2013: The NHL season that almost wasn't

According to The Star, George Cope CEO of BCE wanted Burke out.

 

Well, at least according to Damien Cox

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1312991--brian-burke-fired-decision-by-toronto-maple-leafs-new-suits-lacked-class-cox

And as someone who's been a Leafs fan for over 50 years, this is, as Cox points, out just another classless move by the jock sniffers at MLSE.

This new ownership group could be worse than the Teacher's Pension Fund who at least kept their noses out of hockey related matters.

I may end up being a Sabres fan yet.

 

Oh come on, stay Canadian. Lots of room on the Oilers Bandwagon, get on before all the johnny comelatelies try to pile on before the playoffs.

 

What the hell happened to Redden? He seemed like a really good player in Ottawa and then sort of disappeared with the Rangers? Did he get hurt somewhere along the line? His saga, whatever is behind it, seems one of the stranger ones in recent years.

 

Redden is barely an AHL dmen. During his time with the Rangers, he got outplayed by practically every dmen on the team.

If Redden really, really wanted back in the NHL, he could have failed to report to Hartford when he was demoted, which would have voided his NHL contract and allowed him to take his services elsewhere and an UFA.

Wade decided to collect his paycheck and play in the AHL instead.

That's all you need to know about Redden. The man has collected Millions and Millions. His family is set for life. Yet, money was more important to him than having an opportunity to play for a Cup.

 

Are you sure that would have voided his contract? Without looking it up I would have thought he would have been suspended and wouldn't have received a dime. If you are correct, then there are a lot of guys doing the same thing that Redden has done.

 

So, what on earth happened to go from all-star caliber to barely AHL caliber? I'm not sure I buy the idea someone forgot how to skate.

 

For all sorts of personal reasons I will never cheer for any team in Edmonton.

The fact that it's the capital of Alberta doesn't change the fact that it's a dump of a city. Podunkville.

 

Fair enough. I have a few cities I feel that way about, too.

 

The giant turning point in his career I look at is the 2006 Olympics in Italy. He was flying high, was playing terrific hockey. Then he suffered a shoulder injury and the slide started. His defensive partner, Chara then signed with the Bruins in the off-season and Redden's confidence never really semmed to recover. He went from a defenceman who made good decisions and nice passes out of his zone, to someone who battled with indecision and turnovers. He still had enough of a reputation left in 08 to get the big contract from the Rangers, but after two years they realized they made a pretty big mistake and they burried him in the minors. That was basically the last I heard or seen of him. With the new CBA the Rangers can only hide up to $900,000 with him in the minors, so he would still count over $5 mil agaisnt the cap. So as soon as he can be bought out -- this summer -- he is gone. There is always a market for offensive defencemen, had no idea if he had rediscovered his game or not. I hockey db'd him and it looked like his 2010-11 year was not bad, but he only played 30-odd games last season and was a minus player. Wasn't sure if it was injuries or if he had been a healthy scratch.

 

The first part I can inderstand, the second half of that cuts a little deep for someone from Hamilton who is considering rooting for the Buffalo Bills.

Wasn't saying you had to like the city, was just offering an alternative for a team to cheer for.

 

Damien Cox gets the first interview with Burke.

http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/article/1313781--brian-burke-exclusive-interview-former-maple-leafs-gm-says-he-was-stunned-by-firing

Burke was driving to the airport on Wednesday to catch a 10:30 flight to New York for an NHL board of governors meeting when he answered a phone call from Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chief operating officer Tom Anselmi. Anselmi asked Burke to instead come to the team’s offices at the Air Canada Centre where he was told he wasn’t in charge of the Leafs anymore.

Stay classy, MLSE