It's a new day, a new beginning. This is what the Flaming C needs right now.
If we get a Jones / MacKinnon / Drouin / Barkov, we are on our way to making this a proud franchise again.
Add Baertschi, Gaudreau, Horak, Backlund, Agostino, Wotherspoon, Arnold, Hanowski, Gillies... we are on our way to putting together a solid lineup in the future.
In my opinion, this is going to be an exciting ride from here on in. Out with the old, in with the new.
Time to look forward and get the team starting to build in the right direction.
Iginla will be missed and never replaced -- but it will be exciting to see the new wave in Calgary Flames history.
__________________
A few weeks after crashing head-first into the boards (denting his helmet and being unable to move for a little while) following a hit from behind by Bob Errey, the Calgary Flames player explains:
"I was like Christ, lying on my back, with my arms outstretched, crucified"
-- Frank Musil - Early January 1994
That's exactly how I felt this morning. Not going to lie, I was on pins and needles and constantly refreshing twitter and CP on my phone at the game last night while feeling really sad about Iggy.
Not now though. I woke up feeling oddly great today. When I go to Friday's game vs. Columbus I have no expectations of a win, no hanging stress about how much a win or a loss will impact the Flames battle for the playoffs. Nothing off the ice to worry about, it will just be about enjoying the beauty that is live NHL hockey.
Now we can fold up that 2003-2004 Western Conference Champions flag, pack up our Iginla jerseys along with that green hard hat and all the other baggage from the 2004 playoffs until now; put them all away in a treasured box and file it in the past, not to opened until Jarome comes back for his number to be retired in an era of Flames hockey hopefully far removed from now.
This is day 1 of a new era that will no doubt take years, but no longer will we be haunted by the same BS questions that have nagged us for years, and no longer do we have to watch management manage this team with the constraints placed upon them by those questions:
When will the Flames finally get a centre to play with Jarome Iginla?
Which coach will finally motivate this underachieving core?
When will we finally get a backup goalie that can play .500 for 20 games so Kipper doesn't have to play all 82 games?
Now the possibilities are endless. When the Flames send me my STH renewal form this year, I'm going to re-up for next year full well expecting a 30th place team in 2013-2014 and being happy if they play well enough to place higher and when next years renewal comes out, I'll re-up then too. I'm all in!
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Yes I'm more optimistic now than I've been in years. Not saying that the team is going to turn around immediately but this does mark some kind of turning point.
Unlike Edmonton's rebuild we actually have assets that other teams want and are willing to trade good pieces for. Hopefully our rebuild turns out to be more like Ottawa's rebuild in 1 year and not tanking for 4 years to ensure our GM has no choice but to draft a top prospect.
Hopefully that doesn't turn into a "we grossly over rated so-and-so, we are lucky to get C-level prospect" ... and "Feaster's hands were tied"
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"With a coach and a player, sometimes there's just so much respect there that it's boils over"
-Taylor Hall
Was just thinking how difficult it is going to be to attract UFAs to the team until our next stars emerge. Iggy meant so much to the team. I suppose we are going to have to go after guys who think they can take it to the next level and just need the ice to prove it, a roster full o' Cervenkas.
Dos Cervenkas Por Favor. I am going to drink tonight.
I hope that the drafting and development of the current management group can start proving itself out - not having a team full of Iggy's buddies trying to make an improbable playoff push might create the room for that, so I guess that's a potential silver lining.
Another hope that I have is that the character of the organization remains intact. Iggy is such a beauty talent and character wise. We lost our hart and our heart today.
This team is completely incapable of making the playoffs, and if they do, they won't win the Stanley Cup. The trade of Iginla for 3 assets that we will not use this season, and probably not even next season, or maybe not the season after that, points that this organization is getting ready for a massive facelift, Feaster won't admit it due to past statements he's made, though.
I'm excited for Iginla and the Penguins. I'm also excited to see that the Flames are opening the doors and selling, because that's what we need to do to become a team worthy of contention.
As OP said, I was more concerned with the change in culture Iggy's departure would have, more so then the return. I was expecting the return to be disappointing since it happened a couple seasons too late. And getting a first for me was a bonus. I was honestly expecting a 2nd rounder at best given all the talk you heard about him declining and aging.
The time is now for positive changes to be made, and for this franchise to resurrect itself from the hole it buried itself in. I don't want anymore quick fixes. I don't want anymore 8th place finishes only to get bounced in the 1st round. I want a contender damnit. I want to challenge for the cup every year. I want to see the Flames at the top of the standings year after year. Iggy getting traded is how it starts. And honestly, it's a win-win for everyone involved. Iggy gets multiple chances to win a cup. Flames get assets and desperately needed change.
I'd rather watch the Flames lose and have growing pains, then watch them lose and watch veteran players mail it in every night. If the Flames play things right, in this day and age of parity and a strong Canadian dollar, the Flames have a light at the end of the tunnel. I never felt that the last couple seasons. I have hope now.
Personally I'm heartbroken. He meant so much to Calgary and the Flames. It's gonna be hard for me to get over this. I know it was a necessity and Jarome needs a chance to win a cup, but it hurts a lot. I am actually kind of surprised how badly I am handling this. I didn't think it was going to be this hard.
Personally I'm heartbroken. He meant so much to Calgary and the Flames. It's gonna be hard for me to get over this. I know it was a necessity and Jarome needs a chance to win a cup, but it hurts a lot. I am actually kind of surprised how badly I am handling this. I didn't think it was going to be this hard.
Me too man, me too. I'm sick and tired of being a fan of the team that is always losing it's top talent. We aren't that far removed from the dark days and BAM!! right back into them.
I'm so very envious of Pens fans whom are at the opposite end of the spectrum right now. It must be nice to get that excited about your team and it's chances at winning the cup.
-Get the right peices for Bouwmeester (vital). Get a top four pick this year and have two other first rounders and other added picks through guys like Stempniak.
-Send Kiprusoff into retirement in proper fashion.
-Then use some of the $17+m in cap space from those 3 players, on decent players/contracts that other teams are forced to dump as the cap goes down next year to suppliment the youth.
-Maintain the reputation that Iginla upheld as a Flame across the league and PA, so that Calgary remains a UFA destination.
-Hope Feaster/King/Edwards doesn't louse it all up.
-Profit?
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-Get the right peices for Bouwmeester (vital). Get a top four pick this year and have two other first rounders and other added picks through guys like Stempniak.
-Send Kiprusoff into retirement in proper fashion.
-Then use some of the $17+m in cap space from those 3 players, on decent players/contracts that other teams are forced to dump as the cap goes down next year to suppliment the youth.
-Maintain the reputation that Iginla upheld as a Flame across the league and PA, so that Calgary remains a UFA destination.
-Hope Feaster/King/Edwards doesn't louse it all up.
-Profit?
Asset management is going to be key not just heading to April 3, but leading up to the draft.
Freeing up a ton of cap-space can put the Flames in a good position to help teams with cap problems, and hopefully they can take advantage of those situations to gather more assets - both for the now, and the future.
As upset as I am with the fact it took the Flames this long to make the change, it is exciting times ahead... hopefully they take advantage of this rare opportunity presented them this year.
That's exactly how I felt this morning. Not going to lie, I was on pins and needles and constantly refreshing twitter and CP on my phone at the game last night while feeling really sad about Iggy.
Not now though. I woke up feeling oddly great today. When I go to Friday's game vs. Columbus I have no expectations of a win, no hanging stress about how much a win or a loss will impact the Flames battle for the playoffs. Nothing off the ice to worry about, it will just be about enjoying the beauty that is live NHL hockey.
Now we can fold up that 2003-2004 Western Conference Champions flag, pack up our Iginla jerseys along with that green hard hat and all the other baggage from the 2004 playoffs until now; put them all away in a treasured box and file it in the past, not to opened until Jarome comes back for his number to be retired in an era of Flames hockey hopefully far removed from now.
This is day 1 of a new era that will no doubt take years, but no longer will we be haunted by the same BS questions that have nagged us for years, and no longer do we have to watch management manage this team with the constraints placed upon them by those questions:
When will the Flames finally get a centre to play with Jarome Iginla?
Which coach will finally motivate this underachieving core?
When will we finally get a backup goalie that can play .500 for 20 games so Kipper doesn't have to play all 82 games?
Now the possibilities are endless. When the Flames send me my STH renewal form this year, I'm going to re-up for next year full well expecting a 30th place team in 2013-2014 and being happy if they play well enough to place higher and when next years renewal comes out, I'll re-up then too. I'm all in!
Great post. And this is why no one can really, truly begrudge what they managed to get in return for Iggy, because first we rewarded him with what he truly wanted, and in return we got the greatest return of all: A brand new empty slate. The true beginning of a new era. No more restraints. Complete freedom to do anything needed to move forward. We're no longer backed into in a corner, having to have to face the same problems, pressures and ridicule. It's a complete release for this organization, as bittersweet as it is.
At the same time though, I don't want to let this past decade-plus go. It's had its dark days, but it's been an incredible ride nonetheless with unforgettable moments. I'm not ready to cut Iginla out of the picture entirely. Perhaps a little too sentimental, but until another leader of even half his stature and greatness on this team steps up, it'll be next to impossible to just "pack it away". And until he retires I'll probably never be able to let go of my secret wish that we one day re-acquire him. I know it would be redundant and even detrimental to happen too soon, but maybe down the road when we've finally got this team back on its feet.
Very emotional day. And it won't subside for some time.
