SENShobo
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A Little Optimism From Ottawa
by SENShobo on 07/02/09 at 07:58 PM ET
Comments (3)
From the Ottawa Senators’ website,
“I’m just worried about our team moving forward and the city of Ottawa and us bringing a championship here and winning,” Spezza said when asked about the pending trade of Heatley to the Edmonton Oilers – a deal that won’t happen unless the two-time 50-goal scorer waives the no-movement clause in his contract. “That’s the focus for our players and if Heater wants to be here with that, then we’d accept him back.
“He’s (been) a great teammate when he was here and if doesn’t want to be here, then he’s got to let us move on.”
Looking past the obvious challenge of seeing the Senators anywhere near a championship even before this debacle, more than Neil or Fisher’s previous surprise at the situation, this has been the first real sign of a stand by the team. ‘Giggles’ stepping up and being respectful towards his longtime linemate, while quietly putting the team first, is enough to give you some hope that the team can rally together finally after all the falling outs they’ve had.
When Emery was bought out, the media made enough of a scapegoat of him that the team didn’t need to stand up and speak. When Redden left for New York, he had fallen enough in standing (and was a free agent) that there was no reason to stand up and speak. Now, however, the third-highest goal-scorer since the lockout wants to lose the team he only too happily agreed to be a part of, a leader of, just one year ago.
It would be nice if someone could tell him that requesting a trade to one of the Bruins, Rangers, Red Wings, Blackhawks, Canucks, Sharks, and Kings is something of a sore point, nearly all of them first rate organizations, most of them perennial achievers. It would be great if someone could tell him that a team overflowing with defencemen probably didn’t want to pick up another dead weight in Rozsival or Redden, and that no movement clauses are to prevent movement, not to force and control it like a high-stakes game of chess where everyone comes out a loser.
The door’s going to be open a long time for Heatley to explain how things could go sour in so little time, apparently over such justifiable trivialities as have been put forth, and it might never come to a close.
But if Heatley pushing himself away from this team can get them to finally pull together, to get players like Spezza to finally step up in ways we’d been hoping patiently for, then maybe this tragedy doesn’t need to end with hemlock for all.
Here’s to hoping, anyway, after all the grief of the past few weeks.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Ottawa Senators, Trades | SENShobo | Permalink
Tags: Dany+Heatley, Jason+Spezza,
Comments
I’m not ready to annoint him with anything quite yet, but at this point I think Ottawa fans need any glimmer of hope they can hang onto. When the good day returns, any strings we can trace back to this event will help wash any bitterness away, to some degree I hope.
Posted by SENShobo from Waterloo, ON on 07/03/09 at 07:35 AM ET
Yeah…let’s wait before we anoint Spezza with anything except scorn and doubt.
Last September he said he’d have the Cup at his wedding…no playoffs.
Year before that he sad the Cup was more important than scoring points or becoming a two-way player.
This guy talks about the Cup as if it’s a substance you can pick up at Loeb and just bring home with you, something disposable and perishable. He just doesn’t get it. That Cup finals in 2007? That might be the ONLY time in his career he gets that close.
Listening to him on the radio today he still giggles like a 14 year old.
What is it going to take for someone to break his balls and for him to get some meanness, some jaded vitriol and dirt under his fingernails?
I don’t want to hear him talk about the Stanley Cup, I want results.
Four more years to deliver Jason, or you’re all talk like so many here in Ottawa (looks at the Hill)
Posted by Greg on 07/06/09 at 11:30 PM ET
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This little silver lining is made all the more heartening after everything that Spezza has put up from the fans, media, and even the organization. While there are some problems with his game, to be sure, he’s often been the undeserved scapegoat when things go wrong.
Alfie is sacrosanct, and Heatley rarely faced criticism (for reasons that are now obvious - he can’t handle it). Spezza bore the brunt.
And now, here he is, affirming his commitment to the team and the city that has so often blamed him when things went bad (as they so often have, lately). On a day when he was passed over by his country, no less.
This kid has more character than anyone gives him credit for.
Posted by Da lil guy from Ottawa on 07/02/09 at 09:59 PM ET