-Getting the buffet was worth going for by itself, the wings were amazing
-New building is 2-4 years away, will be downtown but they have looked at an alternate downtown location which is not on the Stampede grounds but is on the c-train line
-Building will be structurally modern, don’t remember the exact term Ken always used but basically it will be set up so that movement to and from concessions and seats will be much easier
-Two models for the new building will be Columbus and Minnesota arenas
-There won’t be more seats in the new building, KK believes you can have too many seats
-Old Saddledome will be torn down, new building will not look the same
-First dibs on tickets for Heritage classic will be for STH’s, followed by gamepack holders, followed by Hot House, and then everyone else
-Seats won’t be matched up for McMahon stadium exactly, since higher seats in McMahon are better so quality will be assigned to all seats and then highest quality seats in Dome will get highest quality seats in McMahon and so on
-They will try making the Saddledome colder so that the ice remains better quality, tried it a couple times last year and had a lot of complaints but will try it again
And now for the juicy stuff:
-KK continually hinted at some big moves coming up in “next couple days”
-Darryl Sutter talking to a player as he was speaking
-Powerplay was horrible and offense was lacking, team will be addressing that need in the next few days
-Will be bringing in offensive personnel
-Would have loved to have Toskala back but he wanted a guarantee of 20 starts and too much money
-Had a very interesting comment on Alex Tanguay that leads me to believe they are interested in him, it was something like this:
(Random person: How do you judge a player’s character before bringing him in via trade or UFA? KK: Who would you suggest was the biggest mistake we’ve made? Random person: Alex Tanguay. KK: Oh really...we feel Alex Tanguay would/will make Jarome a better player).
Coming from a guy who was trying to answer every question yet still not give away confidential information, there was definitely something behind that comment.
-Flames like Ian White and White has every intention of staying with the team, they are working on a deal and expects one to get done
-Admits that things went too well in Sutter’s first few years of GMing and the Jokinen trade to the Rags was the first bit of adversity that hit
-Says the team underperformed and is great on paper, therefore things are still going to get better hence why they weren’t making a quick GM change just to buy time and approval from media/fans
-Kotalik put on waivers does not mean anything
-Understand the need for young players and 3-4 spots on the team will be up for grabs for Heat youngsters...”team needs a few $500,000 players since we have so many high end guys”
-Speaking of Abbotsford they are very happy with the farm team and its location
-On Playfair: he will be a NHL head coach again and he was put into an “impossible situation” in 2006-07
-Admits this team is “difficult to coach” and that is because there are so many good players and selfishness came into play
-Issue of selfishness was addressed in part during the season and will be continued this offseason
-Phaneuf trade: you don’t trade a good player away unless there are issues or you want certain players back
-One thing that drove Phaneuf crazy was that the alternate captaincy was rotated last season, Dion wanted to be “that guy”
-Jarome Iginla “has a serious bone to pick” and is so driven, determined and passionate this offseason to make things right this coming up year, he is holding a grudge, KK says he has never quite seen this with Jarome before, quite confident he is going to bounce back
-First year under a new coach is always difficult and looks forward to 2nd season with Brent – “Brent and Darryl are two of the most opposite guys you’ll ever meet...Brent actually has a sense of humour” – Brent is willing to give players days off after good efforts, etc.
-Will spend to the cap
-Expects Jay Bouwmeester to bounce back
-Team is serious about winning (acquiring Jokinen and running out of cap space 2 years ago) and will pull out all the stops, “as you will see in the next couple of days”
-Teams can go over cap by 10% in offseason and Flames likely will to accommodate certain moves
-there are 4,000 people on Hot House currently and they only relocated 400 seats at seat relocation this year. Currently working on offering season tickets to Hot House members.
One final thing: we are so fortunate to have Ken King as president. He said he currently has 2,257 emails in his inbox and was going back to work after the session as he replies to every one. He is honest, up front and doesn’t just try to tow the party line though he did throw in the “98% renewal” line at one point. He understands the fan mentality and said the best part of his job was his spine tingling when the Saddledome erupted in cheers. He wants to win and wants every single person in the building to enjoy it. I got to meet him briefly and the time of day he gives people he doesn’t even know, is amazing. He was even pouring drinks at the bar when they were busy. He simply “gets it.”
Haha, he needed someone to post for him.. for some unknown reason
Last edited by slots881; 06-28-2010 at 11:24 PM.
The Following 267 Users Say Thank You to slots881 For This Useful Post:
__________________
“Capitalism is the astounding belief that the most wickedest of men will do the most wickedest of things for the greatest good of everyone.”
–John Maynard Keynes
This post actually makes me feel a little more positive about things. Lets hope management have some good move in store.
__________________
A few weeks after crashing head-first into the boards (denting his helmet and being unable to move for a little while) following a hit from behind by Bob Errey, the Calgary Flames player explains:
"I was like Christ, lying on my back, with my arms outstretched, crucified"
-- Frank Musil - Early January 1994
The Following User Says Thank You to Igottago For This Useful Post:
Dude when it comes to the Canucks, it could be a team of Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Augusto Pinochet, Josef Stalin and Kim Jong Il and if one of them scores against the Canucks you take it.
"Big moves to address offense in the next few days"????
Thanks for the notes slots. Much appreciated.
I am kind of excited myself. Not to much to be excited these days but Kk is a man of his words, he just doesn't say something b/c people want to hear it.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zulu29
Dude when it comes to the Canucks, it could be a team of Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Augusto Pinochet, Josef Stalin and Kim Jong Il and if one of them scores against the Canucks you take it.
Boy lots of stuff there from speculation about the offensive player, perhaps Tanguay to yet another pretty pointed comment about why Phaneuf was dealt. The rotating captaincy thing is a new wrinkle I have never before.
KK actually got back to an email of mine I sent him back in February. This coming season, you should be able to text an usher if there is an annoying or unruly fan in your area.
The Following 6 Users Say Thank You to Tyler For This Useful Post:
KK actually got back to an email of mine I sent him back in February. This coming season, you should be able to text an usher if there is an annoying or unruly fan in your area.
I haven't heard that. Interesting.
__________________
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zulu29
Dude when it comes to the Canucks, it could be a team of Adolf Hitler, Pol Pot, Augusto Pinochet, Josef Stalin and Kim Jong Il and if one of them scores against the Canucks you take it.
Notes from the Ken King Info Session
