News Article: Canucks fined $50K for Bennings comments on Subban, Stamkos

[Habaneros]

http://www.tsn.ca/canucks-fined-50k-for-benning-s-comments-on-subban-stamkos-1.517092

The Vancouver Canucks will pay for general manager Jim Benning's candid comments.

The club was fined US$50,000 by the NHL on Tuesday afternoon for tampering, a violation of by-law 15.

Click to read more...

 

[vokiel]

Obligatory

 

[Richiebottles]

Really dislike how the NHL has an iron curtain on stuff like this. We live in a day and age where people should be allowed to be candid. Won't be long before the NHL is passed up by the MLS in the states.

 

[Smokey Thompson]

Good. I can imagine Bergevin was fuming after hearing his comments re. PK. Incompetent and unprofessional GMs like Benning and Nonis (Gorges to Toronto was clearly leaked by the Leafs org.) don't last long in this league.

 

[Price is Wright]

Really dislike how the NHL has an iron curtain on stuff like this. We live in a day and age where people should be allowed to be candid. Won't be long before the NHL is passed up by the MLS in the states.

NBA is the same way. Fined the Raptors for Drake courting Kevin Durant.

The NFL likely put pressure on ESPN to shut Bill Simmons up for constantly attacking the NFL.

This has no bearing on the popularity of the NHL.

 

[LaP]

This has no bearing on the popularity of the NHL.

99.99999999% of the people in USA don't even know he was fined anyway

 

[Tim Raines]

Really dislike how the NHL has an iron curtain on stuff like this. We live in a day and age where people should be allowed to be candid. Won't be long before the NHL is passed up by the MLS in the states.

I totally disagree on this one specific circumstance, but in general I think you're right. The NHL needs to encourage more candid comments and open dialogue with fans.

Having said that, it's still a competitive industry and a place of employment and you can't have one employer deliberately causing turmoil in another workplace. It may seem minor, but essentially Benning just confirmed to a player that his team was shopping him. Even if it's felt that was a known fact, you can't do that.

 

[Le Tricolore]

You get fined literally twenty times as much for saying you'd like to have elite players on your team than you do for a dirty, dangerous hit.

The NHL, folks.

 

[MXD]

Really dislike how the NHL has an iron curtain on stuff like this. We live in a day and age where people should be allowed to be candid. Won't be long before the NHL is passed up by the MLS in the states.

Well, the risk of creating a rift between player and club is probably more important. Especially in an age where media outlets actually control teams.

99.99999999% of the people in USA don't even know he was fined anyway

There's really 0.00000001% that needs to be aware of that. And that's the person being fined.

 

[MXD]

You get fined literally twenty times as much for saying you'd like to have elite players on your team than you do for a dirty, dangerous hit.

The NHL, folks.

Ownership usually don't involve collective barginaining agreements.

Besides, players aren't paid when suspended, so most of the time, the penalty is bigger.

 

[Le Tricolore]

Ownership usually don't involve collective barginaining agreements.

Besides, players aren't paid when suspended, so most of the time, the penalty is bigger.

I understand that, I just think it's dumb to max out the fine at $2500.

 

[HABS FIRST]

So MB is offering PK to other teams. Pathetic.

 

[CH25]

Bergevin was really in trade talks for Subban ? He's officially my most despised GM.

 

[Richiebottles]

Bergevin was really in trade talks for Subban ? He's officially my most despised GM.

I trust Benning a lot more than MB.

 

[sandviper]

Well, not to defend MB, but I do believe teams were calling him so I think he was being honest that he wasn't shopping him. As the GM, it is his job to improve the team and if people want to make offers, he has to listen. Doesn't mean he'll act.

 

[Tabarouette]

Talking to the media to put pressure on another team is a legit strategy. This is stupid.

 

[TRG]

Well, the risk of creating a rift between player and club is probably more important. Especially in an age where media outlets actually control teams.



There's really 0.00000001% that needs to be aware of that. And that's the person being fined.

The person being fined is in Canada.

 

[CH25]

Well, not to defend MB, but I do believe teams were calling him so I think he was being honest that he wasn't shopping him. As the GM, it is his job to improve the team and if people want to make offers, he has to listen. Doesn't mean he'll act.

If he was just "listening" I doubt Benning would mention it. Not trying to blame him without proof but it's not wrong to speculate that he was heavily negotiating with other teams. The fact that a lot of teams contacted Bergevin for Subban means it's common knowledge that Bergevin was open to the possibility of a trade. Bergevin should have closed any doubts and told everyone that Subban is not available.

 

[Price is Wright]

So MB is offering PK to other teams. Pathetic.

Don't see where you got that idea.

 

[lxzred]

Talking to the media to put pressure on another team is a legit strategy. This is stupid.

Legitimately against the rule apparently since a sanction was handed out.

 

[scrubadam]

If he was just "listening" I doubt Benning would mention it. Not trying to blame him without proof but it's not wrong to speculate that he was heavily negotiating with other teams. The fact that a lot of teams contacted Bergevin for Subban means it's common knowledge that Bergevin was open to the possibility of a trade. Bergevin should have closed any doubts and told everyone that Subban is not available.

Going through this again to crap on MB. There is enough to go around with everything else that conspiracy theories don't need to be invented.

MB has been very clear since the end of year PC he is not trading PK. He has said it multiple times.

If other GM's are calling or crying to the media thats out of MB's hands. But he was very clear PK is not being traded. He didn't trade him and in 3 days his NTC will kick in.

Listen to the end of year PC, the predraft PC, and his post draft interview and you will clearly hear MB being very explicit that he does not have the intention to trade PK.

 

[BaseballCoach]

Going through this again to crap on MB. There is enough to go around with everything else that conspiracy theories don't need to be invented.

MB has been very clear since the end of year PC he is not trading PK. He has said it multiple times.

If other GM's are calling or crying to the media thats out of MB's hands. But he was very clear PK is not being traded. He didn't trade him and in 3 days his NTC will kick in.

Listen to the end of year PC, the predraft PC, and his post draft interview and you will clearly hear MB being very explicit that he does not have the intention to trade PK.

If he wanted to trade Subban, why would he make a tampering complaint. Benning's big mouth was, if anything, HELPING Subban's trade value. Answer: MB complained because he WANTS Subban and is legitimately upset at the distraction.

 

[Carey Chant]

I believe Bargainbin was testing the tires on PK before July 1 since he will be married to him for quite a few years guaranteed. BB just wanted to see if he got an offer that blew him away to trade PK before PK gets all the power about being moved anywhere. I think PK will outlast this GM & coach as a Hab and I pray the owner sees what kind of goofs these guys are.

An entire lineup of grinders & hoping some of them break out offensively is MT's dream team. Wiese back after they threw a 6 year at Shaw? Come on man....sheesh.

 

[MarkovsKnee]

Sorry, but this is pretty standard stuff across professional sports leagues. Benning saying he was participating in trade talks for Subban was simply unprofessional. There were other ways to answer that question without saying what he did. Guy showed no tact whatsoever.

The Stamkos statement absolutely was tampering. Benning is not a smart GM.

 

[JLP]

At his year-end presser Bergevin was specifically asked and confirmed Therrien would be back but would not confirm the same for PK. Of course it's different but Bergevin did have the option to go on the record that PK would not be traded. Instead he weaseled his response and said he was "not shopping" PK.

I'm not suggesting now will be the Foxhole Twins' Mario Tremblay Moment, but PK has not been handled at all with due respect by MB&MT imho.