I submitted this to Senschirp this morning for consideration of the Chirp of the Week:
It shouldn’t have happened this way.
Many will argue that it shouldn’t have happened at all, but I think in the end, the result was inevitable. It was like the bad joke you could see from miles away, but never thought you would be the victim of. Rumors swirled for the better part of a week that Alfredsson was exploring his options, and that his agent, J.P. Barry, was shopping his prized hog.
I think most of us didn’t want to believe it. Those who did believe, like myself, were in denial. After all, it was only months before that Alfredsson said that he could never see himself leaving Ottawa to chase a Cup, and that he would rather retire an Ottawa Senator.
So what changed?
Looking back at the series of events that led us to Alfredsson’s fateful decision this past Thursday night, it makes me wonder if Bryan Murray ever really had a chance to re-sign the long time captain of the Ottawa Senators. From the outside looking in, Bryan Murray appeared to be always a step behind the play. Murray had to wait for Alfredsson to officially declare that he wanted to come back for another year, and when he did hear about it, like the rest of us, it was from a report out of Sweden.
One would think that if a player as remarkable and as important to the franchise as Alfredsson was, announced that he would be returning for one last year, a bigger deal would have been made of it. One would think that Alfredsson would have been flown into Ottawa so that he could sign his new contract, and the Sens could hold a press conference reassuring the fans of the direction of the team going forward. But that never happened.
When Murray was finally given the opportunity to speak with Alfredsson’s agent, J.P. Barry started with a number that, according to Bryan Murray, wasn’t realistic. Some fan’s seem to be annoyed by the fact that Murray practically balked at Alfredsson’s agent’s initial figure, but this is how standard negotiations work. Each side gives a figure, and in the end they usually meet somewhere in the middle. This would have been nothing new to J.P. Barry or Daniel Alfredsson, having been through several contract negotiations in the past. But one has to wonder if the initial number Alfredsson and his agent were looking for, was an inclination that Alfredsson would only return to Ottawa for an overpayment, or that maybe Alfredsson has no interest at all in finishing his career in Ottawa. After all, Murray admitted to practically handing J.P. Barry a blank cheque, in order to have the longest serving active captain in the league, play out the last year of his career in an Ottawa uniform, and never heard back from either party regarding an actual number.
Like most Senators fans, I wanted answers. I eagerly awaited Alfredsson’s media address, hoping to hear anything that would ease the pain that so many of us felt Friday morning. The remedy never came. Alfredsson indicated there was never an issue with money, there was no falling out with the team, management or fans, and that he was making this decision for selfish reasons. He had lost faith in the team that had put so much faith into him. In likely his final year, Alfredsson wanted to win a Cup, and didn’t believe he could do so with the team that he had led for the better part of a decade. Alfredsson claims that a week ago, he couldn’t have envisioned himself playing for any other team, but I have my doubts regarding this statement. As Alfredsson spoke, I couldn’t help to think about something he said weeks ago, something I immediately dismissed at the time, but that others scrutinized him for.
“Probably not.â€
The words Alfredsson muttered after being asked if he thought the Ottawa Senators could come back from a 3-1 series deficit, following a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The words were such a contrast to 9 years earlier, when Captain Daniel Alfredsson assured the Ottawa faithful victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs despite being down 3-2 in the series. As I said previously, I immediately dismissed the comments Alfredsson made following the loss. I made excuses for why Alfredsson would say such a thing. “He was just frustrated. He was hot from the blowout loss. He’s just trying to take the pressure off the rest of the team.†All things I said to myself, or to others as I attempted to defend the words of my Captain. We should have seen the signs.
While I don’t think Alfredsson made up his mind then and there, one could argue that the blowout loss to the Penguins planted the seed of the doubt in the back of his mind that would later attribute to his decision on Thursday.
Like many fans, I’m left wondering if May 22nd, 2013 was the day Alfredsson stopped believing in the Ottawa Senators.
I’m not mad at Alfredsson wanting to chase a cup, but I am heartbroken over how everything unfolded this week. It shouldn’t have happened this way. If Alfredsson thought there was even the slightest chance that he wouldn’t return to Ottawa this year (which in my opinion he’s had his doubts for weeks now), he should have been transparent with Bryan Murray, the Ottawa Senators organization, and the fans in Ottawa. Prior to the announcement that Alfredsson had signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings, he should have held a press conference explaining his choice and how hard it was for him to make it, and it should have been him, and not Darren Dregger, that broke the news to the Ottawa faithful. What should have been a bitter sweet moment in Senators history (like Ray Bourque leaving Boston for Colorado), has left many Sens fans with a sour taste in their mouth, that won’t go away any time soon.
I won’t boo Alfredsson the first night he laces up against our boys here in Ottawa. At least I hope I won’t. At the moment the wound is still too fresh to say for sure, but I can’t help smiling when I think of Alfredsson getting to play in the Winter Classic against the Toronto Maple Leafs this coming New Year, or throwing on the yellow Sweden jersey one more time at the Olympics. And while I also can’t help smiling at the thought of the Senators defeating the Red Wings on route to their first Stanley Cup win in modern franchise history, a part of me would be sad to see it happen.
Daniel Alfredsson carried this franchise on his back for years. He took less money when the team was struggling to stay afloat financially, was a standout member of the community, and was a great mentor to the likes of Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson and the rest of the Ottawa Senators. I hope that fans remember all of the good Alfie has done for the city of Ottawa, and don’t condemn him for the one selfish decision he made in his entire career.
Thanks Alfie for everything you have done. I hope you find what you were searching for in Detroit.
It shouldn’t have happened this way.
Many will argue that it shouldn’t have happened at all, but I think in the end, the result was inevitable. It was like the bad joke you could see from miles away, but never thought you would be the victim of. Rumors swirled for the better part of a week that Alfredsson was exploring his options, and that his agent, J.P. Barry, was shopping his prized hog.
I think most of us didn’t want to believe it. Those who did believe, like myself, were in denial. After all, it was only months before that Alfredsson said that he could never see himself leaving Ottawa to chase a Cup, and that he would rather retire an Ottawa Senator.
So what changed?
Looking back at the series of events that led us to Alfredsson’s fateful decision this past Thursday night, it makes me wonder if Bryan Murray ever really had a chance to re-sign the long time captain of the Ottawa Senators. From the outside looking in, Bryan Murray appeared to be always a step behind the play. Murray had to wait for Alfredsson to officially declare that he wanted to come back for another year, and when he did hear about it, like the rest of us, it was from a report out of Sweden.
One would think that if a player as remarkable and as important to the franchise as Alfredsson was, announced that he would be returning for one last year, a bigger deal would have been made of it. One would think that Alfredsson would have been flown into Ottawa so that he could sign his new contract, and the Sens could hold a press conference reassuring the fans of the direction of the team going forward. But that never happened.
When Murray was finally given the opportunity to speak with Alfredsson’s agent, J.P. Barry started with a number that, according to Bryan Murray, wasn’t realistic. Some fan’s seem to be annoyed by the fact that Murray practically balked at Alfredsson’s agent’s initial figure, but this is how standard negotiations work. Each side gives a figure, and in the end they usually meet somewhere in the middle. This would have been nothing new to J.P. Barry or Daniel Alfredsson, having been through several contract negotiations in the past. But one has to wonder if the initial number Alfredsson and his agent were looking for, was an inclination that Alfredsson would only return to Ottawa for an overpayment, or that maybe Alfredsson has no interest at all in finishing his career in Ottawa. After all, Murray admitted to practically handing J.P. Barry a blank cheque, in order to have the longest serving active captain in the league, play out the last year of his career in an Ottawa uniform, and never heard back from either party regarding an actual number.
Like most Senators fans, I wanted answers. I eagerly awaited Alfredsson’s media address, hoping to hear anything that would ease the pain that so many of us felt Friday morning. The remedy never came. Alfredsson indicated there was never an issue with money, there was no falling out with the team, management or fans, and that he was making this decision for selfish reasons. He had lost faith in the team that had put so much faith into him. In likely his final year, Alfredsson wanted to win a Cup, and didn’t believe he could do so with the team that he had led for the better part of a decade. Alfredsson claims that a week ago, he couldn’t have envisioned himself playing for any other team, but I have my doubts regarding this statement. As Alfredsson spoke, I couldn’t help to think about something he said weeks ago, something I immediately dismissed at the time, but that others scrutinized him for.
“Probably not.â€
The words Alfredsson muttered after being asked if he thought the Ottawa Senators could come back from a 3-1 series deficit, following a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. The words were such a contrast to 9 years earlier, when Captain Daniel Alfredsson assured the Ottawa faithful victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs despite being down 3-2 in the series. As I said previously, I immediately dismissed the comments Alfredsson made following the loss. I made excuses for why Alfredsson would say such a thing. “He was just frustrated. He was hot from the blowout loss. He’s just trying to take the pressure off the rest of the team.†All things I said to myself, or to others as I attempted to defend the words of my Captain. We should have seen the signs.
While I don’t think Alfredsson made up his mind then and there, one could argue that the blowout loss to the Penguins planted the seed of the doubt in the back of his mind that would later attribute to his decision on Thursday.
Like many fans, I’m left wondering if May 22nd, 2013 was the day Alfredsson stopped believing in the Ottawa Senators.
I’m not mad at Alfredsson wanting to chase a cup, but I am heartbroken over how everything unfolded this week. It shouldn’t have happened this way. If Alfredsson thought there was even the slightest chance that he wouldn’t return to Ottawa this year (which in my opinion he’s had his doubts for weeks now), he should have been transparent with Bryan Murray, the Ottawa Senators organization, and the fans in Ottawa. Prior to the announcement that Alfredsson had signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings, he should have held a press conference explaining his choice and how hard it was for him to make it, and it should have been him, and not Darren Dregger, that broke the news to the Ottawa faithful. What should have been a bitter sweet moment in Senators history (like Ray Bourque leaving Boston for Colorado), has left many Sens fans with a sour taste in their mouth, that won’t go away any time soon.
I won’t boo Alfredsson the first night he laces up against our boys here in Ottawa. At least I hope I won’t. At the moment the wound is still too fresh to say for sure, but I can’t help smiling when I think of Alfredsson getting to play in the Winter Classic against the Toronto Maple Leafs this coming New Year, or throwing on the yellow Sweden jersey one more time at the Olympics. And while I also can’t help smiling at the thought of the Senators defeating the Red Wings on route to their first Stanley Cup win in modern franchise history, a part of me would be sad to see it happen.
Daniel Alfredsson carried this franchise on his back for years. He took less money when the team was struggling to stay afloat financially, was a standout member of the community, and was a great mentor to the likes of Jason Spezza, Erik Karlsson and the rest of the Ottawa Senators. I hope that fans remember all of the good Alfie has done for the city of Ottawa, and don’t condemn him for the one selfish decision he made in his entire career.
Thanks Alfie for everything you have done. I hope you find what you were searching for in Detroit.
