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Ottawa Owner Speaks-Out On Heatley
by Paul on 10/02/09 at 09:07 AM ET
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from Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun,
While Melnyk wants to put the controversy behind the Senators, who open the season tomorrow in New York against the Rangers, he conceded the situation left a “sour taste” in his mouth and would advise anybody against signing players to front-end-loaded, long-term contracts.
After signing Heatley to a six-year, $45-million contract extension in October 2007, and shelling out more than $14 million to him in the last 12 months — including a whopping $4-million bonus on July 1 — Melnyk found it disrespectful.
“I spoke directly across the table, with (Heatley) and his agents,” said Melnyk. “When you make that type of commitment to a player where you front-end load a contract, you expect, just as a human being, when you shake somebody’s hand — never mind a 130-page contract — that they will be reciprocal to it. That’s my biggest disappointment. These people, I mean just as human beings, (shouldn’t) do that to anyone.
“Yes, it has left a sour taste, but you’ve got to forget about that. You learn from it and you’ll never do it again. I guarantee you, anybody else out there should be aware this can happen to (them) if the other side is not genuine.”
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators, San Jose Sharks | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: Eugene+Melnyk,
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