Jack Johnson

DaveG

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possibly, though I think he was absolutely focused on winning a National Title with Michigan before signing with an NHL team. The guy verbally commited to them as a Freshman in HS, so that's just a taste of how dedicated he is to the team at Michigan.

Hopefully he signs after next season, if not I'd definitely expect him to show up in even more trade rumors then he already is.
 

Eb0la11

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DaveG said:
possibly, though I think he was absolutely focused on winning a National Title with Michigan

Or partying with young ladies, getting drunk and pretty much owning that school.
 

Transported Upstater

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Leachmeister2000 said:
I'd take the cup any day.

As would I, if I was Jack Johnson. College is fun (except for me; it was the worst 4 years of my life), but winning a Cup is the thing almost every young hockey player sets out to do from the moment they lace up the skates.

However:

Let's say I have Jack Johnson's talent, physical stature, etc, but I am still TransportedUpstater mentally. Personally, I wasn't mentally ready at 19 to handle a situation like professional hockey, so I would have stayed in Michigan, regardless of the Cup.
 

MHNet

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TransportedUpstater said:
As would I, if I was Jack Johnson. College is fun (except for me; it was the worst 4 years of my life), but winning a Cup is the thing almost every young hockey player sets out to do from the moment they lace up the skates.
Johnson was asked in an interview last August, assuming you could only be one, which would you rather be: Stanley Cup champion or National Champion? Johnson said, "They're about the same, but if I had to choose I would say I'd rather win a National Championship. You only have a 4-year period in which to achieve it, versus a Stanley Cup that you can strive for as long as you can still play. But, it is a close call."

However:

Let's say I have Jack Johnson's talent, physical stature, etc, but I am still TransportedUpstater mentally. Personally, I wasn't mentally ready at 19 to handle a situation like professional hockey, so I would have stayed in Michigan, regardless of the Cup.
That's just it, too. I've seen some games and read comments from Michigan fans at games this season where Johnson and his defensive partner Matt Hunwick got burned several times making bad decisions or took bad penalties, or whatever. He's still got some growing to do.

As good as his potential is, there's no guarantee that had Johnson signed with Carolina for the playoff run that they would still have had the same results and made it to the finals. You simply can't say, "Replace this defenseman with Johnson" and assume all the results would have happened the same way. Being a rookie thrown right into the thick of things, he easily could have made some of those same mistakes he made at Michigan and cost Carolina some goals (and possibly games).

I'm sure Jack's happy with his decision to return to Michigan, and I'm sure Hurricanes fans are happy with where they are right now without him (or they should be :)
 

sarcastro

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There's nothing that you can do in college that you can't do with a million dollars and your name on the Cup.

Johnson is a fool.
 

Buffalo87

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sarcastro said:
There's nothing that you can do in college that you can't do with a million dollars and your name on the Cup.

Johnson is a fool.

Except get better, get an education, and enjoy your college life. The kid is only 19, give him a break.
 

Filiatron

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Who knew that Carolina would be a cup contender before the season started? Not many predicted them to even make the playoffs. I certainly was surprised by both Carolina and Buffalo.

So at the time the decision to stay in school didn't seem like a bad one.
 

Colt.45Orr

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Darth Star said:
Who knew that Carolina would be a cup contender before the season started? Not many predicted them to even make the playoffs. I certainly was surprised by both Carolina and Buffalo.

So at the time the decision to stay in school didn't seem like a bad one.

Ya, but they offered him a contract at the end of his NCAA season -near the end of the NHL year when everyone could see that Carolina was a contender.
 

TehDoak

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Darth Star said:
Who knew that Carolina would be a cup contender before the season started? Not many predicted them to even make the playoffs. I certainly was surprised by both Carolina and Buffalo.

So at the time the decision to stay in school didn't seem like a bad one.

I'm pretty sure people are refering to Johnson NOT signing with Carolina after his freshman year was over.
 

MHNet

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sarcastro said:
There's nothing that you can do in college that you can't do with a million dollars and your name on the Cup.

Johnson is a fool.
You can win a national championship in college. You can't do that with a million bucks and your name on the Cup. And as Johnson has said many times, he wants a national title.
 

Oilers Chick

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Colt.45Orr said:
Ya, but they offered him a contract at the end of his NCAA season -near the end of the NHL year when everyone could see that Carolina was a contender.

They also offered him a contract shortly after he was drafted, then again before his freshman season began, and then again after the WJCs. Regardless of whether they win the SC or not, in all likelihood will go after JJ again this summer (if they haven't already). So what's your point as far as JJ goes?
 

bleedgreen

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sarcastro said:
There's nothing that you can do in college that you can't do with a million dollars and your name on the Cup.

Johnson is a fool.
he called the coach to verbally commit to the team when he was 14. all he wanted to do was play for michigan. now he ges there and he is a god. the pros will always be waiting for him, and i think he should be commended for following what is obviously a dream to him. i think his loyalty to his college is something you dont see enough of in sports.
 

Bryzga lol*

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He should get all he can get from the NCAA. He's going to be in the NHL unless he gets a career ending injury. So why not just enjoy 4 years in college, getting an education, being a superstar in his own little world.

If he joined the Canes this year, who knows what would have happend, if the transition didn't go smoothly, he could have spent the playoffs with Oleg in the pressbox.
 

sarcastro

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Buffalo87 said:
Except get better, get an education, and enjoy your college life. The kid is only 19, give him a break.

He'd have enough money after 3 days in the NHL to pay for all the education and all the college life he'd ever want. And he'd get better playing for the Canes just the same as playing with U-M.

I understand his commitment to his team, and commend him for it to a certain degree, but this is clearly a Lienart situation - he's going back to school because he doesn't want to grow up and it cost him. In Lienart's case it cost him probably 20 or 30 million bucks. In Johnson's case, it cost him a lot less money than that, but he'd have his name on the Cup, and a whole lot of NHLers who never got there would trade their career earnings to have played for a Cup champion.

I understand how much he wants a national title, but if an NCAA title is worth more to him than winning the Cup, then I repeat, he's a fool.
 

5mn Major

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sarcastro said:
He'd have enough money after 3 days in the NHL to pay for all the education and all the college life he'd ever want. And he'd get better playing for the Canes just the same as playing with U-M.

I understand how much he wants a national title, but if an NCAA title is worth more to him than winning the Cup, then I repeat, he's a fool.

Maybe not everything is about money. Just because he has different priorites than you, he's a fool?
 

Rabid Ranger

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sarcastro said:
He'd have enough money after 3 days in the NHL to pay for all the education and all the college life he'd ever want. And he'd get better playing for the Canes just the same as playing with U-M.

I understand his commitment to his team, and commend him for it to a certain degree, but this is clearly a Lienart situation - he's going back to school because he doesn't want to grow up and it cost him. In Lienart's case it cost him probably 20 or 30 million bucks. In Johnson's case, it cost him a lot less money than that, but he'd have his name on the Cup, and a whole lot of NHLers who never got there would trade their career earnings to have played for a Cup champion.

I understand how much he wants a national title, but if an NCAA title is worth more to him than winning the Cup, then I repeat, he's a fool.

If I was as judgmental as you I'd think you were a *****.
 

Buffalo87

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sarcastro said:
He'd have enough money after 3 days in the NHL to pay for all the education and all the college life he'd ever want. And he'd get better playing for the Canes just the same as playing with U-M.

I understand his commitment to his team, and commend him for it to a certain degree, but this is clearly a Lienart situation - he's going back to school because he doesn't want to grow up and it cost him. In Lienart's case it cost him probably 20 or 30 million bucks. In Johnson's case, it cost him a lot less money than that, but he'd have his name on the Cup, and a whole lot of NHLers who never got there would trade their career earnings to have played for a Cup champion.

I understand how much he wants a national title, but if an NCAA title is worth more to him than winning the Cup, then I repeat, he's a fool.

Money isn't everything in the world, the kid will make more than enough money...he doesn't need to worry about the money.
 

sarcastro

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Rabid Ranger said:
If I was as judgmental as you I'd think you were a *****.

Cute. It would be cuter if there were anything judgmental at all about my posts. But hey, cute is cute.
 

bleedgreen

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sarcastro said:
I understand how much he wants a national title, but if an NCAA title is worth more to him than winning the Cup, then I repeat, he's a fool.
he loves his school and where he is from. he's an old school american kid. if that makes him a fool then im sure he doesnt care if you call him one. love to see you step on the ice with him after, of course. he promised a championship and he wants to deliver. i hope he does soon, because i cant wait to see him for the canes.
 

Colt.45Orr

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Oilers Chick said:
They also offered him a contract shortly after he was drafted, then again before his freshman season began, and then again after the WJCs. Regardless of whether they win the SC or not, in all likelihood will go after JJ again this summer (if they haven't already). So what's your point as far as JJ goes?
:confused:

I thought it was pretty clear, I was responding to the post that said:
Who knew that Carolina would be a cup contender before the season started?
So at the time the decision to stay in school didn't seem like a bad one.


By saying that at the time that Carolina offered JJ the last contract, Carolina was considered a Cup contender in the East.
 

Oilers Chick

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Colt.45Orr said:
:confused:

I thought it was pretty clear, I was responding to the post that said:
Who knew that Carolina would be a cup contender before the season started?
So at the time the decision to stay in school didn't seem like a bad one.


By saying that at the time that Carolina offered JJ the last contract, Carolina was considered a Cup contender in the East.

Shortly after that, JJ also (once again) turned down Carolina's offer. The fact that they were in the playoffs didn't seem to affect his decision. Carolina's been pursuing JJ heavily from almost the moment he walked up on stage in Ottawa and put on the 'Canes jersey. Carolina's pursuit of him, with or without a SC championship isn't going to change that until they have him under contract. As mentioned already, JJ has stated that he wanted to play at Michigan this season, which he did and has expressed the desire to return there this fall. Whether you, I or anyone else on these boards agree with his decision or not has absolutely no bearing on the matter whatsoever. It was HIS decision to make and he's made his decision and until the 'Canes can convince him to change his mind at some point before he starts classes again in the fall, he's returning to Michigan and Carolina will simply either have to wait or they can trade away his rights.
 

Hockey-Freak

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I think it was a smart decision.

For a (potential) star player it´s not just all about winning a cup. He wants to make an impact in a cup-winning season.
Now he has another chance to win a national championchip AND he´ll have 10-15 seasons to win the stanley cup as an impact player and maybe with an 'A' on his jersey.
And as somebody mentioned, it´s not for sure that the Canes would be where they are WITH JJ in the playoffs...
 

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