Confirmed with Link: Chris Neil will not return next season

[topshelf15]

Would have liked Neil last night....Gudas needed another good punch in the head

 

[coladin]

Yes, only if he stays in Ottawa. I have a more strict criteria than most but think of it this way. If Karlsson leaves in 2 years in free agency, he'll have played 10 years in an Ottawa jersey. He'll sign a 7 year contract and could probably play another couple of years after that. That's half his career in a city not named Ottawa, and probably a Norris or more somewhere else.

I think people that get their jerseys retired should be franchise changing players that accomplished all their major accomplishments with that one franchise.

This team used to be pushed around, like all the time before Chris Neil. I think the reason why he became such a huge star is due to the fact that we watched our team being pushed around all over the ice. We cheered him because he made us feel good about our team, fighting back. So in many ways, he changed this team from being "turn the other cheek and get a PP" under Martin to, "Eff that, let's have a brawl...and kill the PP" attitude.

A franchise shift for sure.

 

[Sens of Anarchy]

Chris Neil had a brawl playing hockey

 

[bert]

That's crazy.

Neil was a peripheral player for almost all of his career.

Phillips doesn't deserve it either, but there was a time when he was on the top-pairing of our Stanley Cup final team.

Neil's zenith was potting a few goals on the 3rd line.

You may think its crazy, which is fair I just think Neil brought an element to the team and organization that Phillips didnt. Was never the biggest Phillips fan, always felt he could have been more physical and bring an edge to his game. He was on the shut down pair on the run and he was good at it but he was never a top pairing defenseman. He had some really poor stretches that were masked by a very good team around him. Solid player for sure but I really dont see whats so special about him. Neils ability to play his type of game for so long on one organization is far more unique in my opinion.

 

[aragorn]

Chris Neil was great for this organization on & off the ice. His role wasn't to score goals or contribute offensively it was to keep the other team in check which he did extremely well & back up his teammates. IMO Neil deserves to be in the ring of honour, although as much as I liked Neil, I don't think his number should be retired.

 

[Micklebot]

You may think its crazy, which is fair I just think Neil brought an element to the team and organization that Phillips didnt. Was never the biggest Phillips fan, always felt he could have been more physical and bring an edge to his game. He was on the shut down pair on the run and he was good at it but he was never a top pairing defenseman. He had some really poor stretches that were masked by a very good team around him. Solid player for sure but I really dont see whats so special about him. Neils ability to play his type of game for so long on one organization is far more unique in my opinion.

Are you sure about that? He led the team in icetime/game in 07-08, was 2nd in 06-07, 08-09, 09-10 and all that was without ever getting much of anything in PP time. He was considered on of the top shutdown D in the league along with Regehr back in the day.

 

[Tuna99]

Chris Neil was great for this organization on & off the ice. His role wasn't to score goals or contribute offensively it was to keep the other team in check which he did extremely well & back up his teammates. IMO Neil deserves to be in the ring of honour, although as much as I liked Neil, I don't think his number should be retired.

I agree 100% - but think his jersey should be retired. When you give an 18 year old your jersey you ask him to give everything he can to make your team better and help them win. Neil did that every night. And he did it in the hardest style, never got suspended and was considered for many years the toughest pound for pound player in the NHL - and that's an easy thing to do.

He might have been the tough guy, but he was the best at it and made me as a fan proud and helped our team win.

We don't win the Rangers series last year unless Neil came flying in and turned that series around for us. That to me was Neil in a nutshell, all team all the time, no matter what was asked on him.

 

[bert]

Are you sure about that? He led the team in icetime/game in 07-08, was 2nd in 06-07, 08-09, 09-10 and all that was without ever getting much of anything in PP time. He was considered on of the top shutdown D in the league along with Regehr back in the day.

Well he was never a number 1 thats for sure, perhaps number 2 d man but leading a team in icetime doesnt legitimize the player as a number 1 in my opinion. His game was never dynamic enough, perhaps if he had more offensive flair or was an intimidating punishing d man while playing the shut down role he could have got to that level. His ability to raise his game in the playoffs was something that made him a very good player.

 

[Micklebot]

Well he was never a number 1 thats for sure, perhaps number 2 d man but leading a team in icetime doesnt legitimize the player as a number 1 in my opinion. His game was never dynamic enough, perhaps if he had more offensive flair or was an intimidating punishing d man while playing the shut down role he could have got to that level. His ability to raise his game in the playoffs was something that made him a very good player.

Nobody called him number one though, the claim was top pairing, which imo is entirely fair.

 

[sensfan44]

You ruined a perfect post by saying his number should be retired.

Haha...
Yeah, but I'm a big Neil fan
You're right though. Neil and Phillips are 'Ring Of Honour' type of guys.

Interesting to note though that Phillips has had an internal retirement of his number within the organization. Not sure if they'll follow suit for Neil. But even though it won't hang in the rafters, you won't see anyone wear #4 on this team for quite awhile.

 

[sensfan44]

I have mentioned this before, but I would like to see a two tiered system.

Top tier would be number retirement, and second tier would be ring of honour.

I would also have some stipulations that guarantee ones entry into either tier, but players could be put in a tier for other reasons even if they didn't meet the stipulations. I would put retire anyone who played 1000 games with the Sens number, and put anyone who spent 10 years with the team in the ring of honour. I think there could be stipulations for goals and points too, but it is a bit hard to say what they should be since they are more era/team dependent than games played. And for goalies there would have to be a different set of rules.

That would give us:

Retired: 11, 4, 25

Ring of Honour: Redden, Spezza, Fisher, Bonk, Smith


I would also argue some other guys like Hossa, Volchenkov, etc should be added to the Ring of Honour even if longevity alone didn't get them there.


Now, I do realize I am a lot more lenient in who I would want having their number retired than most, but I really don't care. We aren't a Montreal or Detroit where anyone who didn't win a cup didn't stand out. We aren't a Pittsburgh or Edmonton who has been handed multiple generational players. We should retire the numbers and honour the guys who meant a lot to this team, and to us as fans. Those guys don't have to be the most skilled players, they just have to be the guys that gave it their all for the Senators. And there should be a point where you have scored enough goals, or points, or excelled in your role enough that you played enough games for this team for enough years that your commitment is undeniable and should be recognized.

Well said

 

[Sun God Nika]

Neil should 100% be in the ring of honour Phillips too. But to say they deserve their numbers retired ? I'm sorry that is reserved for players who were tops in the LEAGUE for multiple years while with the sens.

 

[Back in Black]

NEIL should be in the ring of honour

 

[Uchiha]

Phillips & Neil should definitely NOT have their numbers retired.

 

[DrunkUncleDenis]

Phillips & Neil should definitely NOT have their numbers retired.

Yup. But I do agree that they are both fits for the Ring of Honour.

Retired number territory is for the likes of 11 and 65.

 

[The Lewler]

Haha...
Yeah, but I'm a big Neil fan
You're right though. Neil and Phillips are 'Ring Of Honour' type of guys.

Interesting to note though that Phillips has had an internal retirement of his number within the organization. Not sure if they'll follow suit for Neil. But even though it won't hang in the rafters, you won't see anyone wear #4 on this team for quite awhile.

Chabot should take it.

 

[DrEasy]

Chabot should take it.

#4 would suit Ceci better, as he's following Phillips' trajectory. I hope Chabot ends up with #6 eventually, when Wideman's gone.

 

[aragorn]

Should the ring of honour be ONLY for players who have spent their entire career with the Sens? Does Mike Fisher or Jason Spezza get a place on there for all they did as Sen players?

 

[NyQuil]

Should the ring of honour be ONLY for players who have spent their entire career with the Sens? Does Mike Fisher or Jason Spezza get a place on there for all they did as Sen players?

It's really hard to draw the line.

Does a guy like Hossa belong?

 

[aragorn]

It's really hard to draw the line.

Does a guy like Hossa belong?

Or Heatley ... the only Sens player to hit back to back 50 goal seasons. We all know that will never happen. hahaha

 

[ToastrStutzle]

Let's put Yashin on the ring of honour. I think he deserves it.

 

[OmniSens]

How many guys with Chris Neil's type of game/role have their jerseys retired around the league?

 

[OmniSens]

Or Heatley ... the only Sens player to hit back to back 50 goal seasons. We all know that will never happen. hahaha

The only way Heatley gets up there is if they honor Pizza Pizza.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

it would definitely have to be for players who spent the majority of their careers here, and most productive time in a sens jersey. Someone like Spezza would quality (assuming he doesn't play another 4-5 years in the NHL) while Mike Fisher likely just misses the cut (as he'd be more associated around the league as a Pred instead of a Sen).

 

[Xspyrit]

Of course, Neil's number shouldn't be retired but ring of honor without a doubt. Like Phillips, a player who played over 1000 games for only one team is a very rare thing. And I think some are downplaying Neil's impact on the team. It's not about goals and points for Neil, but more that he was the archetype player of who you go to war with. His teammates felt stronger and taller when he was in the line-up. His hits and fights were often game changing or when he was going to visit the opponent's pest to tell him to stay quiet. He was also very reliable defensively and brought in some decent offense for a guy not getting a lot of offensive deployment