Kovalev: Don't suspend Lidstrom, Datsyuk
by James Mirtle on Jan 25, 2009 12:29 AM CST
4 comments
A lot of the talk all all-star weekend has been about the NHL's alleged plan to hold six-time Norris Trophy winner Nicklas Lidstrom and teammate Pavel Datsyuk out of the Red Wings' next game because they missed the all-star festivities, but a few of their fellow players weren't onboard with that idea.
Alexei Kovalev included.
"I don't think it's a good decision," he said. "In my point of view, players get hurt and they're worried about how they're going to do their job the rest of the season.
"You come here for the weekend to have fun. It's not fair for the fans [when players don't show up], but at the same time, you know, if you get hurt, your focus should be to get better and help your team.
"That's what I think happened with [Lidstrom and Datsyuk]. They got hurt, for them it was important to get healthy and to help their team."
Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said no one from the league had told him of a decision regarding two of his stars being forced out.
"We're all about in Detroit selling the league," he said. "We do a good job of that, we have a nice team. Nick Lidstrom has been [to the all-star game] nine years in a row here. He has some tendonitis in his elbows, has all year long. He's not playing. But to me that's straight forward. I don't have a problem with that.
"Pavel Datsyuk left a one-goal game after the first timeout in the third period. We're in the winning business, we try to win our games. So I think that pretty much sums all that up."
TSN's Darren Dreger has more on the issue.
0 recs |
4 comments
| Add comment
|
Email
Print
Comments
They could have bothered to at least show up for the weekend, even if they weren’t playing.
by matskralc on Jan 25, 2009 8:21 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
Why bother showing up if they aren’t playing?
I don’t recall players doing that before – and they weren’t voted in, so logically the fans wanted to see someone else more than either of them , so if they pull out because of injury it’s no great loss.
"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams
by Baroque on Jan 25, 2009 8:32 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
CBA?
I thought I had read somewhere that this was already provided for in the CBA. Datsyuk and Lidstrom make plenty of money, but this event pumps up league revenue. Wasn’t it 10 million or so just for the naming rights?
In a time when they’re thinking of putting away up to %20 in escrow, I know I’d be pretty miffed if some superstar didn’t want to help bring league revenues up and I was making league minimum and had to give up even more, just because he’s already been there/done that.
Mirtle, you probably know about this stuff more than I, but this is how I’m seeing it until I hear otherwise.
Join me on the Hockey Blog Adventure!
by Cornelius Hardenbergh on Jan 25, 2009 8:43 AM CST reply actions 0 recs
I think the language in the CBA refers to participation being under the control of the club that holds a player’s contract – so if it is fine with the team that a player decline participation in international competition or all-star games or such, that seems to fulfil the requirements. It goes along with the idea of teams not releasing young players for junior competition, too, so it is logically consistent to defer to the team which actually pays a player, instead of the league which does not have the control over the contract. I know there is no language regarding a suspension of an actual game for not showing up to an event that doesn’t count in the standings, and contrary to an earlier comment Brodeur was not suspended last year after missing the game for personal reasons – he had 23 saves in a loss against the Penguins, I think (and he didn’t miss the previous game, either).
(Also, Bettman doesn’t even think the escrow needs to be set at such a high percentage because the league is doing so well.)
"A vacuum is a hell of a lot better than some of the stuff that nature replaces it with." -- Tennessee Williams
by Baroque on Jan 25, 2009 9:46 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs
Join the community and dive in!
Secondary Sidebar
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
