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Calgary4LIfe · 07-24-2022, 01:22 AM

I won't call either player a liar here.

I think they both lived up to their contractual obligations.

Gaudreau put more 'emotion' into his decision citing he was pulled in two different directions and loved being a Flame and living here. I won't call BS to his face and boo him because he found that decision harder.

Tkachuk was more 'mercenary' - was all about winning in his rationale and it seemed he found it to be a much easier decision in not wanting to be a Flame or live in Calgary, but Calgary got assets back so I am supposed to like Tkachuk more? That doesn't compute with me either.

I stopped thinking of hockey superstars as 'heroes' when I was a kid in the 1990's. It is all about the money and the success. They will always choose both as much as they can get. That's fair. Once I look at it like that, it doesn't bother me personally that they choose to leave, whatever reasons they choose to cite.

I feel that both Tkachuk and Gaudreau played hard as Flames, and entertained me. They didn't disparage the city I live in nor the organization that I cheer for. In the end, they acted with what was their right to do, and left. If they demanded a trade and held out, then I would boo them. If they purposefully 'gave up' in their time here, or acted inappropriately somehow... but neither did. For me, I don't know why there is only one "Thank you" thread - just because the timing of everything helped get assets. They both chose to leave for a different team. Neither one of them will be booed by me on their return. I am not sure I will stand up and applaud either one like Iginla, but neither one gets booed. They will both go down as two of the best Flames of all time, but two that also left before they 'should have' I guess.

What I am more concerned with is why the rebuild failed. I think it is fair to say that now, considering only Backlund is left. That's a topic for another thread.

I do think that this team had at different points the right personnel in the organization that SHOULD HAVE been much more successful, but at no point did they have enough of them come through. I think winning and success helps players stay in an organization. I think that Gaudreau's decision to leave didn't outright make Tkachuk leave, but I do think that it made the decision for Tkachuk an easier one to make. He was having a ball hitting 100 points and being part of a 'winner', and once the Flames failed in the playoffs, things came crashing down again.

Anyway, that's life. Sometimes players want to move. They left without pouting and sitting out. That makes it easier to remember how much I enjoyed watching them as a Flames' fan, even if they did end up leaving for different organizations. I am glad that they both went to Eastern teams without much in the way of any history between their organizations and Calgary.

Now I am just focused on this season and the plan for the rest of the off-season, and the longer-term plan.

07-24-2022, 01:22 AM	#80
Calgary4LIfe Franchise Player Join Date: Jun 2010 Exp:	I won't call either player a liar here. I think they both lived up to their contractual obligations. Gaudreau put more 'emotion' into his decision citing he was pulled in two different directions and loved being a Flame and living here. I won't call BS to his face and boo him because he found that decision harder. Tkachuk was more 'mercenary' - was all about winning in his rationale and it seemed he found it to be a much easier decision in not wanting to be a Flame or live in Calgary, but Calgary got assets back so I am supposed to like Tkachuk more? That doesn't compute with me either. I stopped thinking of hockey superstars as 'heroes' when I was a kid in the 1990's. It is all about the money and the success. They will always choose both as much as they can get. That's fair. Once I look at it like that, it doesn't bother me personally that they choose to leave, whatever reasons they choose to cite. I feel that both Tkachuk and Gaudreau played hard as Flames, and entertained me. They didn't disparage the city I live in nor the organization that I cheer for. In the end, they acted with what was their right to do, and left. If they demanded a trade and held out, then I would boo them. If they purposefully 'gave up' in their time here, or acted inappropriately somehow... but neither did. For me, I don't know why there is only one "Thank you" thread - just because the timing of everything helped get assets. They both chose to leave for a different team. Neither one of them will be booed by me on their return. I am not sure I will stand up and applaud either one like Iginla, but neither one gets booed. They will both go down as two of the best Flames of all time, but two that also left before they 'should have' I guess. What I am more concerned with is why the rebuild failed. I think it is fair to say that now, considering only Backlund is left. That's a topic for another thread. I do think that this team had at different points the right personnel in the organization that SHOULD HAVE been much more successful, but at no point did they have enough of them come through. I think winning and success helps players stay in an organization. I think that Gaudreau's decision to leave didn't outright make Tkachuk leave, but I do think that it made the decision for Tkachuk an easier one to make. He was having a ball hitting 100 points and being part of a 'winner', and once the Flames failed in the playoffs, things came crashing down again. Anyway, that's life. Sometimes players want to move. They left without pouting and sitting out. That makes it easier to remember how much I enjoyed watching them as a Flames' fan, even if they did end up leaving for different organizations. I am glad that they both went to Eastern teams without much in the way of any history between their organizations and Calgary. Now I am just focused on this season and the plan for the rest of the off-season, and the longer-term plan.