If you’re a #Buffalo Sabres fan do not listen to the 31 Thoughts podcast. This hire sounds so bad for the team.
Just finished it. Elliot made the Pegulas seem like paranoid conspiracy types. If this guy doesn’t work out, they’ll probably hire their gardener just because they’ve known him for 20 years
Friedman said Buffalo is going to run with a lean front office to stop the bleeding financially. He mentioned the Devils likely going down the same path. teel
yea.It's bad. Choosing their new GM essentially came down to "this guy is extremely loyal to us, so he's in charge." Not ideal at all. Also, saying it's not a rebuild when you are in the middle of a rebuild is a bad sign. Though recommending they hire Scott Luce and Rick Dudley. good luck with that.
Feel bad for Botterill — he could have his career ruined by those morons. Friedman said the Pegulas basically forced the term on the Eichel and Skinner deals.
I mean the Eichel signing was smart. You get as much term as you can on legit super stars. The Skinner deal, not so much.
Eichel is panning out but he hadn’t put up close to 10m/y production prior to signing deal. It was a reasonable gamble but I get some of the hesitancy.
They suck at running the Sabres. And they did a shitty Job of paying their employees during this pandemic
Eichel’s production has been limited by the dog shit team around him. Him putting up the numbers he did this year is a miracle
By all accounts the guy was a rockstar in Pittsburgh. I’m sure he’ll get another FO gig sooner than later.
Somebody needs to double check Datsyuk’s concussion history as we pass judgment on his relationship with alt-Santa Claus figures.
Some of the CHL Stans caping for the league whenever a story like this comes out make most NFL shield defenders look disillusioned
According the lawsuit, players in the class were, among other things, forced to masturbate in front of teammates and coaches and forced to sexually assault teammates, to consume saliva, urine, semen and feces of other players and to sexually engage with animals. It is also alleged that players had heavy objects tied to their genitals, had their genitals dipped in irritants and toxic liquids and had objects such as hockey sticks, brooms and food forced into their anuses. It is also alleged that players were forced to consume large amounts of alcohol and illicit drugs * During showers, rookies were required sit in the middle of the shower room naked while the older players urinated, spat saliva and tobacco chew on them. At least once, the head coach (Perry) walked into the shower room while this was occurring, laughed and walked out. * Rookies were repetitively hit on their bare buttocks with a sawed off goalie stick, developing large welts and open sores. The injuries were so bad that they couldn’t sit down, even while attending local high school classes. They advised team staff of this abuse, which did not stop. * On road trips, rookies would be stripped naked and sent into the bus bathroom, eight at a time. The older players would tape the boys’ clothes up in a ball, which were thrown into the bathroom. The boys were not allowed out until they were dressed, which could take hours. Older players would pour chew, saliva, and urine on them through the bathroom vents. This took place in front of coaches and trainers. * Rookies had to bob for apples in a cooler filled with the older players’ urine, saliva and other bodily fluids. * The older players would put the rookies in a laundry bin on wheels, four at a time. They would run the laundry bin into a wall as fast as it could go. Players suffered injuries including being knocked unconscious. It was called the “Rookie Rocket.” * Older players would organize orgies at house parties. Rookies were required to take part in sexual acts while the older players watched and took part. * The head coach walked in on a naked rookie taped to a table with his buttocks in the air. Older players were whipping him with a belt. The head coach took part, whipped the child and laughed while the boy cried. * The head coach, assistant coaches and league officials knew of the abuse. * An informal investigation took place by OHL and/or CHL agents, but no findings were released, abusers were not punished and no steps were taken to address the abuse; and, * Racist, sexist and homophobic slurs were repeatedly directed at rookie players and were used on a daily basis.
The first time I heard about shit like that I was 13 years old at hockey camp and some of the chaperones who were really 16-17 year old kids were telling us about having things tied to their dick, being stripped and left in heavily populated places, having to jerk off into a cookie and the last one to finish had to eat it. Hockey culture sucks and hopefully this lawsuit brings about change
I would be interested in a thread talking about hazing instances we all faced growing up. And discussing things we just thought were normal then and now realizing definitely aren’t “normal”
People wonder why hockey players show zero personality with the media and it’s because most came up through the CHL system. This shit is what causes kids to not speak about anything.
And yes I was scared to death before the rookie party when I was playing but nothing like that ever happened. I heard some stories but never saw anything like this.
Are they being tested every day? I mean, the players AND the staff’s wives/husbands/kids are interacting with people every day. I don’t see how this can work unless people are concentrated in hotels.
Said it months ago, but should’ve just canceled the season imo. This is likely to be a shit show while also fucking up next season. Supposedly half the players don’t even want to play, either. /ducks