Hopped up on Goofballs
Actually, Tim Horton's fine coffee. Made the drive from Southwestern Ontario to Ottawa tonight and was doing some reading as I calm down from the drive.
Erin Nicks is going to be writing for a long time if she keeps putting out columns like this:
In the new-era NHL, who should be financially responsible for Marian Hossa's delusions?
....
Hossa admitted his displeasure to the Sun's Bruce Garrioch, and expressed a desire to be compensated in the manner of the league's top echelon of players, specifically Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla.
Iginla penned his new contract with the Flames for $21 million over three years, and Thornton agreed to a three-year, $20-million deal on Thursday. Hossa reminded the Sun his statistics are similar to both players.
.....
And if the Slovak and his agent are searching for a legitimate comparison, they should look at Milan Hejduk's recent contract with the Avalanche. The Czech forward had similar numbers to Hossa's (Hejduk netted 35 goals and 40 assists in 2003-04), but Colorado's situation is similar to the Senators, with a supporting cast that assists in favourable numbers for most players. Hejduk's salary reflects this -- he'll be receiving $3.7 million in 2005-06.
There's another sticking point that Hossa isn't considering, and it was demonstrated in his comments to the Sun on Wednesday:
"I'm not pissed off. You know me, I'm not that type of guy."
Exactly.
Whether on or off the ice, Hossa has rarely displayed emotion. The evidence of heart is one of those intangibles that can pay handsomely, if a player possesses it. Iginla and Thornton are captains of their respective teams, and that decision surely was not based on skill alone. Hossa may be the top scorer for the Senators, but he's not a leader.
When one speculates on future captains in Ottawa, names like Fisher and Spezza come to mind -- rounded players with talent and emotion, which will manifest itself eventually into larger paycheques.
Very, very true.
Erin Nicks is going to be writing for a long time if she keeps putting out columns like this:
In the new-era NHL, who should be financially responsible for Marian Hossa's delusions?
....
Hossa admitted his displeasure to the Sun's Bruce Garrioch, and expressed a desire to be compensated in the manner of the league's top echelon of players, specifically Joe Thornton and Jarome Iginla.
Iginla penned his new contract with the Flames for $21 million over three years, and Thornton agreed to a three-year, $20-million deal on Thursday. Hossa reminded the Sun his statistics are similar to both players.
.....
And if the Slovak and his agent are searching for a legitimate comparison, they should look at Milan Hejduk's recent contract with the Avalanche. The Czech forward had similar numbers to Hossa's (Hejduk netted 35 goals and 40 assists in 2003-04), but Colorado's situation is similar to the Senators, with a supporting cast that assists in favourable numbers for most players. Hejduk's salary reflects this -- he'll be receiving $3.7 million in 2005-06.
There's another sticking point that Hossa isn't considering, and it was demonstrated in his comments to the Sun on Wednesday:
"I'm not pissed off. You know me, I'm not that type of guy."
Exactly.
Whether on or off the ice, Hossa has rarely displayed emotion. The evidence of heart is one of those intangibles that can pay handsomely, if a player possesses it. Iginla and Thornton are captains of their respective teams, and that decision surely was not based on skill alone. Hossa may be the top scorer for the Senators, but he's not a leader.
When one speculates on future captains in Ottawa, names like Fisher and Spezza come to mind -- rounded players with talent and emotion, which will manifest itself eventually into larger paycheques.
Very, very true.
