[CP Story] Decision Time in Calgary

[Bingo]

http://www.calgarypuck.com/2013/03/d...-in-calgary-2/

As always, comments appreciated

[Bingo]

had it stuck at the top, but hate the way that looks ... will let it ride then pin later to keep it at the top for the next 2 weeks

[Poe969]

right on. They think the team is better.... "the answers are in the room"

They just didn't realize the answers are in a different room...

[Dr. Doom]

Great article. The last few paragraphs there really sum up the never-ending delusion we hope the owners finally see.

And you're right, this isn't the same as the Lanny situation, nor are we the LA Kings.

Time for these guys to make a splash and that should start with an Iginla trade. Anything short of it and the delusion continues.

[Lanny'sDaMan]

I voted loss of ticket base, but I think it's more a situation of a bit of column a and a bit of column b. Say 55% loss of ticket base and 45% thinking team is better than it actually is.

[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

If they're being honest with themselves, with all the pro scouting they do with PUCKS and what not, you'd think they know they can't compete with the big dogs of the league. So I don't think it's that answer at all and I don't think they even believe this team is the answer.

[FlamesAddiction]

I think it's a combination of things, but loss of season ticket base is the biggest factor I think.

[Super-Rye]

Very good article. I couldn't vote though as I feel the reason the Flames haven't rebuilt is a combination of all those factors and more.

[starseed]

Excellent article. I completely agree with the sentiment that we are ready for a re-tool.

As for the poll, what is played out in the media makes it seem like it is the problem of the team deluding itself into thinking they are good enough, but I also think it is a combination of a few different issues. Ken King tried to suggest that the owners did not meddle in the hockey decisions, but I don't think Keenan would lie about D Sutter's reason for firing him.

It is time to grow some balls and begin a re-tool.

However, Carolina, Ottawa and Montreal had some young gems in their system before their rebuild... I worry that we are starting further behind... which may mean a longer 're-tool'.

[Ozy_Flame]

Flames fans are not going to abandon the team because a player leaves; they're going to abandon a team for consistent poor performance. We stuck around after Lanny and Theo left, and our attendance woes were due to extremely poor performance in the standings (and an unfavourable market at the time).

People will be Flames fans for life, and the return of a packed building after both lockouts and the multi-year waiting list for season tickets is a good indication of that.

I think Flames fans are holding out hope for a playoff berth a la 2004, but that is not likely to happen. King and Feaster keep tagging everyone along with their "this is our win now team" mantra, rather than being honest and saying we need to fix this from the core outwards. Flames fans will understand, we just don't like being lied to.

However, if this .500 performance continues, that base will (continue to) be eroded.

[Nandric]

I voted losing the fanbase, because in the end its a business and the bottom line is making a profit.

[neo45]

It's a combination of options B, C, and D

The decision is economic, like most decisions are when you get to the bottom of it

[GreenLantern]

I believe its just this team not playing up to ownership expectations. Not sure if those expectations are realistic or not, but I believe that is the case. They are so sure this team can be better if they can just click.. keep patching it up with duct tape because it will work if we just give it another season..

Usually when you employ this tactic the end result is much more disastrous than just facing facts as they happen.

[mac_82]

F) all of the above

[iamca]

All of the above fits, but to be honest there is not one decision maker and it shows.

Painful process of too many people and not one hockey person making the decisions and driving this team in a direction.

No direction equals your current Calgary Flames.

[automaton 3]

Good article.

I personally don't mind the Flames trading Iginla, so long as it is clearly part of a coherent plan to move the franchise forward. I don't have much confidence at this point.

[browna]

As far as the big picture reason currently facing the owners; I think its fear of the unknown off and on the ice without Iginla.

Off the ice, the return if he goes is never go to be enough from a PR standpoint for a lifelong Flame and face of the franchise to even non hockey fans let alone hockey fans.

On the ice, the pressure on whoever they get back will be immense, from hardcore and casual, and the general public, to one day be anywhere close to Iginla...yes there will be drafting and other factors which play a huge role, but whoever comes back will be tagged as the "guy the Flames traded their franchise player for".

IMO There will also be fallout from the current roster, players who like/play well only because of, or came here because of Iginla. Then the worry from the owners may well be an inadvertant scorched earth with so many holes to fill so soon. On top of that, the reputation of the franchise, built under Sutter for UFA's, also has to be considered (look what happened in EDM when Lowe got too cavalier with dictating to players what to do) in so far as treating players properly to attract them here...UFA's will still be key to suppliment this team in however it decides to rebuild after Iginla.

From that, I think the fear from owners is falling back into that losing money proposition of the mid 90's (minus the Canadian dollar issue, though that's offset by the Flames not being a top spender in those days anyways), with not a lot of hope to sell, with too much change and banking on a lot of things to turn out positive in the next couple years with player devlopment, not only to get better, but even just to fill the holes that the players such as Iginla held.

How it got to this point is too many cooks in the kitchen, or better put, a cook in the kitchen that should've been a waiter, not a cook.

So it's most of the factors listed in some regard IMO and they all tie into that fear of losing the off ice momentum and the fear of regressing into the on ice and off ice situation of the Young Guns era and a rebuild that my take 2-3+ years (with no guarantees) to provide any tangible results, is probably not the future the owners want to be facing.

I don't think the on ice product is nearly as bad as the Todd Simpson days on the ice as far as hope for the future...but the results aren't looking much better and there are some decisions that need to be made one way or another for the business to revitalize itself.

[Flash Walken]

I voted Loyalty to Iginla, but it likely also falls under 'Thinks the Team is Better Than It is' because I think Flames ownership believes Iginla is better than he is.

For the last several years, the team has seemingly made many of it's hockey operations decisions based on Iginla, often with his direct input on team and linemates, partially I believe because of a personal relationship to Iginla within ownership/management, but also because they believe he is better than he is and that he is a player to build around.

Their previous inability to come to terms with the idea of trading him would coincide with years of consistent statistical output, rather than game by game summation of ability or impact on winning. His poor season this year coupled with Kipper's lacklustre play is likely a slap in the face from reality that an era is coming to an end, whether they continue to sign guys to play with Jarome or not.

The writing is now clearly on the wall and it is becoming increasingly more difficult to see the flashes of 29 year old Iginla in this season's body of work.

Based on that, I'd say it has more to do with a personal relationship with Iginla than it does any other reason, and why he is likely in charge of his own destiny with the flames.

[Erick Estrada]

Needs an "All of the above" as that would get my vote.

[vilzeh]

Good article. I'd like to see Iginla get traded but only if the return is exceptional, a prospect center, 1st round pick, decent d-man and a veteran player, just to round it up! Also I'd like to see Kipper traded also, I'm sure he has takers whom pay a "bit" extra.

Ok, Kipper's not been the lights out Kipper he's been for past 9 years or so, but lets face the truth: The team ain't helping him either. I don't even see Rinne as a top10 goalie if you check his 3 or 4 last games, because the team totally has left him hanging. Lundqvist hasn't been good and Quick is being outplayed by Bernier big time. Smith is not the same vezina-calibre goaltender as last year, neither is Luongo.

I don't see any problems with Kipper yet, he's been "decent", not the lights out one we are used to.