Time For Former Oilers To Speak Up?

[Sheikyerbouti]

Those guys weren't all vilified...

Most were. For instance, this forum certainly sided with the Oil during the feuds with Burke and Lombardi... who would do that now?

It's our instinct to defend our team. We could dig up tons of posts of people attacking Souray or blaming Nylander and his agent etc. etc. etc. but with hindsight we're more aware of this trend of total ineptitude. Now that we have all the information about Brule, who can argue the Oil were acting ethically or in good faith? Hell no, that was straight up dirty.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Most were. For instance, this forum certainly sided with the Oil during the feuds with Burke and Lombardi... who would do that now?

It's our instinct to defend our team. We could dig up tons of posts of people attacking Souray or blaming Nylander and his agent etc. etc. etc. but with hindsight we're more aware of this trend of total ineptitude. Now that we have all the information about Brule, who can argue the Oil were acting ethically or in good faith? Hell no, that was straight up dirty.

I must've missed something. What's the deal with Brule?

 

[Quality Oil]

Earlier this season we had Gretz trying to calm the masses by saying that MacT and Lowe are working hard, etc. Basically standing by them while they flounder. Well that sure as hell doesn't help matters when Katz hears stuff like that. It seems like unless Katz hears that Lowe and MacT are doing a poor job from the likes of Gretz, Mess, Coffey, Anderson, Kurri, etc. that he thinks that all is good in the world.

At what point do our former players get fed up of the mockery that the Oilers logo has become? Guys that bled for the jersey and the city of Edmonton, how can they keep sitting back and watching this perennial train wreck without calling their former teammates and asking them to take a step back for the sake of the team? Or straight up saying that changes need to be made in the media?

If they were to make statements regarding the state of the franchise as we know it I'm sure it would fire up a media ****storm. I really doubt that it's worth the time or trouble for any of them.

 

[Burnt Biscuits]

I must've missed something. What's the deal with Brule?

We traded him when he was "injured", the organization didn't think anything of it cause he wasn't physically injured, he was battling depression. To come back from that he would have to I assume undergo some kind of psych evaluation to be cleared to play again. We knowingly traded someone on IR to LA so they were pissed, but being the old fashioned types we have in management they probably just seen as some pansy youngin' who's crying about nothing and wasn't actually injured.

 

[Up the Irons]

Its definitely time for a former Oiler to be good buddy and tell their friend, Kevin, that its time to step away. A good friend does that.

 

[bucks_oil]

this little snow storm you are refering to has always made me suspect that this could be a part of the reason why Katz refuses to (is afraid to?) fire Lowe.

People jokingly say Lowe must have pictures of Katz.... maybe not so far from the truth.

Haha.... Not following the conspiracy logic here. Why would a business man with hundreds of millions to his name be worried about a snowstorm in the eighties?

It's not like he was a politician who may be judged by commoners.... You think his cadre of high net worth business pals would be I) shocked or ii) care?

 

[Fourier]

I dont think MacT is kissing his ass...he is just not saying or implying anything negative. Thats the best way to move forward from an obvious mistake without creating any controversy. The NHL is a pretty small world...nothing good comes from throwing someone under the bus even if its in a small way.

Lots of items to chew on with this team...I just don't think that's one of them.

"We fired him because he did not get the job done that he was paid to do"....Full stop.

That is a professional response and is very different from saying that you still think he did a great job developing the team but the timing was just not right.

The way MacT gets agitated when speaking about Eakins really seems to suggest that he feels it was the right move. I am 100% convinced that he would be ok putting Eakins back in the head coaches slot if there was any possible way to make that happen without riots breaking out.

Eakins and MacT are very much alike. They have similar philosophies and even have similar demeanor in dealing with players. Both play favourites and are very stubborn. To be overly critical of Eakins is to effectively criticize himself, and despite all of the claims about accountability, he and Lowe have proven that they are not willing to put this mess on themselves. How many times does he have to tell us that he has only been here XXX months. So what. A guy who will trumpet bringing in Klinkhammer, who I like by the way, while moving out Perron as a move that shows he has the pulse of the team is grasping at straws. "Yak's doing better because I brought in Roy." This may well even be true but it ignores the fact that the coach he seem so eager to defend would have never had those two playing together.

His latest move in the Pressor was to say that the improved Pittsburgh pick "will get him a better goalie". How much damage will he do if he turns that pick into Ben Scrivens 2.0. I don't trust him to make trades, I don't trust him to hire a coach. But I don't count. The sad thing is that the guy who owns the team feels differently.

 

[Fourier]

We traded him when he was "injured", the organization didn't think anything of it cause he wasn't physically injured, he was battling depression. To come back from that he would have to I assume undergo some kind of psych evaluation to be cleared to play again. We knowingly traded someone on IR to LA so they were pissed, but being the old fashioned types we have in management they probably just seen as some pansy youngin' who's crying about nothing and wasn't actually injured.

I am as upset about management as anyone but you do realise that Lombardi actually admitted he blew this way out of proportion. Teams are perfectly free to trade players on IR or even LTIR. The problem in the case of Brule is that Lombardi's plan was to buyout Brule to get extra cap space. Brule's situation was quite complex. He had not been playing because of depression so he ended the year on LTIR which is something that Lombardi should have known. He was as Tambellini stated "medically cleared to play" but because of a grey area in the CBA Lombardi would not have been able to buy out the contract during that off season. The Oilers actually gave Lombardi proper information. It was his responsibility to verify Brule's buyout status.

Blame Tambo for not surrounding the kids with competent vets, but in this case they were pretty much vindicated.

 

[OilerFan4Life]

Stauffer said 2 years ago that Lowe offered to Katz, to step away from the organization and Katz said no.

Pharmacy boy is the root of the problems here.

Cal Nichols wasn't a genius either but I doubt he and the EIG would stand around and watch this garbage happen.

 

[guymez]

"We fired him because he did not get the job done that he was paid to do"....Full stop.

That is a professional response and is very different from saying that you still think he did a great job developing the team but the timing was just not right.

The way MacT gets agitated when speaking about Eakins really seems to suggest that he feels it was the right move. I am 100% convinced that he would be ok putting Eakins back in the head coaches slot if there was any possible way to make that happen without riots breaking out.

Eakins and MacT are very much alike. They have similar philosophies and even have similar demeanor in dealing with players. Both play favourites and are very stubborn. To be overly critical of Eakins is to effectively criticize himself, and despite all of the claims about accountability, he and Lowe have proven that they are not willing to put this mess on themselves. How many times does he have to tell us that he has only been here XXX months. So what. A guy who will trumpet bringing in Klinkhammer, who I like by the way, while moving out Perron as a move that shows he has the pulse of the team is grasping at straws. "Yak's doing better because I brought in Roy." This may well even be true but it ignores the fact that the coach he seem so eager to defend would have never had those two playing together.

His latest move in the Pressor was to say that the improved Pittsburgh pick "will get him a better goalie". How much damage will he do if he turns that pick into Ben Scrivens 2.0. I don't trust him to make trades, I don't trust him to hire a coach. But I don't count. The sad thing is that the guy who owns the team feels differently.

When is the last time you heard a GM say something like that? Virtually never.

The pat answer for a GMis that we wanted to go in a different direction...or something along those lines.

I dont ever recall hearing a GM suggest that the outgoing coach didnt get the job done. Doesnt matter if it was true or not...it never happens.

 

[Dorian2]

I must've missed something. What's the deal with Brule?

Same here. Sheik is being very enigmatic in this thread.

Good job Sheik....keep 'em guessing.

 

[Fourier]

When is the last time you heard a GM say something like that? Virtually never.

The pat answer for a GM's that we wanted to go in a different direction...or something along those lines.

I dont ever recall hearing a GM suggest that the outgoing coach didnt get the job done. Doesnt matter if it was true or not...it never happens.

Here is a quote from Brendan Shanahan after canning half the organization. It is specifically about the teams leadership but it is pretty clear that the message is as I stated even if he did not specifically mention the GM or coach. It is impossible for me to believe that if asked directly he would defend Nonis or the coaches as vigorously as MacT defends Eakins. There is no...it was just bad timing... stuff going on here.

Shanahan was asked if he believes the leadership group understood the commitment required to be successful.

"The obvious answer is no," Shanahan said. "They know it, we know it, everyone in here knows it; the job didn't get done. They also understand that yesterday was just the beginning. There will be changes."

Shanahan said as a player, he was part of many successful teams, none of which was led by one individual. He feels his leadership group was not up to par in 2014-15.

"This isn't to single anyone out; it's not good enough, and [the players] understand that," Shanahan said. "I haven't been satisfied with it. They would all have to look in a mirror and agree that, as a group, it didn't get done. I think when you look at championship teams, it's really about a group effort when it comes to leadership."

When the firing happens I expect the pat answer. But when the media presses you on your decision over and over to hire a coach that had a record as bad as Eakins and you don't make it clear that there is blame to be had, you lose all credibility.

 

[Dorian2]

My question is why didn't MacT follow the route of being diplomatic but implying the obvious...that his hire was an (not the only) issue? MacT should definitely know better around this town. We have some of the smartest and long lived hockey fans in the world. The "general" fan in Edmonton has seen the good and the bad in terms of hockey, and many are very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of many aspects of the team. And systems. And Cups. (Strike up a conversation with anyone who is a hockey fan in Edmonton and they know exactly what protects a player's nut sack. )

MacT might be able to fool someone in say, Mexico or or El Salvador, but it isn't going to happen around here.

 

[Replacement*]

The problem is it's called an Old Boys Club for a reason. You don't rat on your friends. Why besmirch the organization when they throw good such a good reunion party. Who knows, we might get another one next year seeing how we'll have a development team to cheer for.

We the fans were a means to an end for Katz. He got his arena and development deal. He isn't going anywhere and it's apparent he doesn't care what we think.

And as much as we may disagree with what is being done, there is nothing we can do to get a change in management unless people stop going to games. Not just by not attending, but also not buying season tickets.

People have been throwing good money after bad biding their time to get season tickets in the new barn when they have been wasting money on a sucker.

I think this comes the closest to capturing it. For the Glory years Oilers its a good ole Nostalgia party being able to come into Rexall and reminisce about old times. These feelings are emotional, not evaluative. The bond is there and will always be there, how could it not? The players come here, see each other again and tears well up in their eyes. That's how most people would respond. As you grow old and your dreams and best days are already past you you're not going to throw that one away by voicing discord. Also for some of these guys, and I won't be specific, theres enough discord on the home front. You just love these events and connections because it gets you away from home.

The one ray of hope is that theres less of the connection with the glory years Oilers once the club moves into the new barn.

 

[bolobow]

Not sure why MacT even brings up Eakins. The last two pressers, people ask him about Nelson and he automatically starts defending Eakins. We don't care about Eakins, noone wants to talk about him anymore. MacT needs to move on.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

MacT has been quick to question guys like Penner and Dubnyk in the media, but Eaking who flat out said that he was sold a bill of goods (once again pulling a MacT by trying to absolve himself of any blame) yet the best that MacT can come up with is that it was a timing issue.

 

[Replacement*]

I must've missed something. What's the deal with Brule?

Brule got Bono to sing Sunday Bloody Sunday about the Oilers...




jk


I have no idea. I think there was some mention by Gilbert of the problems he was having and afairc that the org could have dealt with it differently. I think he expected more patience. But in honesty this is on Brule, and not the Oilers. Brule was never ready and prepared to play a big role, or any role, in this league.

 

[Dorian2]

Not sure why MacT even brings up Eakins. The last two pressers, people ask him about Nelson and he automatically starts defending Eakins. We don't care about Eakins, noone wants to talk about him anymore. MacT needs to move on.

He's trying to confirm to himself that he didn't make a mistake. He is looking rather stupid doing it.

 

[Replacement*]

MacT has been quick to question guys like Penner and Dubnyk in the media, but Eaking who flat out said that he was sold a bill of goods (once again pulling a MacT by trying to absolve himself of any blame) yet the best that MacT can come up with is that it was a timing issue.

The Reason MacT doesn't sell out Eakins is due to MacT's quote "I will live or die with the Eakins hire" In MacT's distorted universe by continuing to state stubbornly, and against all evidence that he still thinks Eakins is a good coach and none of this is due to him, MacT is really actually defending himself and his decision.

Like I said he should be getting called out on that. "You're only supporting Eakins because you hitched your own trailer to him. " I'd love it if some media wag fed up of this scene nails him with that in a presser.

 

[Bryanbryoil]

Not sure why MacT even brings up Eakins. The last two pressers, people ask him about Nelson and he automatically starts defending Eakins. We don't care about Eakins, noone wants to talk about him anymore. MacT needs to move on.

Agreed, it's bordering on disturbing. Hell even Stauffer came out in the last round table or whatever they call it on the oilers site and flat out said that Nelson did more with less than Eakins did. It's too bad that the guy that has clout with this org thinks otherwise.

The Reason MacT doesn't sell out Eakins is due to MacT's quote "I will live or die with the Eakins hire" In MacT's distorted universe by continuing to state stubbornly, and against all evidence that he still thinks Eakins is a good coach and none of this is due to him, MacT is really actually defending himself and his decision.

Like I said he should be getting called out on that. "You're only supporting Eakins because you hitched your own trailer to him. " I'd love it if some media wag fed up of this scene nails him with that in a presser.

More grounds for being fired IMO. He obviously can't and won't admit when he makes a mistake. That's not a quality that I want in an individual in his role. He should be learning from his mistakes and bettering himself not being a stubborn idiot continually trying to say that he wasn't wrong when he clearly was. If there really was an audit being done MacT would've been fired already.

 

[rboomercat90]

I dont think MacT is kissing his ass...he is just not saying or implying anything negative. Thats the best way to move forward from an obvious mistake without creating any controversy. The NHL is a pretty small world...nothing good comes from throwing someone under the bus even if its in a small way.

Lots of items to chew on with this team...I just don't think that's one of them.

Yet he had no problems throwing Tambellini under the bus back in December so it isn't as if he's following some code here. He isn't doing some kind of honorable thing here with Eakins. He really does believe he's an excellent coach.

 

[Replacement*]

More grounds for being fired IMO. He obviously can't and won't admit when he makes a mistake. That's not a quality that I want in an individual in his role. He should be learning from his mistakes and bettering himself not being a stubborn idiot continually trying to say that he wasn't wrong when he clearly was. If there really was an audit being done MacT would've been fired already.

MacT and Lowe are perfect peas in a pod in this regard. Aren't we the lucky ones?




Both take this stubbornness to new levels in pressers. Its so obviously a large part of them only to see the world their way. Could you imagine either of them as posters here?

 

[guymez]

Here is a quote from Brendan Shanahan after canning half the organization. It is specifically about the teams leadership but it is pretty clear that the message is as I stated even if he did not specifically mention the GM or coach. It is impossible for me to believe that if asked directly he would defend Nonis or the coaches as vigorously as MacT defends Eakins. There is no...it was just bad timing... stuff going on here.



When the firing happens I expect the pat answer. But when the media presses you on your decision over and over to hire a coach that had a record as bad as Eakins and you don't make it clear that there is blame to be had, you lose all credibility.

Good find...very refreshing. Shows a level of honesty that MacT clearly isnt capable of.

Would you agree that this is the exception and not the norm?

 

[guymez]

Yet he had no problems throwing Tambellini under the bus back in December so it isn't as if he's following some code here. He isn't doing some kind of honorable thing here with Eakins. He really does believe he's an excellent coach.

It may well be an indication to MacT's inability to take responsibility for his own poor judgement.

 

[McShogun99]

One time I had a very candid conversation with Georges Laraque at a special event party. Nice guy and he had nothing but negative things to say about the Oilers organization ran by Kevin Lowe.

I always felt that Laraque is a community first guy and was willing to accept less pay to stay with the Oilers in 2006 but apparently Lowe and Laraque didn't see eye to eye.

Take it for what it is but Laraque said Lowe is stuck in his ways. It should speak volumes for what this organization is as a whole. "stuck in its ways"...no wonder the oilers haven't made the playoffs for the past decade.

I could see that. The team he's trying to assemble would be great in the 80's...