Marian Hossa has played his last game

[thesaadfather]

if he had walked away when making 7.9 a year--this is a none issue. But he didn't. So it is now an issue. He waited till he would have been on 1 mill a year.

What year he walks away in is irrelevant. He’s actually sick, so he would have been put on LTIR no matter the year, no matter the salary. He’s still getting paid his salary. If he just wanted to retire early, he could have done it as soon as it happened. Then he would have been making $7 million a year without having to play. If he really just wanted to retire and cash a paycheck, why did he play with it for such a long period of time? He was going to get paid for the duration of his contract no matter if he went on LTIR when he was making $7 million or $1 million.

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

I'm surprised LTIR covers him since it isn't an injury or even because of hockey but rather a personal illness.

 

[thesaadfather]

I'm surprised LTIR covers him since it isn't an injury or even because of hockey but rather a personal illness.

LTIR covers illnesses.

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

The Hawks received their benefit from Hossa's contract when they were circumventing the cap and winning cups. Hossa is receiving his benefit now by being paid while being retired.

 

[Rick C137]

The Hawks received their benefit from Hossa's contract when they were circumventing the cap and winning cups. Hossa is receiving his benefit now by being paid while being retired.

... but the hawks would have been much better off with a 26 goal scoring winger playing elite defense at a 5.2 mil cap hit rather than having to pay assets to get rid of his contract. Hossa having to step away from hockey did the hawks no favors was the point.

And okay? What your describing is perfectly legal because Hossa actually had a deabilliting medical condition where continuing to play hockey was affecting his long term health. What’s your point?

 

[No Fun Shogun]

I'm surprised LTIR covers him since it isn't an injury or even because of hockey but rather a personal illness.

Why wouldn't it? If a player developed a terminal illness or diagnosed with a degenerative condition would it make any sense for a team to not get cap relief if the player legitimately couldn't finish their contract or prioritized medical care?

 

[LeHab]

I'm surprised LTIR covers him since it isn't an injury or even because of hockey but rather a personal illness.

"I" in LTIR is for Injury or Illness per CBA:

(d) Bona-Fide Long-Term Injury/Illness Exception to the Upper Limit. In the event that a Player on a Club becomes unfit to play (i.e., is injured, ill or disabled and unable to perform his duties as a hockey Player) such that the Club's physician believes, in his or her opinion, that the Player, owing to either an injury or an illness, will be unfit to play for at least (i) twenty-four (24) calendar days and (ii) ten (10) NHL Regular Season games, and such Club desires to replace such Player, the Club may add an additional Player or Players to its Active Roster, and the replacement Player Salary and Bonuses of such additional Player(s) may increase the Club's Averaged Club Salary to an amount up to and exceeding the Upper Limit, solely as, and to the extent and for the duration, set forth below. If, however, the League wishes to challenge the determination of a Club physician that a Player is unfit to play for purposes of the Bona-Fide Long-Term Injury/Illness Exception, the League and the NHLPA shall promptly confer and jointly select a neutral physician, who shall review the Club physician's determination regarding the Player's fitness to play.

 

[paragon]

Salarycapinitis, what a terrible way to go.

 

[swerdnase]

Right but where’s the conspiracy in that? It was no longer worth it to him. The guy was legitimately suffering with how uncomfortable his skin condition was. He decided that the money and the 6 questionable pills a day was no longer worth it to play hockey anymore.

Hossa was still a very good player and the Hawks have been absolute defensive trash with his absence. They get no benefit from his absence and I guarantee anyone and everyone in the Hawks FO, coaching staff, and players would love to have him back.

It’s within the rules that he doesn’t have to retire, but instead can “retire” to LTIR and still get his salary. That’s not a Blackhawks conspiracy, it’s a stipulation in the NHL’s CBA agreement with the NHLPA.

His illness is real. The circumstances for his LTIR placement are legitimate. The process for him remaining on LTIR is legal. This is again just petty whining.

What year he walks away in is irrelevant. He’s actually sick, so he would have been put on LTIR no matter the year, no matter the salary. He’s still getting paid his salary. If he just wanted to retire early, he could have done it as soon as it happened. Then he would have been making $7 million a year without having to play. If he really just wanted to retire and cash a paycheck, why did he play with it for such a long period of time? He was going to get paid for the duration of his contract no matter if he went on LTIR when he was making $7 million or $1 million.

I think both of these replies are worth rereading. As the saadfather states, Hossa could have gone on LTIR earlier and still received all his money if it was too unbearable. Don't forget the disease got progressively worse as did the potentiality of harm from the drugs. Hossa wanted to play because he loves hockey. He was willing to put up with the discomfort/pain for $7 mil. Everything worsened, the pain, symptoms and the threat of long term damage from the drugs and he decided that despite wanting to play it wasn't worth it for $1 mil. Put yourself in his shoes. I'm sure we all could put up with a lot for $7 mil but decide it wasn't worth it for less.

Unless, one is still saying that the disease itself is a lie then everything was done according to the rules in place.

 

[Zephyrr]

The use of LTIR in most of these instances is so ridiculous.

 

[CraigBillington]

Just found out a friend of mine went through a similar thing with football equipment. Says he suffered quite a bit with the cracking and bleeding.

 

[Legion34]

What year he walks away in is irrelevant. He’s actually sick, so he would have been put on LTIR no matter the year, no matter the salary. He’s still getting paid his salary. If he just wanted to retire early, he could have done it as soon as it happened. Then he would have been making $7 million a year without having to play. If he really just wanted to retire and cash a paycheck, why did he play with it for such a long period of time? He was going to get paid for the duration of his contract no matter if he went on LTIR when he was making $7 million or $1 million.

Except..... he isn’t sick with a internal disease... he has allergic reactions to equipment that he has been playing with for years......

You are telling me that in the world of cell phones and rocket ships. They really can’t figure out how to make equipment or a rash guard that he can play with?

 

[Legion34]

I think both of these replies are worth rereading. As the saadfather states, Hossa could have gone on LTIR earlier and still received all his money if it was too unbearable. Don't forget the disease got progressively worse as did the potentiality of harm from the drugs. Hossa wanted to play because he loves hockey. He was willing to put up with the discomfort/pain for $7 mil. Everything worsened, the pain, symptoms and the threat of long term damage from the drugs and he decided that despite wanting to play it wasn't worth it for $1 mil. Put yourself in his shoes. I'm sure we all could put up with a lot for $7 mil but decide it wasn't worth it for less.

Unless, one is still saying that the disease itself is a lie then everything was done according to the rules in place.

The problem is that medical insurance etc doesn’t care if you are uncomfortable. It’s “can you do it”. If you can do it for 7 million you can do it for 1.

 

[PM]

I can both love Hossa for his great years with the Sens and hate that the Hawks are getting off scot free because of a rash. As long as the league gives Luongo the same benefit of the doubt I won’t care but I’m not holding my breath.

 

[JaegerDice]

There are so many people in this thread missing the point.

You're so fixated on the skin condition and 'well if he could handle it at 7mil, why couldn't he handle it at 1m' or whatever.

The skin condition did not end his career.

The medication for it did.

The medication would also spell the end of his career.

The drug can be so dangerous the FDA has given it a black box warning. Some of the possible side effects include an increased risk of serious infections, higher blood pressure, kidney disease, tumor and skin cancer. Hossa went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for testing every two weeks.

Those pills are not easy pills. Those are hard pills. Every second week I have to go to hospital to check my blood. If those pills don’t affect me, something else.

I'll write what I wrote in a poll about Marian Hossa making the HOF a few weeks ago.

If you think that a person should risk going on dialysis for the rest of their lives, or worse, just to finish out an NHL contract, you're an asshole. End of story.

 

[DANTHEMAN1967]

... but the hawks would have been much better off with a 26 goal scoring winger playing elite defense at a 5.2 mil cap hit rather than having to pay assets to get rid of his contract. Hossa having to step away from hockey did the hawks no favors was the point.

And okay? What your describing is perfectly legal because Hossa actually had a deabilliting medical condition where continuing to play hockey was affecting his long term health. What’s your point?

Hossa was never going to play the 2018-2019 season, both he and the Blackhawks knew this when the contract was signed.
Zetterberg admitted this in a newspaper article.
The cheap years were added on to the end simply to circumvent the cap.
The point is that anyone with a modicum of sense knew that the players that signed the obvious cap circumvention contracts (Hossa, Zetterberg etc..) would never play the cheap tacked on years at the end.
Next up Roberto Luongo.

 

[skiba77777]

if he had walked away when making 7.9 a year--this is a none issue. But he didn't. So it is now an issue. He waited till he would have been on 1 mill a year.

lol this makes no sense. hossa is still getting paid his salary. you are very confused. if they hadn't created the recapture system and he retired after his salary dropped, then we'd have a discussion.

 

[skiba77777]

I believe some of us are trying to make the point, HE started suffering from it 6 years prior to his "last game" when he was making 7.9 mill year. He put up with it for 6 years. Fast forward 6 years and he can not longer put up with it. It just happens it was the same time his yearly income went down to 1 mill a year. The exact year many people predicted he would suffer a "career ending injury" prior to knowing that he had this ailment.

HE STILL IS GETTING PAID. your argument makes no sense whatsoever. if he was still making 7.9 a year, he'd still be getting paid, because he is not retired. the fact that he retired right when his salary became 1 million is irrelevant.

 

[JaegerDice]

Hossa was never going to play the 2018-2019 season, both he and the Blackhawks knew this when the contract was signed.
Zetterberg admitted this in a newspaper article.
The cheap years were added on to the end simply to circumvent the cap.
The point is that anyone with a modicum of sense knew that the players that signed the obvious cap circumvention contracts (Hossa, Zetterberg etc..) would never play the cheap tacked on years at the end.
Next up Roberto Luongo.

And the NHL approved every contract.

Claiming this is cheating is like claiming having sex with another woman is cheating even when your wife was there watching and cheering you on.

 

[Rick C137]

Hossa was never going to play the 2018-2019 season, both he and the Blackhawks knew this when the contract was signed.
Zetterberg admitted this in a newspaper article.
The cheap years were added on to the end simply to circumvent the cap.
The point is that anyone with a modicum of sense knew that the players that signed the obvious cap circumvention contracts (Hossa, Zetterberg etc..) would never play the cheap tacked on years at the end.
Next up Roberto Luongo.

Can you please link me to where Hossa or anyone that’s close to the situation has said Hossa never intended to finish his contract like you just claimed? I can link multiple articles that say just the opposite. You’re basing your entire theory on your own suspicions while conviently ignoring all the facts in front of you.

I’m sorry but you are either a complete imbecile or a jealous rival fan if you still think the Hawks actually wanted/got any benefit from hossa leaving hockey when he did.

Hell I would take that trade back and take a shot at him coming back at his 5.2 cap hit right now after him being out of hockey for 18 months if he was willing/it was possible. He was still really good when he walked away .

 

[skiba77777]

The problem is that medical insurance etc doesn’t care if you are uncomfortable. It’s “can you do it”. If you can do it for 7 million you can do it for 1.

he. is. still. getting. paid. his. salary.

why is this so difficult for people to understand.?

 

[Legion34]

he. is. still. getting. paid. his. salary.

why is this so difficult for people to understand.?

Yes? That’s not the question. You do see the problem with a team winning 3 cups with a 8 million dollar player making 5 million cap. Who has struggled with this condition only to have it become medically unsafe in the OFFSEASON when he wasn’t wearing equipment
And despite living in a world of 3 d printers and robot limbs we can’t somehow figure out within the next 3 years how to make equipment out of a material he isn’t allergic to

 

[generalshepherd141]

he. is. still. getting. paid. his. salary.

why is this so difficult for people to understand.?

People like to make the easiest argument, which can happen to be the most ignorant one as well. Getting actual facts requires too much work for some people.

 

[Legion34]

Can you please link me to where Hossa or anyone that’s close to the situation has said Hossa never intended to finish his contract like you just claimed? I can link multiple articles that say just the opposite. You’re basing your entire theory on your own suspicions while conviently ignoring all the facts in front of you.

I’m sorry but you are either a complete imbecile or a jealous rival fan if you still think the Hawks actually wanted/got any benefit from hossa leaving hockey when he did.

Hell I would take that trade back and take a shot at him coming back at his 5.2 cap hit right now after him being out of hockey for 18 months if he was willing/it was possible. He was still really good when he walked away .

Ummm the benefit was the 3 cups..... hossa got paid his money 3 years early. It’s really not that hard

 

[Nakawick]

I can both love Hossa for his great years with the Sens and hate that the Hawks are getting off scot free because of a rash. As long as the league gives Luongo the same benefit of the doubt I won’t care but I’m not holding my breath.

Seabrook and Keith are going to do it too. Watch.