Appreciation for Chris Neil

[Brassknuckles]

It pains me to think that, like Alfie, this guy is coming to the end of his career with this team.

For over a decade, he has patrolled the ice, standing up for teammates, fighting to try and spark the Sens when they need a boost, and making the opposing teams players very nervous.

Fans from other teams try to trash Neil for being this and that, but Sens fans know the truth about this guy. He's fought just about every heavyweight in the NHL even though he's not the biggest guy out there.

You can tell he cares about the team and the fans, and as a fan, isn't that one of the most important qualities in a player. A guy who might not show up in the scoring column most nights, but finishes every check like it's the last hit he'll ever have, who protects every player on his team like they were his own flesh and blood.

Chris Neil will always have a special place in the hearts of many Sens fans. When he moves on, it might be a long time before we find another player that can, and is willing to do all the things that Chris does.

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[ReginKarlssonLehner]

Great thread.

Last year Neil had moments where I wanted to pull out my hair but towards the end of the season and this year's pre-season/early season, he has been amazing.

This guy shows so much heart and you can see the play shift towards us when he's on the ice whether it be physically or in point production.

Zibanejad literally came to life when put on a line with Neil and almost scored.

 

[The Expert]

Great thread.

Couldn't agree more.

I've never seen a fan base try so hard to discredit a guy as seems to happen with Neil occasionally.

I've never seen a player with more heart and toughness. If Neil had played his career in the Leafs can you imagine his reputation? He'd be a ****ing hero, as he should be to the Ottawa fan base.

The thought of him being traded or playing for another team is sick, he's every bit a career Senator in my mind as Alfie, **** the haters.

 

[CanadianHockey]

Neil has been a warrior for us over the years. Was included in THN's greatest roster of all time as the 4th line RW two years ago.

 

[KA BLAMO]

Couldn't agree more.

I've never seen a fan base try so hard to discredit a guy as seems to happen with Neil occasionally.

I've never seen a player with more heart and toughness. If Neil had played his career in the Leafs can you imagine his reputation? He'd be a ****ing hero, as he should be to the Ottawa fan base.

The thought of him being traded or playing for another team is sick, he's every bit a career Senator in my mind as Alfie, **** the haters.

I could not agree more.

 

[CR15]

Hell yeah!... The Expert summed it up perfectly.

 

[jordan7hm]

I've never seen a fan base try so hard to discredit a guy as seems to happen with Neil occasionally.

Uh... Ottawa does / has done this with a lots of players.

As for the rest... Neil has deserved a lot of the criticism over the years. He's done some questionable things, and he hasn't always acted as the model player / teammate we want him to be. And his performance has been more than questionable at times.

That being said. He's a fixture on the team and in the community. Will be sad when he does leave.

 

[4thliner*]

I don't see him leaving unless they can get a lot for him in return and they think Konokpa can do the job and a kid that is coming up. We got lots of skilled young players on this team that need to be protected by someone who takes a regular shift and respond in kind.

 

[Busboy]

Uh... Ottawa does / has done this with a lots of players.

As for the rest... Neil has deserved a lot of the criticism over the years. He's done some questionable things, and he hasn't always acted as the model player / teammate we want him to be. And his performance has been more than questionable at times.

Please explain more.

 

[harvey]

For all of Neils Pugilistic skills and heavy hits...

he has NEVER been suspended in his career.

This amazing stat is never brought up by haters from other teams

Neil is a one of a kind hard hitting CLEAN hockey player

 

[Ice-Tray]

Uh... Ottawa does / has done this with a lots of players.

As for the rest... Neil has deserved a lot of the criticism over the years. He's done some questionable things, and he hasn't always acted as the model player / teammate we want him to be. And his performance has been more than questionable at times.

That being said. He's a fixture on the team and in the community. Will be sad when he does leave.

I don't agree with you at all on your main point.

In my opinion, Neil has NOT deserved the criticism that you and other have laid on him, and it has always made m cringe when posters have called for him to be traded at the deadline as if this was a video game.

He has tried to be too offensive at times perhaps, what coaches and players call "trying to hard" (never really a bad thing in my opinion), but he always gives it all out there and in my opinion is exactly a model player for grit, determination, competitiveness, and constancy in these regards.

He is not a model citizen in a hockey sense, I'm not sure why you/anyone would expect that. He is a loyal, courageous, mean SOB on the ice, the exact traits that make him so important to us, and make other team's fans hate him.

Intangibles are just that; intangible. But every hockey player talks about them in interviews, and analysts include them in their conversations, as an important part of the make-up of great players, and Chris Neil is intangibles personified.

To me, Chris is a great player. In his role, he is one of, if not the best in the league, and has been for many years. He is non stop energy, a one man wrecking ball on the forecheck, and a player that models what it means to play for each other.

He gives the club a little swagger on the physical side, and when he's on the ice the other teams players have to spend part of their focus making sure they know where he is.

He is one of the guys I enjoy most watching when he steps on the ice, and I feel like he has given me as many moments to stand up and cheer as any other Sen.

Management seems to feel the same way about him, and I'm glad. He should, and I hope will, retire a senator.

 

[Senateurs]

Chris Neil is so underrated as a leader. IMO, he's more important than anybody not named Alfredsson in that dressing room.

 

[Inkling]

I hope he retires a Senator. He's been an important part of the team for a long time and while it's nice to have the re-build, it's also nice to keep some links to the Cup Final team.

 

[harvey]

Chris Neil is so underrated as a leader. IMO, he's more important than anybody not named Alfredsson in that dressing room.

Just ask Heatley...

 

[derriko]

Not to sound like I'm floating my own boat, but I was one of the few who didn't ***** about him getting 2 mil a year. I think he's worth every penny and one of my favorites

 

[Berserker*]

Great thread, Neil is a warrior and it is great to see that he is still very much appreciated around here. His intensity towards the end of the second period in Detroit was unreal. He is a ultra competitive guy and when the sens start falling behind and we start losing a game, he steps up his game and gives everything he can on every shift to either score a goal or provide a spark to the team with a big hit or exciting fight. He also has one hell of a chin; he has taken some bombs from some heavy hitters and still kept in the fight. What;s also great is that it looks like his intensity and style of play are starting to rub off on some of the prospects. Smith seems like he is very much taking after Neil, Greening -especially after Neil's play late second period vs Detroit - was running people and aggressively attacking all lose pucks around the net. Hell even Zibanejad fed off his energy and tried to destroy a few people with hits. Hopefully Kramer winds up as being a similar kind of player and hopefully the sens draft a few more players in the Neil mould.

 

[CanadianHockey]

For all of Neils Pugilistic skills and heavy hits...

he has NEVER been suspended in his career.

This amazing stat is never brought up by haters from other teams

Neil is a one of a kind hard hitting CLEAN hockey player

He's hardly clean, he just knows how to toe the line.

Chris Neil is so underrated as a leader. IMO, he's more important than anybody not named Alfredsson in that dressing room.

I don't think anybody here really has the insight to say who is the most important leader in the dressing room after Alfie.

 

[coladin]

He's hardly clean, he just knows how to toe the line.



I don't think anybody here really has the insight to say who is the most important leader in the dressing room after Alfie.

Insight? What more insight do you want? He sticks up for every single player on his team and has shown on many occasions to care for this team, this city. If you watch hockey, NHL hockey, it doesn't take a genious to figure out if he is not one of the most important leaders on the team.

 

[thinkwild]

Really should've been nicknamed 'Nails'.

I think it was George Laraque that labelled him the toughest pound for pound player in the league. I cant really remember the last fight he outright lost, perhaps against Boulerice many years ago when Boulerice got him in a whip and then connected, breaking Neils jaw, although Neil didnt know for a few months, kept playing through it. Neil never allowed himself to get caught in that whip again. And if he could get inside against bigger fighters, where for the price of one shot, he could get off some good ones, he could win decisions against bigger fighters quite often.

He really did come to define the role, such that other GM's would say that they are looking for a Chris Neil type of player. And his pay reflects the demand his 4th line role is in. And thats a success - filling a team role with the perfect player

The thing with Neil is that it isnt always intangible. His differences can be tangible when watching the game and not the stats sheet.

And he is clean, he plays the role with honour the way the code demands. That's why he's never been suspended, its no accident.

And even though he will end a game with 4th line minutes, he may have gotten some 2nd and 3rd line shifts and been effective. He's improved, he can make those plays some times now.

 

[Dysentery]

Love the guy, I hope he's with the Sens til retirement. He drives leaf fans nuts.

 

[Derivation]

Neil is an unsung hero and would do anything to defend a teammate. My hat goes off to Mr.25

 

[Vaclav Varada]

Theirs a reason teams were licking there chops when he hit free agency. He broke a lot of GM's hearts when he decided to re-sign with us. And i'm so happy he did.

 

[CanadianHockey]

Insight? What more insight do you want? He sticks up for every single player on his team and has shown on many occasions to care for this team, this city. If you watch hockey, NHL hockey, it doesn't take a genious to figure out if he is not one of the most important leaders on the team.

Sorry, I didn't mean to say he's not a leader, because he definitely is a team first guy and does everything a leader does.
I was trying to say that the guys who consistently wear the A (Phillips and Spezza) would make a case for 2nd most important after Alfie.

 

[Ice-Tray]

Great thread, Neil is a warrior and it is great to see that he is still very much appreciated around here. His intensity towards the end of the second period in Detroit was unreal. He is a ultra competitive guy and when the sens start falling behind and we start losing a game, he steps up his game and gives everything he can on every shift to either score a goal or provide a spark to the team with a big hit or exciting fight. He also has one hell of a chin; he has taken some bombs from some heavy hitters and still kept in the fight. What;s also great is that it looks like his intensity and style of play are starting to rub off on some of the prospects. Smith seems like he is very much taking after Neil, Greening -especially after Neil's play late second period vs Detroit - was running people and aggressively attacking all lose pucks around the net. Hell even Zibanejad fed off his energy and tried to destroy a few people with hits. Hopefully Kramer winds up as being a similar kind of player and hopefully the sens draft a few more players in the Neil mould.

Oh man, Bruiser thanks for that! Love when Neil creams someone and then pounds the revenge.... Classic.

Way to go Neiler!

 

[Ice-Tray]

He's hardly clean, he just knows how to toe the line.



I don't think anybody here really has the insight to say who is the most important leader in the dressing room after Alfie.

It could be just me, but toeing the line but not crossing it is still clean, just maybe not crystal clean