At least for a little while. Thrashers GM, Don Waddell, has said that the Thrashers would definitely be buyers when the deadline came around. So maybe Kovy will be coming back! But, at the moment, Kovy is a New Jersey Devil!
Kovalchuk's impending contract re-signing/trade has been the buzz in Atlanta for weeks. At first, we were reasonably certain that Ilya would re-sign. This has been his home for 8 years. He and his wife recently built a large beautiful house. Both of his children were born here and his wife is very pregnant with their third child. Plus, Ilya said he wanted to stay. He said Atlanta was his home. Okay Ilya, we believe you.
Time went on and no contract. Don Waddell said he hoped to have something done by Christmas. The fans were excited.
Christmas as well as the new year came and went. We started thinking that it must be the damned owners, the much criticized, and rightly so, Atlanta Spirit. They own the Atlanta Thrashers as well as the NBA's Atlanta Hawks. They also own our venue, Phillips Arena. They are notoriously cheap and have been lamented as being horrible owners. That must be it. Kovy wants to stay, but the cheap bastards aren't willing to pay him.
More time passed and eventually Don stopped talking about it. Trade Rumors were running wild. One rumor was that Ilya wanted an obscene amount of money, like cap max money. This divided Blueland (Thrashers fans) into 3 categories:
1. Pay the man, he's Ilya-freaking-Kovalchuk.
2. Cap Max for Kovy?? Yeah, he's a scoring leader, but he can't back check for shit, he's defensibly irresponsible and he's not been that great lately. He's the face of our franchise, but we've been losing just fine with him for years. How are we supposed to pay other players to play with him if all our money is tied up with Ilya?
3. The typical douche bags that are just at the game to be seen or because they got some free tickets at work.
In the last few days we have found out that Ilya was indeed offered 2 very lucrative contracts, including one that was $101 million for 12 years, one of the highest in the league. He turned it down. Apparently all of that " I want to stay in Atlanta" stuff was an act. I think maybe he didn't want to look like an ass by wanting to leave, so he asked for ridiculous money thinking the Spirit would say no. Then they called his bluff and he had to answer.
So Ilya is now a Devil, I'm fine with that. The Devils are actually my 2nd favorite team. In return for Ilya and defenseman Anssi Salmela, we got Johnny Oduya, Niclas Bergfros, prospect Patrice Cormier (made famous by his seizure inducing hit in the QMJHL) and a first round draft pick. I'm a huge Oduya fan, so I'm excited. Even if Ilya does not come back to the Thrashers and his career takes him else where, I'll be a fan ( as long as he doesn't sand bag Atlanta fans or something). Good luck Ilya!
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Ilya Kovalchuk Is A Devil!
Sunday, June 08, 2008
I belieeeeeve!
X-posted to THTM.
As well as talking about the Danny Syvret/Ryan Potulny trade-o-rama that really only affects AHL followers, this article at Canoe.ca is the first I've seen of a Canadian news source backing my newest cocakmamie scheme. Says John Short:
My guess would be that Seattle - having lost the NBA Sonics - is a better potential location for the NHL than many of the southern markets now in place.
If it mattered, you could say the same about Winnipeg and Quebec City. Arena upgrades are necessary, but they're not impossible.
Well thought out on the surface level, Mr. Short, but I believe that the Supersonics are leaving because of issues with Key Arena, meaning you probably wouldn't be able to drop an NHL team in there and have them not whine about it as well. Driving the nail in that coffin is also the fact that the Seattle Thunderbirds (WHL) are running from Key Arena to somewhere in Kent for the next season as well, implying that hockey isn't flourishing there either.
Know where hockey WOULD flourish in the Pacific Northwest however? I've told you this before.... and since Seattle just got the MLS team, it seems fair that someone would throw Portland another major league team as well, as we've only got the one. I mean think about it, sure they'd share the building with the Blazers, but the Wizards and the Capitals share Verizon and it... mostly works. If Portland's denied the MLS team and the MLB team they've been coveting, wouldn't people grudgingly accept an NHL team? People in Seattle would have the option of going to Portland OR Vancouver to watch hockey, and it'd give someone local to the poor Canucks to play, instead of leaving them stuck up there in Vancouverville all alone. Just think, you could have the I-5 Ice War or something.....
So Dearest Bettman, (although I only call you that when I want something,)please give us the struggling Thrashers. I'm sure we can slot Army and Crush into the insanity that is the general MO of Portland, and it'd give the poor Canadians a chance to see snow once in a while again.
Read More......
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Calder Cup Time!
They played with sincere desperation last night despite leading the series 3-1 against the Toronto Marlies (can someone seriously explain to me what a 'marlie' is? Is it some sort of cracked up, misspelled version of 'marlin?'). Pavelec – AKA baby Jesus resurrection – made some absolutely ridiculous saves and the team mauled him at the end of the game. That was, without a doubt, the best moment of the year. Seeing them all on the ice, jumping up and down together and listening to them chant 'Ole Ole Ole, Ole, Ole!' (Which really doesn't make any sense because we're playing hockey here, not soccer; but I guess they couldn't think of anything else, and they were already high on victory and smelling salts so they didn't know what they were saying).
They will face either the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins or the Portland Pirates (series tied 3-3) in the finals. It all depends on tonight's game. But does it really matter? The Wolves are lords...or their playoff mustaches are giving them some wicked good luck.
Update: They will be against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the Finals.
Photo Courtesy Chicago Wolves.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
I Never Need To Watch Draft Day Again.
I really don't have much of substance to say. I think Ray Shero's critically changed the chemistry of the Penguins, and I doubt that Hossa was worth it. I think it's very indicative that there hasn't been much said by a lot of the Pens, just Hossa (who's supposedly an old buddy of Shero's) and Shero himself, and I think that the Pens have crippled themselves for the future by losing Espo and the draft pick. Regardless of whether they get the Cup this year or not, I think it's going to be a very painful next couple of years for them, as I see very little depth in WBS. In short, I'm having rather a crisis of Penguins faith.
I don't think I can outrightly stop watching them, but as I've admitted before, Army is really the singular player that got me into hockey, and it's rather wrenching to see him not on my first love team anymore. I'm man enough to admit that there were waterworks when I found out (just ask Caps Chick.) In addition, the longer I spend in DC, the more the Caps grow on me, and with the DC/Atlanta rivalry the way it is, it's especially hard to figure out where my loyalties are supposed to be in this situation.
However, rather than being ridiculously emo and lamenting how much life sucks (which it does, trust me, I'm not out of the depression phase into acceptance yet by a long shot) I've chosen to channel it into making the....
Ray Shero, Please Walk Off A Cliff mix.
Midnight Train to Georgia Gladys Knight and the Pips
Expendable Youth Slayer
Boys Don't Cry The Cure
Mad World Gary Jules
Don't You Forget About Me Simple Minds
Sunshine (Go Away Today) Jonathan Edwards
Everybody Hurts REM
Worst Day Since Yesterday Flogging Molly
Big Yellow Taxi Joni Mitchell
Don't Dream It's Over Crowded House
Take A Picture Filter
Hurt Johnny Cash
The Stolen Child The Waterboys
Wonderwall Oasis
I'll Be There For You The Rembrandts
Hallelujah Rufus Wainwright
Leaving Town Dexter Freebish
Move Along The All American Rejects
Ashokan FarewellMark O'Connor
And an extra, for Joe Motzko
Sunday, April 01, 2007
so not april fools
As there are no Thrashers members here, and I'm a pretty big fan of them I'm totally PSYCHED to let everyone know that with today's loss by the Toronto Maple Leafs (And I <3 them too so that was heartbreaking)
that in 2007 coming LIVE FROM THE NHL PLAYOFFS..
will be the
ATLANTA THRASHERS!!!
I'm psyched! Bring it on BLUE LAND!
And the best part? IT's not even an APRIL FOOLS JOKE!
