Winnipeg Jets

[CoryB]

I think what the Buff situation ultimately comes down to is if he wanted to play and was medically cleared he would be playing. The comments from the team strongly hit at it not being a medical clearance issue.

Marriage break-down/divorce time away from the team isn't likely to fix that and you get your lawyer to represent you if needed. On the occasion you are needed to appear in person away from the team you take a couple days leave, not an indefinite time frame.

Addiction/rehab - you fail the medical clearance until you are sober.

Out of condition? Again it comes down to a medical clearance issue and one you likely stay with the team for and work with their trainers on.

Buff wants to join the pro angling circuit? Well that would need a leave from the team.

[robertocarlos]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I've heard he's an addict, cheated on his wife and was served divorce papers, is a fat overweight slob. Many things. I've also heard he just doesn't want to play anymore. Not sure what to believe, if anything. We'll see how it plays out.

I never said anything even remotely close to those things.

Nobody gives up $15.2 million because they don't want to play anymore. Two years, that's like 100 hours of work. He could collect it by just going through the motions.

[bomberjet]

I didn't say you said it. These are common things I've heard around the forums and from people "in the know". Like I said, won't really believe anything until we find out. If ever.

[esquire]

^ Yeah, I think I've read or heard probably around a dozen different supposedly 'insider' takes about Byfuglien in the last month.

[bomberjet]

He was pictured at Earl's St. Vital drinking beer, I think it was a Heineken. Some girls snapped a photo with him. Although it's hard to confirm the date, it was said to be from this fall with him in town to meet with the team.

[StNorberter]

Originally Posted by blueandgoldguy

Placing a horrible player like Bourque on the third line while Roslovic - while disappointing, still has potential to be a decent middle-six player - seems par for the course for Maurice.

Bourque had a better training camp than Roslovic. In the Edmonton game, Bourque and Letestu looked like they had some real good chemistry and that line played really well.

Roslovic on the other hand was damn near invisible.

[robertocarlos]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

I didn't say you said it. These are common things I've heard around the forums and from people "in the know". Like I said, won't really believe anything until we find out. If ever.

Yes sorry. I just meant you can't say anything on HF Jets.

If I said I know Laine was going to quit the Jets and play for Jokeret KHL because he hates PoMo what would be the harm in that? They don't have to believe me.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by robertocarlos

Yes sorry. I just meant you can't say anything on HF Jets.

If I said I know Laine was going to quit the Jets and play for Jokeret KHL because he hates PoMo what would be the harm in that? They don't have to believe me.

Because doing so is pointless and adds nothing to the discussion? If that's the mentality you have, then for the first time I'm actually starting to see why HFJets uses the heavy-handed moderation tactics that it uses...

[CoryB]

Originally Posted by robertocarlos

Nobody gives up $15.2 million because they don't want to play anymore. Two years, that's like 100 hours of work. He could collect it by just going through the motions.

You heavily underestimate how many hours NHL players work. Let's just focus on the 82 games in the regular season. They show up at least an hour before the start of the game to get their equipment on and do the pre-game skate. The game runs roughly three hours. Add in an hour post game to change out of your gear, do post game interviews, etc. That is about 5 hours per game. With 82 games in the season that is already 410 hours of work per season. Add in practices, film time, off ice conditioning, travel time, PR appearances, video shoots, etc. Then add in all the off season work outs/conditioning that needs to be done.

NHL players put in a lot of time for the money they earn. Not saying it isn't a higher salary that most professions but you also have to keep in mind the average career would be around 10 years v the 20-30 years in most other professions and the salary you see being paid to players has all sorts of less common deductions from it like the NHLPA, the agent, etc.

[Biff]

^^^They are normally in early in the morning on game days for a few hours of video, any treatments required and usually a skate. They go home for a nap and come back as you stated before the game.

[Jammon]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

He was pictured at Earl's St. Vital drinking beer, I think it was a Heineken. Some girls snapped a photo with him. Although it's hard to confirm the date, it was said to be from this fall with him in town to meet with the team.

Either way, I think it's pretty selfish. It would be one thing if the team agreed this was for the better now, and maybe management does know the outcome, but I still am not defending Buff on this one.

Can you imagine taking an entire summer off work, showing up back at work on your first day and telling your boss you need time off to contemplate retirement??? If that were one of my co-worker,s I would be pissed.
I work in health care and it's bad enough when we see health care workers with hundreds of hours of sick time use as much of it as possible once they have a retirement date set. Makes me so angry...

[bomberjet]

Ya I agree it's a pain in the butt. Maybe they've known all along and just made it public when they had too.

At the end of the day, these are people just like everyone and have rights just like everyone. I'm entitled to take leave from my work for personal reasons. Depending on what it is, it could be covered under my health plan. Otherwise I take it unpaid.

Maybe Dustin is struggling with something serious (which seems to be the case) and needs to be away from the circus. Maybe it's the end of his career, maybe not.

[rrskylar]

Originally Posted by bomberjet

Ya I agree it's a pain in the butt. Maybe they've known all along and just made it public when they had too.

At the end of the day, these are people just like everyone and have rights just like everyone. I'm entitled to take leave from my work for personal reasons. Depending on what it is, it could be covered under my health plan. Otherwise I take it unpaid.

Maybe Dustin is struggling with something serious (which seems to be the case) and needs to be away from the circus. Maybe it's the end of his career, maybe not.

If it is retirement there is no way the team knew and did nothing to address the D after already losing three of their previous seasons starting D men! If it isn't retirement then it's a whole different matter.

[bomberjet]

If buff is on the fence, they can't really go sign another D man, then have Buff come back and they're over the cap. Would the need to make more roster moves. Buff's got em by the balls right now.

So it is unfair to the team in that way for sure. I guess my point was these things happen sometimes.. Happens at work with me to. people come and go and you get screwed sometimes.

[buzzg]

I would not say it's "unfair" to the team – but it does "suck." Players are fully in their right to do this.

[GregSF]

Originally Posted by robertocarlos

Yes sorry. I just meant you can't say anything on HF Jets.

If I said I know Laine was going to quit the Jets and play for Jokeret KHL because he hates PoMo what would be the harm in that? They don't have to believe me.

It's what separates a forum like HfBoards from TheDirty.com.

[cheswick]

Originally Posted by robertocarlos

I never said anything even remotely close to those things.

Nobody gives up $15.2 million because they don't want to play anymore. Two years, that's like 100 hours of work. He could collect it by just going through the motions.

The guy has earned over $60m is his career. From everything I’ve heard about him he lives a very modest life by millionaire standards. His wife grew up on a farm without electricity. He’ll want for nothing for the rest of his life. Countless numbers of pro athletes leave millions on the table cause they don’t want to play anymore.

[Biff]

Apparently the issue is that Buff told the team in summer that he was retiring. He was not wavering, his mind was made up. Why the team is being so patient is that Chevy tried/is trying to talk him out of that decision. This is why there is no real drop dead time for a decision. Ultimately I think the Jets should move on. Even if he agrees to play for just this year I don’t see how you can get a guy to play who isn’t 90-100% committed.

[buzzg]

^Yeah, look what happened when Mike Fisher came back. (nothing)

[GregSF]

After the Ducks won the Stanley Cup, Teemu Selanne and Scott Niedermayer both sat out half the season to contemplate retirement, but ultimately returned. Selanne would play another 7 years, retiring in 2014, and Niedermayer retired in 2010.