Quote:
Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe
The Flames don't have to do anything with him. Pronger - as far as I know - never did anything. Savard didn't do anything. The team has the responsibility of making sure the player gets paid, and that the player receives appropriate medical treatment.
I am guessing Treliving must have seen something in him during his conversations with Smid. Good on him for giving Smid an opportunity to stay as a real part of the organization, instead of a guy who is staying home and is only involved during the odd rehab time.
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Pronger was a busy scout. But it depends on the player too. Some guys get depressed and don't want to scout. Some guys have a family and don't want to travel. Others might not be physically capable -- such as those with concussion problems and puke anytime they did any sort of physical activity. Do the Flames HAVE to do something with Smid? No, but what moron turns down free labour if it's presented?
Trevy knows Smid has nothing else to do and the more time Smid spends trying to convince his medical staff he's good to play, the bigger the risk it is on the Flames as a hockey club. So Trevy wants Smid to accept life without hockey, and what better way to do that than to offer him a job doing exactly that? A job that Trevy doesn't have to pay extra for?
Smid is getting paid by insurance and could either retire (lose money), find another career (and breach his contract), sit around all day waiting for his contact to expire, or work for the organization. He knows he has 60+ years of his life left. Of course he wants the skills to have a back-up career, and all he's ever done in life is play a game on ice, so it's not like he's got the resume to be a stock broker. This is a no brainer from both parties, and Smid can continue to dream about the possibility of making a comeback.
Maybe its some great act of compassion worth praising that Trevy gave Smid modified duty, but chances are it's just business as usual.