I'm sorry Bill but even at 750K or whatever, I would still question his true added value... regardless.
There are cheaper ways to promote team morale and to fill in as a cone in practice and the occassional punching bag on the ice. He's taking up a roster spot plain and simple. I don't doubt Shelley is a good person etc but fact is he's a terrible hockey player.
Hire a team clown or have the ice girls entertain after practice and in between periods but ..please let's not justify keeping him around b/c he's a likeable guy.
Quote:
When the Flyers signed Shelley in the 2010 offseason, the club overpaid to lure the veteran enforcer away from the New York Rangers. He received a three-year contract worth $1.1 million against the salary cap.
Over the course of his tenure in Philadelphia, Shelley has been a good solider who has been unpopular with a segment of the fan base solely because of his contract. If he were earning $750,000 to $800,000 on his deal, there wouldn't be as many folks complaining about the salary he collects while playing sparingly.
Shelley has done whatever he can to make himself valuable to the team, beyond dropping the gloves. He willingly does plenty of things that fans don't get to see and of which the media catches only glimpses, but which his teammates and coaches notice and appreciate.
For example, he spent much of last season practicing as an eighth defenseman, although he never skated a shift on the blueline in a game. That allowed the Flyers to get reps for all seven of their roster defensemen; rolling out four pairs at practice when everyone was available or having a stand-in in case of maintenance days.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Bill-...elley/45/46108
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