Belanger comments on Twitter

[McJadeddog]

So Belanger apparently had it out with some Oilers fans on Twitter the other day. Link to the story with some of the Twitter quotes: http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...er-get-his-shots-in-on-oilers-but-misses-mark

Did we discuss this on HF and I somehow missed it? Weird that this wasn't a tread of its own. Anyway, what are people's thoughts on this?

Personally, it seems to give a lot of credence to all the rumors we've heard about the kids not being accountable for anything. Seems to directly point to Hall, Eberle, RNH, Schultz, but at the same time he seems to be sticking up for Schultz. So I almost gotta believe Belanger thinks the problem was with the "big 3" of Hall, Eberle and RNH. Interesting, to say the least.

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[Aequitas]

He doesn't say they are the problem. He says the way they let them do whatever they want is the problem. And you have seen this on the ice. How many games did schultz play terribly and still get major ice time.

 

[Tarus]

He's pretty clearly pointing higher than any of the younger players, specifically citing upper management for not only giving them free reign, but treating the veterans on the team poorly. None of this should be surprising though. The Lowe/Mactavish duo were notorious for their disdain and poor treatment of players long before the franchise went into the tank.

What is surprising is Belanger's defense of Tambo, would have figured he would have been included with the other problem management members. Maybe he was more of a puppet than it originally seemed, or maybe Belanger just doesn't want to name specific names and cause himself problems.

 

[T-Funk]

Belanger was also a terrible role model for any player when he was here.

 

[KCC]

So Belanger apparently had it out with some Oilers fans on Twitter the other day. Link to the story with some of the Twitter quotes: http://edmontonjournal.com/sports/h...er-get-his-shots-in-on-oilers-but-misses-mark

Did we discuss this on HF and I somehow missed it? Weird that this wasn't a tread of its own. Anyway, what are people's thoughts on this?

Personally, it seems to give a lot of credence to all the rumors we've heard about the kids not being accountable for anything. Seems to directly point to Hall, Eberle, RNH, Schultz, but at the same time he seems to be sticking up for Schultz. So I almost gotta believe Belanger thinks the problem was with the "big 3" of Hall, Eberle and RNH. Interesting, to say the least.

Nothing he said hasn't been known for the last decade. Management was a mess, they didn't surround the top talent with the players and depth they needed to grow and become a successful team. And every year they just kept giving the "bigger names" the ice. In the end it was partially their and partially not fault. And what I mean by that is they had no help, but in the process caused a lot of laziness and bad habits because they knew they could get away with it.

 

[FanOfSadTeam]

Belanger did the dumb thing by arguing with these guys on twitter. But those guys on twitter are dubber. If anyone knows what the problems were, it'd be a guy who was on the team when everything was going to ****. Not some fan who gets his information from the media.

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Was mentioned on Oilers Nkw the day after it happened. Bob said they the so-called veterans would push the kids to the back of the line when getting elevators up to their rooms on the road. Said something like 'that's not what I'd call leadership'

 

[oXo Cube]

After watching him play here for three years, Belanger is going to have a hard time convincing me he wasn't part of the problem.

Of course, that's not to say that the things he is saying are untrue/without value. They're old news though.

Also strikes me as strange that his main issue appears to be organizational treatment of veterans yet this whole thing started because he decided to publicly go to bat for Justin Schultz of all people.

 

[s7ark]

Was mentioned on Oilers Nkw the day after it happened. Bob said they the so-called veterans would push the kids to the back of the line when getting elevators up to their rooms on the road. Said something like 'that's not what I'd call leadership'

Yeah I heard that as well.

I don't really see much of a story here. A former player that signed and played so badly he had to be bought out, continues to point fingers at everything but himself. JMO

 

[The Nuge]

He's pretty clearly pointing higher than any of the younger players, specifically citing upper management for not only giving them free reign, but treating the veterans on the team poorly. None of this should be surprising though. The Lowe/Mactavish duo were notorious for their disdain and poor treatment of players long before the franchise went into the tank.

What is surprising is Belanger's defense of Tambo, would have figured he would have been included with the other problem management members. Maybe he was more of a puppet than it originally seemed, or maybe Belanger just doesn't want to name specific names and cause himself problems.

Tambo was scared to death to pull the trigger on deals that would've helped us, but that doesn't mean he was one of the old boys either. I'm not sure about Belanger, but in the case of abother ex Oiler, he had no bad blood with Tambo. It was all Lowe


Nothing Belanger said was really controversial. He specifically said he liked the people of Edmonton. We all know there were problems in management. That's why significant changes occurred.

 

[Titsuple]

He also said no good ufa would ever consider Edmonton. A few days later the Lucic stuff leaked LOL

 

[Suxnet]

I don't think it's any secret that the kids like RNH, Eberle, Hall were given the "keys to the city" by management during the rebuild. We've been talking about the lack of accountability and leadership for years for a reason.

However, Belanger also had a history of wearing out his welcome on teams during his NHL career, so it's kind of like pot meet kettle here.

 

[Del Preston]

Some of what he says is true, a lot of it isn't. Making comments about the Oilers seems to be a yearly thing with him, which is fine I suppose but I've yet to see him take ownership for what a useless piece of crap he was for the team. He is still laying the blame elsewhere:

@belly2020: That’s why i was brought in but was never given the chance to do it. That’s why i have a problem.

Anyone who had the displeasure of watching this plug for two seasons saw him gifted opportunities (because he was a veteran) that he continuously blew. Not surprisingly he carried a "bad teammate" label for much of his career.

 

[Still DRAI]

He also said no good ufa would ever consider Edmonton. A few days later the Lucic stuff leaked LOL

Not to mention that he, himself, signed as a UFA... which I guess supports his point?

 

[Seachd]

He also said no good ufa would ever consider Edmonton. A few days later the Lucic stuff leaked LOL

To be fair, I don't think there was anything "leaked" about Lucic. LeBrun just said he thinks Lucic would be open to signing with Edmonton.

That said, the Oilers are clearly more attractive to free agents now than they were a few years ago.

 

[Ragss]

Was mentioned on Oilers Nkw the day after it happened. Bob said they the so-called veterans would push the kids to the back of the line when getting elevators up to their rooms on the road. Said something like 'that's not what I'd call leadership'

That's pretty telling. The young guns were being paid the most and being given the most ice-time, but they had zero leadership over the veterans (like Crosby might have). Can't imagine there would be any leadership in a room like that. I have trouble imagining Hall in the Oilers' locker room during his career with someone he looked up to as a leader and role model sitting across from him.

Maybe I'm being too negative and pessimistic about this conjecture...but no...the Oilers have sucked hard enough and long enough for something like this to be the case. She's sick to the bones.

 

[Smartguy]

Some of what he says is true, a lot of it isn't. Making comments about the Oilers seems to be a yearly thing with him, which is fine I suppose but I've yet to see him take ownership for what a useless piece of crap he was for the team. He is still laying the blame elsewhere:


Anyone who had the displeasure of watching this plug for two seasons saw him gifted opportunities (because he was a veteran) that he continuously blew. Not surprisingly he carried a "bad teammate" label for much of his career.

Agreed, this isn't the first time he's gone after Edmonton, he played like **** here, he can call it a graveyard and whatever he wants but the way you play on the ice has nothing to do with management or the team that's on him and he can't accept he's not a good player and wasted his own career here.

With that said everyone knows of our problems in the last decade it's why we are where we are so not sure how that's news to anyone

 

[Del Preston]

Was mentioned on Oilers Nkw the day after it happened. Bob said they the so-called veterans would push the kids to the back of the line when getting elevators up to their rooms on the road. Said something like 'that's not what I'd call leadership'

The "Oilers Now" Twitter account asked Belanger twice (Tuesday and Wednesday) to come on the show to address the comments and he never responded. Apparently he's too chicken**** to go on an Edmonton radio station.

 

[Tarus]

Tambo was scared to death to pull the trigger on deals that would've helped us, but that doesn't mean he was one of the old boys either. I'm not sure about Belanger, but in the case of abother ex Oiler, he had no bad blood with Tambo. It was all Lowe


Nothing Belanger said was really controversial. He specifically said he liked the people of Edmonton. We all know there were problems in management. That's why significant changes occurred.

Tambo was the face of the vindictive burying of Souray, which kind of lumps him in with the other members of the Oiler's braintrust. I did figure that it was a policy driven by Lowe though, as it has that kind of petty and temperamental behavior behind it, not to mention most of what Souray complained about occured before Tambo was hired despite the fact that he specifically named him.

I don't actually put much stock in the narrative that Tambo was too scared to make deals either. Between Lowe's stated role during that time of having the final say on everything, the transparent plan to lose games for draft position, and the organizations tendency to burn high profile players and executives on their way out; I struggle to take the Oiler media delivered anecdotes about Tambo's supposed timidness as credible.

 

[belair]

Non-issue.

I still try to forget this guy was an Oiler. Just another awful, pouty, entitled 'veteran'.

Of course Schultz doesn't miss Edmonton. He's in a place where most of the work gets done for him. Party's over July 1st though.

 

[Trizent]

Not saying we should take to heart everything Belanger said, but to outright dismiss it all completely is equally as foolish.

 

[Throttlehead]

Not saying we should take to heart everything Belanger said, but to outright dismiss it all completely is equally as foolish.

All he did is say what everyone has been saying for years, and what was painfully obvious. I have no idea why anyone would take issue with this or belittle Belanger. Should comments like his only betaken serious when it comes from a star player, seems strange if that is the benchmark for criticism.

 

[snipes]

Jultz ****ing quit on us at the end. It was pathetic.

It would have been better if he just had no talent but gave everything he had. Jultz simply quit and it showed for the last 20 games. **** him.

 

[Mc5RingsAndABeer]

He's not wrong but at this point it isn't really relevant. It is well known that the Oilers had garbage veteran leadership. Starts from the top down.

 

[I am the Liquor]

Not saying we should take to heart everything Belanger said, but to outright dismiss it all completely is equally as foolish.

Peoples loyalties know no bounds.

This just in. The team sucks. Problems on the ice usually means problems off the ice. Like a fanboi owner and two incompetent, arrogant fools running the team further into the ground with each passing day.

Save the anger for those clowns people. Belanger had little to do with it.