Ference: "you know that guy is never going to go to war for you"

[McDavidbowie]

None of those were instances of Ference "going to war" for a teammate.

He sucked as an Oiler on the ice. Off the ice, he does a lot of good work in the community and his work in that regard is admirable. But on the ice he was pathetic. Really was the epitome of the lowest of the low with him and Eakins coming in at the same time and having Ference being named captain without ever having played a game.

Have you watched games with Ference? This is revisionist history. He was bad near the end but he was a good captain and teammate.

 

[rboomercat90]

The quote in the article referencing Ference ripping some of his "core" teammates for poor habits came very early on in his Oiler career. He never made public comments like that again. Guys like Smid and Perron did though and they were promptly traded. I always wondered if he was told to knock it off by Oilers management and if he kind of just gave up on trying to set any kind of an example after that, knowing the organization didn't have his back. His play sure dropped off after that too and then the injuries hit as well. In any event, what a horrible time to be playing for the Oilers. Bad enough that the talent level was as low as it was but the team was being led by two clueless idiots in Mactavish and Eakins who had no business being around an NHL team.

 

[JarvisFunk]

Throwing a hissyfit after getting cleanly hit by Stempniak is the closest thing I can remember to Ference sticking up for an Oiler.

He absolutely clocked Kassian one of the first games after the Gagner incident.

 

[tempest2i]

The quote in the article referencing Ference ripping some of his "core" teammates for poor habits came very early on in his Oiler career. He never made public comments like that again. Guys like Smid and Perron did though and they were promptly traded. I always wondered if he was told to knock it off by Oilers management and if he kind of just gave up on trying to set any kind of an example after that, knowing the organization didn't have his back. His play sure dropped off after that too and then the injuries hit as well. In any event, what a horrible time to be playing for the Oilers. Bad enough that the talent level was as low as it was but the team was being led by two clueless idiots in Mactavish and Eakins who had no business being around an NHL team.

This was also the time period where players were talking about how more difficult practices were after they left Edmonton.

If sure felt like it was an every man for himself situation during that time.

 

[The Nuge]

It started from the top. We had a coach who preached backing down and hoping for a PP. I'd wager he's not talking about a specific player, but the bulk of the players. Guys like Nuge, Gagner, Yakupov, Petry, etc wouldn't necessarily fight, but were at least willing to grab a guy in a scrum. Most of the team though would just watch the entire other team manhandle one player

 

[KrisLetAngry]

Taylor Hall literally said on Edmonton radio. "I don't like that post whistle extra curricular stuff. It takes me off my game and I try to avoid it." He was the leader of that culture.

To be fair to Taylor hall and btw I take the over.

I too would be like that idc about after whistle ****. So add me to the list of people who wouldn't do squat

 

[Knave]

Ference stuck up for teammates way more than Horcoff ever did. People are throwing him under the bus because of these comments.

He is talking about Hall and any Oil fan can see that. Ference, Scrivens, Perron, Belanger etc.. They have all made comments and eluded to the poor attitude in the room and the lack of professionalism from the kids.

Hall's talent is unquestionable, but it really does seem like he has an attitude issue.

Yeah but do Ference's underlying numbers compare to Gretzky like Horcoff's did? I don't think so.

 

[Cult of Hynes]

Ready for the bash Taylor Hall thread?

 

[HockeyGuy1964]

A lot of the responses are typical Oiler fan responses.

A guy says something that we all know is 1000% accurate & he gets attacked for them & they try to turn them around on the guy & make him into the bad guy.

 

[Stud Muffin]

Andrew Ference was the worst defender ive ever seen play for the Oilers, and he should really have kept his mouth shut and stayed in hiding.

 

[McDNicks17]

A lot of the responses are typical Oiler fan responses.

A guy says something that we all know is 1000% accurate & he gets attacked for them & they try to turn them around on the guy & make him into the bad guy.

We all know it's 1000% accurate.

That doesn't take away from the irony of Ference being the one saying it.

 

[Blue Shakehead]

The best part of that Staples article was his peddling of his own subjective "Grade A Scoring Chances per 15 stats. What a maroon.

 

[hagelin1381]

The best part of that Staples article was his peddling of his own subjective "Grade A Scoring Chances per 15 stats. What a maroon.

guy said kris russell was as good as vlasic, really can't take anything he says seriously.

those oilers teams had a lot of issues, lot of bad habits. everyone knew it. it was truly a toxic environment

 

[NickLidstrom]

The most important aspect of this post, is the term Jabroni was correctly used.

Is it possible to use it incorrectly?

 

[parineum]

He's actually feisty as **** lol. He broke his hand in junior fighting someone- sometimes I think he wishes he was an enforcer.

Wasn't that his first junior fight and didn't he punch the dasher?

I remember a lot of media being critical of the fight as unnecessary and saying something along the lines of him adding that dimension to his game wasn't worthwhile.

 

[Mikeshane]

The NHL should give out an award for the player that is completely full of himself and call it the Ference.

Mr call out my teammate's hit then elbow Halpern in the head.

 

[StoveTopStauffer]

Yeah superstars like Patrick Kane, Seguin, and Nik Backstrom also contribute to that culture on their teams.

Its not Hall's job to stir up stuff after the whistle...thats ference's job and he never did it. I recall Hall and Nurse going after evander Kane when he ran sekera. Im having trouble recalling ference stepping up to anyone who is remotely tough

Last time Hall fought he got injured.

McDavid is way more fiesty than Hall ever was. Not a captain for a reason.

Who needs to fight, just get in there.

 

[SaltNPeca]

I would think the captain would set the tone for that.

Ference was the Oilers captain for his two full seasons with the team. Then he gave up the C to start his 6 game season.

Seems like a real biotch move on Ference's part.

I am thinking exactly this.

#1. HE WAS THE CAPTAIN... just lol bud.
#2. Ryan Smyth was on those teams. He went to war every game in his own way.

Ethan Moreau & Andrew Ference are the 2 worst Oiler captains all-time. The management was obviously making a lot of terrible decisions in those years.

 

[harpoon]

Actually I think he's one of the players Ference is referring to.

Seriously Ference should just keep his mouth shut.
This guy has done nothing for the Edmonton Oilers or the City of Edmonton.
He had maybe twenty decent games as an Oiler over two seasons and contrary to what that article implies he scared nobody and was just as guilty as anyone of standing around at the bus stop while a team mate was getting stomped. If I was going to war I would never pick a guy like Ference to play on my line.
Kassian has done more in fifty games than Ference accomplished in 150. Ference isn't worthy to carry Kassian's jock.
Not once did I ever see that slug lead with his play on the ice. He was a liability from the start. What a joke that he sees fit to advise others on how to conduct their careers. And now of all things. Seriously, **** you Ference.

ference was nothing more than a jogging partner for dallas Eakins when he was with the Oilers.

Wow. Bingo. This nails it.

 

[SprDaVE]

Ference probably should have also mentioned that he was awful and was directly linked to the team doing very poorly as the captain.

But sure, place the blame elsewhere.

 

[jebs]

I remember reading somewhere Perron wasn't super happy as an Oiler. Tho when you get traded from a top team to a bottom feeder that would be disappointing.

People can say Hall but I don't know, he wasn't traded cause they wanted to get rid of him, it was cause he was the only guy with real value.

 

[Frank the Tank]

Ference is right when talking about the lack of team first mentality among the old core of Hall, RNH, Eberle, Yakupov, Gagner, Schultz, etc... who were given too much too soon. It is not an indictment of them as individual players; instead, it speaks to their obvious ineffectiveness as a group and as inexperienced leaders. This season has shown that when players like Gagner, Schultz, and Hall are put in their proper spot on the depth chart on different teams they can flourish. At the same time, the Oilers have added the proper supporting players to create a better team.

 

[Roo Mad Bro]

Definitely talking about Hall. Ouch.

 

[snipes]

Whatever. Can't see how he is wrong. The previous Oiler teams were soft, lacked killer instinct, and played like a bunch of *****es.

So glad we finally have a team put together that is the complete opposite of that soft garbage of the past.

 

[dookers9]

No one went to war for anyone during Ference's first year and a half here. Team culture was trash, management was trash, coaching was trash and the roster was full of wimps aside from a couple guys that you can't trust to play more than 2 mins a night.

Of course, the obvious irony of the meme has Ference himself at the bus stop. Lol

Well, certainly not Gazdic, Brown, or Smid.