When is Alfie to blame?

I hope I don’t get crucified for posting this – but at some point Alfie is going to have to take some heat for the team’s performance over the past couple of years, the mess in the locker room and even the Heatley situation.



Alfie is my favourite sen – the only reason I have a heater jersey is because it was so tough to find an Alfie one during the Stanley Cup run.



Alfie’s on ice leadership, work ethic and raw talent make him deserving of all the accolades that have come his way over the past 4-5 years – but where has our captain been off the ice and in the locker room?



Obviously Heatley is a meatball – and Spezza hasn’t done enough to make this his team – but when is it time to change the guard? Is there someone that could have handled the Emery situation better? Someone to have challenged the direction or approach of Hartsburg or Paddock. And what about Heatley – how would some of the great hockey leaders handled him – compared to how or what Alfie did?



Have we lost 2 superstars (Chara & potentially Heatley) because of the chosen leader of the Sens?



We all can’t wait until the Sen retire Alfie’s number once he’s done playing – I just hope his off ice leadership is up to the challenge of bringing our team back to where we belong.

Hayden wrote:I hope I don’t get crucified for posting this – but at some point Alfie is going to have to take some heat for the team’s performance over the past couple of years, the mess in the locker room and even the Heatley situation.



Alfie is my favourite sen – the only reason I have a heater jersey is because it was so tough to find an Alfie one during the Stanley Cup run.



Alfie’s on ice leadership, work ethic and raw talent make him deserving of all the accolades that have come his way over the past 4-5 years – but where has our captain been off the ice and in the locker room?



Obviously Heatley is a meatball – and Spezza hasn’t done enough to make this his team – but when is it time to change the guard? Is there someone that could have handled the Emery situation better? Someone to have challenged the direction or approach of Hartsburg or Paddock. And what about Heatley – how would some of the great hockey leaders handled him – compared to how or what Alfie did?



Have we lost 2 superstars (Chara & potentially Heatley) because of the chosen leader of the Sens?



We all can’t wait until the Sen retire Alfie’s number once he’s done playing – I just hope his off ice leadership is up to the challenge of bringing our team back to where we belong.

What makes you think there's a problem in the dressing room? There's no issues with this team and how they get along, absolutely none. What are you talking about we lost CHara because of Alfie? That's a ridiculous statement.

Jamvan - I thought this was a place to come discuss hockey - even if you don't agree.

I'm pretty sure I've read on here many times that it was rumoured that Chara wanted to be a captain - lead a team. Which was a big reason for him leaving.

With regards to the locker room - was it not a mess - or was that just made up by the media? Serious question - not being a d.ck.

I'd be surprised if Alfie hasn't been in contact with either Heatley, Murray or Clouston regarding the whole Heatley thing. We just haven't heard about it. There's lots of stuff we(fans) never hear about.

As far as Chara and wanting be a captain goes, that's his problem, not Alfie's. And it looks like Chara solved his own problem by heading to the Bruins and becoming their captain. Good for him. He works hard and deserves it. Just wasn't going to happen here anythime soon. Who's fault is that? I guess you can blame Jaques Martin for giving him the "C" in the first place. Damn you Jaques!

Alfie's leadership is the least of the Sens problems right now.

Hayden wrote:Jamvan - I thought this was a place to come discuss hockey - even if you don't agree.

I'm pretty sure I've read on here many times that it was rumoured that Chara wanted to be a captain - lead a team. Which was a big reason for him leaving.

With regards to the locker room - was it not a mess - or was that just made up by the media? Serious question - not being a d.ck.

So essentially, you're implying through both posts, that Alfredsson, as a good captain should have done, should have relinquished his captaincy to Chara in order for him to stay?

The locker room isn't as big of a mess as people make it out to be. The media, which has limited access to the locker room to begin with, have a way of sensationalizing even the most minor details that come out. That's what they have to do to compete to sell their product against the others.

And I think the reason we haven't heard from Alfredsson about the Heatley situation is because, if I'm not mistaken, Alfredsson is an NHLPA rep.

I have been thinking about this and probably an "old-time" type captain would have just caused Heatley to lose more teeth which probably wouldn't have ben good for rapport either.

I'm pretty sure that Chara didn't leave because of Alfie. As far as I know, Chara was never even tendered an offer the year he hit UFA'ness because Old Mucks had decided to keep Redden instead .

I am a bit puzzled tho that they brought Spezza out to meet the media last week when arguably, it should have been the captain. I'm not reading much into it; maybe Alfie is just out of the country but I did find it a little curious.

Snuh wrote:I'd be surprised if Alfie hasn't been in contact with either Heatley, Murray or Clouston regarding the whole Heatley thing. We just haven't heard about it. There's lots of stuff we(fans) never hear about.

As far as Chara and wanting be a captain goes, that's his problem, not Alfie's. And it looks like Chara solved his own problem by heading to the Bruins and becoming their captain. Good for him. He works hard and deserves it. Just wasn't going to happen here anythime soon. Who's fault is that? I guess you can blame Jaques Martin for giving him the "C" in the first place. Damn you Jaques!

Alfie's leadership is the least of the Sens problems right now.

That Chara wanting the "C" was absolute BS. It was never true, Mucker made the decision to keep Redden over Chara without offering him the contract.

As for Alfi, when he stops playing with broken bones, stops talking to the media game in and game, when he stops being the best player on this team, when he starts to cry as much as everyone else who has come and left the city, then we cant start to blame him.

Alfi can't control a person, especially one who has now asked for a trade twice. There is a reason Alfi has the respect and people like Emery and Heatley do not.

Praise Alfie!

Neely4Life wrote:

Snuh wrote:I'd be surprised if Alfie hasn't been in contact with either Heatley, Murray or Clouston regarding the whole Heatley thing. We just haven't heard about it. There's lots of stuff we(fans) never hear about.

As far as Chara and wanting be a captain goes, that's his problem, not Alfie's. And it looks like Chara solved his own problem by heading to the Bruins and becoming their captain. Good for him. He works hard and deserves it. Just wasn't going to happen here anythime soon. Who's fault is that? I guess you can blame Jaques Martin for giving him the "C" in the first place. Damn you Jaques!

Alfie's leadership is the least of the Sens problems right now.

That Chara wanting the "C" was absolute BS. It was never true, Mucker made the decision to keep Redden over Chara without offering him the contract.

As for Alfi, when he stops playing with broken bones, stops talking to the media game in and game, when he stops being the best player on this team, when he starts to cry as much as everyone else who has come and left the city, then we cant start to blame him.

Alfi can't control a person, especially one who has now asked for a trade twice. There is a reason Alfi has the respect and people like Emery and Heatley do not.

Yeah no kidding. I just don't get it when people say "Alfredsson should do something. Why hasn't he done anything?" or when people say "Murray should just trade him", do people honestly, truly believe it's that cut and dry, that black and white? Like it's that easy to just do something about a player who's given up on his team? Like it's that easy to just ship a player off in a trade?

I forgot Alfi had magical powers that turns a$$holes into priests.

Speaking of black and white, Scanlan had a really good article in the Citizen yesterday. It was about how most fans just can't or aren't willing to see the shades of gray when it comes to these things.

Hayden wrote:I hope I don’t get crucified for posting this – but at some point Alfie is going to have to take some heat for the team’s performance over the past couple of years, the mess in the locker room and even the Heatley situation.



Alfie is my favourite sen – the only reason I have a heater jersey is because it was so tough to find an Alfie one during the Stanley Cup run.



Alfie’s on ice leadership, work ethic and raw talent make him deserving of all the accolades that have come his way over the past 4-5 years – but where has our captain been off the ice and in the locker room?



Obviously Heatley is a meatball – and Spezza hasn’t done enough to make this his team – but when is it time to change the guard? Is there someone that could have handled the Emery situation better? Someone to have challenged the direction or approach of Hartsburg or Paddock. And what about Heatley – how would some of the great hockey leaders handled him – compared to how or what Alfie did?



Have we lost 2 superstars (Chara & potentially Heatley) because of the chosen leader of the Sens?



We all can’t wait until the Sen retire Alfie’s number once he’s done playing – I just hope his off ice leadership is up to the challenge of bringing our team back to where we belong.

I don't think you're wrong to question Alfie from time to time, but at the end of the day, he's the best Senator ever to play. He's a class act all the way, he's an elite talent, he works hard, he handles the media well. He's also shown that given the right mix of guys, he can lead them to the promised land. What he hasn't shown is that he can do it all alone. And why should he have to do it all alone? Why aren't there a couple of guys who help him run the club house?

Maybe the questions are: Is Chris Phillips a good Assistant Captain? Is Heatley (ha ha). Heatley and up until lately, Spezza as well, didn't understand what it took to be leaders. Heatley still doesn't obviously, Spezza is showing some character and maturity through all of this.

What this team needs are more strong minded players who get what it takes to win as a team. If we could clone Alfie 19 times, we'd be champions, but we know it takes time to find these guys. Fisher, Neil, Z.Smith, Wiercioch, Cowen, Kelly - these have the attitude we're looking for - and as soon as Heatley's gone, this team's leadership will rise up IMO.

Neely4Life wrote:I forgot Alfi had magical powers that turns a$$holes into priests.

Again, you win the Post of the Day award !!! Congratulations dude!

Alfie has proven his worth and leadership enough for me not to question him.

BTW I moved this topic here because it's not a story breaker in any way.

The reality is that one of the first players to react to the announcement by Heatley's agents was Alfie.

He called up Dany personally and ripped him a new one.

Alfie has always led in a quiet way, by example, and behind closed doors. What he does isn't done for the public, it's done because it's right for the team. If he truly had been in a position where he needed to give up the "C" for Chara to stay, he likely would have, but this was never an issue (see N4L's post). Alfie did call out Emery on several occasions, but you can't stop a man who is hell-bent on destroying his career.

As a group, several players spoke up about Hartsburgh's approach. Alfie didn't couch his words when he commented after the firing - he wasn't unhappy to see the change take place.

It isn't unreasonable to question any captain that has presided over the issues that Ottawa has faced, but perhaps a better question would be "How much more of a mess would this have been without the leadership that existed within the dressing room?"

Regarding the recent press conference, Spezza was brought up to the podium for several reasons, not the least of which is the PR effect. When Heatley's closest friend (at least as perceived by the media and public) calls him out, telling him to "sh!t or get off the pot", it's a strong statement of where everyone stands.

Spezza is being shown as having a distinct mindset, being dedicated to the team, and not worthy of the "whipping boy" status he attained after Redden left. He's being given a chance to become a leader instead of just one of the kids.