News Article: Raanta hoped for 1st round sweep (out of context and/or not accurate?)

[hockeydoug]

I wasn't too worried about Raanta one way or another as I've been in favor of Crow as the number1.

I'm just surprised that two quotes from a limited part of a conversation/interview, from a goalie is allowed to define or influence how they're viewed as a professional.

Even if he was full of bitter rage, who cares? Rockford had nothing but good things to say about him and he was always upbeat and anxious to play by all written accounts I saw, even after the rough patches. If i was a Rags fan, I wouldn't be concerned for a second about those quotes. As a Hawks fans it doesn't change anything for me about how I view his limited time in Chicago.

 

[Periwinkle]

Well, as a Finn I can say those quotes are not mistranslated. However, the tabloid that is the source quotes another newspaper, with a presumably longer interview that is not online, so I can't tell the full context i.e. whether he softened it up somehow or not.

 

[Retail1LO*]

Raanta did well in stints as the starter, and he also had some struggles. It's tough to get in a groove when you're seeing spot duty. If he said what he did, it isn't bright, but I'm fairly certain too he was just beside himself. He liked being a Hawk, he thought he played well enough as one to get his number called when needed, and it didn't happen. And rather than be able to contribute to the team, he had to sit in the press box and wonder whether or not he even had a place with the team anymore. And, he did get traded...so clearly he wasn't valued, and that stings. These comments surfacing after the fact probably just mirror how jilted he felt. Professional athletes are human beings too...we just treat them like something else and expect them to say all the things we want to hear.

Wise or not, the man had a human moment and spilled his guts about how horrible he felt at the time. He served us well when he was here, I doubt he's some awful person for suffering a moment of humanity, and I wish him the best in New York.

 

[SAADfather]

I mean he did get the raw end of the deal, but theres just some things you dont say to the media. "I was hoping my team got swept" might be number one on that list...

 

[Hawkaholic]

I think we can change the title of the thread now.

 

[Fortyfives]

Once you are in Qs doghouse you don't get out. We all know that. With that said Darling is a better player and has more upside. He also took a lesser deal and that puts him on this roster and Anti out. It's not like the organization screwed him over or anything.

If anything they got him a longer contract and traded him to a place where he can be on the roster. Strange to see him go after the orfganization like this.

 

[Gaps]

The translation of the comments is indeed correct, but I haven't seen the original interview either. Based on my years as a Finnish hockey fan, our NHL players do have a tendency of being more honest with the media here than with the NA media, so it wouldn't be all that surprising if Raanta meant what he said.

 

[Hawkaholic]

Roughly translated interview...



What a knob, it's fine for him to think these things, but to come out and say it says a lot about him.

Don't feel sorry for him at all.

 

[vegarover]

I kind of think this was taken out of context or he was joking. But even if he wasn't, he did have a reason to be pissed. The way his whole demotion went down was the Hawks were blown out by the Bruins and Crow was pulled. But it was hardly his fault alone, it was a total team collapse.

The next day Stan felt the need to shake up the roster and made a bunch of moves, including sending down Raanta, despite having the the best statistical numbers among the 3 Hawk goaltenders. And at that time Darling had only played a handful of games.

I'm not saying it wasn't the right move, but Raanta did nothing to get demoted. I would be frustrated if I were in his skates as well.

 

[Enyaw]

Never a reason to burn a bridge ... just shut up and play

He should know better than to tell a reporter he was hoping his team would lose

 

[Qurpiz]

I have in my hands the original article.

Was published in FEL-special "Jääkausi" (Ice-age) by Satakunnan Kansa, a Finnish west-coast newspaper based in Pori. The special highlights the rivalry of Ässät from Pori and Lukko, from Rauma, two towns 50kms away from each other.

Raanta was born in Rauma, played with Lukko through juniors, and couple of seasons with their adult team, before a somewhat controversial transfer to Ässät (as in, it was controversial in these two towns). In Ässät he went on to win everything there is to win in Finland, and a ticket to the NHL.

So they did a big piece on Raanta in the special.

The direct quote, in Finnish, is

"-Sormet ristissä toivoin, että Nashville voittaa meidät suoraan neljässä ottelussa ja pääsen nopeasti Suomeen. Niin paljon otti se kohtelu päähän"

My translation
"-I had my fingers crossed, that Nashville would beat us in 4 straight games and I'd quickly get back to Finland. That frustrated I was with the treatment"

I got a feeling after reading the piece that Antti saw the writing on the wall a long time before the playoffs started, he actuelly points the Darling extension as the point he knew he won't be with the Hawks next season, and "in a way, hoped to get traded right away or at least as soon as possible" to quote him from the article.

Also says he's not sure why things turned out the way they did, but suspects a part of was that Darling's 15cm taller than him, and says that head coach liked the fact that Darling was big.

All in all, in my opinion, I think all players must feel like that at some point in their career, especially in a situation like Raanta was in. But no reason to open up about it, maybe talking to a local newspaper in Finland made him fire off some things he thought no-one in NA would find out about, but with the Internet and all, he should've known better.

EDIT: More than anything, I think he wanted the situation he was in to end as quickly as possible. Unfortunately (what a weird word to use here) for him, the Hawks season kept going on and on and on...

 

[Sevanston]

Yeah, I think the big thing here isn't that he felt the way he did, just that he said it to the press.

It was pretty clear that he wouldn't have a role on this team going forward after Darling was signed. I don't blame him for getting pissed about that situation, or about being the third stringer when he wanted to be playing in Rockford.

That's exactly what you'd expect a pro athlete to feel in his situation. But you'd also expect a professional to keep those feelings out of the media.

 

[sleb]

Article is from a POS gossip site iltasanomat.fi. Of course it is taken out of context! It just made a few thousand more clicks...

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Assuming the translation is correct, what exactly can you take out of context if he wished for a Nashville sweep?

He could of been laughing when he said it tongue in cheek. I'm surprised how many people are quick to blast a guy who said all the right things and was nothing but a good soldier during his time year.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Who the **** cares what he said? I'd be crushed if I lost my position as a back-up to a team like the Hawks.

Maybe he should've kept quite, but I don't care. I respect the guy for what he's done over the last two seasons and wish him the best of luck in New York.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

Who the **** cares what he said? I'd be crushed if I lost my position as a back-up to a team like the Hawks.

Maybe he should've kept quite, but I don't care. I respect the guy for what he's done over the last two seasons and wish him the best of luck in New York.

Last 2 seasons?

He was trash his rookie year after a few good games

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

Raanta was never as bad as you made him out to be BWC.

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

He also isn't as good as his defenders make him out to be

He will be a #2 at best in NHL and was the 3rd best goalie option in Chicago last year ,, Its not Q's fault that Raanta plays small and gives up softies

 

[Strudel]

Never a reason to burn a bridge ... just shut up and play

He should know better than to tell a reporter he was hoping his team would lose

Exactly. People are saying he has a reason to be pissed. I wouldn't say so. He and Darling both played 14 games in the regular season. They both had an equal shot, and the team liked Darling more. Raanta shouldn't be mad at the team. They picked the better goaltender, and Raanta wasn't it. Wishing the team failure is immature. Had he been a better goaltender, then he would've beat out Darling. Sure, they were pretty darn close in skill, but Darling came out on top. That is no reason wish ill of your team.

Darling was obviously the better option, the way he stood tall in the Nashville series when Crawford crumbled solidified his position. Raanta should have congratulated Darling, not wished him and the team a loss. I loved reading all the articles/interviews/tweets about how Darling and Crawford supported each other during the PO's. That is character. Crawford got replaced by Darling and they maintained a good relationship. I don't see any excuse for Raanta's behavior now that we see his quote isn't taken out of context.

 

[CallMeShaft]

Last 2 seasons?

He was trash his rookie year after a few good games

I agree with Disgruntled about your feelings towards Raanta.

He struggled a bit in the 13-14 season, but he had no business with even being in the NHL at the time. He should've had more time in the AHL to develop. Instead, he bailed us out when Khabibulin went down, so I'm okay with him putting up 'meh' numbers for that year.

And last year, he put up fantastic numbers. Just because Darling did the same doesn't take away from Raanta's accomplishments.

 

[DisgruntledHawkFan]

He also isn't as good as his defenders make him out to be

He will be a #2 at best in NHL and was the 3rd best goalie option in Chicago last year ,, Its not Q's fault that Raanta plays small and gives up softies

...Why even bring up Q?

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

I agree with Disgruntled about your feelings towards Raanta.

He struggled a bit in the 13-14 season, but he had no business with even being in the NHL at the time. He bailed us out when Khabibulin went down, so I'm okay with him putting up 'meh' numbers for that year.

And last year, he put up fantastic numbers. Just because Darling did the same doesn't take away from Raanta's accomplishments.

How is being one of the worst goalies in NHL that year ,, Bailing out Hawks?

They would have gotten same results with Huet in net or dragging Munro out of retirement and sticking him on Hawks (I honestly am not sure if Munro is even retired but its been so long since I heard his name or saw anything about him)

 

[Blackhawkswincup]

...Why even bring up Q?

Well since Raanta is whining about Q and how he "unfairly" treated him its valid

Raanta lost his job for one reason

Darling was better option

 

[CallMeShaft]

How is being one of the worst goalies in NHL that year ,, Bailing out Hawks?

They would have gotten same results with Huet in net

But they didn't have Huet. They had a broken down Khabibulin.

Hawks needed someone to step up. Raanta did. And he could've done better, no doubt, but he was our best option at that point (other than trying to make a trade for a backup).

 

[Hawkaholic]

...but Raanta did nothing to get demoted.

Being the 3rd best goalie on the team would be doing something to get demoted.