Ilya Kovalchuk ....wth?
EagleEyeKid
Posts: 4,496 ✭✭
I just don't understand these Russian players. One of the elites of the game at age 30 and 41 goals has announced his retirement today. SOB!!!
Here's a guy that I thought for sure would get 600-700 goals by the time he's done with his career. "waahh, boo hoo, I wanna go back home to Russia."
Fine, go back home and rot but why sign a 100+ million dollar contract for 10-12 years a couple yrs ago if he knew he wanted to go back?
A couple awards under his belt, but no cup. HOFer? I hope not you piece of turd!
I'm so sick of Russian players and have finally told myself not to collect these clowns anymore whether they're #1 overall or whatever.
Too easy for them to just decide to pack up and go play in the KHL if they're offered more money or the NHL is just too hard for them.
All I need now is for Ovechkin to leave and Yakupov to have 8 concussions and break both legs next season.
Had to vent. Carry on.
bunghole
Here's a guy that I thought for sure would get 600-700 goals by the time he's done with his career. "waahh, boo hoo, I wanna go back home to Russia."
Fine, go back home and rot but why sign a 100+ million dollar contract for 10-12 years a couple yrs ago if he knew he wanted to go back?
A couple awards under his belt, but no cup. HOFer? I hope not you piece of turd!
I'm so sick of Russian players and have finally told myself not to collect these clowns anymore whether they're #1 overall or whatever.
Too easy for them to just decide to pack up and go play in the KHL if they're offered more money or the NHL is just too hard for them.
All I need now is for Ovechkin to leave and Yakupov to have 8 concussions and break both legs next season.
Had to vent. Carry on.
bunghole
0
Comments
You're mad because you "invested" in cards and dude decided to give up the game?
LMFAO
Kovalchuk is an amazing offensive talent. I kind of wonder if the Devils defensive system has anything to do with this. He was given free reign to do just about anything the wanted in Atlanta and his coast-to-coast rushes were awfully exciting to watch. But under the Devils system he'd probably be limited to scoring 30-35 goals a year. I get the feeling that he wants to be the big man, the face of the team, but the Devils are first and foremost a TEAM.
He's going to go play in the KHL and will probably put up unwordly numbers over there, not to mention they aren't likely to make him "think defense".
Can't blame him for the contract, he does have an agent, after all.
Brodeur will also be gone. They're screwed.
<< <i>Didn't he make about 15 million over there during lockout? I doubt he is truly walking away from 77 million. Makes sense to me that someone would want to return to their home land to play and raise a family. >>
I don't blame these guys for wanting to play at home, but if I was an NHL GM I would stay a million miles away from russian players. This is one of many cases of these guys jumping ship, Winnipeg's 8th overall pick just left for the KHL and in past years guys like Radulov have one the same thing.
<< <i>
<< <i>Didn't he make about 15 million over there during lockout? I doubt he is truly walking away from 77 million. Makes sense to me that someone would want to return to their home land to play and raise a family. >>
I don't blame these guys for wanting to play at home, but if I was an NHL GM I would stay a million miles away from russian players. This is one of many cases of these guys jumping ship, Winnipeg's 8th overall pick just left for the KHL and in past years guys like Radulov have one the same thing. >>
Solid point. It's why you've seen less Russian players drafted and the ones that do get picked are quite often picked later than their talent level would dictate.
He's already earned enough money to set himself up for life and he is still young enough to continue with the sport at a high level if he wants
Most of us understand his decision completely. It says a lot more about the people who object to this decision than it does about Kovalchuk
The only real factor the KHL has taken on the NHL thus far is the elimination of role players among European players. You don't see many Fedotenko types anymore. Bottom 6 role type players or bottom pair defensemen. They can stay close to home and make just as much if not more money in the KHL. Datsyuk could have easily made much more if he were to jump to the KHL next season but he just signed an extension. Most guys tend to be like Federov. They'll stay in the NHL while at their peak and then head home when they're on the decline or once they become role type players. Burmistrov heading back to the KHL isn't a big deal. He'll play more there, the Jets still hold his rights, and it's really no different than NHL teams who allow their draftees to develop in Europe while putting on weight as opposed to coming over and playing in the AHL which is often a couple of recent potential star draftees, a heard of tweener Max St Pierre types, and a bunch of Cam Janssens.
LOL
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<< <i>Maybe this is the first step in an inevitable journey to a Champions League style system when the other leagues can compete with NHL club teams. That definitely happens within 50 years - and will be awesome. >>
I agree. Although, referring to the Champs League within soccer, those competitions occur within teams of one specific confederation. It would be difficult to have something like that happen when the NHL plays so far away from the Euro leagues.
Also thought -- Who in hell came up with the idea to be able to sign players to 12 year contracts?! Obviously this is a part of the new CBA, but it's ridiculous.
<< <i>Players should honor their contracts. Otherwise, why sign one. This is bush league on Ilya's part. >>
Did you have the same feelings when John Elway retired? Would you feel the same way if Alex Rodriguez decided to retire? What about when the Devils failed to honor the contract during the lockout? Why should New Jersey have bothered signing him if they weren't going to pay him for half the season?
<< <i>
<< <i>Players should honor their contracts. Otherwise, why sign one. This is bush league on Ilya's part. >>
Did you have the same feelings when John Elway retired? Would you feel the same way if Alex Rodriguez decided to retire? What about when the Devils failed to honor the contract during the lockout? Why should New Jersey have bothered signing him if they weren't going to pay him for half the season? >>
He's not retiring, he's switching leagues/countries. Those ares apples to oranges comparisons. Sure, technically he's "retiring" from the NHL, but anyone with half a brain understands that he's simply jumping ship and bailing on his contract to play in another league. Elway didn't "retire" to break his NFL contract so he could play for the XFL and Alex Rodriguez isn't going to "retire" to break his MLB contract so he can play in an independent league. He should have never signed a contract if his heart wasn't in it. It's bush league and I have little respect for him.
<< <i>Players should honor their contracts. Otherwise, why sign one. This is bush league on Ilya's part. >>
I'm sure the Taiwanese feel the same about Manny Ramirez.
<< <i>
<< <i>Players should honor their contracts. Otherwise, why sign one. This is bush league on Ilya's part. >>
I'm sure the Taiwanese feel the same about Manny Ramirez. >>
They probably do.
<< <i>He's not retiring, he's switching leagues/countries. Those ares apples to oranges comparisons. Sure, technically he's "retiring" from the NHL, but anyone with half a brain understands that he's simply jumping ship and bailing on his contract to play in another league. Elway didn't "retire" to break his NFL contract so he could play for the XFL and Alex Rodriguez isn't going to "retire" to break his MLB contract so he can play in an independent league. He should have never signed a contract if his heart wasn't in it. It's bush league and I have little respect for him. >>
Yeah, ya kinda skipped over the whole "the Devils didn't pay him for half a season during the lockout" thing. If the Devils don't feel the need to honor the contract, I don't know why Ilya should be held to a higher standard.
<< <i>
<< <i>He's not retiring, he's switching leagues/countries. Those ares apples to oranges comparisons. Sure, technically he's "retiring" from the NHL, but anyone with half a brain understands that he's simply jumping ship and bailing on his contract to play in another league. Elway didn't "retire" to break his NFL contract so he could play for the XFL and Alex Rodriguez isn't going to "retire" to break his MLB contract so he can play in an independent league. He should have never signed a contract if his heart wasn't in it. It's bush league and I have little respect for him. >>
Yeah, ya kinda skipped over the whole "the Devils didn't pay him for half a season during the lockout" thing. If the Devils don't feel the need to honor the contract, I don't know why Ilya should be held to a higher standard. >>
I honestly do not understand that situation. Is he the only player in the NHL to have been paid for half a season's play in the half season?
<< <i>I honestly do not understand that situation. Is he the only player in the NHL to have been paid for half a season's play in the half season? >>
He contracted with the Devils for a full season, not a half season. The Devils chose to not honor that contract by locking Ilya, and all their other players, out. Kovalchuk got paid for the games he played, yes, but he didn't get paid his contracted amount.
<< <i>
<< <i>Maybe this is the first step in an inevitable journey to a Champions League style system when the other leagues can compete with NHL club teams. That definitely happens within 50 years - and will be awesome. >>
I agree. Although, referring to the Champs League within soccer, those competitions occur within teams of one specific confederation. It would be difficult to have something like that happen when the NHL plays so far away from the Euro leagues.
Also thought -- Who in hell came up with the idea to be able to sign players to 12 year contracts?! Obviously this is a part of the new CBA, but it's ridiculous. >>
Those (cap circumventing) contracts were signed under the old CBA. Under the new CBA a free agent is only capable of signing a 7 year deal max or 8 years if a team is resigning it's own free agent. As for the kinetic form of recess played by adults dressed in textile advertisements angle, you'd probably need more than one "rival" league for competition, and one that would display an interest in signing players who aren't Russian or even Eastern European to large money deals. As it is, the only North American players who toil in the KHL are aging goons who can't get a job in the AHL, old Brent Sopel type players chasing one final two-comma contract that they wouldn't land in the NHL, or Gilbert Brule types who aren't good enough to skate top 6 minutes, and aren't defensively efficient enough to skate bottom 6 minutes in the NHL....the NHL/AHL tweener....or for a baseball reference, the AAAA player. Where those guys typically head to Japan or South Korea, the hockey version heads to Russia, Slovakia, or the Czech Republic. When the KHL becomes capable of prying away star American, Canadian, or even Swedish players in their prime, only then will the NHL start sweating the KHL. There is a large enough portion of the NHL's fanbase that is perfectly content with seeing zero Russian/Slovak players breaking a sweat in the NHL and Kovy moving back home isn't going to make a dent in ticket sales or TV ratings anywhere other than NJ (maybe). Seeing as how there is an agreement that the NHL and KHL honors each league's respective contracts, I suspect the Devils were perfectly content with ridding themselves of that contract. Even at double the term and double the money, I don't see many North American players with the desire to live in Russia for a decade of their prime. Guys like Crosby or Toews can make up the difference in pay with greater opportunities in income from ads or whatnot. If the KHL were to expand to less sketchy countries that don't fly their players around on jets that are 20+ years old, and where more people speak English in western or central Europe then maybe we'll have something. If it ever even got to that point the NHL would revise/eliminate the salary cap anyway. All this is doing is making the Valeri Nichushkins fall a few slots in the draft.
<< <i>
<< <i>I honestly do not understand that situation. Is he the only player in the NHL to have been paid for half a season's play in the half season? >>
He contracted with the Devils for a full season, not a half season. The Devils chose to not honor that contract by locking Ilya, and all their other players, out. Kovalchuk got paid for the games he played, yes, but he didn't get paid his contracted amount. >>
Are you implying that the players have never breached their contracts in labor disputes and that teams should pay players for games they haven't played?
<< <i>He should have never signed a contract if his heart wasn't in it. It's bush league and I have little respect for him. >>
His first long term contract was voided by the league. His second one was interrupted when the league refused to accept a new CBA. When relations between management and labor have that sort of history most of us understand and accept why his heart changed
<< <i>
<< <i>He should have never signed a contract if his heart wasn't in it. It's bush league and I have little respect for him. >>
His first long term contract was voided by the league. His second one was interrupted when the league refused to accept a new CBA. When relations between management and labor have that sort of history most of us understand and accept why his heart changed >>
I hope you weren't complaining when the league did those things then. That would be hypocritical.
A guy hangs on too long, gets crushed in the media and by fans for not knowing when to quit. A guy is extra cautious when coming back from an injury, he gets called 'soft' by the media and fans for not rushing back despite his carefulness actually prolonging his career. Guy gives up the game, and a huge contract, to go home to be with friends, family, and the land he knows and loves and he gets crushed. Calling the guy a 'piece of turd' for daring to want to return to his homeland? Maybe you need to calm down a bit and use some discretion before posting next time? Because you come off as a spoiled brat.
And people wonder why athletes by and large keep such a tight inner circle and don't let any outsiders in?
<< <i>Are you implying that the players have never breached their contracts in labor disputes and that teams should pay players for games they haven't played? >>
Do you have a specific incident in mind where Kovalchuk breached his contract? It's not really relevant if Alexei Yashin breached his contract when we're talking about Ilya Kovalchuk.
No, I'm not implying that teams should pay players for games they haven't played. Surely you are not arguing that teams should be allowed to say "I'll pay you for 82 games this year" - and then cancel 34 of them (not paying the players for the canceled games) are you? Kovalchuk had a valid contract with the New Jersey Devils and the Devils did not live up to the terms of it. Period. You can't make any argument that says otherwise.
<< <i>
<< <i>Are you implying that the players have never breached their contracts in labor disputes and that teams should pay players for games they haven't played? >>
Do you have a specific incident in mind where Kovalchuk breached his contract? It's not really relevant if Alexei Yashin breached his contract when we're talking about Ilya Kovalchuk.
No, I'm not implying that teams should pay players for games they haven't played. Surely you are not arguing that teams should be allowed to say "I'll pay you for 82 games this year" - and then cancel 34 of them (not paying the players for the canceled games) are you? Kovalchuk had a valid contract with the New Jersey Devils and the Devils did not live up to the terms of it. Period. You can't make any argument that says otherwise. >>
Without a league, there are no teams. Without teams, there are no player contracts. The league can do whatever it damn well pleases in my opinion. The players don't pay themselves. This "argument" is pointless. You think players should face no criticism for breaking contracts, I do. Big freaking deal.
I'm still unsure why/how the deal was completely erased and the Devils retain no rights to Kovalchuk. Considering the cost to trade for him and the league imposed penalties of $3M and the loss of 3 draft picks for the "circumventing" contract when he was resigned, the Devils come out on the short end of the stick, albeit, without the financial obligation for an eventually declining offensive player.
The lockout may have accelerated this, but the Devils were pretty sure that Kovie was going to bolt at some point in his contract. Had he played another couple of years and "retired" to the KHL, the Devils would've been hit with nearly a $4M/year cap hit. Now, they'll endure only $250K/year.
<< <i>Three cheers for Ilya- I can only hope that more players (in all sports) start moving overseas for more money, so that we can start considering the elimination of these stupid 'salary caps'. >>
+1
Also eliminate the boring trap style hockey that the Devils invented. It'll be even harder to watch them without Kovalchuk.
<< <i>
<< <i>Three cheers for Ilya- I can only hope that more players (in all sports) start moving overseas for more money, so that we can start considering the elimination of these stupid 'salary caps'. >>
+1
Also eliminate the boring trap style hockey that the Devils invented. It'll be even harder to watch them without Kovalchuk. >>
That the Devils invented? Try Montreal circa the late 1960's through the early 1980's...
<< <i>
That the Devils invented? Try Montreal circa the late 1960's through the early 1980's... >>
Excellent post.