Quote:
Originally Posted by krynski
I agree with you on a lot of things here. Yeah, I don't hate Fleury. I certainly admire his skill, and valued him in Flames threads. I just don't like how he phrased things on more than several occasions. To me, he was great on the ice, he was just publicly negative towards the organization and to its members. In that manner, it showed that his character lacked respect and common courtesy. Unfortunately, this was self destructive (among all the other self-destructive activities he took part in).
These character flaws destroyed his relationship with members of the organization, and some members of the fan base. This is what holds him back (or the grounds that I would hold him back from joining others in the rafters). I believe that one day, the Flames organization will retire his jersey- despite it all.
For all of you looking for a quote from him:
"At one hundred and eighty pounds, I finished 11th out of 56 guys at camp in the fitness test and scored a historic shootout goal in an exhibition game after being out of hockey for six years," Fleury reportedly wrote. "What does that say about the talent level in the NHL? 4 points and a plus 4 rating in four exhibition games and I get cut. What a joke! Craig Conroy goes the first 37 games of the season with zero goals. I wonder how many I would have had?"
"Even with all the stupid people that run the game of hockey, it's still a great game. Go figure,"
"Do I feel the same way today? Maybe not. Thing is, why should I get heat? I have nothing to do with hockey anymore,"
http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=305248 |
I'd be pissed too.
He got cut off a country club retirement home after outproducing some of the old tired country club residents. He was more right than he knew at the time, that team didn't even get to the first round.
He didn't look great, but wow, proof is in the pudding when conroy gets a spot on the team because he's buddies with Iginla and they make him retire midseason because he probably shouldn't have made the roster in the first place.
Nigel Dawes scored roughly 30 points that year. Fleury probably should have beat him for a roster spot.
This is all hindsight, but it appears as though for most of the conversation about his bad attitude is a) focused on recent things he's said, and b) not blowing smoke and shining up turds.
3 Months later, Darryl was gone, Conroy was retired, Calgary was out of it and Nigel Dawes was patrolling the second line wing position, with no flames player scoring 70 points that season.
Theo probably wasn't good enough to make the team, but so were other players on that roster who did make it.
Is it really coming down to 'if Fleury spoke in meaningless platitudes and showed zero emotion his number would be retired"? That's 'effing stupid.