Aug 22 2006
What’s Going On?
Ok I’m confused. Didn’t we have a team that fought their way to the finals last season? Didn’t that same team find a way to defeat the Thunder 4 games to 1, then comeback and do the same to the previous CHL champs by the same 4-1?
Yes they were defeated in the finals, but why the dismantling? I understand the fact that some players i.e. Scott Sheppard and David Cacciola were the most like candidates to move up the ladder BUT!
I say again why the dismantling? There have been reports that along with Scott Sheppard (confirmed to the Trenton Titans of the ECHL) and Blair Manning (confirmed to the Basingstoke Bison in England),Chad Spurr, Ryan Manitowich,Shane Palahicky,Brett Smith,Dale Lupul as well as rumblings of Craig Minard are not returning.
First I am sure some on that list have there own personal reasons for not returning, however the question I have is why now? After coming so close to a championship would the core of players that helped them get that far choose not to return?
The one that bugs (no pun intended) me the most is the loss of Blair Manning. Clearly this guy wanted to still play hockey if he is willing to uproot himself to play a season over in a foreign country instead of where he led the his team in assists and points closer to his family.
Is their a new path being plowed in Mudbug country? Does the ever mysterious Scott Muscutt have something up his sleeve after choosing to remain as top dog after turning down an opportunity to climb the coaching ladder?
We all remember the January butt kicking this team received that did in turn deliver maybe one of the best second halves in hockey history, But then let us ask ourselves who where these players playing for?
Seems to me that most of them jumped the ship as soon as possible, which leads me to believe they may have known that they weren’t about to go through another year under Scott Muscutt’s my way or the highway regime.
I think too many chose the highway and I find that to be too much of a coincidence. And although getting to know 1 0r 2 new faces every year can be fun, I think this year may be asking a bit too much.
Pro sports is a tough gig and sometimes feelings get hurt and sometimes egos get crushed but there is always a common denominator found that is usually the cause and effect of all the commotion.
Is that common Denominator the same guy we trust to put the best team in Mudbug sweaters every season?
Had the players grown a deaf ear? Happens to every coach at every level.
Should Muscutt have moved on and would that have made any difference in the players decisions? Guess what we will never know will we?
First of all its on a need to know basis, and apparently the ones who pay the money and are told ” we could not have done it with the fans” are rarely in the know.
Some positive news once in a while would be nice. Especially after all the bad news so far this summer.
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