[News] Rostislav Klesla retires from the NHL

[Geeoff]

I bet this is mutual. No need to bash Rusty. He's had a good career. Buffalo has a bunch of defensive prospects they'd probably rather give Klesla's AHL minutes to.

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

I bet this is mutual. No need to bash Rusty. He's had a good career. Buffalo has a bunch of defensive prospects they'd probably rather give Klesla's AHL minutes to.

I am sure Buffalo is happy. The deals he was involved in this year were just ways of adding cash to the transaction without explicitly saying it. Buffalo is now off the hook for paying him.

As a player though, that kind of sucks. I am sure he wants to play somewhere where he isn't looked at as a burden.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Yes, it's a dream job and all that.

But how is it wrong to want to retire? If his heart isn't in it, why on earth should he be forced to stay with the team?

As a player, I would not want anyone in the room that didn't want to be there.

It boggles my mind that fans get upset when a player retires

I think Drury 18 explanation / response to my post is actually probably the most likely scenario for Klesla's now that I've read what he said, so for this individual situation, probably what occurred, no harm no foul for Rusty.

In a more general sense or let's assume this was a different situation, then my response is different. I actually have no issue when a player decides to retire early because they simply don't want to play anymore. That's fine walk away. It's when the player would have continued to play, but then they decided they didn't like the fact they got traded or could be trade. In this situation, there are literally 4 weeks left in the season, not like the guy is saving himself much time, and just 6 months ago he obviously made a choice that he wanted to play this last year. It's when they want their cake and eat it to that gets annoying considering how good they have it. If Klesla's decided he was going to play one last year, IMO he needed to be comfortable with that based on all the possibilities that the contract allows, which includes the downsides like moving around. Bothers me to no end when these guys are only "willing to play" as long as the tough part of their job doesn't become a factor. If you don't think you want to be subjected to the tough part of your job, then you should retire before that happens, not get all pouty after it happens or even worse essentially alter the terms of your deal by declaring you'll retire if you get traded (like Kipper did).

[HPLovecraft]

Doesn't Klesla realize when he signs that contract he becomes the legal property of his NHL team, a slave? How dare he want to retire and stop playing hockey here.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

I think Drury 18 explanation / response to my post is actually probably the most likely scenario for Klesla's now that I've read what he said, so for this individual situation, probably what occurred, no harm no foul for Rusty.

In a more general sense or let's assume this was a different situation, then my response is different. I actually have no issue when a player decides to retire early because they simply don't want to play anymore. That's fine walk away. It's when the player would have continued to play, but then they decided they didn't like the fact they got traded or could be trade. In this situation, there are literally 4 weeks left in the season, not like the guy is saving himself much time, and just 6 months ago he obviously made a choice that he wanted to play this last year. It's when they want their cake and eat it to that gets annoying considering how good they have it. If Klesla's decided he was going to play one last year, IMO he needed to be comfortable with that based on all the possibilities that the contract allows, which includes the downsides like moving around. Bothers me to no end when these guys are only "willing to play" as long as the tough part of their job doesn't become a factor. If you don't think you want to be subjected to the tough part of your job, then you should retire before that happens, not get all pouty after it happens or even worse essentially alter the terms of your deal by declaring you'll retire if you get traded (like Kipper did).

It's not a question of pouty - maybe the guy was already thinking: I'll just ride out the rest of the season. Then they trade him and he thinks: do I still have the drive to pack up, move to another city, get to know new team-mates, and then commit to them to the level that is required of a professional athlete?

If the answer to that is no, then the best solution is retire.

There are people everywhere who are still committed to their own job for a while, but if it came to a transfer, would decide instead to retire earlier.

It is normal. Hockey players are people too.

What right do fans have to judge them for that? It's just silly.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Doesn't Klesla realize when he signs that contract he becomes the legal property of his NHL team, a slave? How dare he want to retire and stop playing hockey here.

Oh good, the he's not a slave or robot argument. Argue the lowest denominator and you can win every argument because anyone who disagrees is an A-hole right?

He's not a slave or a robot, he's a contractor that with eyes wide open signed a deal to play hockey, a deal that he signed fully knowing he could be sent to play hockey in any one of 32 NHL cities. If he wanted to only play hockey in one or some of those cities, he should have worked that into his arrangement, which would have in turn cost him salary. As harsh as this sounds, hockey players get paid some of what they do because they are assets to the team that signs their deal, assets that have potential value in a trade. The teams are taking that into consideration when they agree to pay them what they do, and when players welch on that part of their signed contract, they essentially get paid for a part of a service they agreed to provide, but then refuse to provide it. If a contractor working on your home took full payment but didn't provide all the work or services you agreed to, you'd probably take him to court or demand a huge refund.

Again, I have no issue with a player retiring early and walking away. It's when what prompts the retirement (or said another way he wouldn't have retired until he got traded) is the fact that he doesn't want to deal with harder part of his job and wouldn't have retired if he didn't have to deal with it.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Oh good, the he's not a slave or robot argument. Argue the lowest denominator and you can win every argument because anyone who disagrees is an A-hole right?

He's not a slave or a robot, he's a contractor that with eyes wide open signed a deal to play hockey, a deal that he signed fully knowing he could be sent to play hockey in any one of 32 NHL cities. If he wanted to only play hockey in one or some of those cities, he should have worked that into his arrangement, which would have in turn cost him salary. As harsh as this sounds, hockey players get paid some of what they do because they are assets to the team that signs their deal, assets that have potential value in a trade. The teams are taking that into consideration when they agree to pay them what they do, and when players welch on that part of their signed contract, they essentially get paid for a part of a service they agreed to provide, but then refuse to provide it. If a contractor working on your home took full payment but didn't provide all the work or services you agreed to, you'd probably take him to court or demand a huge refund.

Again, I have no issue with a player retiring early and walking away. It's when what prompts the retirement (or said another way he wouldn't have retired until he got traded) is the fact that he doesn't want to deal with harder part of his job and wouldn't have retired if he didn't have to deal with it.

Yup, it's part of the deal. And if you don't like the arrangement any more, you are free to retire.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

It's not a question of pouty - maybe the guy was already thinking: I'll just ride out the rest of the season. Then they trade him and he thinks: do I still have the drive to pack up, move to another city, get to know new team-mates, and then commit to them to the level that is required of a professional athlete?

If the answer to that is no, then the best solution is retire.

There are people everywhere who are still committed to their own job for a while, but if it came to a transfer, would decide instead to retire earlier.

It is normal. Hockey players are people too.

What right do fans have to judge them for that? It's just silly.

I guess to your last point it's the following, what right do we have? Again these players sign their contracts knowing exactly what the deal is, they can ended up playing anywhere in the league unless they negotiate NTC into their contract. So they know exactly what the terms of their deals are.

In its purest form, they are entertainers, who get paid to entertain us fans (no, that doesn't mean we own them). And we in turn, whether it be from ticket sales, merchandise or simply watching the games on TV paid their salaries. So they essentially get paid to entertain us. Part of the entertainment actually comes from the fact that these entertainers get moved and shipped around. It's part of the "show" shall we call it. We were all glued to our TVs and this site for the past two weeks, because that part of the game thrills us. When players don't honor that part of their jobs, a part of their job that they were very clearly aware of, they are essentially ripping us off and the teams that paid them off. They are essentially taking full payment and refusing to render all the services they agreed to provide.

Of course there are exceptions when something could have occurred (family or personal issues that are just too much to over come), but generally, if you were ok taking your paycheque and playing one NHL city then unless you have an NTC you should be ok playing in any, and if you aren't, you should retire before that becomes a reality, not after.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Yup, it's part of the deal. And if you don't like the arrangement any more, you are free to retire.

Yup, and as fans we are free to be annoyed when they act like babies and take their ball and go home. Again, no one said it wasn't their right to retire, they can do what they want, but as fans are more than in our right to judge and complain about it when they do in these circumstances.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

He's not a slave or a robot, he's a contractor that with eyes wide open signed a deal to play hockey, a deal that he signed fully knowing he could be sent to play hockey in any one of 32 NHL cities.

Rochester, NY isn't one of those NHL cities.

It's one thing if Buffalo wanted him as a Sabre, but they were going to keep him in the AHL.

If I were 32 years-old, with $20 million in the bank, I'd have to think twice about riding a bus for the next couple of months in the AHL for another $750,000.

[mikeecho]

Originally Posted by HPLovecraft

Doesn't Klesla realize when he signs that contract he becomes the legal property of his NHL team, a slave? How dare he want to retire and stop playing hockey here.

Guys like him and Kipper are a disgrace and an embarrassment for not sticking it out at the sacrifice of real important things like health and family.

[Cleveland Steam Whistle]

Originally Posted by getbak

Rochester, NY isn't one of those NHL cities.

It's one thing if Buffalo wanted him as a Sabre, but they were going to keep him in the AHL.

If I were 32 years-old, with $20 million in the bank, I'd have to think twice about riding a bus for the next couple of months in the AHL for another $750,000.

Sure, and as mentioned earlier, in this situation I'm sure that this was mutual decision in this case, so Rusty did nothing wrong, they were just burying him and not having to pay him is likely in both there interest.

This example aside, was trying not to get too complicated in the explanation, but to that point, unless a player signs an NMC, they go into their contract fully knowing that might play hockey in any on of 32 NHL cities, or even potentially their AHL affiliates and that's also part of the job. Don't get me wrong though, the AHL part open up's a lot more scenarios where I could see a player being treated unfairly and would up a a lot more cases where I wouldn't be offended if they chose not to accept the terms of their deal because their employers maybe weren't honouring or being fair on their side of things.

[Drury18]

Sorry, this is driving me nuts.

There are only 30 NHL teams.

[Flames Draft Watcher]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Yup, and as fans we are free to be annoyed when they act like babies and take their ball and go home. Again, no one said it wasn't their right to retire, they can do what they want, but as fans are more than in our right to judge and complain about it when they do in these circumstances.

Someone's acting like a baby here and it isn't Klesla...

[Sport Psych]

Originally Posted by rbochan

What a loser.

Jeebus, grow up dude. This was most certainly a mutual decision between the player and the team, so no need for the vitriol. No one lost anything in this decision.

[Alberta_Beef]

Honestly, who cares if it was mutual or not. He has the right to retire whenever he likes.

[Locke]

Yeah, I dont see it. I get that he should honour his contract but in the end his contract is what ended his career. His employers didnt want to pay it and he didnt really care if he got paid, mutual decision that is best for everyone and everyone moves along.

It really is win/win here.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Cleveland Steam Whistle

Disagree. Not about what you said about how he's played the game, but IMO this move is unacceptable. If he wanted to control where he played, he should have negotiated an NTC into his contract. I don't care how much of a warrior he's been, NHL players have the best job in the world, the get to play a game for a living, and even the worst players are paid ridiculous amounts. There are very few downsides to their jobs...

Except, apparently, not being allowed to quit.

Seriously, who cares?

He's getting passed around like a half-eaten bag of licorice at a hotel management seminar and he's decided to get off the merry-go-round. What an awful person.

"I don't want to go to Buffalo to play out the depressing string with a cellar-dweller, so they can keep their money and I'll go home".

What a monster. How does he sleep at night?

Hockey players get dumped, ditched, cut, sent to the sticks, traded, and discarded all the time. I don't see much wrong with it when one of them wants to dump, ditch, or discard a team that isn't even trying to win.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Except, apparently, not being allowed to quit.

Seriously, who cares?

He's getting passed around like a half-eaten bag of licorice at a hotel management seminar and he's decided to get off the merry-go-round. What an awful person.

"I don't want to go to Buffalo to play out the depressing string with a cellar-dweller, so they can keep their money and I'll go home".

What a monster. How does he sleep at night?

Hockey players get dumped, ditched, cut, sent to the sticks, traded, and discarded all the time. I don't see much wrong with it when one of them wants to dump, ditch, or discard a team that isn't even trying to win.

Add in the fact that Buffalo didnt really want him and thats the story in a nutshell.

[FAN]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

The stench of Doug MacLean still permeates through the league long after his exile.

In hindsight, Klesla wasn't a terrible pick. Injuries derailed his career, but Columbus got almost 9 seasons out of him.