So long Alfie... What's next?

LeKing wrote:http://video.senators.nhl.com/videocenter/console?catid=0&id=250471&cmpid=embed-share-video

Yeah, after that he wasn't worth much more than that to Ottawa, either. Leadership up in smoke with just two words.

How quick we are to turn our backs when we feel spurned. After all I've written, I'm not going to bother to try to convince anyone else here that the reason Alfie left is Melnyk.

Time will tell whether or not Melnyk is able and willing to spend big bucks.

Damn, I read that Mendes article and now it's hitting me.

Ev wrote:Damn, I read that Mendes article and now it's hitting me.

Make no mistakes, Alfie as a person is one of the best there is.

After what he did he can go Diddle himself for all I care. He could have handled it better if he didn't want to come back.

Couldn't even take out a full page ad in the paper saying goodbye or thank you or something.

Even a douche like LeBron did that.

wprager wrote:

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:

Hoags wrote:

SpezDispenser wrote:
Why do you want to be at the cap so badly, anyway?  What is it you want to add to this team that can't be added either at the deadline, or next off-season?  And when was the last time Melnyk didn't step up and sign a guy?  Heatley, check.  Spezza, check.  Karlsson, check.  Anderson, check.  Turris, check.  What is it you want, Tim?

The cap was a lot lower back then.  As NHL revenues and the salary cap goes up the team has to bring in more money to spend more without going into the red.  Where is the money supposed to come from?

It comes from moving the arena somewhere downtown. Obviously just a pipe dream and will never happen, but I think the location of the arena really hurts revenues for the Sens. Sure, they make a ton in parking, but the in-game and post-game experience suffers by not having a team close to the 'nightlife' of the city. I think downtown Ottawa suffers as well. Those Saturday night home games in Ottawa would be amazing for the fans and businesses in and around the arena. Le Breton flights would have been perfect.

The NCC didn't want to let them build in LeBreton flats -- they had some long-term ideas (such as the war museum).  That area is also ridiculously bad to get to/get away from.  Montreal has train for the West Island folk, the metro for the metropolitan area, and busses on top of that.  And they have multiple highways to bring people in from the South, North, East and West of the city.  In Ottawa you've got the parkway to get in and out of LeBreton, and no room to build a highway or additional feeder roads to get to the highway.  Right now the best place for the arena would be somewhere where off the 416, between the 417 and Fallowfield.  You'd have the 417 for the downtown folk, and Kanata, Hut Club and Fallowfield as additional feeders, and 416 for Ottawa South.  Thing is, it's not downtown.  But the downtown of Ottawa cannot support mass transit to a single location.

We'd have had LRT by now if the stadium were closer to the city core. Plus LeBreton flats is right on the transitway for bus users, walking distance for some downtown and gatineau residents. In Kanata you have none of that. I would also assume the players would live downtown or in and around that area instead of living in Kanata to avoid the commute.

Hoags wrote:After what he did he can go Diddle himself for all I care.  He could have handled it better if he didn't want to come back.

Couldn't even take out a full page ad in the paper saying goodbye or thank you or something.

Even a douche like LeBron did that.

He probably will.

Ev wrote:
He probably will.

He Cussing better.

17 seasons playing for the same team and he says Dung like "I don't care about my legacy in Ottawa".

Even if Melnyk or the team pissed him off somehow I don't see why you have to take a dump on the fans who watched you for years.

Hoags wrote:After what he did he can go Diddle himself for all I care.  He could have handled it better if he didn't want to come back.

Couldn't even take out a full page ad in the paper saying goodbye or thank you or something.

Even a douche like LeBron did that.

Hoags wrote:

Ev wrote:
He probably will.

He Cussing better.

17 seasons playing for the same team and he says Dung like "I don't care about my legacy in Ottawa".

Even if Melnyk or the team pissed him off somehow I don't see why you have to take a dump on the fans who watched you for years.

Ok that's too extreme. He never said he didn't care, just said he wasn't worried about his legacy in Ottawa and acknowledged fans would be mad. Give him time, maybe he will come to Ottawa to say goodbye. I don't like it either how he handled the exit but there's still time to make amends on that front. We're still mad as he'll cuz there's no proper closure and it's still fresh yet it's been one measly workday

DefenceWinsChampionships wrote:

We'd have had LRT by now if the stadium were closer to the city core. Plus LeBreton flats is right on the transitway for bus users, walking distance for some downtown and gatineau residents. In Kanata you have none of that. I would also assume the players would live downtown or in and around that area instead of living in Kanata to avoid the commute.

What would having an arena in an inaccessible place have to do with spending $2B on bringing a train out to Barrhave? Are you suggesting thnat the same bureaucrats who did not want the arena there would now vote to spend more money than they can count on making it more convenient to get to games? And how would everyone who is not from Barrhaven get there? What about people from the Quebec side?

Shawn Simpson made a great point on the radio today about Alfie and being in the HHOF. This decision probably really effects whether he makes it in or not as well. I don't usually agree with the guy or like much of what he says but he's bang on here. He's pretty much only great in Ottawa and now he's just another player who left for more money and a "better team" and his legacy in the city where he was loved is tarnished. It isn't ruined by any means but it's not the same as it once was and never will be.

Who's going to be on Alfie's side when it comes time for him to get in? This decision he made (a bad one at that) is going to cost him a lot more than just some good will in Ottawa, it could cost him immortality in the hockey world as a whole not just Ottawa. I wouldn't say he has flushed everything down the drain but people will never see the guy in the same light again.

I still don't understand the decision he made, I never will because it made no sense based on the reason he gave. Either something serious happened behind the scenes that we will never know about or he just made a series of bad decisions along with some really bad advice around him.

Yep, if he doesn't win the Cup (or perhaps Captain the Swedish team to Gold in Sochi) he's really going to have a tough time. I still thin he gets in, though. I mean, Bure, come on.

wprager wrote:Yep, if he doesn't win the Cup (or perhaps Captain the Swedish team to Gold in Sochi) he's really going to have a tough time.  I still thin he gets in, though.  I mean, Bure, come on.

Alfie was never the best goal scorer on the planet. Bure was at one time arguably the best player in the world. I look at a guy like Cam Neely though and there is no way he should be in there BUT his best seasons were still head and shoulders above Alfie's. Either way, short of winning a championship within the next year he's going to have a tough time making it in because that's all Toronto media at the HHOF and say what you want but they hate Alfie there and I'm not sure Ottawa is going to be quick to forget. They got kicked in the teeth once again by their star. Yashin and Heatley are on another level but fact is we got burnt again as fans.

I felt that Bure had no lasting legacy. Had a short career. No Cups (one Cup Final), no Olympic Gold, not an overly long career, led the league in goals scored three times -- not too shabby but I still don't see much that is memorable. Granted, he played out West for half of it, so I did not get to watch him all that much.

Hmm, based on the above, maybe Alfie *does* get in. But it won't be first ballot.

I think Alfie should get in, but I'd have to do more research. The HHOF has really just become the Hockey Hall of Pretty Good Players, as they say.

I wouldn't put Alfie in based on point totals, but more the complete game he plays, and being a captain for 14 years says something about him. Plus, he's a Hall of Fame Good Person, and I think that should count for something too.

tim1_2 wrote:I think Alfie should get in, but I'd have to do more research.  The HHOF has really just become the Hockey Hall of Pretty Good Players, as they say.

I wouldn't put Alfie in based on point totals, but more the complete game he plays, and being a captain for 14 years says something about him.  Plus, he's a Hall of Fame Good Person, and I think that should count for something too.  

I think International achievements are supposed to count for something as well. I think if you won a league award, you should be in.

As much as I hate to say it, Lindros should be in based on winning the Hart alone.

tim1_2 wrote:I think Alfie should get in, but I'd have to do more research.  The HHOF has really just become the Hockey Hall of Pretty Good Players, as they say.

I wouldn't put Alfie in based on point totals, but more the complete game he plays, and being a captain for 14 years says something about him.  Plus, he's a Hall of Fame Good Person, and I think that should count for something too.  

I'll say this... if Bernier Federko got in so should Alfie.

SeawaySensFan wrote:

tim1_2 wrote:I think Alfie should get in, but I'd have to do more research.  The HHOF has really just become the Hockey Hall of Pretty Good Players, as they say.

I wouldn't put Alfie in based on point totals, but more the complete game he plays, and being a captain for 14 years says something about him.  Plus, he's a Hall of Fame Good Person, and I think that should count for something too.  

I think International achievements are supposed to count for something as well. I think if you won a league award, you should be in.

As much as I hate to say it, Lindros should be in based on winning the Hart alone.

If you win the Hart it should be automatic. You are the best player in the world for that moment in time and should be recognized.

International achievements should 100% count because it is indeed the HOCKEY Hall of Fame... not the NHL Hall of Fame.