Confirmed with Link: Thomas Traded to Islanders

[Corpuscle2]

Its a close argument IMO. You can argue that TT had 4 elite years in a Boston uni. The
years to me would be 2008, 2009, 2011 & 2012. He was certainly the best in 2009 and 2011.
Guys like Orr, Espo & Newly were HOF locks. TT wont make the HOF. Big difference.

Yes, you can make that argument, and I happen to agree with the 4 year thing, with two caveats.

1) One of those years was an injury year, and;
2) In the injury year, the backup came in and led the league in GAA (lower than any Thomas put up) and had the 7th highest SV% in history. So how much of TT's numbers were him and how much were the system (and to be fair, you've got to be pretty good to put up better numbers than Rask in any system)

Comparing him to Orr is not tenable. Being arguably the best goalie for 4 years is not comparable to being arguably the best player in the history of the game for 8 years (And to most of us, there's no argument about Bobby).

Comparing him to Esposito and Neely is problematic. The first two years, TT was a very average goalie. He made some adjustments in the summer of 2007, got into much better shape (remember the yoga thing?), and then became "elite".

Esposito and Neely never had years with the Bruins where they were "average".

 

[Roll 4 Lines]

Oh yeah the sure do. We have had a LOT of really good players. In terms of hockey greats we're neck and neck with Montreal who had a monopoly on French talent, better than Detroit, and much better than Toronto, NYR, and Chicago.

This is probably an argument for the hockey history board but I think since Sawchuk is considered a superior player to Brimsek and Thompson it sort of hurts their case as elite players (even if Sawchuk to the B's ended up being a huge mistake.) And to be raised to the Bruins rafters they'd have to have been as good as Sawchuk in that era and they weren't. That is the standard for getting your # retired by the B's.

Even Hitchman gets questioned and he was the prominant defensive defenseman of the 20s and won a cup with Ottawa before coming here. ORielly and Neely might be deserving but they lowered the standards and if they are up there Thomas should be too (Bourque is the only one last 20 years who I would call a lock.)

I don't think Thomas needs to go up there immediately though and I am fine with making him wait 5-15 years but I want his #30 up there.


Clapper was the only player to be active after aready being elected to the Hall of Fame. The Hall of FAme was really stingy too in its early days. That accomplishment is far more impressive than Lemuiex doing it 50 years later since Mario was able to play as a current HOF member for a non hockey reason. People think of him similarly to Hitchman but he's closer to Shore he was a true hockey superstar. Was the all time leader in games played when he retired. He played both forward and defense for 10 years each though and guys are usually evaluated by their position so that probably doesn't work in his favor when people generations later rank him against other past greats. No player in the last 70 years has come close to being as accomplished at forward and D as Dit Clapper. People in Boston were outraged when Sinden tried to give one of the Habs big 3 (forget which but he was washed up when he came here) Clapper's #5 and he'd been retired 30+ years by then.

Guy Lapointe

 

[Fire Sweeney]

Tim Thomas is alive

http://www.facebook.com/TimThomasOfficialPage

 

[Alicat]

Tim Thomas is alive

http://www.facebook.com/TimThomasOfficialPage

That he is.

 

[Neely08]

That he is.

Some of the comments on there are sickening.

 

[Danton Heineken]

"From here on out, I reserve the right to block or delete any post that contains foul language or is defamatory towards me or my God. Actually, I reserve the right to block or delete any post I feel like. It's MY Facebook page. Positive or constructive comments are of course welcome."


Serious questions only for Mr. Thomas, please.

 

[Gordon Lightfoot]

Wow, some incredibly rude and bitter things on there. Pretty sad.

 

[Alicat]

Some of the comments on there are sickening.

I read some and had to stop.

 

[OrrCam]

Nice post. TT was Absolutely Amazing!

Absolutely! He was, by leaps and bounds, the biggest reason we won the cup.

Take any other player on that team and substitute him with a player marginally inferior and we would still have won. But there was no substitute for TT. He was the best in the world then and we needed the best tender to win. He was irreplaceable and absolutely amazing.

And let's face it, if he had taken a year of to save the whales or sell carbon credits for Al Gore there would be no vicious trashing of TT. But to take a year off to devote to friends, friends and faith. Well that's just not right now is it? That has sick, weird, redneck written all over it doesn't it.

 

[Nightslyr]

I'm amazed he's on Facebook. If he doesn't want to deal with negative comments, but still wants to have a public presence online, he should make a blog. Far easier/less stressful that way.

 

[Artemis]

Absolutely! He was, by leaps and bounds, the biggest reason we won the cup.

Take any other player on that team and substitute him with a player marginally inferior and we would still have won. But there was no substitute for TT. He was the best in the world then and we needed the best tender to win. He was irreplaceable and absolutely amazing.

And let's face it, if he had taken a year of to save the whales or sell carbon credits for Al Gore there would be no vicious trashing of TT. But to take a year off to devote to friends, friends and faith. Well that's just not right now is it? That has sick, weird, redneck written all over it doesn't it.

Nonsense.

Personally, I'm so far to the left of Thomas that I'm on the other side of the universe, but if he wasn't up to competing at his usual high level, for whatever reason, it was best for both him and the team for him not to play.

The problem many people have is that in a salary cap NHL, quitting, retiring or taking a year's sabbatical is simply not an option for someone signed to a 35+ contract. Frankly, it left the Bruins in a terrible cap position. Whether he left to join a monastery or become a beachcomber in California or raise ostriches in Australia is irrelevant. No matter what the reason, or lack thereof, some people are going to have a problem with it.

I'll always be grateful and properly respectful of Thomas for helping the Bruins win the Stanley Cup, though he certainly didn't do it by himself (and to be fair, IMO he'd be the last person to make such a claim). If I ever meet him I'll shake his hand, thank him and buy him an adult beverage of his choice. But he's chosen to depart, and it's time to move on.

 

[Nightslyr]

I don't think I'll ever 'get' TT. I appreciate what he did here, but man, he's a weird cat.

 

[Speed Shooter]

I don't think I'll ever 'get' TT. I appreciate what he did here, but man, he's a weird cat.

Ya think?

I'll leave it at that.

 

[Latrappe]

I don't think I'll ever 'get' TT. I appreciate what he did here, but man, he's a weird cat.

I'm sure TT and Wayne Lapierre are good friend. Two guys totally disconnected from the reality...

 

[doakacola*]

I'm sure TT and Wayne Lapierre are good friend. Two guys totally disconnected from the reality...

Thomas the goalie Ill always hold in the highest regard. He was far and away the main reason
Boston won it all in 2011.

Thomas and some of his political beliefs I have contempt for. Its unfortunate he chose to be so controversial.

 

[DaveFromNB]

I just don't get why people care at all about what celebrities think about anything other than their specialty. To me caring about what Tim Thomas's views on politics are, is as relevant as caring what Beyonce's views on hockey are.

 

[Latrappe]

Thomas the goalie Ill always hold in the highest regard. He was far and away the main reason
Boston won it all in 2011.

Thomas and some of his political beliefs I have contempt for. Its unfortunate he chose to be so controversial.

Agreed. Sad ending to a great story.

 

[doubleminor138]

Keep the political specifics out of it, please.

 

[SerenityRick]

I'm sure TT and Wayne Lapierre are good friend. Two guys totally disconnected from the reality...

Neither are disconnected from reality. Just because you don't agree doesn't mean they are disconnected, weird or controversial.

 

[Over the volcano]

Agreed. Sad ending to a great story.

Disagree. Walking away on his own terms to be with his family is a great end to a great story.

 

[MAINE-IAC]

What a cool picture of him & Claude with the croc's on his Facebook page.

 

[ReggieMoto]

I'm sure TT and Wayne Lapierre are good friend. Two guys totally disconnected from the reality...

You want disconnected from reality? The vast majority of the posts contained in this thread -- now that's disconnected from reality.

 

[Speed Shooter]

Disagree. Walking away on his own terms to be with his family is a great end to a great story.

....except he still owed the Bruins one more year on his contract. A contract which he signed and agreed to in good faith.

Yes, the play on words is intentional.

Something to be said about what kind of person honors an agreement to its conclusion. Just as there is something to be said about a person who chooses to walk away from an agreement - and let's not even get into leaving the other party in a lurch due to their actions.

You may characterize that as walking away on his own terms. I would characterize it quite differently.

Great story? Sorry, don't see it.

 

[Over the volcano]

....except he still owed the Bruins one more year on his contract. A contract which he signed and agreed to in good faith.

Yes, the play on words is intentional.

Something to be said about what kind of person honors an agreement to its conclusion. Just as there is something to be said about a person who chooses to walk away from an agreement - and let's not even get into leaving the other party in a lurch due to their actions.

You may characterize that as walking away on his own terms. I would characterize it quite differently.

Great story? Sorry, don't see it.

If he doesn't take their money he doesn't owe them a damn thing.

 

[ReggieMoto]

If he doesn't take their money he doesn't owe anyone a damn thing.

AND it can be argued that it has worked out well for all concerned. Bruins don't have to absorb the cap hit and pay his salary for the last year of his contract, Islanders reach the floor, Tim is still home with his family, Tuukka Rask is playing as the #1 for the Bs.

There's a downside here?