old move in with his family until he felt the kid had done some growing up.

7 minutes ago, mojo1917 said:

@JR Ewing

Maybe Atkinson?

He's not been himself since missing almost a whole season.

I thought his contract went through 2025, if it's longer- maybe he's a buyout candidate? 

At this point I can't see a team giving up much of value for him without salary retention. Good in the room isn't enough.

His fall off has been sad to watch,  I've always like his game. 

I considered him, but he's UFA after the 2025 season, so I don't think it would upset the apple cart too much if Briere has to go that route.

31 minutes ago, GratefulFlyers said:

Briere should trade Ristolainen ASAP but not at the expense of any “sweeteners.” It should be enough - more than enough - if the Flyers pay half his salary.

Yeah, I think so, too. You get three slots for retaining salary, and one is being used on Hayes. Looking at the roster, though, I don't really see anybody else that it would probably be used on.

https://london.ctvnews.ca/london-ont-s-police-chief-clarifies-comments-at-sexual-assault-news-conference-after-backlash-1.6761665

Step 1. NHL owner buys up land for arena next to homeless shelter.

Step 2. Offer homeless shelter $10M "gift" to move if they reach fundraising goal or $5M if they fall short.

Step 3. Shelter falls short of fundraising goal. They move and ask for the promised $5M.

Step 4. NHL owner gets the land and then sues to get off the hook for the $5M he promised.

#thingsbillionairesdo #suinghomelessshelters

A subsidiary company of the Katz Group is suing a local agency that provides services to the city's homeless population for breach of contract. 

 

Ice District Corporation, which is a part of Katz Group Real Estate Inc., filed a claim in Edmonton's Court of King's Bench in November, arguing it should be off the hook for a conditional $5-million donation it promised to pay as part of Boyle Street Community Services fundraising efforts for a new location.  

 

The social agency's future home known as King Thunderbird Centre, okimaw peyesew kamik in Cree, and the cost of that relocation, is at the heart of the legal battle.

 

According to court documents obtained by CBC News, the Katz Group alleges that it shouldn't have to make the donation because Boyle Street didn't try hard enough to fundraise on its own.

Meanwhile, Boyle Street argues in its own filings that the Katz Group is trying to get out of its commitment to help with the relocation now that it has acquired the downtown property it repeatedly offered to buy from the social agency. 

 

None of the allegations made as part of the civil claim have been proven in court. 

 

Katz Group Real Estate is part of the Katz Group, a private conglomerate founded by Daryl Katz, the billionaire owner of the Edmonton Oilers. The Katz Group led the construction of Rogers Place, the downtown arena where the Oilers play, as well as development in the surrounding area, which has since been renamed Ice District.

 

Both the Katz Group and Boyle Street declined interviews for this story, but provided written statements saying they're in the midst of trying to resolve the dispute through a private arbitration process.

 

"We can't comment on the details of legal proceedings currently ongoing; however, we remain supportive of Boyle Street Community Services and their plans to move into the King Thunderbird Centre, which will provide them with a long-term, sustainable facility to deliver their services," said Tim Shipton, OEG Sports & Entertainment's executive vice president of external affairs. 

OEG Inc., formerly known as Oilers Entertainment Group, is another part of the Katz Group enterprise.

 

In an emailed statement, Boyle Street Community Services said its position on the issue is outlined in its statement of defence filed with the court.

 

"We have and continue to explore multiple funding avenues for this critical project as we owe it to those that we serve to ensure this building becomes a reality," Boyle Street said. 

The 'backstop gift'

Before striking a deal with the Katz Group, Boyle Street operated a community centre out of an old warehouse in downtown Edmonton for 25 years, on land just northeast of Rogers Place.

In 2021, Boyle Street agreed to sell the property at 10116 105th Avenue to the Katz Group, with plans to put the money toward the purchase and renovation of a new facility.

Along with the construction of Rogers Place, the downtown arena where the Edmonton Oilers play, the Katz Group has led development of the surrounding area, which is now known as the Ice District. (David Bajer/CBC)

The social service agency signed a lease for $1 per month with the Katz Group that allowed it to continue operating out of its former building until 2023, when it was expected to relocate.

As part of the conditions of the sale, the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation also made a $10-million donation to Boyle Street to put toward its new premises. 

According to the Katz Group's filings, the Oilers' charity is an arm's-length foundation that is run independently with its own board of directors.

 

The sale and donation were publicly announced, and a capital campaign was launched to fundraise $28.5 million for the project — with at least $8.5 million needed at a minimum to move ahead.

 

 

But according to court documents, Katz Group and Boyle Street also signed an agreement for a "backstop gift," agreeing that if Boyle Street was unable to meet its fundraising goal on its own during the campaign, the Katz Group would give it an extra $5 million.

 

The gift amount would decrease on a dollar-for-dollar basis if Boyle Street was able to raise at least $8.5 million on its own.  

Dispute over fundraising efforts

In its filings, the Katz Group alleges that Boyle Street didn't try hard enough to fundraise  and was planning to rely on the backstop gift.

 

"The charity has not utilized its 'best efforts' in undertaking and completing the capital campaign," it alleges in an amended statement of claim filed Nov. 24, 2023.

 

The Katz Group claims that Boyle Street initially targeted a small number of private donors, rather than casting a wider net for donations, that its efforts to get government funding were inadequate, and that Boyle Street was fundraising for its endowment fund rather than focusing on raising money for its new site.

 

It's also alleged that Boyle Street failed to provide regular updates on the status of the fundraising efforts. 

 

The claim asks the court to declare that Boyle Street breached the contract and that the Katz Group doesn't have to pay any part of the $5 million.

Boyle Street's new King Thunderbird Centre is now expected to be completed in early 2025. (Travis McEwan/CBC)

In its statement of defence filed on Dec.13, 2023, Boyle Street denies much of the Katz Group's allegations, and instead alleges that the Katz Group is trying to get out of its commitment to support development of the new building because it already has what it wanted — the land adjacent to Rogers Place.  

 

"Rather than focusing on the unprecedented houselessness and drug poisoning crisis in Edmonton, developing the new premises, and using funds for these purposes, Boyle Street must now use its resources to defend the allegations made by Katz Group," Boyle Street alleges in its court filings. 

 

When the backstop agreement was signed, the Katz Group offered to support the fundraising campaign, but failed to follow through and was generally unresponsive despite Boyle Street's repeated efforts to reach out and provide updates, Boyle Street alleges in its filings.  

 

Boyle Street also defended its fundraising efforts — stating that during the campaign it reached out to thousands of supporters, major donors, politicians and ran ad campaigns — raising more than $7.3 million by the end of 2022 from 171 private donors, and additional funds since. 

 

The social agency also says that it tried to get the city, the province and the federal government to provide grants and funding, but that both the city and province have declined to offer any support, and that it has applied for a federal grant that has yet to be approved.

Lease extension

The court documents also reveal why Boyle Street suddenly vacated its longtime downtown property in fall 2023, despite its new location not being ready, and despite Shipton publicly stating that Boyle Street had been offered a lease extension for a nominal fee.

 

At the time, Boyle Street declined to comment on why it wouldn't accept the offer. 

 

In its statement of defence, Boyle Street alleges that when the King Thunderbird Centre project ran into delays, it asked for an additional extension of the lease at its 105th Ave. location.

 

It claims the Katz Group agreed on the condition that Boyle Street would forego the $5 million backstop gift.

 

"This offer was high-handed and made in bad faith given the impossible position Boyle Street was in," the statement of defence alleges. 

Boyle Street Community Services moved out of its location at 10116 105th Avenue in a sudden shift to four temporary sites. (Natasha Riebe/CBC)

Boyle Street decided to vacate the property, and set up in several temporary locations around downtown Edmonton.  Boyle Street alleges that it then tried to collect the $5 million once it was off the property, but that the Katz Group refused to pay and then filed a lawsuit.

 

The Katz Group has since filed a response, disputing many of the claims in the statement of defence and denying that it asked Boyle Street to forego the $5 million during lease discussions.

 

In the statement to CBC News, Boyle Street said it has continued to move forward with both fundraising through other avenues and construction of the new facility, which is now expected to be completed in early 2025.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/katz-group-launches-court-battle-with-edmonton-homeless-organization-over-5-million-donation-1.7109439

2 hours ago, CoachX said:

Carter, Richards and the Center City Crew were all legit too, at the start. As soon as the Flyers got a hold of them and elevated Richards to captain, shidt spiraled. Its a common thing with Philly franchises. They coddle young superstars, give them the key to the city, then watch them drown in pool of their own popularity

When the Oilers decided to rebuild after the 2010 season, I watched them eject every single veteran from the roster and traded core-aged players for draft picks with not a thought of who would play those minutes. The assumption, clearly, was that their new high draft choices would play.

They took Taylor Hall and pretty much gave him the keys to the city, the arena and whatever else he wanted. He mocked teammates who hustled in practice, was completely indifferent to playing a complete game and when injuries were taking a toll even told the team to dress one fewer player than try a single game at centre.

Tom Renney tried to hold Hall accountable with a benching and also tried to put a 160-lb Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on injured reserve, and was told he'd be fired at season's end, because the team was trying to sell hope. Hall didn't change, and RNH's shoulder was badly injured days later, requiring season-ending shoulder surgery, so any coach knew the price that would be paid for trying to take him in hand. Anybody on the team who spoke out about these things or expressed frustration was traded. In the case of David Perron, it was by the next morning. Hall's attitude away from the arena continued to get worse, and he was known to stiff bars for drinks and bully people in public.

This had the effect that you might think: the dressing room was divided between Hall's friends, who also put in a similar effort, and those who were sick of it. Hall was finally given away to the Devils for Adam Larsson who was a very good defensive d-man, but hardly the return you would want. Oscar Klefbom stated that just getting Hall off the roster was addition by subtraction.

Anyway... This isn't to crap on Taylor Hall, but to say that I agree with you; that it's a terrible idea to coddle young players - anybody, really. People should be required to earn what they get in this world and not have it handed to them.

Here's a good clip, by the way:

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares isn’t one to drop the gloves very often on the ice, but it looks like he’ll be doing so in court. Tavares reportedly is taking on the Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) in a dispute over more than $8 million in taxes and interest that the government says he owes. The case stems from the $15.3-million signing bonus that Tavares received when joining the Leafs in 2018.

According to a report in the National Post, Tavares filed an appeal in the Tax Court of Canada through his lawyers last week seeking to have the CRA’s reassessment of his 2018 tax return set aside. The appeal claims the CRA incorrectly calculated the taxes he owes on the signing bonus the Leafs paid him, arguing that it should have been taxed at only 15% under a provision of a Canada-U.S. taxation treaty, which sets the lower tax rate for “inducements,” such as signing bonuses.

Instead, the CRA assessed Tavares at a rate of more than 38% on the bonus, plus interest. The government agency has not yet filed a response to the appeal.

The outcome of the case could have implications on professional sports franchises looking to offer big signing bonuses to convince free agents to play in Canada — a task made harder by the Liberal government’s decision to raise the top federal tax rate from 29% to 33% in 2016.

“Tavares is a marquee player and there was a great amount of interest by the bidding teams in signing him,” his lawyers state in the appeal filing.

At the time, Sports Illustrated said the higher combined tax rates in Canada and Ontario meant Tavares’ effective take-home pay would be $4.5 million per year if he signed with Toronto, compared to $5.9 million if he had inked a deal with the Dallas Stars.

But the Mississauga native turned down larger bids from other teams to play in Toronto — including a $91-million, seven-year offer from San Jose.

The $15.3-million signing bonus offered by Toronto “was integral” in his decision, the appeal says.

The CRA’s reassessment says Tavares’ income for 2018 was $17.8 million higher than reported, and calculated that he owed an additional $6.8 million in taxes, plus $1.2 million in interest on the arrears, according to the appeal.

However, Tavares argues that the bonus was paid into his New York-based bank account in July 2018 and that he spent only 45 days in Canada between September and December of that year, once he began playing with Leafs.

Not insignificantly, Tavares’ contract ends after the 2024-25 season and he should be looking to cash in — perhaps for the last time in his career.

According to capfriendly.com, Tavares receives the vast majority of his salary through bonuses. In fact, of the $77 million in his seven-year contract, a whopping $70,890,000 of it is designated as a signing bonus.

https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/tavares-in-8-million-fight-with-cra

16 minutes ago, Podein25 said:

 

Plus Ghomeshi had an absolute shark of a lawyer who made minced meat of those women.

Yes, from everything I've read, Marie Henein is pretty much one of the top dog defense attorneys in the country.