Djp
Registered User
Saw this article this morning. any idea who the mystery buffalo players could have been?
http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/24491/tortorella-cryptic-about-adjustments
http://espn.go.com/blog/nhl/post/_/id/24491/tortorella-cryptic-about-adjustments
To wrap up the day, Tortorella ended his news conference with critical thoughts on veteran players being hurt by not playing in the lockout.
"Some guy that didn’t go and play, it has affected," he said. "I think older players should’ve played. I think older players, even if it’s not a lockout, need to do even more as far as conditioning, as far as being on the ice."
It’s hard not to interpret such comments as an indictment against alternate captain Brad Richards. The veteran center is known for a steadfast commitment to conditioning, but he did not play during the lockout. He has struggled at various points throughout the 2013 season, and most recently, he was demoted to the fourth line.
Tortorella referenced but did not name two players he coached as an assistant in Buffalo in 1994-95 that might have jeopardized their careers in abstaining from playing during the 1994 lockout.
"Some guys feel because they’re veteran and they’re up in age that they need to rest. I’ve seen guys’ careers end quickly because they’re not doing enough," he said. "They need to be on the ice more. That’s the way I feel about it. People may not agree with it, but I really believe that."