News Article: Former players tell The Athletic about CBJ as an organization

[JacketFanInFL]

Blue Jackets Sunday Gathering: Finding and fixing the problems, an important new role for Rick Nash

Has anybody confronted him on the irony that he-himself asked for a trade out of town?

 

[Kevo22363]

Has anybody confronted him on the irony that he-himself asked for a trade out of town?

I still don't blame Rick for that. He gave this franchise his best and they continued to spin their wheels. A hockey players goal is to get their name on the Stanley Cup. Did anyone honestly believe that it had any chance of happening when he was here? I'm glad he's back with the organization and maybe some day experience what he didn't as a player.

 

[majormajor]

I always figured Portzline made the whole thing up so trying to guess players is kind of pointless.

I doubt he did that but I do suspect he threw in some falsehoods to maintain anonymity. Otherwise we'd have some of the players puzzled out by now.

 

[JacketsDavid]

I still don't blame Rick for that. He gave this franchise his best and they continued to spin their wheels. A hockey players goal is to get their name on the Stanley Cup. Did anyone honestly believe that it had any chance of happening when he was here? I'm glad he's back with the organization and maybe some day experience what he didn't as a player.

I see it very differently.
Nash forced the CBJ to name him the Captain (he saw other young goal scorers taking the Cs very early).
And let's be honest he's not a leader (not vocally, and not a effort guy). Even the Dispatch mentioned repeatedly the optional morning skates and he was never there.
It doesn't mean he wasn't our best player - but he was not meant to wear a C. The team shuffled thru a lot Of "A captains" trying to solidify the leadership (Modin and Peca , RY, Vermette, Prospal) and honestly seemed like after he left more guys (when we rotated the A) stepped up - Dubi and Jack were both acquired and we knew they were leaders but also a guy like Dorsett and Boll.

So again in my mind if you're the leader - you've got to hold guys accountable (and that is not Nash's style, he was too nice) or you had to lead by example and the Assistant Captains got guys in line.

 

[majormajor]

I see it very differently.
Nash forced the CBJ to name him the Captain (he saw other young goal scorers taking the Cs very early).
And let's be honest he's not a leader (not vocally, and not a effort guy). Even the Dispatch mentioned repeatedly the optional morning skates and he was never there.
It doesn't mean he wasn't our best player - but he was not meant to wear a C. The team shuffled thru a lot Of "A captains" trying to solidify the leadership (Modin and Peca , RY, Vermette, Prospal) and honestly seemed like after he left more guys (when we rotated the A) stepped up - Dubi and Jack were both acquired and we knew they were leaders but also a guy like Dorsett and Boll.

So again in my mind if you're the leader - you've got to hold guys accountable (and that is not Nash's style, he was too nice) or you had to lead by example and the Assistant Captains got guys in line.

That doesn't really strike me as a counterpoint to what you're replying to. It's simultaneously true that 1) it was the right moment for both Rick and the team to part ways, and 2) he is not a natural leader.

Also the reason we had so many strong leaders step up is because Scott Howson went out and acquired the right guys. It's not like that happens every time you trade a captain.

 

[LoneFunyan]

I doubt he did that but I do suspect he threw in some falsehoods to maintain anonymity. Otherwise we'd have some of the players puzzled out by now.

Maybe he just wasn't consistent in keeping the players numbered from response to response. Anonymous player 1 became player 2 when answering a different question and so on. That would make it pretty much impossible to determine who's who.

 

[CharlotteJacket]

If you think some CBJ players are upset at the lack of marketing opportunities locally now, the NIL just kicked in for college sports so when we start seeing the teenage Ohio State Football players getting paid for promoting whatever, those CBJ players are going to be steaming.

 

[koteka]

If you think some CBJ players are upset at the lack of marketing opportunities locally now, the NIL just kicked in for college sports so when we start seeing the teenage Ohio State Football players getting paid for promoting whatever, those CBJ players are going to be steaming.

I don’t disagree, but you could say the same thing about a lot of US based teams. For example - Duke or UNC basketball players vs Carolina, Arizona basketball players vs the Coyotes, and Miami football players vs the Panthers. If schools like Tennessee, Michigan, Colorado, Washington, or Texas get good again, that could impact the Preds, Red Wings, Avs, Kraken, or Stars. This is not only a CBJ issue. It is a college football and college basketball are more popular than the NHL issue.

 

[koteka]

double post

 

[DarkandStormy]

Has anybody confronted him on the irony that he-himself asked for a trade out of town?

Or that the coach for last season allegedly wanted to retire/quit the previous offseason? Or that the now-PHOP was the former-PHOP who left to go to New York for two seasons?

The whole "we want guys who want to be here" and "loyalty" surely cannot continue to be some hokey marketing campaign slogan, can it?

 

[Crede777]

Has anybody confronted him on the irony that he-himself asked for a trade out of town?

The conversation was started by Howson, though.

Howson was completely transparent with Nash and told him that the Jackets were going to enter a full-on rebuild. He was given the option of staying or leaving. Nash, sensibly, opted to leave so as to not spend the bulk of his prime years on a rebuilding team.

 

[Crede777]

If you think some CBJ players are upset at the lack of marketing opportunities locally now, the NIL just kicked in for college sports so when we start seeing the teenage Ohio State Football players getting paid for promoting whatever, those CBJ players are going to be steaming.

I think the OSU players getting air-time matter could go either way.

On one hand, it does show that OSU football is more popular than the Jackets.

On the other hand, it likely opens up some avenues and opportunities for all sports-related marketing in Columbus.

If the root cause of lack of marketing of the Jackets was CBJ management, then this will be more of a problem than a boon. But if the cause is lack of opportunity within the greater Columbus area, then OSU players being able to profit off of NIL will likely create opportunities for them and by extension other athletes in Columbus.

 

[JacketsDavid]

If you think some CBJ players are upset at the lack of marketing opportunities locally now, the NIL just kicked in for college sports so when we start seeing the teenage Ohio State Football players getting paid for promoting whatever, those CBJ players are going to be steaming.

Is that a CBJ problem or a problem of the player and their agents?

If Germain Auto (or any other company) though having player "X" driving their car and being in a commercial helped them sell cars I'm sure they would do it.
Example is Foligno and Papa Johns - it looked like that commercial aired in various markets (with a player from other NHL teams) doing a similar script. So in that case Papa Johns just plugged in player from different teams. But not sure if there are any others like that?
My guess is NHL players have apretty high price tag, where as NCAA players will be happy to take a few thousand dollars and use of a car for the year.

 

[ViD]

Mikhail Grigorenko : “Columbus disappointed me”

- Columbus wanted me to stay, GM Jarmo Kekalainen said there’d be a coaching change, they wanted to give me another chance offering a better contract.

But my family needs stability, it’s hard for my kids to change places to live every year. It wasn’t really a choice between NHL and KHL, it was a choice between Columbus and CSKA. I feel better in the Moscow club, in all aspects.

Columbus disappointed me. CSKA knew my strong sides and used them properly. It was different in Columbus. Perhaps the head coach didn’t feel that I deserve to play in the PP and have a bigger role in the team.


Full interview: Григоренко о возвращении в ЦСКА: «Коламбус» разочаровал. Меня хотели оставить, но мне и семье нужна стабильность»

 

[LetsGOJackets!!]

If you think some CBJ players are upset at the lack of marketing opportunities locally now, the NIL just kicked in for college sports so when we start seeing the teenage Ohio State Football players getting paid for promoting whatever, those CBJ players are going to be steaming.

I'm not a marketing guy by trade but I have a love for and appreciation for good marketing, endorsements, etc. There is so much opportunity to market CBJ players - so many of them have great personality and stories to tell, yet we are stuck listening to Torts, Shelly and Rimmer and a repeating Foligno's favorite Papa John's commercial. Haydocy Pontiac did decent commercials early on with Rick Nash, but there is so much more availability. Can you imagine had Nationwide added Seth and Zach to to their regional marketing plan, or if Schwebel's added a pitch with Artemi? Hell Wendy's could advertise a different Jackets favorite Sandwich. Kings Island or Cedar Point could have engaged with Jackets players. Honda is working with Peitro nationally - regionally we don't give a shit about Pietro.

 

[Jive Pawnbroker]

Frankly, I think that the marketing of players is the least of our team's concerns at the moment. The front office and its relationship with the players appears to be very dysfunctional. I had the misfortune at one time of working for a company that viewed its employees as cattle vs. people and let's just say I wasn't inspired to put in my best effort while I was looking to move on to a different job which thankfully happened and worked out for the best for me. I realize that the players are paid a hell of a lot of money to play hockey but they are people just like us and nobody likes to work in an environment where they don't feel appreciated.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

Again I'm thinking that endorsements - I assume that's the "marketing" we're talking about - are the function of an agent and not the organization.

There are public appearances that players are required, contractually, to do, but that's usually charitable work or community-type stuff (reading at a library, for example). But business opportunities/sponsorships/commercials, that's not the team's job.

 

[thebus88]

So , no other NHL team offered a contract, but, Grigorenko for whatever reason feels he either “deserved” or was “owed” a spot or chance on the PP playing with the CBJ….

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

So , no other NHL team offered a contract, but, Grigorenko for whatever reason feels he either “deserved” or was “owed” a spot or chance on the PP playing with the CBJ….

Yep I got that sense, too. I'm willing to give Grigs some benefit of the doubt with regard to his experience in Columbus, but he has really nothing to compare it to, and I fail to see how he "upheld his end of the bargain."

 

[VT]

So , no other NHL team offered a contract, but, Grigorenko for whatever reason feels he either “deserved” or was “owed” a spot or chance on the PP playing with the CBJ….

But I really don`t know whom he wanted to change.

 

[thebus88]

But I really don`t know whom he wanted to change.

DONT YOU KNOW THAT IS TORTS’ JOB!!

HE FAILED!!

 

[The Jones Zone]

Mikhail Grigorenko : “Columbus disappointed me”

- Columbus wanted me to stay, GM Jarmo Kekalainen said there’d be a coaching change, they wanted to give me another chance offering a better contract.

But my family needs stability, it’s hard for my kids to change places to live every year. It wasn’t really a choice between NHL and KHL, it was a choice between Columbus and CSKA. I feel better in the Moscow club, in all aspects.

Columbus disappointed me. CSKA knew my strong sides and used them properly. It was different in Columbus. Perhaps the head coach didn’t feel that I deserve to play in the PP and have a bigger role in the team.


Full interview: Григоренко о возвращении в ЦСКА: «Коламбус» разочаровал. Меня хотели оставить, но мне и семье нужна стабильность»

If he was good enough it wouldn't be about Columbus and CSKA

There are 32 teams.

He isn't good enough and he is choosing to return.

Salty reaction to being an KHL player and not an NHL player

 

[DarkandStormy]

Please move to the Jarmo thread if more appropriate. Here's Cam Atkinson talking with Aaron Portzline after getting traded - Cam Atkinson energized by trade to Flyers, but sad to see 'the band has broken up' in Columbus

Atkinson and Jones are said to be the two players who were most forthright in the postseason meeting with Kekalainen. Atkinson was asked if he believed his willingness to speak out could have led to his trade.

“Honestly, I don’t think so,” Atkinson said. “I would never view it like that. If anything, they’ve listened to us, because there are changes being made as we speak. I would certainly hope not, because finally they listened to some of the older players.

“We’re on the ground every day. We see it first-hand. People around the league talk — players, I mean — they talk every day. One of the main concerns of UFAs or big-time free agents, the reason they tend to look the other way, is it’s just gotten kind of stale.”

...

“Seeing the changes the Flyers have made … (Flyers GM Chuck) Fletcher seems like an unbelievable guy, a very personable guy. He only wants to improve his club. He talks to the players and that sort of thing."

Seems like some direct shots at the front office.

 

[majormajor]

Please move to the Jarmo thread if more appropriate. Here's Cam Atkinson talking with Aaron Portzline after getting traded - Cam Atkinson energized by trade to Flyers, but sad to see 'the band has broken up' in Columbus

Seems like some direct shots at the front office.

I'll just jump in before people take this too seriously. The Flyers fell apart last year and Fletcher chose his coach over his players, who were in open revolt. Cam isn't going to a happy team. I don't know how personal Fletcher comes off but they might quibble with the idea that he listens to his players. And not that every GM should do what his players tell him. Lou Lamiorello would throw you out of the room if you speak up.

 

[DJA]

I'm wondering how other free agents would know things are "stale" in Columbus without being in the locker room. Sounds like an inside job. This so-called "leadership group" really seems like they didn't do the franchise any favors.