Message sent to Season Ticket Holders from Kevin Lowe

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edmonton_ice

Registered User
Jul 3, 2006
930
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Edmonton
www.mulletsgalore.com
Hi, this is Kevin Lowe.

After a very eventful week around the hockey club, I wanted to take a moment and communicate to you, our most valued customers, our continued commitment to success.

As I stated last week, our hockey club will always do what we feel is in the best interest of our fans, and in the best interest of building a Stanley Cup championship team here in Oil Country.

Right now, we have a core group of veteran players and a wealth of emerging young talent. Last week’s trade brought us two more young players in Robert Nilsson and Ryan O’Marra, and another first round draft choice in this year’s NHL draft. They will join players like Pouliot, Jacques, Stortini, Brodziak, and Schremp, just to name a few, as potential members of a championship Oilers club. Certainly, along the way, we will add to our roster through trades and free agency when the right opportunities are there, now that we have the resources to do so. Make no mistake; our plan is to return the Stanley Cup to Edmonton.

We have an exciting future ahead of us all, and we look forward to sharing it with you.

Thanks again for your ongoing support of Oilers Hockey.
 

Digger12

Gold Fever
Feb 27, 2002
18,313
990
Back o' beyond
It seems like only yesterday :)

Hello, this is Glen Sather.

After a very eventful week around the hockey club, I wanted to take a moment and communicate to you, our most valued customers, our continued commitment to success.

As I stated last week, our hockey club will always do what we feel is in the best interest of our fans, and in the best interest of building a Stanley Cup championship team here in Oil Country.

Right now, we have a core group of veteran players and a wealth of emerging young talent. Last week’s trade brought us two more young players in Steven Rice and Louie Debrusk, as well as a star player in Bernie Nicholls. They will join players like Wright, Rucinsky, Allison, Legault and Leroux, just to name a few, as potential members of a championship Oilers club. Certainly, along the way, we will add to our roster through trades and free agency when the right opportunities are there, now that we have the resources to do so. Make no mistake; our plan is to return the Stanley Cup to Edmonton.

We have an exciting future ahead of us all, and we look forward to sharing it with you.

Thanks again for your ongoing support of Oilers Hockey.
 

oilerfanatic

Registered User
Oct 12, 2005
3,197
0
Siberia
looks like the oilers don't need any PR staff in the near future...too bad...i've been looking to get in there for a while now...
 

McJadeddog

Registered User
Sep 25, 2003
20,186
5,110
Regina, Saskatchewan
so i wonder how many hate-filled letters and emails the oilers office received that prompted such a statement from lowe? im sure it was hundreds, but maybe it was thousands?

it's going to be very interesting to see how many season ticket holders there are going into next year
 

The Rage

Registered User
So if the team is committed to winning a Stanley cub why did they trade Pronger for scrubs? Why not trade him for Luongo, Hossa, Heatly, or even for Havlat in a three way? Why did the Pronger trade have to be a salary dump? And if you were going to do a salary dump, why did you not spend some of the surplus on Eaton or Markov? There were a million opitions. What we have is a failure of a desire to spend to compete, and that's not even mentioning Smyth...
 

Replacement*

Checked out
Apr 15, 2005
48,856
2
Hiking
so i wonder how many hate-filled letters and emails the oilers office received that prompted such a statement from lowe? im sure it was hundreds, but maybe it was thousands?

it's going to be very interesting to see how many season ticket holders there are going into next year
Only one way to vote that matters is not renewing seasons tickets or adopting a wait and see attitude. Let em sweat.

After the season just passed the people who chronically feel they got fair return on their investment and still trust unconditionally will pony up but hopefully not. If too many return to the fold without serious consideration this is a boon to EIG who can milk one more year. Well, if they write good enough letters.

In anycase did that letter come with any attatchment or reminder to renew?

Thank YOU Fans Trust in us.

ps "Make no mistake; our plan is to return the Stanley Cup to Edmonton."

I'd read the fine print date on the above guarantee. Mess was skating around with it last week at Rexall so technically....
 

Oilerdiehard

Registered User
Aug 9, 2005
14,461
0
Pennsylvania
so i wonder how many hate-filled letters and emails the oilers office received that prompted such a statement from lowe? im sure it was hundreds, but maybe it was thousands?

it's going to be very interesting to see how many season ticket holders there are going into next year

A similar audio message came with the Oilers Pipeline Email announcing Ryan's trade. So I am guessing it was done before much reaction have even rolled in yet.

I think Lowe is going to make his splash with a trade (maybe at the draft even) and on the UFA market early and a lot of people will be sitting and waiting to see what he does before they commit. I hope people still support the team but that is just me.
 

hemmingway

Registered User
Aug 6, 2006
471
0
So if the team is committed to winning a Stanley cub why did they trade Pronger for scrubs? Why not trade him for Luongo, Hossa, Heatly, or even for Havlat in a three way? Why did the Pronger trade have to be a salary dump? And if you were going to do a salary dump, why did you not spend some of the surplus on Eaton or Markov? There were a million opitions. What we have is a failure of a desire to spend to compete, and that's not even mentioning Smyth...

:dunno:

I'm not sure where the "Lowe is to cheap to win" stuff comes from.

Would trading Pronger and Smyth for current players have made the team better this year? Yes.

Better than 7th or 8th? Maybe, depending on the players.

Is that what you're looking for? Barely making the playoffs, so that a team can get a playoff gate or two, but never winning it all?

Sounds like you should be a Boston fan.
 

matmik*

Guest
One hopes that season ticket holders first provide negative feedback to this smarmy spin. Hold back renewals until Lowe tries to make some redemptive moves prior to September.
Or best , call on the EIG for Lowe's immediate dismissal.
Last Saturday's pathetic and inadequate effort and line-up should have been a prima facie justification.
 

Gusher

Registered User
Jan 1, 2007
2,442
0
So if the team is committed to winning a Stanley cub why did they trade Pronger for scrubs? Why not trade him for Luongo, Hossa, Heatly, or even for Havlat in a three way? Why did the Pronger trade have to be a salary dump? And if you were going to do a salary dump, why did you not spend some of the surplus on Eaton or Markov? There were a million opitions. What we have is a failure of a desire to spend to compete, and that's not even mentioning Smyth...

Obviously because Lowe couldn't land such players in the deal he wanted for Pronger. Lowe was looking for a young and promising Defenceman and a goal-scorer. His best return in his mind was what he got in Smid and Lupul.

It's pretty easy to say stuff like "why didn't Lowe get Luongo, Hossa or Heatley for Pronger" or "why didn't Lowe get so-and-so for Smyth." Trades in the NHL are not as easy as you think. Why some of you people think it's so easy to land these all-star NHL players all the time is quite shocking. The Pronger and Smyth trades are all part of Lowe's plan apparently. Let's hope it works out for the best, soon.

Lowe's willing to spend the money on the right players.
 

4th_Liner

Registered User
Oct 2, 2005
3,752
0
Is that what you're looking for? Barely making the playoffs, so that a team can get a playoff gate or two, but never winning it all?

I may be one of the few but I do belive this team is building itself into a cup contender.

we've been "building" into a cup contender for years.. we built weight/smyth/arnott/bobo/hammer, we then built comrie/carter/smyth/york/brewer/janne, now we are building hemsky/stoll/lupul/smid.. what makes it believable that they won't just tear it apart as soon as they hit their prime (and therefore money)?
our only year (fluke or not) of success our of a decade was due to the acquisition of an established star..
 

Injektilo

Registered User
Feb 3, 2005
2,516
0
Taiwan
Why some of you people think it's so easy to land these all-star NHL players all the time is quite shocking. The Pronger and Smyth trades are all part of Lowe's plan apparently. Let's hope it works out for the best, soon.

Lowe's willing to spend the money on the right players.


Isn't that a bit of a contradiction? Lowe himself is gambling that he'll be able to make a trade or aquire a UFA this year who will contribute more to the team than Smyth did. If it's so hard to do, would he have just been better off signing Smyth at what will quite probably be a cheaper rate than he'll go for this summer and not take the risk of overpaying this summer for someone?

I think this is definitely a situation where the saying "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" applies.

Lowe has cap space and he's got massive expectations that he does something with it this summer. He may be willing, but if he's too willing he'll overpay.
 

Agent Zero

Registered User
Jan 21, 2006
1,513
0
EDM
WEDNESDAY MARCH 7, 2007 8:00PM
OILERS VS LIGHTNING

looking to sell two tickets at a face value of $37.00 each.

Sec 303 row 46 seat 5
sec 303 row 46 seat 6

send me a pm if your interested

thanks!
 

PuckNut

Registered User
Oct 31, 2005
3,881
110
Edmonton
WEDNESDAY MARCH 7, 2007 8:00PM
OILERS VS LIGHTNING

looking to sell two tickets at a face value of $37.00 each.

Sec 303 row 46 seat 5
sec 303 row 46 seat 6

send me a pm if your interested

thanks!

Put it in the ticket exchange thread stickied at the top.
 

alanschu

Registered User
Aug 12, 2005
8,659
914
Edmonton, Alberta
One hopes that season ticket holders first provide negative feedback to this smarmy spin. Hold back renewals until Lowe tries to make some redemptive moves prior to September.

It's an interesting game of chicken. I know my roommate and I were on the season ticket waiting list, and if they become available, there's a good chance we'll get them. If fans wait to hold back on renewals, they may lose their spot. As with most things, it's a gamble. If you wait, and Lowe makes fantastic moves in the offseason, then you are suddenly at the end of the season ticket waiting list, rather than getting preemptive access to things like playoff tickets and next year's season tickets.
 

4th_Liner

Registered User
Oct 2, 2005
3,752
0
The Pronger and Smyth trades are all part of Lowe's plan apparently.
Lowe's willing to spend the money on the right players.
while i don't necessarily think the return he got back from the 2 trades were bad values.. i don't agree with the thinking that he had a plan..
he made the 2 trades for money issues.. whether it's coming from above or not is another issue but make no mistakes, they are financial moves..

and about willing to spend the money on the right players.. to me ryan smyth was the right player.. you think about the oilers.. you think about ryan smyth.. to not spend on him is a huge marketing error.. a huge hockey error.. and a huge business error.. you lose fan support.. you lose jersey revenues.. you lose the ability to attract free agents.. you lose team identity and you lose any kind of chance of taking this team to respectibility any time soon..
while you were willing to spend 2 mil on oates.. 2 mil on dopita.. 4 mil on peca.. doesn't sound like spending the money on the right players to me..
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
72,141
27,826
I've heard different things about EIG.

Last summer I heard they gave Lowe the greenlight to spend the full $44 million cap. They made a lot of money during the playoff run and were willing to pony up again. But Lowe kept us at $40 million to keep our cap flexibility there banking on another series of trades during the season.

Some people say EIG won't spend the money. I wonder which is which. IMO, Ryan Smyth is not an Oiler because of cap issues, not because we couldn't afford to pay him. From a business P.O.V., EIG would want to keep him. He's a draw here in Edmonton, and they would've sold several thousand Smyth vintage style jerseys.

We need a budget of bare minimum $42 million next year, but more ideally $44 million.
 

hemmingway

Registered User
Aug 6, 2006
471
0
we've been "building" into a cup contender for years.. we built weight/smyth/arnott/bobo/hammer, we then built comrie/carter/smyth/york/brewer/janne, now we are building hemsky/stoll/lupul/smid.. what makes it believable that they won't just tear it apart as soon as they hit their prime (and therefore money)?
our only year (fluke or not) of success our of a decade was due to the acquisition of an established star..

Every team now has to make hard choices around players and salaries - not just Edmonton. If there was no cap in place - Smyth would still likely be an Oiler. Edmonton ponied up money to a Pronger, Peca (who everyone knew was leaving), and came close to winning it all in a thrilling cinderella run. That said, even with Smyth, Peca, Pronger, Roloson, Samsonov, etc. - Edmonton came in 8th in the west.

Is this cluster of players going to win the cup? Not this year, and not next. I do think that if they continue to draft well (which, they're obviously improving upon) - they'll put themselves in a position to acquire another impact player.

I think that Hemsky is the highest skilled player Edmonton has drafted since 1983. I think that Stoll is the best overall young player the Oilers have had since Weight. And I think that the Edmonton prospect and pick pool is deeper than at any point in the past (hmmm, not drafting from Baja seems to help :) )
 

gr8haluschak

Registered User
Jul 25, 2004
3,269
113
So if the team is committed to winning a Stanley cub why did they trade Pronger for scrubs? Why not trade him for Luongo, Hossa, Heatly, or even for Havlat in a three way? Why did the Pronger trade have to be a salary dump? And if you were going to do a salary dump, why did you not spend some of the surplus on Eaton or Markov? There were a million opitions. What we have is a failure of a desire to spend to compete, and that's not even mentioning Smyth...

WOW and I though you had to have a clue to be a mod but I am wrong. I laugh at why did we not get so and so and I am so sick of posting the link on who was available and who was in the running I am not even wasting my time because it is clear that people here ignore facts. While we are at it why did we not get Crosby or Ovechkin ? As well could you tell me how offering 7 mill to get Chara was not spending money ?
 

barrel_master

Amber Heard
Dec 15, 2004
2,922
0
we've been "building" into a cup contender for years.. we built weight/smyth/arnott/bobo/hammer, we then built comrie/carter/smyth/york/brewer/janne, now we are building hemsky/stoll/lupul/smid.. what makes it believable that they won't just tear it apart as soon as they hit their prime (and therefore money)?
our only year (fluke or not) of success our of a decade was due to the acquisition of an established star..

Personally, I'm judging this team based off its post CBA moves... the "rebuilds" you list there where stunted, imo, by the insane CBA we used to have.
 

The Rage

Registered User
:dunno:

I'm not sure where the "Lowe is to cheap to win" stuff comes from.

Would trading Pronger and Smyth for current players have made the team better this year? Yes.

Better than 7th or 8th? Maybe, depending on the players.

Is that what you're looking for? Barely making the playoffs, so that a team can get a playoff gate or two, but never winning it all?

Sounds like you should be a Boston fan.

Yeah, let's rebuild instead, and it'll take us another 15 years to lose in the Stanely Cup Finals. Lowe kept saying we were building for the post-CBA era, and now that we're there, we are rebuilding again? Somebody messed up, and you can't blame it all on Pronger. He didn't trade himself for scrubs.
 

barrel_master

Amber Heard
Dec 15, 2004
2,922
0
So if the team is committed to winning a Stanley cub why did they trade Pronger for scrubs? Why not trade him for Luongo, Hossa, Heatly, or even for Havlat in a three way? Why did the Pronger trade have to be a salary dump? And if you were going to do a salary dump, why did you not spend some of the surplus on Eaton or Markov? There were a million opitions. What we have is a failure of a desire to spend to compete, and that's not even mentioning Smyth...

Forgive me if you've already addressed this but do you really feel that Pronger would have garnered one of Luongo, HOssa, Heatly or Havlat? Luongo is a possibility but I don't think the others would be a good fit for their respective teams. Honestly, I thought the return we got for pronger was pretty decent.
 

Soundwave

Registered User
Mar 1, 2007
72,141
27,826
The Pronger trade wasn't terrible, I still feel Lupul will be a solid player ... but you're right.

If the goal was to win a Cup anytime soon, the move to make was Pronger for Luongo, 100% all the way. That guy is every bit as valuable as Pronger, if not moreso, he just does it in the net. Vancouver, as much as I hate to say it, will compete for the Cup this year and probably for the next several years because of him.

Remember when we used to love to play against Vancouver? Now they're as tough as opponent for us as Calgary is, if not moreso. Luongo is far better than any of UFAs or RFAs available on the market this summer IMO.
 
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