Kipper is truly a Flames legend, and I'll miss having a mind-bendingly athletic goaltender, as opposed to a robotic technical goalie. He was as entertaining to watch as he was good in his prime.
Not that any fans actually paid heed to the excessive rants Eric Francis made on Sportsnet960 The Fan during the summer, and in this unfair Calgary Sun article (
http://www.calgarysun.com/2013/06/25...-fan-favourite ), but Jay Feaster actually made it a point to call out Eric Francis on Sportsnet960 The Fan today (approx. 5pm). Feaster made a pointed remark, and I paraphrase, about a certain media member who wrote about how Kipper should have made it clear with the Flames about his intentions on retirement.
In fact in the article linked above, Francis concludes,
Quote:
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The right thing to do was come clean long ago with his intentions, stop stringing fans along
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Feaster took it upon himself to clear the air, and placed Kipper in a good light, by completely
taking responsibility for Kipper "taking his time". Feaster stated that the atmosphere around the team was chaotic at the time, and the team was essentially in a state of flux with all the trades, losing out on a playoff spot etc. Kipper had mentioned he would like to retire at the end of the season at the time to management. Jay went on to say it was the Flames management group that advised Kipper to take his time, and make sure he was making the correct decision. The plan was to continue to check in on Kipper's thoughts over the course of the remainder of the season and into the summer. Flames management wanted to ensure that Kipper wasn't simply retiring due to the state of the current Flames incarnation, and that he was genuinely making the right decision for him and his family. It was the Flames management way of saying thanks to a longtime Flames player that deserved it. Again I am paraphrasing what Feaster said, and I am not projecting my own sentiments upon this situation, in fact, I am not the type of person to really rail on anyone, even someone as notoriously unabashed as Francis. However, I definitely admire how Feaster took it upon himself to clear the air, and aimed directly at an article that was written without looking from all angles at a situation regarding a true Flames legend. I think it's important for all Flames fans to know what Feaster stated, and a bit of the story as to why Kipper took his time.
