Would you feel even the least bit guilty if you were John Tavares?

[Rehabguy]

To be clear, this is not a shot at all at the Leafs organization or Leafs fans, it has nothing to do with them and good for them they got a great player this summer, but that aside, as an Islander fan I have this sneaky suspicion that John Tavares is completely clueless about the pain he caused Islander fans- at least as far as from what I can gather in the way he left the organization.

He wrote that good bye article and the most I got out of it was him trying to explain WHY he needed wanted to play for the Maple Leafs and not so much the hard decision it would be to leave his loyal teammates, his loyal fans, and the loyalty you think he would have had for the logo he wore on his chest. I don't feel he has any sense of what the word "loyalty" means. And yes I write this post at a time when his former line-mate and still good friend I suppose Anders Lee wrote in a recent interview, that the best quality you want in your teammate is "loyalty".

I don't think JT has any guilt or recognition of how his fans and former teammates would have felt or he would have not left the Islanders the manner in which he did.

I know this is crying over spilt milk, but I'm just wondering... for the most part I'm trying to move on.

Click to read more...

 

[GlitchMarner]

Eh, hockey is a business.

 

[IPS]

Absolutely not. He gave the Islanders a terrific bargain and they f***ed him over with the garbage teams they built around him.

He had no reason to stay with such a trash organization.

 

[Rehabguy]

Eh, hockey is a business.

Is that all this is?

 

[HisIceness]

You are only in your prime once. If Tavares felt he would never have the opportunity again to play for his favorite team growing up, at a time when they are trending upwards, well then you got to take that opportunity. It only comes once.

 

[CraigsList]

Yes, i would feel bad to a certain extent. I said I was gonna stay, but due to other circumstances and an opportunity elsewhere, i went with that job. There’s nothing wrong with that either

 

[Mitchy]

"Loyal fans" don't call a player Judas, traitor, snake etc. and try to emasculate him and constantly insult him and his wife.

 

[StrangeVision]

Of course not. He made the decision that was the best for him. He doesn't owe the Islanders anything, they drafted him, big whoop. If they didn't another team would have, and maybe that team wouldn't have been the circus that the NYI became.

That being said, I hope I can hear the boos from down here.

 

[Rehabguy]

Absolutely not. He gave the Islanders a terrific bargain and they ****ed him over with the garbage teams they built around him.

He had no reason to stay with such a trash organization.

I think that is complete garbage (on the bolded). It's not like they didn't try. Needed better coaching yes, but for most of his tenure he knew the team was in a rebuilding phase.

 

[LeafChief]

Ugh.

 

[Icebreakers]

Im sure he feels a little bit of guilt. It's not like he was in an abusive relationship. He still had a lot of good times and in sure he made a lot of good friends in NY. He knew leaving was the right thing to do, but that doesn't mean you can block off all the emotions.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

"Loyal fans" don't call a player Judas, traitor, snake etc. and try to emasculate him and constantly insult him and his wife.

Thanks for your completely unbiased opinion. I prefer Pajama Boy.

 

[IPS]

"Loyal fans" don't call a player Judas, traitor, snake etc. and try to emasculate him and constantly insult him and his wife.

Or wishing injury upon him.

"Hey thanks for single-handedly carrying our crappy team to to the playoffs a couple times, I hope Martin separates you from consciousness when you play the Isles!" (actual Islander's fan quote btw).

 

[Rehabguy]

"Loyal fans" don't call a player Judas, traitor, snake etc. and try to emasculate him and constantly insult him and his wife.

Well if he was still wearing an Islander uniform I'm sure none of this happens. Some people still believe in an eye for an eye.

 

[CanadasTeam]

Hope this changes your mind:

How the Toronto Maple Leafs signed John Tavares - Sportsnet.ca

 

[LeafFever]

No. That's a silly hockey mantality. More NHl players should leave. It happens in every other sport.
Notice the NHL got it' s most coverage in the offseason in YEARS due to Tavares? It's good for the NHL.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

Nope, not one bit. Situation I have now with the home life and my new team is better than before.

Have second thoughts about an Instagram post? Thought about it once, but that's in the past so who cares.

 

[pabst blue ribbon]

NHL franchises are far more permanent than the career's of individual hockey players, there is nothing wrong with players acting doing what's best for themselves

 

[4thline]

@Rehabguy
Simply put... no. This whole situation would have been avoided if he didn't feel loyalty toward the Islanders, some desire to stay, and guilt about leaving. If he didn't care about the team and city he could have peaced off into the sunset and not had to walk a tight rope through the process

Then you all could have got your rocks off hating him for wanting out.

 

[Rehabguy]

Or wishing injury upon him.

"Hey thanks for single-handedly carrying our crappy team to to the playoffs a couple times, I hope Martin separates you from consciousness when you play the Isles!" (actual Islander's fan quote btw).

Well I have to admit as one of his biggest former fans, I've recently wished some bodily pain on him and specifically for the fact that I felt he was very disloyal to his fans. Of course, I don't want to see him to be hurt.

 

[PAZ]

I think that is complete garbage (on the bolded). It's not like they didn't try. Needed better coaching yes, but for most of his tenure he knew the team was in a rebuilding phase.

9 years of rebuilding?

At some point, you have to point to the incompetency of the management and organization - because at the end of the day if the Islanders were a winning organization he would have stayed.

 

[isles55]

Probably not. Human emotions do not compute.

 

[BallardEra]

Loyalty died a long long time ago. Hockey is a business. Do you think I'm loyal to my Company? Business is business. They'd get rid of me and not think twice.

 

[sparxx87]

I think that is complete garbage (on the bolded). It's not like they didn't try. Needed better coaching yes, but for most of his tenure he knew the team was in a rebuilding phase.

Rebuilding for 9 years?

At what point do you take a step back, realize little progress has been made, and seek a different contractor?

How many more mulligans should he have given them? And how many years was he paid under market value for the good of the team?

 

[Mitchy]

Thanks for your completely unbiased opinion. I prefer Pajama Boy.

Yup, let's not forget about that one! Let's call him Pajama Boy even though that picture only showed his bedsheets. So edgy.

Or wishing injury upon him.

"Hey thanks for single-handedly carrying our crappy team to to the playoffs a couple times, I hope Martin separates you from consciousness when you play the Isles!" (actual Islander's fan quote btw).

Oof, forgot about those.

 

[Silky mitts]

I think the Islanders should feel guilty for asking for a hometown discount and not opening with 8 yr $88M like his actual hometown team and having every member of the organization throw shade at every opportunity.