News Article: NHL'ers don't want to play in Ottawa

[Karl Eriksson]

http://deadspin.com/where-dont-nhl-players-want-to-play-1686594660

Least attractive hockey destinations based on no-trade clauses:

1) EDM
2) WPG
3)BUF
4)OTT
5)TOR

We beat Toronto ! Woot ! Wait a minute....

Click to read more...

 

[Super Cake]

Meh.

Once we start winning, things will change.

 

[Six Assets]

Only thing Edmonton will come first in

 

[Wiercioch2Karlsson]

Might be some truth to this, but notice how 4 out of the 5 are Canadian destinations. Income tax considerations having any part of this?

 

[Hale The Villain]

Weather, tax rates, small city, etc... etc...

Wouldn't consider this particularly reflective of the current state of the hockey team.

 

[DuckedUpOnQuack]

And I'm sure Pitts would have been on that list before Crosby was drafted. Success = desirable location. Doesn't say anything about the city/fans, just that players who are 'good enough' get NTCs don't want to go to bad teams. No surprise here.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Actually Toronto and Ottawa tied for 4 and 5.

 

[Benjamin]

Or the Murray doesn't hand them out as easy?

 

[capebretoncanadien]

If I was an NHL'er I'd love to play in Ottawa.

The hockey press there are the biggest knobs in the universe but Ottawa is a beautiful place.

Any family oriented type NHL player should be happy to play there except for the taxes.

 

[StefanW]

It is mostly Canadian teams.

It is also made up of teams that sucked last year, which is what matters because those team lists are submitted before a season starts.

 

[PizzaPizza12]

If I was an NHL'er I'd love to play in Ottawa.

The hockey press there are the biggest knobs in the universe but Ottawa is a beautiful place.

Any family oriented type NHL player should be happy to play there except for the taxes.

Who are some of the biggest 'names' to sign here via free agency? Hasek comes to mind, Gonchar, Kovalev, all late in their careers, but maybe when I wasn't alive who were some of the bigger names ottawa was able to lure back in the day when we were a baby franchise? We've gotten big names through trades, retained some and not others, but who are some examples of players we were able to pull off? As for recently, the methot and Ryan long term signings make me less nervous about this notion of ottawa being an undesirable location.

 

[bornNraised Sens]

Players include them on their NTC, but when players are traded here and are here they genuinely seem to really like the city, management, fans, and almost all aspects. I know, this happens almost everywhere, but look at guys like Ryan and Macarthur they came here and loved and speak really highly of Ottawa.
Same can be said for former players like Fisher and Alfie and Hossa. They still mention how great it is in Ottawa and how they loved it here.

I guess Ottawa has some bad reputation but once your here players seem to love aspects of the city.

 

[Clamshells]

Weather, tax rates, small city, etc... etc...

Wouldn't consider this particularly reflective of the current state of the hockey team.

With the exception of Winnipeg for the first time ever, they are all bad hockey teams though.

 

[DrEasy]

It's embarrassing for Toronto to be in that top 5. I expected maybe Calgary in there instead.

 

[Inf4mous0ne]

Players include them on their NTC, but when players are traded here and are here they genuinely seem to really like the city, management, fans, and almost all aspects. I know, this happens almost everywhere, but look at guys like Ryan and Macarthur they came here and loved and speak really highly of Ottawa.
Same can be said for former players like Fisher and Alfie and Hossa. They still mention how great it is in Ottawa and how they loved it here.

I guess Ottawa has some bad reputation but once your here players seem to love aspects of the city.

I don't think it's the "reputation". It's like others have said; taxes, weather and being out of the playoffs all contribute to not being a "first choice". Once players arrive, most will obviously like it

 

[Stylizer1]

If I was an NHL'er I'd love to play in Ottawa.

The hockey press there are the biggest knobs in the universe but Ottawa is a beautiful place.

Any family oriented type NHL player should be happy to play there except for the taxes.

So any player 30 or over?

I would say established players would like Ottawa or players who come from really rural areas.

Look at the UFA's we have signed over the last 10 years.

 

[DrEasy]

Who are some of the biggest 'names' to sign here via free agency? Hasek comes to mind, Gonchar, Kovalev, all late in their careers, but maybe when I wasn't alive who were some of the bigger names ottawa was able to lure back in the day when we were a baby franchise? We've gotten big names through trades, retained some and not others, but who are some examples of players we were able to pull off? As for recently, the methot and Ryan long term signings make me less nervous about this notion of ottawa being an undesirable location.

Definitely harder to be the GM of Ottawa than, say, the GM of the Rangers.

Once you get someone here though, inertia and discovering that Ottawa is actually a nice city to live in can convince people to stay (we see this with the Toronto Blue Jays as well: they have trouble attracting free agents, but they extend their own players quite frequently). Still, the Methot extension makes the Foligno trade look pretty good, because we don't know whether Foligno would have wanted to stay here. Going after Ottawa-born players, in the draft or in trades, seems to be a good strategy by Murray.

 

[FireMelnyk]

I wouldn't want most NHL'ers playing in Ottawa either.

 

[Do Make Say Think]

Nashville was on that list last year

Not there anymore

These things change rapidly

I still don't think were are an attractive location, probably bottom third of the league, but this list isn't a good argument to make that point

 

[jbeck5]

Or the Murray doesn't hand them out as easy?

You misunderstood. The article is saying Ottawa is put 4th most on players lists around the NHL.

It has nothing to do with how many teams give out.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

small town, cold winters, struggling team, in canada

It happens. If the Sens start winning it will change

 

[ChocolateLeclaire]

small town, cold winters, struggling team, in canada

It happens. If the Sens start winning it will change

Even if the team wins and is at the top of the division, Ottawa (and most Canadian cities) will never be at the top of the player request list.

We have high taxes, yucky winters (apart from Vancouver), and all the pressure that comes with playing in a Canadian market (including the lousy media).

Ottawa will never be a free agent destination. It never has been.

 

[FolignoQuantumLeap]

Bobby Ryan and Erik Karlsson don't seem to mind it, so I'm not too worried. Local guys seem to like it here too.

 

[Proust*]

Even if the team wins and is at the top of the division, Ottawa (and most Canadian cities) will never be at the top of the player request list.

We have high taxes, yucky winters (apart from Vancouver), and all the pressure that comes with playing in a Canadian market (including the lousy media).

Ottawa will never be a free agent destination. It never has been.

I don't know why people can't just accept this fact, but instead, let pride drive them to mount desperate defenses of their town.

A couple of years ago, I was chilling with Georges Laraque at an event and he told me no one really wants to play in Ottawa. It had nothing to do with the lack of success of the team.

 

[PoutineSp00nZ]

Even if the team wins and is at the top of the division, Ottawa (and most Canadian cities) will never be at the top of the player request list.

We have high taxes, yucky winters (apart from Vancouver), and all the pressure that comes with playing in a Canadian market (including the lousy media).

Ottawa will never be a free agent destination. It never has been.

If the Sens have a decent team and offer free agents more money than they'll get elsewhere, players will come to Ottawa.

Hasek signed here when he could have gone anywhere else because he wanted to play in canada and win a cup. Kovalev signed here because of money and geography, so did Macarthur.

It might be at the top of everyone's list, but if the situation is right and the Sens are serious, talent will be willing to come here.