Yandle - gone. Hanzal - IR. Vermette - gone. Who will the new A's be?

[BUX7PHX]

^^

Someone mentioned how awful of a team we must be to have a 4th liner wearing the A. We were not awful in 10-11 season, but we basically had a 4th liner wearing it that year.

Agreed that it is not about skill. It is about who comes to practice every day with their hard hat on. They may not be the most skilled player, but they won't be outworked...

 

[KG]

Wearing a letter has **** all to do with skill. Not sure why that was even mentioned.

Most teams have their skilled players with letters. They also work yes but if you're not giving core players letters than something is off unless they're too young.

 

[XX]

Most teams have their skilled players with letters.

Most teams give their most involved, longest tenured players letters. Skill has nothing to do with it. "You're in trouble if your 4th liners have letters" is just fundamentally not correct.

 

[KG]

Most teams give their most involved, longest tenured players letters. Skill has nothing to do with it. "You're in trouble if your 4th liners have letters" is just fundamentally not correct.

I'm sorry but you're just incorrect on this. Teams with low skill lettered players have either developing cores or are in the rebuilding mode. Look at the teams around the league. The only exception to this is Columbus because they have some weird rotating system. I don't get what's so controversial about this statement.

 

[XX]

Look at the teams around the league.

McLeod
Matt Greene
Jackman
Mark Stuart
Kelly
Gorges
Bolland
MacKenzie
Andy Greene
Girardi
Neil
Philips
Robidas
Orpik
Boll
Letestu

It's about leadership and respect. That's what it means to wear a letter. It has nothing to do with "skill". Find something logical to complain about.

 

[KG]

Perry
Getzlaf
Kopitar
Doughty
Crosby
Letang
Weber
Tavaras
Stamkos
Sedin
Sedin
Ovechkin
Giroux
Bergeron
Keith
Toews
Sharp
Kronwall
Datsyuk
Hall
Parise
Suter
Subban
Neal
Stepan
Staal
St Louis
Simmonds
Malkin
Oshie
Steen
Thorton
Marleau
Pavelski
Backstrom
Wheeler

Way more skill guys than non-skill guys, but we can agree to disagree.

 

[XX]

Way more skill guys than non-skill guys, but we can agree to disagree.

It's self-selection at play. If respect and a voice in the room is largely correlated with a big role on the team and tenure, who do you expect to last the longest? Skill doesn't really factor into it. You can be a tremendous leader, a captain even, and not be anything more than a bottom six player.

Historically, skill meant even less when it came to the captaincy and letters.

 

[KG]

It's self-selection at play. If respect and a voice in the room is largely correlated with a big role on the team and tenure, who do you expect to last the longest? Skill doesn't really factor into it. You can be a tremendous leader, a captain even, and not be anything more than a bottom six player.

Historically, skill meant even less when it came to the captaincy and letters.

I don't disagree with you, I'm just saying I think teams usually give letters to skilled, core players. What else explains the OEL letter? The kid still struggles with English, can't imagine him being super vocal or a leader. To be fair it's probably hard to tell anyway because leadership often goes on behind closed doors. Chipchura is a temp A anyway.

 

[jacobhockey13]

I don't disagree with you, I'm just saying I think teams usually give letters to skilled, core players. What else explains the OEL letter? The kid still struggles with English, can't imagine him being super vocal or a leader.

That's why he became such a good player. For his first two years he couldn't understand any of the **** Tippet was telling him.

 

[XX]

What else explains the OEL letter? The kid still struggles with English, can't imagine him being super vocal or a leader.

The other day he was quoted about playing with pride, and how to not take the NHL for granted. On his NHL live visit they asked if he wanted to wear a letter and he said yeah maybe but that's up to the coaches. Almost every NHLer was "the man" on their teams before they hit the big time. They know how to step up and be vocal, for the most part.

Circumstance has a way of forging leaders out of nothing. OEL was always going to end up with an A, so I don't see the problem with kicking it off early. He got it because he's respected in the room and Tippett agrees with it. And you know Tippett. He doesn't care much for skill guys.

 

[KG]

That's why he became such a good player. For his first two years he couldn't understand any of the **** Tippet was telling him.

Okay, that was funny.

 

[RemoAZ]

Skill obviously has nothing to do with Chip getting an A but the guy was cut! They were praying someone would claim him. Now he's a captain. The fact that they don't think anyone else is better suited for that role is hilarious.

 

[CC96]

OEL and Chip are apparently only serving as alternate captains for the rest of the season. Watch Chip get the permanent "A" next year, and OEL get nothing.

But seriously, **** Chip. He sucks.

 

[RABBIT]

I can agree on both sides. Unfortunately, many teams are now choosing their captains based off skill. Skilled players are the most marketable. The most marketable players are the most liked. The most liked players are the ones that the fans attach to. The players the fans attach to bring in money. The players who bring in money stay longer or will stay long. The players who stay longer or will stay long get captaincy.


Joe Thornton should have never been named captain in San Jose. He's one of the most quiet guys who would rather let someone else take on the responsibility of inspiring a team. Many questioned why Karlsson got named captain in Ottawa, and to be perfectly honest, as much as I love OEL has he ever come off as a future captain to any of you? Nothing against him, but he's just now recently said something about the rest of his team in an interview.

He's a great hockey player no doubt, but can he inspire a team? Be vocal in the locker room like Doan and Yandle? I don't know.

Chipchura may actually be that guy that can, but i don't like that move because he's been waived twice this season and who gets inspired by that? You wanna chat with your assistant captain for guidance but he's too busy sliding down the waiver wire. It just seemed like a rushed decision by Tippett because he's one of the few guys left that have been here a while.

I heard from many fans/writers that Gagner is a great locker room guy and is well respected/well liked. He should've gotten it.

 

[IPreferPi]

OEL and Chip are apparently only serving as alternate captains for the rest of the season. Watch Chip get the permanent "A" next year, and OEL get nothing.

But seriously, **** Chip. He sucks.

I hope it increases his trade value to the point of being worth a bag of pucks.

 

[ck26]

Sergei Zubov could barely speak English when he got an A in Dallas. He was just playing 28 mins PP / PK for a Cup winner. Respect and leadership are so vague that 100 books about them would define them 100 ways.

We're all being idiots for a) presuming we know and b) caring. If OEL wears a letter and sits in the corner silently, whatever. If Doan does, whatever. If Moss is William Wallace in the room and doesn't wear one, who cares?

 

[RABBIT]

Sergei Zubov could barely speak English when he got an A in Dallas. He was just playing 28 mins PP / PK for a Cup winner. Respect and leadership are so vague that 100 books about them would define them 100 ways.

We're all being idiots for a) presuming we know and b) caring. If OEL wears a letter and sits in the corner silently, whatever. If Doan does, whatever. If Moss is William Wallace in the room and doesn't wear one, who cares?

I cares! First off if Moss gave a William Wallace speech before every game I'd sign that guy to a lifetime contract. Secondly, the letters on the jerseys aren't decorations. They have responsibility that a lot of us don't know about. Team meetings, talking to the refs, discussing with the coaching/management staff on a regular basis, addressing the media on a regular basis.

Plus how pissed would you be if you were a 30 year old player brought in for your experience and leadership, screaming at the top of your lungs while some 19 year old kid sat in the corner nervously twiddling his thumbs wearing an "A" on his shoulder? Personally, i would question the integrity of the team i just came to.

C'mon ck26, we're Military guys! You and I both know what it takes to literally earn another stripe on the shoulder, and what properly appointed leadership can do for a squad!

 

[The Feckless Puck]

I cares! First off if Moss gave a William Wallace speech before every game I'd sign that guy to a lifetime contract. Secondly, the letters on the jerseys aren't decorations. They have responsibility that a lot of us don't know about. Team meetings, talking to the refs, discussing with the coaching/management staff on a regular basis, addressing the media on a regular basis.

...not to mention helping new guys who come in via trade or via promotion from the minors to get settled and make travel arrangements, be team leaders on the road, etc.

Naming skill players captains is a dumb idea, IMO. You give the C and As to guys who are good with other people, have leadership qualities, and can be trusted with responsibility.

 

[CC96]

90% of the players on this team suck. I don't care how much swag they pretend to have, they need to look at what Ekman-Larsson does on the ice, not only in terms of quality play, but how he never puts up with an opposing players **** in a scrum.

A lot of tem could learn a thing or two from Ollie (I'm looking at you Korpse, Chip, and Moss).

 

[Matias Maccete]

I'm not sure you always need a yelling passionate captain. Being calm and leading by example can work fine too, teppo was a great example of that and OEL could do that too.

 

[RABBIT]

90% of the players on this team suck. I don't care how much swag they pretend to have, they need to look at what Ekman-Larsson does on the ice, not only in terms of quality play, but how he never puts up with an opposing players **** in a scrum.

A lot of tem could learn a thing or two from Ollie (I'm looking at you Korpse, Chip, and Moss).

And I totally agree with you. Leading by example is a great quality to have in an assistant/alternate captain. He deserves an "A" no question. Does he deserve the "C" after Doan leaves? Who knows? The best kind of captain to have is one who is a vocal, inspiring player on and off the ice. Someone you can come and talk to and trust. Afterall, you spend more time with these guys than your own family.

Maybe OEL acquires those traits over the remaining time Doan is here. Maybe he's already got them and we just don't see them.

One dark horse i would have for potential captain is Boedker. He's a tough son of a ***** and according to interviews over the years, he's well respected in the locker room. Heard he stood up to Carcillo as a rookie when Carcillo was jabbing at him for his acne. Turned out to be nothing serious, but he stood up to a notorious tough guy as an 18 year old.

 

[RABBIT]

I'm not sure you always need a yelling passionate captain. Being calm and leading by example can work fine too, teppo was a great example of that and OEL could do that too.

I never said yelling, I said vocal.

Perfect example, Martin St. Louis:



Tell me that doesn't inspire the **** out of you. The only reason he doesn't have an "A" or "C" on his shoulder is because he was just traded there weeks prior.

 

[BUX7PHX]

And I totally agree with you. Leading by example is a great quality to have in an assistant/alternate captain. He deserves an "A" no question. Does he deserve the "C" after Doan leaves? Who knows? The best kind of captain to have is one who is a vocal, inspiring player on and off the ice. Someone you can come and talk to and trust. Afterall, you spend more time with these guys than your own family.

Maybe OEL acquires those traits over the remaining time Doan is here. Maybe he's already got them and we just don't see them.

One dark horse i would have for potential captain is Boedker. He's a tough son of a ***** and according to interviews over the years, he's well respected in the locker room. Heard he stood up to Carcillo as a rookie when Carcillo was jabbing at him for his acne. Turned out to be nothing serious, but he stood up to a notorious tough guy as an 18 year old.

Wish I could find this post from when I first started here, but I thought that Boedker would make a fantastic captain one day.

Says all the right things in interviews, actually speaks English very well for a European player. Actually seems very natural being interviewed or stepping into something unknown, such as the weather report from a few years ago. Also seems like the type of player that a team would gravitate towards over time.

I could see Boedker as captain, with OEL and Domi as the 'A's in a few years...

 

[Matias Maccete]

I never said yelling, I said vocal.

Perfect example, Martin St. Louis:



Tell me that doesn't inspire the **** out of you. The only reason he doesn't have an "A" or "C" on his shoulder is because he was just traded there weeks ago.

Agreed. I said that because I think often people confuse the two. IMO someone who's always intense can lose you after a while, if they reserve it for when it's really needed and stay calm when others are fired up it can be more effective.

 

[RABBIT]

Agreed. I said that because I think often people confuse the two. IMO someone who's always intense can lose you after a while, if they reserve it for when it's really needed and stay calm when others are fired up it can be more effective.

Absolutely