AEWHistory

Sure, I don't see why not. In fact, this website or one of the other major Devs supporting sites would be a good place to start a petition (assuming that the web admins would be willing to support this). Although I doubt that there is any official 'mechanism' to petition the Devils, I would just take the same approach that one would take with any corporation (albeit a not evil one... well, Devils evil, but not evil evil.... errr, nevermind.... ). If I recall correctly there are scripts for electronic petitions. You could collect written petitions. You could solicit people to write letters. Same as above, but with e-mails. The results could either be sent directly to mngt. or to the press. Either approach has its pros and cons. This is just off the top of my head. There are some other approaches you could take, and undoubtedly more that I simply haven't considered. I hope that helps...

Yea, it looks like both were signed today or last night. That sucks. I was hoping that the 'hawks were a bit too close to the cap to sign these guys, but they signed for very reasonable amounts and showed good team loyalty (hey Gomer, you reading this?!?). Owell, I enjoyed my fantasy for a night....

Judging from what I've read I just don't see any way for the NHL to rule--w/o playing favs--other than to open these players up to free agency. What is so nice about that is that LL has left enough cap space open to snag Barker.... a young, solid D-man.... oh so nice....

+4 Pat, if by any chance you or someone you care about is reading this, you've got to keep fighting this. You're a great guy and so appreciated by all of us fans for what you brought us in the time you led the Devs. I know that I, for one, hope that one day you'll be able to beat this thing and come back strong and vibrant. Just remember, we luv ya Burnsie!!!! -Aaron

He needs more than one? I know MB's been sorta full of himself lately..... hmmm....

I can see that argument, but apparently the 'going' rate for moving up those 2-3 slots was a middling-second rounder, and we gave Calgary a very late 3rd rounder, so I'd say that either we got a coincidence of a deal or we were given consideration for the Sutter defection. I know others will disagree with me, and frankly I don't think it was much given how generous NJ was, but there is just no way that this was a coincidence.

Hmmmm, this can't be right.... what about Sykora? He was a Czech and quite a good player. In fact, I've always hated that we traded him just because he was 'sulking,' but we did, so.... or was he playing in N/ America when he was drafter or something? I don't remember. I'm blanking at the moment, but I feel like you're overlooking some other people. Granted though that far too high a proportion of our Europicks have been duds. Then again, none of them were Mike Van Ryn. What a loser this guy turned out to be....

A couple days ago I wrote about something like this: Under the table Compensation for Sutter (may he rot) In the end I think that the 'compensation' was underwhelming--it sounds like we basically were able to get away with only a 3rd rounder instead of a 2nd to move up a couple slots in the first, but then again if this kid turns into another Zach Parise, then it will have been more than worth it. Anyway, that lustworthy future scenario aside, I just knew that Lou didn't let Sutter walk without saying he wanted something in return, even if it was only minor future considation. And I'm not sure that this will be the end of what we get from the Flames. I could see something else minor come our way as well. Just call me Nostradumbas!

It seems that most folks, including myself, as steaming like a new pile of doggy poo on a cold winter's day about Brent leaving (may his name forever be cursed by the lips of New Jersey Devils fans for all time). Making it worse is that we're apparently getting nothing, and the Sutter family gets to manipulate the system. In fact, it seems that there was never any 'official' way we could have received compensation for Brent (oh cursed be he). And yet there are always ways to swing deals like this, ways that I think many fans are overlooking. For instance, ever need to sell off a clunker car, so you sell it for a buck? No? Okay, maybe that's just me, but you get the idea. So this got me to thinking about why Lou (blessed be he the leader and head banana ) would let Brent (the aforementioned cursed or damned ) for nothing, and I think this was an under the table deal, like a 'compensation to be named later' sort of affair. Or it could be that later, at an opportune time, we'll swing a trade with Calgary where we give them the proverbial clunker (I think the fan favorite is Zubrus) and in return we might get a prospect, a player, something. Maybe a more likely scenario would see the Flames moving a good but expensive player to clear a little cap space--they are really up against it I understand--in return for a somewhat less expensive player. I'm just speculating, but my point is that LL might still get us some unofficial compensation thru consideration in a deal with Calgary. So whaddya think?

Oh that is way cool! Did you get an autograph or anything? Was this recently or sometime ago? Yea, I forget how big he's supposed to be, but it is big. I'm pretty sure he's one of the biggest people in the world. Unfortunately, most of those folks sadly don't live either very long or very healthy lives from what I've read.

Okay, I gotcha. I had a nagging feeling that I was either reading that wrong or something was amiss. Sorry about kinda jumping down your throat there.... I guess I was in a persnickity mood. As to your point, yea, I can see that an 80s style team (run'n'gun?) is probably not the way to go, but I wonder if the Lemairesque trap would be any more successful nowadays. Now that Brent has defected--may his name forever be cursed--I've got to admit to having a sort of retro-affinity for Lemaire, but I can't help but feel this would be about as successful as some of the other recent reunions the Devs have had....

Yup, same guy about 30 or 35 years later, perhaps more.... he's fairly ill because of his large body size. It might stem from a pituitary issue, I'm not really sure, but he has really aged alot, which is probably why you didn't recognize him.

I know what you're saying here, but when I read it at first this really came across like saying, "I didn't mean to sleep with your sister dude, it just slipped in...." Now that I think of it, does that work?

Yea, really..... I'd list them, but......

Okay, I'm going to assume from your post count that you're both a regular and a Devs fan, but this statement is patently ridiculous. Do you actually remember the Devs in the '80s? Except for one Cinderella run, the '80s were a desert of failure. What's more, most of that failure usually led to mediocre draft picks until Lou came along. Now understand something, I was a Devs fan from day one--actually from before day one--but it was painful. So if you think that we aren't cup contenders TODAY because the '80s are over then all I can say is: 1)I concur about the '80s being over (for many reasons beside the Devs) 2)Why does not sucking make a team less of a cup contender? Was that a typo?

Oh man, when I read this, I just about spit out my drink.... of course, that doesn't mean it isn't true.... but it is funny as hell. I gotta get my wife to read this one. She's from Atlanta and is a Thrashers fan. Poor, poor girl....

Wasn't he a Goalie or somethin'? Oh wait, I know..... he was one of those 'stay-at-home defensemen.....yea, that's it.....

Sorry, double post....

Okay, so I went back to check this.... here's the link: Neidermeyer Accepted $1million LESS per year to go to Ducks.... Quote from article: "Epp said Niedermayer picked the Ducks over the Devils on Wednesday afternoon, despite New Jersey offering over $1 million more per season and the willingness to add a fifth year to the deal." So yes, I think that is a 'fvck you,' as you put it.... I'll even elaborate.... Alot of folks have been giving Sutter grief because of his desire to be near family and home rather than concentrating on his loyalty to the franchise. How is that any different than Neids? Scotty turned down more money, but more than that, he made the Devs wait long enough in the preseason so that it really screwed us, and he took less money. Fact is, Neids it lost to me.... and, yes, I hope that they don't retire his number.....

Maybe I'm not recalling this correctly, but didn't Lou offer Nieds league maximum? (Or VERY close...) So how did he get MORE money? Sounds fishy to me.... Methinks he took less money to play out west with his bro....

A New Jersey what? A New Jersey Devil? Or did you mean a new jersey for New Jersey (or a New Jersey jersey...)? Heh, heh, heh.... just kidding.... I just couldn't resist.... actually, I've always wanted to do that.... We're countin' on you man!

Nah.... although the Conn Smythe would be one of those tasty frosting flowers on a hockey cake career..... not one of those cheesy store bought cakes, I mean a really good one like from one of those Italian bakeries we have here in Jersey. Have I gone too far with this metaphor? Mmmmmmm..... I'm hungry now....

Okay, fair 'nuff. Out of curiosity, would Winnipeg have had the same benefit and/or gone thru the same routine? To put it another way, is there any oil money around there? If not, is Winnipeg benefitting from the booming Canadian diamond industry? I am pretty sure that one of the two are near to Winnipeg, although I'm not sure. LOL.... Well, I'm more of a Trenton guy.... wow, not much love for Canada here....

I'd like to answer this in more depth later, but there is something that I wanted to point out that bothered me. If teams like the Oilers are spending up to the salary cap, as you suggest, then their players aren't bolting because of the money problems of the franchise. That would be irrelevant. The franchise could have wads of cash, but under cap rules they couldn't pay anyone any more. So either they aren't using their cap because of financial problems or they aren't managing their cap well enough to bring in and/or keep key players. Every team operates under the same cap, so a team can only spend less.... not more.

I take your point, although I think it is much stronger with Winnipeg than Quebec. I think the whole point about language and culture is, with all due respect, specious. After all, hockey is increasingly a cross-cultural endeavour, not to mention multi-lingual. Not that might not mean much to the NHL, but it isn't a fluke that the NFL has been toying with games in Mexico City and there has even been talk of eventually moving a franchise there one day. Now Mex. City is much larger than Quebec, but it is also much poorer and the stadium it would need to fill is way bigger (albeit for fewer games). So if American football can move into virgin territory, why can't hockey survive in places where it was born? Now I understand your point about Winnipeg, but would the Jets have really been worse off staying Canada than in Phoenix? That's really my point. I don't doubt that Winnipeg would be near the bottom of franchise cities if they were still in the NHL, but look at the money that the 'yotes are losing. After all, if left alone, this franchise would've folded by now, whereas I think that they'd at least still be viable in Winnipeg. OTOH, maybe I'm wrong. Do you think they'd be even worse off had they stayed in Winnipeg?