Fourier
Registered User
I actually agree that it is the minimum we should expect from a professional. Unfortunately in pro sports these days that is often asking too much. So maybe my comment is as much a reflection of cynicism as it is faint praise for Ference. I think hockey is perhaps better than other sports but it is pretty rare that a player would take what is happening to Ference without making it a difficult situation either in public or behind closed doors.
I personally think Ference is done and probably was last year. But it's not my livelihood on the line here. By sitting him this pretty much insures he is finished. Of course he is being compensated very well for sitting in the pb so at that level he really should accept his fate and count himself lucky. But unfortunately that is not how it typically plays out.
Many athletes have a tough time with facing the end and dragging it out it makes it tougher. Selanne for example was always considered a class act. But even he had a hard time realising that what was best for him and best for the team was not necessarily the same thing. The Ducks had been very loyal to him and by giving him time each summer to make his decision about returning they often put themselves in a difficult situation. But when his play dropped off substantially and Boudreau decided to limit his minutes and to scratch him in the playoffs Selanne took this as a personal insult.
As for Nikitin, I actually agree that he has taken his demotion very well and should be acknowledged for it.
