At the NHL FanHouse, Eric McErlain looks at the possible retirement of four NHL greats.
Archive for the 'Brendan Shanahan' Category
The Rangers fit Shanny in under the cap with a one-year contract worth $2.5 million in base salary, with another $2 million added in if he plays more than 10 games and $800,000 in playoff bonuses, according to TSN. There was never any chance of Brendan returning to Detroit, but it didn’t stop some people from speculating that he’d come back to fill in that “top six forward via free agency” slot. It would have been nice, that’s for sure, but the idea was pure fantasy.
Update (4:30 PM): The AP has more here (and at the TSN link below, which is obviously one of their “living reports”), including the great news that Shanny was moving as he was taken off. According to The Forechecker, they reported during the Thrashers/Senators game that he is “alert and seems to be OK at the hospital.” Good news. - Matt
Update (4:07 PM): Paul Kukla has a screencap of the beginning of the hit here. - Matt
Update (4:05 PM): The CP has issued their snippet on the incident and include something I forgot to mention: Shanahan was speaking as he was taken off the ice. - Matt
Thanks to James Mirtle for alerting me to the fact that Brendan Shanahan had to be taken off the ice on a stretcher, neck-brace and all, after an accidental collision with Philadelphia’s Mike Knuble. The media hasn’t picked it up yet, but there are people posting reactions over at LetsGoWings.com. James told me they took him straight to the hospital and that the medical crew was apparently “shaken up.” According to the forum thread, his head hit the ice after his helmet slid off and he was out for up to 6 minutes before waking.
I’m waiting for more information, but hopefully it’s not something serious. It doesn’t sound very good, though. I’m not looking forward to seeing the replay.
Knuble is also hurt as a result of the hit, as he had to be helped off the ice and didn’t return.
Here’s James’ own post on the incident.
… Helene St. James has an interesting piece on Jimmy Howard in today’s edition. Howard, who has been out most of January with an ankle injury, is slated to return Wednesday and will be facing high expectations from management in Detroit. He has a 12-12-1 record when healthy, but the Wings are looking to see how he performs down the stretch as the eight-place Griffins fight for a playoff spot.
St. James touches on an issue that I don’t think has gotten a lot of press here in Detroit: the question of the condition of the team’s goaltending after this season. She writes that the Wings have not ruled out extending Dominik Hasek’s 1-year contract, noting that it depends on his health, his interest in playing, and the team’s performance in the playoffs. However, there’s a good chance Hasek won’t be back next season, and, pending Howard’s performance in the coming months, the Wings may decide he’s ready for the NHL.
Chris Osgood has one year remaining on his contract and would be a good mentor for Howard, so it’s at least possible that the Wings will go with a two-goalie system, with neither goalie having the declared starting job. They would probably like to get a bona fide starter, but given the fact that much of their cap space will be taken up by signing skaters this off-season, that may not be possible.
… Funny story: Chris Chelios badly wanted to fly to Miami to watch his hometown Chicago Bears play the Indianpolis Colts in the Super Bowl, but he didn’t have the nerve to ask Mike Babcock for permission. He considered going through Nick Lidstrom, but decided not to. Considering the Bears haven’t been to the Super Bowl in 21 years (i.e. when Cheli was a Hab), it says a lot that he’s sticking with the team and not looking for special treatment.
So, the team will be watching the game in New York instead and Brendan Shanahan has been invited to watch it with them.
The Freep has the team’s picks for the game here. The concensus seems to be that the Colts will win, though Brett Lebda is pretty confident his hometeam, the Bears, will emerge victorious (whereas Chelios seems pretty fatalistic). Gotta love Hasek’s reason fore picking Indy:
“Colts. I have Colts, so I cheer for them to win. I think Colts by 10. I think their quarterback will be the difference.”
When I first read that, I thought he meant he has horses, but I guess he means he has the Colts in some kind of fantasy league.
… Ansar Khan wrote yesterday that Mikael Samuelsson (broken right foot) is about a week away from returning. He skated through the whole practice yesterday and felt pretty good, though he still has trouble stopping and starting.
… And the video of the day (via Gorilla Crouch):
That warm and fuzzy feeling you’re getting comes from seeing Scott Hartnell get owned (in the crowd). Of course, the focus of the video is the shot in the dark by Moen, which is also heartwarming if you’re a Wings fan.
For old time’s sake, here’s another fight involving Scott Hartnell. It’s one of my favorites.
Update (12:30 PM): ESPN’s Scott Burnside suggests Shanahan’s rant stems from angst at being on a team that doesn’t seem playoff bound after years of trips to the post-season. You could have stayed here, Brendan. - Matt
I’m a big Shanny fan but there’s such a thing as being too outspoken and I think this is an example.
Both papers have pieces on Brendan Shanahan today. If reading about Shanny doesn’t depress you these days, here’s the one from the Freep and here’s the News version.
I really would have loved to have seen that. I wish he could have gotten those two goals while still in Detroit. Congratulations, Shanny!
As for the Wings, they lost last night and didn’t look good while doing it, though it was still great to watch them again. Definitely a lot of rust, for just about everyone on the team. Hopefully they’ll be better on Saturday against the Pens.
It was very strange to see Lidstrom wearing the “C,” but Draper and Zetterberg look good with the “A.” Now I have to get one for my Hank jersey.
I’m sorry about the lack of posting. I really did mean to do a preview of the game, if not the season, but just was not able to fit it in. I hope to be able to start posting more regularly sometime next week, when the homework push is over.
Sam Weinman catches up with the former Red Wing as he settles into his new life as a Ranger.
(via New York Rangers official site)
The New York Rangers have issued a press release announcing the signing and are holding a conference call at 2:00 PM today as well.
So ends another era in Detroit, less than a week after the Yzerman Era ended. Shanahan came to Detroit in at the start of the ‘96-’97 season and scored 46 goals for the Wings through 79 games. He is generally seen as the final piece of the Stanley Cup puzzle for the team and has become one of the most popular players in the city over time.
Ansar Khan reminds us of the scene in the lockerroom after the Wings were eliminated by Calgary in 2004 where Shanahan was in tears because he was afraid that he would be taking off the Winged Wheel for the last time. And now he’s gone, despite the Wings desperately trying to bring him back by offering more than they could afford in a two-year deal at $4 million in the first year.
Since Shanahan went on the market last week, there had been many conflicting reports on where he was headed. Some thought he was just testing the market as a staunch union man or for kicks, to see what he would get, but that he always intended to sign with the Wings. Others said he was looking to leave the Wings because of Mike Babcock or because he wanted more money than the Wings were willing or able to offer him.
It was easy to believe Babcock and Shanahan had clashed due to the coach’s apparent distaste for the older players on the team but I remembered Shanny’s resurgence this past season and thought perhaps that Babcock made an exception with him. Therefore, I allowed myself to believe reports such as a blog post by Ansar Khan, which came late last night, that assured Wings fans that Shanahan wasn’t going anywhere (Khan has since taken the post down - a big no-no in the blogging community, Ansar). We even had it straight from The Captain.
Well, the Wings have lost two of their greatest leaders in just a few days. I have no idea what Holland can, or will, do to fill in the holes. The leadership shoes will have to be filled by players such as Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk with the help of Nick Lidstrom, Kris Draper and the rest of the remaining veterans. The hole left in the offense by Shanahan’s departure will be harder to fill (remember, he scored 41 goals last year). Anson Carter, Michael Peca and Scott Gomez are names already being thrown around. None of them will really replace Shanahan, even if they produce 20-30 goals a year.
Ken Holland is not to blame for this. The Wings really couldn’t afford to give Shanahan such a raise and the real shame here is that he wouldn’t take a pay cut to help the team stay competitive. I will not be angry at Brendan for leaving. He’s done too much for the team to deserve that. But I am very disappointed in him.
We wanted change this off-season and we’re getting it, folks. It hurts, doesn’t it?
The Wings’ 2002 Playoff CD had a variation of Shanny’s Irish Jig that incluced Ken Daniels and Ken Kal calling a number of Shanahan goals from that season. I don’t know about you guys but I can picture a number of the goals and it’s hard to believe that we’ll never again hear the Jig played for a Shanahan goal at JLA. Click here to listen to it and remember (.wma, 1.2 MB).
Goodbye, Brendan. Thanks for the memories. I hope you find what you’re looking for in New York.
A one-year, $4 million deal, which apparently was less than what the Wings offered him. More later.
Update - Brian (7/9 12:17)
Before learning of the news from my brother this morning, I read Helene St. James’ article in the Free Press about how the Rangers were wooing Shanahan. I quote:
“Now Shanahan is being courted by Montreal, and, according to a report in the New York Daily News, the Rangers. The paper said Shanahan was in Manhattan last week being wooed by team officials, who apparently got a little carried away.
According to the paper, Shanahan’s name and likeness appeared on Madison Square Garden’s Seventh Avenue marquee with the words: ‘The Rangers welcome Brendan Shanahan.’
Perhaps it will turn out to be a test run for the real thing; perhaps it will turn out to be no more than wishful thinking…”
Well, I guess that was a lasting impression enough for Shanny to reject similar offers from the Wings. It will be shocking to see Shanahan in a Rangers uniform, as he has been a Red Wing since October 9, 1996. I had read his shopping on the free agent market as nothing but a veteran taking his last chance to do so, and merely to see what kind of offers he could get. I guess I was in denial to what I’ve also been saying lately about the Wings: that I see no reason for anyone to want to sign with us other than for a lucrative contract. I don’t see the Wings getting past the second round of the playoffs next season, and that Shanahan and Yzerman are both gone in a matter of days makes this only more likely. I don’t blame Shanahan at all for leaving, as this is the first off-season as a fan where I actually have said I wouldn’t even sign with the Wings, outside the fan perspective.
In other news, Yzerman reportedly favors Nicklas Lidstrom as the next Captain, according to a Drew Sharp article this morning.
