News Article: The Players' Tribune; "Not Done" By Scott Gomez

[Uli Hiemer]

This was awesome!

Well done Gomer.

 

[DevilsJunkie]

Thanks for the link, great article. Obviously did not like that he went to the Rangers but any animosity subsided as he continued to ply his trade elsewhere. Glad he is back and making a contribution.

MSG+ ran an intermission segment on Sal awhile back that left me with the same impression. The viewer saw a stand up guy who is a great father to his children going about and doing his thing. Performance issues on the ice aside, some fans (thankfully a small minority) need to remember that most of these players are good people and should be treated as such.

This too often gets forgotten.

 

[Sascha Goc]

Anytime someone complains about how players don't like to play in NJ and it's not an attractive place to play and Lou is an evil dictator they should be forced to read this article.

 

[ForeverJerseyGirl]

Anytime someone complains about how players don't like to play in NJ and it's not an attractive place to play and Lou is an evil dictator they should be forced to read this article.

I second this motion.

 

[Emperoreddy]

All is forgiven Gomez. Glad he is back and having success and I hope Lou keeps him. He definitely earned it. I got the impression Lou did care for Scott and wanted him to succeed. Especially when he told him to just come back instead of signing with San Jose.

And this is off topic but on the topic of players jumping ship. I've forgiven Zach as well. Hearing him talk about how being in Minnesota allowed him to have that extra time with JP (and knowing what losing a parent feels like) I'm glad he left. That's way more important then hockey.

 

[Offseason Champs]

And this is off topic but on the topic of players jumping ship. I've forgiven Zach as well. Hearing him talk about how being in Minnesota allowed him to have that extra time with JP (and knowing what losing a parent feels like) I'm glad he left. That's way more important then hockey.

This is an important point. I mean, Zach is a great hockey player, of course, but I always thought he was a genuinely nice guy too. It's good he was able to spend that time with his father, even if it sucks not having him in red and black anymore.

 

[MadDevil]

Really good read. This is why everytime I hear this BS about how the organization needs sweeping philosophy changes, or people complain about Lou's policies on facial hair and Twitter accounts, I just shake my head. The Devils have always been about professionalism, and I'm glad Gomez is back in the fold.

 

[Devils Dominion]

A nice read.

 

[Bleedred]

All is forgiven Gomez. Glad he is back and having success and I hope Lou keeps him. He definitely earned it. I got the impression Lou did care for Scott and wanted him to succeed. Especially when he told him to just come back instead of signing with San Jose.

And this is off topic but on the topic of players jumping ship. I've forgiven Zach as well. Hearing him talk about how being in Minnesota allowed him to have that extra time with JP (and knowing what losing a parent feels like) I'm glad he left. That's way more important then hockey.

This is an important point. I mean, Zach is a great hockey player, of course, but I always thought he was a genuinely nice guy too. It's good he was able to spend that time with his father, even if it sucks not having him in red and black anymore.

Kovalchuk is the only one I don't really forgive. Doosh backed out of a contract, **** him.

This was a great article. It's funny that Holik did the same thing about a half a decade earlier, then wound up returning to the Devils nearly as many years later as Gomer did. We also tried signing Holik after he was bought out by the Rangers, but he decided to sign with the Thrashers instead.

I wish we did sign Gomez in 2013. He would have been our best signing that year. **** Butler, Poni 2.0, and that big nose nobody that had one good year in St Louis.

 

[Wingman77]

I believe Holik even said somewhere that he would have been back in NJ but that he'd be stupid to pass on the stupid amount of money that was being thrown at him.

I haven't really understood lingering distaste even several years after the fact by fans for players leaving to go elsewhere. It's not much different than when all of us chose to move on to a different company or look for a different job. We have our reasons just as much as these guys do. But a lot of people aren't able to differentiate because these are guys that are highlighted in the media due to their profession and that's really it. These guys are no better than you, I or the guy sleeping on the corner in the city, but for whatever reason society treats these people in the spotlight (celebrities, athletes, politicians, etc) as if they are sacred people and I've never really understood that.

So when a player leaves on a team you have an emotional investment in, sure you get annoyed, but it is what it is and you get over it. You have fun with your own fans breaking that players balls and making playful jokes about that player, but to hold almost a grudge type attitude against that guy and for an extended period is kind of childish, at least that's how I've always felt.

 

[brule2000]

He understood and said as much in the article that he struggled in Montreal, however a pretty big difference in my reaction deals with how the player handles the situation and I would not give Gomez a similar reaction to that of Ryder and Havlat because they have handled their situations pretty differently.

Ryder and Havlat have complained multiple times and have put forth an attitude that they deserve to be handed their opportunities when they have struggled after being given a number of opportunities.

Gomez (to the farthest of my knowledge) didn't complain about his situation in Montreal and knowing his personality from his first stint here and now in his second stint, he isn't that type of person to complain. He understands what it takes to work for and create your own opportunities.

Since we're all being so uncharacteristically mature about things.
Ryder and Havlat haven't complained. They've been interrogated by journalists and when they've eventually offered more than a "no comment" their obvious distaste at being prevented from doing the job they love has been turned into a "story".

 

[Zippy316]

Kovalchuk is the only one I don't really forgive. Doosh backed out of a contract, **** him.

This was a great article. It's funny that Holik did the same thing about a half a decade earlier, then wound up returning to the Devils nearly as many years later as Gomer did. We also tried signing Holik after he was bought out by the Rangers, but he decided to sign with the Thrashers instead.

I wish we did sign Gomez in 2013. He would have been our best signing that year. **** Butler, Poni 2.0, and that big nose nobody that had one good year in St Louis.

It would have been before 2012.

That means we likely would have had Gomez centering Kovalchuk. That would've had the potential to be an amazing combination.

I think this just means that Gomez will be back next season, unless we manage to somehow get McDavid in the draft.

 

[Bleedred]

It would have been before 2012.

That means we likely would have had Gomez centering Kovalchuk. That would've had the potential to be an amazing combination.

I think this just means that Gomez will be back next season, unless we manage to somehow get McDavid in the draft.

2013 was when he became a UFA and signed with the Sharks, right after being bought out by Montreal. We didn't have the opportunity to sign him prior to that, other than when he left in 2007.

 

[NJDevs26]

Yeah and considering our forward core that year I don't think Lou was kidding about not allowing him to fail...doggone it this should have happened in 2013

 

[Emperoreddy]

It would have been before 2012.

That means we likely would have had Gomez centering Kovalchuk. That would've had the potential to be an amazing combination.

I think this just means that Gomez will be back next season, unless we manage to somehow get McDavid in the draft.

I think Gomer is still back. Henrique goes to wing and JJ goes to the 4th line.

 

[Benedict Parisechuk]

This is outstanding. Gomez was meant to play here. A Devil through and through.

 

[Zippy316]

2013 was when he became a UFA and signed with the Sharks, right after being bought out by Montreal. We didn't have the opportunity to sign him prior to that, other than when he left in 2007.

He may have become a UFA in 2013, but it was still prior to the 2012-13 season.

They made an exception to the rule and allowed Gomez to be bought out prior to the 2012-13 season. It says in the article that Montreal was prepared to sit him out that entire season, to avoid this happening (there was another player in the same situation), the NHL let the Canadiens use their buyout prior to the season.

He signed with the Sharks during training camp in 2013 which was before the 2012-13 lockout shortened season.

He would've been playing alongside Kovalchuk -- that would have been very fun to watch.

 

[Zippy316]

I think Gomer is still back. Henrique goes to wing and JJ goes to the 4th line.

Cammalleri-McDavid-xxxx
Elias-Zajac-xxxxx
Henrique-Gomez-xxxxx

That doesn't look to bad, depending on who we get at RW. Then again, there's a 7% chance of that happening.

 

[Bleedred]

He may have become a UFA in 2013, but it was still prior to the 2012-13 season.

They made an exception to the rule and allowed Gomez to be bought out prior to the 2012-13 season. It says in the article that Montreal was prepared to sit him out that entire season, to avoid this happening (there was another player in the same situation), the NHL let the Canadiens use their buyout prior to the season.

He signed with the Sharks during training camp in 2013 which was before the 2012-13 lockout shortened season.

He would've been playing alongside Kovalchuk -- that would have been very fun to watch.

I see what you mean now. When you said 2012, I was thinking before the lockout even happened.

I've always called it to the 2013 season, even though it technically was the 2012-2013 season, so that's why I was confused.

 

[Csonked Out]

I took 2 things out of this:

1) Scotty will be back next year, he is playing great and his vision is still amazing
2) He is exactly the type of veteran you want to surround your young players with. His work ethic and professionalism is something that should be replicated by everyone.

I want to see Boucher on his wing in the last few games, that could be a good combo.

 

[Oneiro]

It is amazing how much people's opinion can turn around when they actually let someone defend himself.

Great article and, once again, I love the culture we have.

 

[Hisch13r]

Between this and what happened with Fetisov I don't see why guys wouldn't want to play for Lou

 

[Captain Lou]

This further cements Lou's philosophy of the team being an orchestra. Can't have 23 people on the roster all "playing the same instrument" which is what seems happened in San Jose and Florida with Gomez.

A coach's biggest responsibility is to put players into the best possible position to succeed.

I hope Lou stays here forever. And players around the league know what it's like to play here and it's just like the song "New York, New York" - if you can't make it here, you can't make it anywhere

cough Ryder, cough Havlat.

 

[Sgt Brylin]

I love Gomer. I'll admit the "did Gomez score" website provided me and my mates with a LOT of cheap laughs a few years back, but you can't deny he is a Devil through and through. Seeing him produce at the level he has this year, with this trainwreck of a team, is reason alone I don't mind us not tanking. We're the Devils.

I really hope both him and Tootoo are back next year. These guys are so much of what our team is.

And I will never, ever forgive Kovalchuk. Everyone else, Zack, Clarktard, Nieds, the lot, come and get your love.

 

[Wingman77]

Since we're all being so uncharacteristically mature about things.
Ryder and Havlat haven't complained. They've been interrogated by journalists and when they've eventually offered more than a "no comment" their obvious distaste at being prevented from doing the job they love has been turned into a "story".

The only thing preventing them from doing the job they love is themselves and their decision making on the ice.

Otherwise that's fair, they haven't gone out of their way to complain, however let's not act like they have been backed up against the wall by these journalists and forced to answer questions. They've passively aggressively and in so many words voiced their displeasure with their situations and the no comment answers are pretty easy to figure out the meaning behind them.

Between this and what happened with Fetisov I don't see why guys wouldn't want to play for Lou

and how often is it that you see people speak negatively about this organization once their time here is over? Some haven't left on the greatest note, sure, but more often than not we've seen those guys eventually look at things in retrospect once they experience other organizations and mature/grow older and have came out and expressed their appreciation for how they were treated by this organization.