Good for Lucic. He's a good human being and deserves to go out on his terms. Glad he's going to do that with Boston and his career can end where it started.
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I wonder how many free agents sign a contract and then wish they had taken less (money or term). This could be years of disdain from the fans. Roberto Luongo said as much, but there must be others. To quote Theo, "How many trucks do you need?"
He still cashed all his pay checks, so it doesn't seem that it bothered him all that much.
It has always been a little weird to me how well former players speak of the Oilers. I think I even see Smid on twitter actively cheering for them after, if I recall correctly, the Oilers failed to diagnose a significant injury late in his career and he was forced to play through it and wasn't properly diagnosed until he joined the Flames.
I guess McDavid and Gretzky hide a lot of warts but man to see this guy speak this candidly almost immediately after leaving the Flames stings as a fan.
It has always been a little weird to me how well former players speak of the Oilers. I think I even see Smid on twitter actively cheering for them after, if I recall correctly, the Oilers failed to diagnose a significant injury late in his career and he was forced to play through it and wasn't properly diagnosed until he joined the Flames.
I guess McDavid and Gretzky hide a lot of warts but man to see this guy speak this candidly almost immediately after leaving the Flames stings as a fan.
The Flames have one of the smallest fanbases in the entire league, and outside of 2004 have had absolutely no success. That lack of success murders the organization for fans outside of the immediate Calgary area (which already features a lot of fans of other teams due to the transient nature of Calgary’s population).
What you see Lucic talk about (the history, the Oilers fanbase), it’s all true and pretty evident.
If Alberta were to lose a hockey team, it would absolutely be the Flames.
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The Flames have one of the smallest fanbases in the entire league, and outside of 2004 have had absolutely no success. That lack of success murders the organization for fans outside of the immediate Calgary area (which already features a lot of fans of other teams due to the transient nature of Calgary’s population).
What you see Lucic talk about (the history, the Oilers fanbase), it’s all true and pretty evident.
If Alberta were to lose a hockey team, it would absolutely be the Flames.
I keep thinking about comments on Barn Burner last season that asked who's Jersey a kid sitting in Saskatoon would want on the Flames...
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Originally Posted by Locke
Thats why Flames fans make ideal Star Trek fans. We've really been taught to embrace the self-loathing and extreme criticism.
It has always been a little weird to me how well former players speak of the Oilers. I think I even see Smid on twitter actively cheering for them after, if I recall correctly, the Oilers failed to diagnose a significant injury late in his career and he was forced to play through it and wasn't properly diagnosed until he joined the Flames.
I guess McDavid and Gretzky hide a lot of warts but man to see this guy speak this candidly almost immediately after leaving the Flames stings as a fan.
The Oilers fanbase crippled Lucic emotionally as he couldn’t produce there. Outside of his first year where they went to the second round the Oilers picked in the top 10 in his other 2 years. The Flames fans embraced Lucic despite him being a boat anchor contract and irrelevant for long stretches of the 4 years he was here. Obviously there was some Covid related situations where he couldn’t play in front of the fans but he credited the Flames fans with giving him passion for the game again. Surprised he goes on and gushes about the Oilers when compared to the Flames.
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The Oilers fanbase crippled Lucic emotionally as he couldn’t produce there. Outside of his first year where they went to the second round the Oilers picked in the top 10 in his other 2 years. The Flames fans embraced Lucic despite him being a boat anchor contract and irrelevant for long stretches of the 4 years he was here. Obviously there was some Covid related situations where he couldn’t play in front of the fans but he credited the Flames fans with giving him passion for the game again. Surprised he goes on and gushes about the Oilers when compared to the Flames.
He is speaking obvious facts though, what is wrong with that?
The Flames have one of the smallest fanbases in the entire league, and outside of 2004 have had absolutely no success. That lack of success murders the organization for fans outside of the immediate Calgary area (which already features a lot of fans of other teams due to the transient nature of Calgary’s population).
What you see Lucic talk about (the history, the Oilers fanbase), it’s all true and pretty evident.
If Alberta were to lose a hockey team, it would absolutely be the Flames.
Well I don’t disagree with your fundamental point but to say the Flames have had no success other than 2004? I guess you could say the 80’s is ancient history but so is 2004 at this point.
Lots of teams have won nothing in last 40 years. But yeah it does seem like there was a time Flames were considered a first class organization and they don’t really seem to have that reputation anymore.
The Oilers fanbase crippled Lucic emotionally as he couldn’t produce there. Outside of his first year where they went to the second round the Oilers picked in the top 10 in his other 2 years. The Flames fans embraced Lucic despite him being a boat anchor contract and irrelevant for long stretches of the 4 years he was here. Obviously there was some Covid related situations where he couldn’t play in front of the fans but he credited the Flames fans with giving him passion for the game again. Surprised he goes on and gushes about the Oilers when compared to the Flames.
He didn't say anything about the Oilers really. He talked about them having a bigger fanbase, and explained why that was.
People in other places see highlight reels - and who's on them? McDavid.
He didn't say anything about the Oilers really. He talked about them having a bigger fanbase, and explained why that was.
People in other places see highlight reels - and who's on them? McDavid.
People seem to forget how the Oilers were viewed pre-McDavid. They were the laughing stock of the league and nobody wanted to play there. They are still riding the wave of a new arena and McDavid but when he leaves things, the market will correct. If the Flames can build a good prospect base between now and the new arena the Flames should receive a bit of a bump at the same time the Oilers are forced to hit the reset button.
People seem to forget how the Oilers were viewed pre-McDavid. They were the laughing stock of the league and nobody wanted to play there. They are still riding the wave of a new arena and McDavid but when he leaves things, the market will correct. If the Flames can build a good prospect base between now and the new arena the Flames should receive a bit of a bump at the same time the Oilers are forced to hit the reset button.
Yup.
I think Lucic enjoys playing, likes his teammates generally (he and McDavid got along). The only fanbase I think he dislikes is Vancouver and that's because they dissed him as a Bruin.
