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About Dave Stubbs
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Dave Stubbs
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About
Dave Stubbs has been a sportswriter since 1976, which was roughly a decade after he wore the first of many holes through the knees of his jeans playing nets in road hockey (using a modified butterfly popularized by Hall of Famer Glenn Hall). He still has the welts to show on his shins from that rotten, frozen orange ball.
Stubbs kept thick hockey scrapbooks filled with game summaries and Gazette and Montreal Star stories, collected dozens of Bee Hive Corn Syrup photos and put a fortune of hockey cards through the spokes of his bikes. First book ever owned: Scrubs On Skates, the classic by Scott Young (Neil's dad).
Stubbs's fantasy is to travel back in time to the 1950s and watch the great Canadiens dynasty that won five consecutive Stanley Cups. Or a decade earlier, to watch Elmer Lach centre Rocket Richard and Toe Blake on the fearsome Punch Line. Or at least to get Rogie Vachon into the Hockey Hall of Fame – where he belongs.
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Gotta say I am pretty happy with Maxwell tonight. I expected him to look really lost out there tonight but despite some missed opportunities he has been right in there with everyone else. Seems to have a little more jump than dags has shown lately. Lets hope Maxwell turns into something I always had hopes for him on this team
Sounds good all round. Habs get free from his cap hit this year, get the roster space and Larague gets $1.5m to play in Sweden. I doubt anyone would claim him on waivers. Can we make this deal next year too? No sense buying him out and wasting $500,000 in cap space over the next two years when we can just let him play in Europe and save the cap space.
Well, I admit I started reading down instead of going to the bottom and starting up. BGL? Sweden? A compromise? A possible solution? Interesting...for seven comments when it again became bash Gainey. Sighing I skipped a couple and at 16 noticed it had once again become Price vs Halak. So I wandered out and saw the demographics article. I had not understood the cause.
Thanks to the Gazette folks for printing that out. Makes it a whole lot easier.
How do I come up with this crap??? LOL
___________________________________________
Ya! The Habs Rule! now on Twitter!
It would be great if we could get more cap room for this season - in case BG wants to make a deadline move.
It's beginning to look a lot like that may have the reasoning behind Gainey's timing on the Laraque issue.
Can't we just wish the guy good luck and let it go ?
Dave, RDS disagrees with you because they say that although the move would free up a roster spot, his salary would still count against the cap. What is the correct version?
RDS: "Même s'il va jouer en Suède, le salaire de Laraque comptera sur la masse salariale du Canadien, qui pourra toutefois recommencer à garder 23 joueurs dans sa formation."
The TV broadcast on RDS contradicts that statement & agrees with Dave.
IF BGL is to play in Sweden
1) Laraque must waive his no-movement clause.
2) the Habs must grant him permission.
if that happens - the Habs still pay BGL - but not against the Salary Cap.
Hope that helps :)
Isnt this how NJ got Malakhov/Mogilny off the books?
______________________________________ Lets name a Captain.
I'm pretty sure that his salary wouldn't count against the cap... that's why a team like Washington was trying so hard to "loan out" Michael Nylander this season.
Big George was a nice guy - just a useless hockey player in todays game. Arguably the worst I have seen wear the red, white and blue since the days Latendresse used to try to beat guys one on one with his outside speed.
In better news, a fun article in the LA Times today about Brian Burke and the Leafs (as the Kings play the Leafs tonight) where I giggled at this quote:
"I didn't think we'd struggle like we're struggling right now, no, especially with the upgrades on defense," said Burke, who gave Mike Komisarek a five-year, $22.5-million contract and Francois Beauchemin a three-year, $11.4-million deal only to see each struggle to a minus nine defensive rating.
Just my giggle of the day.
One simple question - what was Gainey smoking when he gave Laraque a no trade clause? He is making John Feguson Jr look good. That decision is only overshadowed by his public offering of Halak to Philadelphia and whoever wants to pick him up.
Too many posters here targetting BGL and not BG. This was Gainey's mistake, not Laraque's. I've seen interviews with Laraque pre-Habs where he said he never wanted to be a fighter but recognized he might not have any other role in the NHL. Yes he was hired to fight but I'm pretty sure that's not explicitly written in his contract. I think he finally got sick of trying to be something he's not and just tried to play hockey. Unfortunately, he's not a great hockey player. Gainey should have suspected at least some of these things and NOT signed him to a ridiculous and unmanageable contract.
I hope Gainey has learned his lesson. He took a big risk on this guy and didn't have an escape plan.
I actually wish Laraque well as a person -- he's willing to do anything to play the sport he loves so much. I hope he can contribute something to AIK.
If BGL wants to play, why not in the NHL? Does BG actually want to keep him from playing this season? Because I can't understand why George wouldn't waive the NMC to play in the NHL. Surely there is some team out there who would take him.
Full Breezer 4 Life
Bill asks "If BGL wants to play, why not in the NHL?"
Have you watched him play? He can barely skate, and has all of two shot on goal this year.
Plus any team that claims him would be stuck paying him.
I think this maneuvering speaks to the fact that no one does want him. Or, at least no one that he'd be willing to play for.
You sure about that?
Just get him of the books this year, the habs should pay his food and board in SWEDEN just to get him off the books.
In HABS we trust.
// We don't have to worry about Burke picking him up off waivers..He doesn't have any belligerence, poignancy, truculence, or testosterone..
//
He may not be the thug we hoped we were getting, but I sure as hell wouldn't hit on his girlfriend at the pub. : )
co - You're a coward!!! If that was me, I would certainly try and steal his girl away from him. "Walk like a man":-)
i can't understand why people still feel Price is the guy. It's like you have been drinking the same water that Bob Gainy is. I understand he is a top draft choice and that he has the size to be a great goalie....BUT...he has not delivered at all. Yes, he may have stolen some games here and there. But he has let in way more soft goals and thus lost more games then won. Just becasue you are a high dreft choice doesnt make you a guarantee star. Just ask Alexandre Daigle!!!!The problem with Price is that he has been handed everything on a silver platter. Starting job in Hamilton...here you go...starting job with the habs....here you go...as far as im concern if we could move him for a top 6 foward with size do it ASAP
i donno starting job in hamilton got him the calder cup
starting job with the habs got him to the second round of the play-offs
i think he kinda earned it just a bit
dalkfjdoifa PRICE aoiandg sdoiga df HALAK adlkf PRICE alkdoietouasdv HALK asdkglkanwgo PRICE alkdjoairnbof HALAK adi adgafoi PRICE adgjaigjaoirge2e HALAK.
Is what I've been seeing these days.
---Hope Springs Eternal---
hahahahahaha
After this morning I see
asgsasdgkairtKRAMERasgasghafhafhmjipjNEWMANoppiakcgljgignajKRAMERauiuvkjbklsixcjhajNEWMANopposakskglkal;kl;kgfaklKRAMERakljscviocjvnvaopiusctgNEWMAN
Ok they are both good goalies, but who is winning? Halak. More consistent you could say.
Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/spoons91
Link to the globe and mail..
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/blogs/french-immersion/are-vegans-allowed...
In my humble opinion, i don't care what happens to BGL anymore. He was a waste of money and cap space and as far as i am concerned one of the worst guys to wear bleu,blanc,rouge! I am easy to please, just do your job for the money you make.
You gotta at least hand it to the guy: faced with a choice between earning some $2M to do nothing between now and next April and working for his money in Sweden, he'd rather be working. I wish the big guy well.
...which is a good deal more than he did here...
zzzzzzzzINGGGGG!
---Hope Springs Eternal---
Aw come on -- the guy was tired of being what he was, so he tried to be something he wasn't. Didn't work out -- a situation not helped by his injuries. I don't think he was a good fit or a good player, but he clearly loved the game, and wasn't a locker-room sh!t disturber like some other, far better guys we've shown the door to over the last few years... I say good luck to him.
I'm sorry, I have to ask - how do we know he wasn't a locker room poop disturber? Georges Laraque was hired to do a job. You can't just decide that you don't want to do that job anymore when you are under contract. It's a contract. Both sides have to hold up their end of the bargain for it to work.
But very simply he was hired to do a job, and he didn't do it. Time to move on.
........... "Thank you Cammy for making my day even more amazing!" I STILL BELIEVE. I WILL ALWAYS BELIEVE.
We know to the extent that there's no evidence to the contrary. Innocent until proven guilty.
Fair enough! Certainly not ready to convict, but can't help but wonder...
........... "Thank you Cammy for making my day even more amazing!" I STILL BELIEVE. I WILL ALWAYS BELIEVE.
I suppose, but it was too good a set-up to let lie...
---Hope Springs Eternal---
Would sure suck for Laraque if, in hopes of moving to Sweden, he waived his no-movement clause, was put on waivers, and was then picked up by the Leafs or Canes... I guess there's always breach of contract and the KHL... Can't see him doing well there somehow...
I dunno, I'd love to see BGL walk into the dressing room of ZBK Novosibirsk and say "I'm a vegetarian. Anyone got any tofurkey?"
---Hope Springs Eternal---
I don't think anyone in Novosibirsk would have the testicular fortitude to laugh at him though -- at least until he'd left the room. : )
My hopes are not up with respect to Georges playing in Sweden though...do they fight over there? don;t they actually skate, stickhandle, pass and shoot over there? maybe the KHL but are there goons in the Swedish League? I know there are likely some fights but heavyweights? with codes? I can just imagine how long it would take for BGL to have a teammate translate his invitation to fight, then have a translator ask his opponent to kindly remove his cage and ensure he has no meat stuck between his teeth from dinner....by the time the fight actually happens most of Sweden will have devoured several meatballs.....Geroges is not a good fit in Sweden but my fingers are still crossed.
Dave,
Still confused...his contract wouldn't count against the cap this year if he played in Sweden and wasn't claimed off waivers...but next year we would have to buy him out? why wouldn;t we leave well enough alone and let him continue to play in Sweden and NOT count against the cap? what is the difference between this year and next re the cap? What is preventing us from doing the same thing next season?
My understanding is that BGL would be off the books this year if he clears waivers and plays in Sweden. His buyout would be on the Habs books, spread out over two years, i.e., $500,000 per season to total $1M, which is 2/3s of the $1.5M the team would owe him for 2010-11.
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong?
Dave Stubbs
Habs Inside/Out
Sports Columnist/Feature Writer, Montreal Gazette
• On Twitter: twitter.com/habsinsideout1
I'm pretty sure that's right. Best possible scenario would be if it went to Sweden and stayed thru next year too.
he would still carry a cap hit if he were bought out.
see below and the example of yashin being bought out by the NYI:
http://www.nhlnumbers.com/overview.php?team=NYI&season=0910
2x1.5 million/3 = 1 million per year, would that be the right amount? or is it what's offered in one year (the two-thirds) spread over two years?
I'm a bit confused with how it works ...
I'm wondering the same thing as the other poster. Why would the team HAVE to buy Laraque out? If he does end up going to Sweden, why not just repeat the process for next season? Couldn't the team just agree to continue with the arrangement for the final year of the contract, rather than buying it out?
http://habsloyalist.blogspot.com
Dave, what the previous poster was trying to ask ( I think) was..
Why would BGL's contract come off the books this year after him being put on waivers and going to SWE, but his contract still be on the books for the next?
Why would we be obligated to Laraques' contract next year, but not this?
I hope I shed some clarification on this...lol
Okay, I'll play contract lawyer and capologist here and try to answer all the questions...
The short answer is because the CBA says so.
NHL contracts are guaranteed so once he signs BGL gets his money and the provisions of the CBA apply until the contract is ended.
CBA says that all players of certain qualification based on age, years played qualify for the team's active roster. And the salaries of all players on the active roster count against the cap.
The cba says there are a couple of ways a player can be disqualified from the active roster, one is by waiving a player and assigning him to another league, so if BGL is waived his salary no longer counts against the cap. This only works for the current season. The qualification rules reset at the start of next season, so next season BGL would be invited to camp and count against the cap
The CBA says another way to disqualify a player is to buy him out. This ends the contract of the player. In compensation to the player he gets paid 2/3 of the salary remaining on the contract. (BGL buyout = 2/3 of one year at 1.5 mill = 1 mill). In order to discourage teams from using the buyout to try to get around the cap the buyout counts against the cap, one-half this year and one half next year. (i.e. If this provision wasn't in place Sather would hacve bought out Gomez in 2009 and claimed it was all a mirage and he was still the greatest GM ever.)
The CBA also says that a player and team can agree to a no movement clasuse in which case he can't be waived, traded, or loaned to another team unless the player consents. That's why BGL can't be waived by the club and have his salary no count against the cap right now. He has a legal veto to that course of action.
In theory the Habs could, not buy out BGL contract this summer, place him on waivers, assign him to another league (with his consent) and have his 1.5 million not count at all against the cap. But then they would be paying him $500,000 more than they legally have to. Remember Club de Hockey Montreal Cnadiens is a business and what business would pay more for an asset than they legally have to, especially an asset they don't want and is working for someone else?
Excellent explanation! Thank-you.
______________________________________ Lets name a Captain.
My understanding would be if we buy him out, the club will save 0.5 m. But there is a Cap. hit. If we continue the same arrangement, there is no Cap. hit, but the club will pay him 1.5 m.
Hmm. May I just say to AIK Stockholm: George is a great hockey player, an unparalleled team man, and will contribute to the community in so many ways. The very best decision your club can make is to sign George now! Do you need a pen?
------------------------
”Playing goal is like being shot at.”
--Jacques Plante
Couldn't they just trade him to the Swedish team for some fish in a tube and a giant cracker
Too much time in Ikea,sorry
If another team grabber him off of waivers, i wouldn't know whether to laugh or cry!
For all the updates on this story, bookmark Habs To The Top:
http://www.habsaddict.com/2010/01/georges-laraque-to-play-for-aik.html
I think everyone thought more was going to come from BGL. Including Gainey, the fans at the Bell Centre, the journos, and the great, throbbing encephali of the HI/O posters.
The only lesson to be learnt here is.... well, that not every experience has a lesson.
---Hope Springs Eternal---
Ya, we all expected more, and I think we were universally disappointed.
"love cannot drown truth, Nefertiti"
This would definitely be a 'win' 'win' situation for both parties. Georges would get to play and the Habs would get some cap space to either make a deal or be able to hang on to both goalies in the off season. I hope that they can agree although an NHL team may look at bringing him on board for some toughness. Maybe the NYR want him instead of letting Gaborik fight the Philly goons. On a side note I love the call up of Maxwell, I have been cursing Dags for the last few weeks. I think the current lineup has potential. I like seeing Moen on the top line with Cammalleri and Plek since he creates alot of plays along the boards and creates some traffic in front of the net. GO HABS GO!!!
He was a great asset to us the last time he played here (lockout season 2005), and he's a big favorite to the fans. He didn't make a fool of him self at all at the larger ices here, it's all about finding the right role for him in the lineup.
Mr. Stubbs, what is your opinion on the contract-hazzle? Do you think that this will resolve in the next couple of days?
I'm pretty sure the Canadiens wouldn't mind a) the roster spot; b) the $$$ off their cap hit; c) Georges happily playing elsewhere. It would be a good situation for all concerned. But watch some other NHL team mess it up by claiming him off waivers...
Dave Stubbs
Habs Inside/Out
Sports Columnist/Feature Writer, Montreal Gazette
• On Twitter: twitter.com/habsinsideout1
Dave:
If another NHL team claims Laraque off waivers, does that mean his salary would still count against the Habs's cap?
------------------------
”Playing goal is like being shot at.”
--Jacques Plante
No it would not. If he was claimed on Re-Entry waivers, then half his salary would count against our cap.
i could see it more likely he get claimed off re-entry waivers because then any team thinking it needs a tough guy for the playoff push has an even smaller cap hit and continue to upgrade their team in other ways
Interesting. Merci.
------------------------
”Playing goal is like being shot at.”
--Jacques Plante
Bwahahaha....Laraque getting claimed.
wouldn't surprise me to see burke pick him up
...an NHL team we end up playing 7 games against, and BGL has a point to prove against a team who hurt his feelings... I guess as long as he keeps his code... everyone is safe.
There are 29 other teams that might benefit from Georges' nutritional insights.
Ha!!
Pass the tofurken.
---Hope Springs Eternal---
Vore underbart med George till Kvalserien!
FRAMÅT STOLTA AIK!!!
Bless you?
A Møøse once bit my sister ...
No realli! She was Karving her initials on the møøse
with the sharpened end of an interspace tøøthbrush given
her by Svenge - her brother-in-law - an Oslo dentist and
star of many Norwegian møvies: "The Høt Hands of an Oslo
Dentist", "Fillings of Passion", "The Huge Mølars of Horst
Nordfink".
"Music is the best." - Frank Zappa
THE HOLY GRAIL!!!! LOVE IT
Alright, since this talk about Laraque is quite boring and irrelevant, hows about we talk about playoffs...PLAYOFFS??!...thats right lol.
Who do you think will be in the playoffs this year based on the current standings and teams involved? My 16 team picture is as follows....in no particular order
EAST
Washington, New Jersey, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philly, Ottawa, Boston, Montreal
WEST
San Jose, Chicago, Vancouver, Detroit, Calgary, Los Angeles, Nashville, Colorado
"These head movies make my eyes rain" -Simple Jack
BOS is a mess and I really do see them not making the show...
That would be 4 teams from our conference: Buffalo, Ottawa, Boston + Montreal.
I think at least 1 of Ottawa, Boston and the Habs won't make the playoffs and at least 1 New York team will make it.
I can't see Ottawa making the playoffs... their bubble will burst in my opinion.
_______________________________
The Habs are making me Bi-Polar.
So who do you see taking their spot? NYR?..
Because IMO Ottawa has impressed me witht he way they've battled the past month with injuries to Spezza, Alfie, and Michalek...and without their number 1 goalie..Most teams would have dropped, and I thought they would. But, they're higher than many teams now...
"These head movies make my eyes rain" -Simple Jack
I'd like to see either ATL/NYI/TB/FLO get the spot... all 3 could really use the excitement in their fan base.
_______________________________
The Habs are making me Bi-Polar.
...seems Good Ol' Georges wants His cake ...AND eat it too
...1 million + per ...AND all the blondes you can 'eat'
...by the way Georges ...thought you said you wanted to go to Haiti to help
...talk about short attention spans
...but seriously, IF he does this, it will be to the Habs' benefit ...allowing Bob flexibility to bring in another body
...We should be e-mailing AIK describing how disapointed We are to lose the second-coming of Rocket Richard, plus chip-in to buy BGL's Executive Class airfare to Stockholm ASAP
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
You said: " AND all those blondes you can 'eat' "
Goerges has said: "I am a vegan, I don't eat meat anymore"
I say : "Is Sweedish fish considered meat?" lol...
"These head movies make my eyes rain" -Simple Jack
...I believe Georges may make exceptions for beaver
Habitant means PASSIONATE HOCKEY
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=423049
Would his salary count against the cap after this year? If not, woo hoo!
_______________________________
The Habs are making me Bi-Polar.
The amount of the buy-back would count. I think it's 2/3rds...
If he wants to go to Sweden and gets waived to do so... I *think* that his salary wouldn't count against the cap next year, since he'd be officially out of the NHL. I think Montreal would still have to pay it, but it wouldn't count. That'd be better than buyout, from a cap point of view (though it'd cost the Molsons an extra $500k)
Argh. Need a contract primer :)
I checked (http://www.nhl.com/cba/2005-CBA.pdf) buy-out is 1/3rd for 26 year-olds and less, and 2/3rds for older. So for Laracque, it would be $1M next year and it counts agaisnt the cap.
Hey, HIO guys... would it be possible to put up a contract primer? There seems to be a whole bunch of misunderstandings regarding how contracts work... preferably covering things like :
It's all in here:
http://www.nhl.com/cba/2005-CBA.pdf
Unfortunately, it's written in legalese. But when you want to know something specific and you have time and patience, you can find it.
That would obviously be the best scenario for all parties involved. Laraque gets to play, and his money. We get his capspace and spot on the roster + guaranteed hilarious youtube video of his attempt to skate on the enormous ice, and the first time he beats the crap out of some poor swedish guy.
Laraque on a big European sheet would be the hockey equivalent of Lost in Space.