Start the Kovalchuk Sweepstakes!

Alfie11 · 01-25-2010, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoshLind

Dude, it's his dog. I swear, there's even a video:

Poor Burt..died of cancer

Murray said on Hockeycenteral today he won't be looking to add Kovalchuk.

Rayzor123 · 01-25-2010, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasmine

Did you have a talk with him?

Haha...

except, when he says it indirectly, you know it's true.

Quote:

“The Russian reporters always want to know how I sleep and who I sleep with,” Ilya Kovalchuk says. “I always tell them, when you’re writing about me and I play good, say, ‘He plays good.’ If I play bad, say, ‘He plays bad.’ Your personal life, I think, should be personal.”

Ovechkin & Kovalchuk - AskMen.com Canada

When you play in Canada, you get hounded with personal questions -- something he makes clear he doesn't like.

Jasmine · 01-25-2010, 03:13 PM

I read that he doesn't want to talk about his personal life..but no where does it mean/say he doesn't want to play in Canada. He wants to win and if that means joining a Canadian contender, I doubt he would spit on the chance.

Rayzor123 · 01-25-2010, 03:16 PM

Canada is filled with hockey crazy media that WILL throw those personal questions at you. I'm sure Kovalchuk isn't stupid and he knows that.

I'm sure he does want to win, and if he were traded to a team like Vancouver for a chance to win the Cup, he'd do it (even though I doubt Vancouver would be willing to give up that much for him, or any Canadian team really), but that doesn't mean he'd stick around in Canada. He'd either got back to a team that isn't as closely magnified as every other Canadian team -- or go to Russia.

Matt the Aussie · 01-25-2010, 03:18 PM

As Rayzor says, Kovalchuk will not end up with a Canadian team anyway.

If he likes being anonymous - I'm gonna suggest Phoenix as a dark horse here. They have lots of young talent to trade, are currently contending for the playoffs and there's HUGE pressure for that team to produce results right now.

Rayzor123 · 01-25-2010, 03:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt the Aussie

As Rayzor says, Kovalchuk will not end up with a Canadian team anyway.

If he likes being anonymous - I'm gonna suggest Phoenix as a dark horse here. They have lots of young talent to trade, are currently contending for the playoffs and there's HUGE pressure for that team to produce results right now.

You know which team I could really see making a push for Kovalchuk?

The Nashville Predators.

Matt the Aussie · 01-25-2010, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rayzor123

You know which team I could really see making a push for Kovalchuk?

The Nashville Predators.

Also a good choice for the same reason.

Jasmine · 01-25-2010, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matt the Aussie

As Rayzor says, Kovalchuk will not end up with a Canadian team anyway.

If he likes being anonymous - I'm gonna suggest Phoenix as a dark horse here. They have lots of young talent to trade, are currently contending for the playoffs and there's HUGE pressure for that team to produce results right now.

He may not end up with a Canadian team, but its not for the same reasons Rayzor is bringing up. The main reason would be that no team is in position to offer him anything...either because they are not in contending position or because they have no cap room.

The personal stuff is only a Mtl problem. Tell me how many times have you read gossips about the players personal lives in Vancouver? In Edmonton? In Calgary? Heck even from Ottawa, aside from the Fisher/Underwood story? Which I think the Media is respecting Fisher's wish to keep that out of the conversations...he said what he wanted known to the public and thats where it ended.

Rayzor123 · 01-25-2010, 03:32 PM

He still doesn't like it when HE is the center of attention. He's not the Ovechkin type that flourishes when he's the center of attention and the type of guy that loves it. He doesn't like it when his every move is surveyed by the media very closely because he's a star (yeah, it's all over Canada, not just a 'Montreal problem.')

GermanSensFan · 01-25-2010, 03:41 PM

Well, let's look at it this way. If Kovalchuk is traded, then the Thrashers lose one of their best players, and who knows how good or bad they will play without him.

Jasmine · 01-25-2010, 03:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rayzor123

He still doesn't like it when HE is the center of attention. He's not the Ovechkin type that flourishes when he's the center of attention and the type of guy that loves it. He doesn't like it when his every move is surveyed by the media very closely because he's a star (yeah, it's all over Canada, not just a 'Montreal problem.')

I agree about the media highlighting your flaws as an all around thing, specially if a player is paid big money and achieves nothing... ...but the personal stuff...only in Mtl that you see a reporter standing outside of a players house to take pictures, proving he's really injured.

Rayzor123 · 01-25-2010, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasmine

I agree about the media highlighting your flaws as an all around thing, specially if a player is paid big money and achieves nothing... ...but the personal stuff...only in Mtl that you see a reporter standing outside of a players house to take pictures, proving he's really injured.

Um, what? Wanna show me where you saw this? Because I have never for the life of me ever heard of anything like that.

Jasmine · 01-25-2010, 03:59 PM

It was in the Jose Theodore days...I don't know that I could find that article again..but yeah...it did happen

JoshLind · 01-26-2010, 03:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alfie11

Poor Burt..died of cancer

It's his new dog, Buzz.

Choi · 01-26-2010, 05:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasmine

He may not end up with a Canadian team, but its not for the same reasons Rayzor is bringing up. The main reason would be that no team is in position to offer him anything...either because they are not in contending position or because they have no cap room.

The personal stuff is only a Mtl problem. Tell me how many times have you read gossips about the players personal lives in Vancouver? In Edmonton? In Calgary? Heck even from Ottawa, aside from the Fisher/Underwood story? Which I think the Media is respecting Fisher's wish to keep that out of the conversations...he said what he wanted known to the public and thats where it ended.

agreed about that.
I do not recall really too much attention over on canadian teams, during my time at vancouver.

jason1919spezza · 01-26-2010, 10:23 AM

11M...just go to Russia...

Jasmine · 01-26-2010, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jason1919spezza

11M...just go to Russia...

Specially if he wants to remain anonymous at that price....

jason1919spezza · 01-26-2010, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jasmine

Specially if he wants to remain anonymous at that price....

I knew it from the start...

but are Russians all like this? Threatening teams saying "If I don't get ??M I will go back to my country", "If it doesn't go my way, I'm gonna go back to my country".

My opinion: Fine, just go. I don't give a @@@@ about players/athletes with lack of class.

jason1919spezza · 01-26-2010, 10:32 AM

P.S. We also experienced this few years ago

"cough" Cashin "cough"

JoshLind · 01-26-2010, 01:25 PM

This is so stupid. Kovalchuk likes Atlanta, but he'd like to play for a winning team. So he wants his team to be successful, yet he'd also like them to pay him more than 20% of the team's total cap hit. I mean, when we're talking THAT kind of money, what can $11 million per year get you that $7 million per year can't?

If he really wanted to win in Atlanta, he'd take a few million less and let them sign some teammates.