Sorry if this is a retread re-thread. I have avoided all hockey news the past few weeks but when I perused the Globe and Mail on Wednesday, it said Oates was going to the Hall of Fame. I think it is a just reward. The guy came out of nowhere and had a gift for working the stick to make other guys better. I wouldn't say that Oates was my favourite player back in the early 90s, but he was dependable. I was upset when he was traded, but that was a helluva year, in 97, by any stretch.
The article said that both Neely and Bourque will be at the ceremony.
If Red Sox fans can forgive Bill Buckner. I'd say it's a/b time to remember Oates for the player he was, instead of the way he went out. Arguably one of the best centers we ever had. It just happened to be during one of the most painful era's B's fans ever had to endure.
Sorry if this is a retread re-thread. I have avoided all hockey news the past few weeks but when I perused the Globe and Mail on Wednesday, it said Oates was going to the Hall of Fame. I think it is a just reward. They guy came out of nowhere and had a gift for working the stick to make other guys better. I wouldn't say that Oates was my favourite player back in the early 90s, but he was dependable. I was upset when he was traded, but that was a helluva year, in 97, by any stretch.
The article said that both Neely and Bourque will be at the ceremony.
While I agree with much you said about all his attributes, to say he came out of nowhere isn`t completely true, I seem to recall 5 or 6 teams trying to secure his services at one time while at RPI. His pro career didn`t take off immediately which may be why you mentioned "out of nowhere" but he was on many radars when attending RPI
While I agree with much you said about all his attributes, to say he came out of nowhere isn`t completely true, I seem to recall 5 or 6 teams trying to secure his services at one time while at RPI. His pro career didn`t take off immediately which may be why you mentioned "out of nowhere" but he was on many radars when attending RPI
Very true; I think I was speaking in a "go through the OHL, get drafted" sense.
Very true; I think I was speaking in a "go through the OHL, get drafted" sense.
That`s how I was reading your post. My pops was/is an RPI alum (from the bloody 50`s) and a fellow RPI HOF inductee. During alum weekends Dad and I were regulars in attendance, had the chance to meet and sit with guys like Oates/Juneau/Puppa/Mike McPhee over the years, Oates was, at that time, incredibly quiet, humble and exceptionally decent to myself and the other teens there with their fathers.
Always been a huge fan of his
Here`s a rundown of the OT goal my father got (Gordie Peterkin) to bring RPI it`s only title til Juneau and Co did so many decades later
While I agree with much you said about all his attributes, to say he came out of nowhere isn`t completely true, I seem to recall 5 or 6 teams trying to secure his services at one time while at RPI. His pro career didn`t take off immediately which may be why you mentioned "out of nowhere" but he was on many radars when attending RPI
How was it he went undrafted? Too slow? Someone missed the plot on this guy. 16th overall all time in points. Not slow enough I guess.
It is kinda strange he went undrafted.His RPI team in his last year has a record of 35-2-1 listed!! A lot of his passes came not only from skill but with a knack for knowing when and how and who was where.....an intuitive sense of what was going on around him. You really can't teach hockey sense. And that stick blade.....
Not sure Neely, it does happen as we all have seen. Not sure anyone could have predicted he would have produced like he did though
Me either, just blows you away a little when you think a/b it. I do remember someone telling me that he had to really bare down in order to improve his skating just to hang at RPI. But apparently once that was no longer an obstacle to his game, look out, dish city. I don't think the Wings knew what they had, either. Martin St.Louis is another guy that blows me away in terms of going un-drafted. A tad more obvious why scouts apparently didn't give him a hard enough look. If the guy put on Chara's hockey pants, he'd disappear. But what immense talent. MSL has a PhD in being sneaky. You'd think a guy that small would be easy to check, but he isn't. He can be Gretzky sneaky. I suppose one thing he and Oates had in common is their immense hockey IQ. Which so permitted them to overcome their respective "flaws", which facilitated them being overlooked in the first place.
Anyway, we'll never know what could have been w/ a healthy Neely, and in his prime. Maybe Oates never asks out of Boston. Further, perhaps we'd of never had to suffer seeing #77 in another uniform. Still painful to think about, actually. But, not as painful as it used to be. The hof is well deserved, IMO.
Oates turned out to be the Rick Middleton redux. Kirk Luedke says Seth Griffith could be that guy if he develops the right way. Man...of that happens, I will buy season tickets.
Regardless, these players have perhaps the highest IQ of any in the game. They overcome their physical shortcomings by knowing the game itself and forging chemistry with their linemates by their own creativity.
The thing with Oates and this RPI connection is that in 1992-93...Neely was out, it was Oates leading the way and carrying Joe Juneau with him.
His stat line in 92-93 sheds light on how special he was.
How was it he went undrafted? Too slow? Someone missed the plot on this guy. 16th overall all time in points. Not slow enough I guess.
Probably the same way a guy like Martin St. Louis went undrafted, or Tim Thomas was so unheralded. I never met a scout yet who claimed to be infallible.
Anyway, we'll never know what could have been w/ a healthy Neely, and in his prime. Maybe Oates never asks out of Boston.
I don't remember Oates asking out of Boston.
I remember Oates complaining to O'Connell or Harry about the lack of talent on the
team. I think it was O'Connell, and then O'Connell went in the dressing room and
pointed to individual players and asked Oates if the player didn't have the talent
to be on the team. Soon after Oates was gone.
I think if you look at the talent, or better yet lack of talent, on that team, Oates
was justified. With out looking at the roster, I would bet only close to 1/3 would
make the current B's roster.
I don't remember Oates asking out of Boston.
I remember Oates complaining to O'Connell or Harry about the lack of talent on the
team. I think it was O'Connell, and then O'Connell went in the dressing room and
pointed to individual players and asked Oates if the player didn't have the talent
to be on the team. Soon after Oates was gone.
I think if you look at the talent, or better yet lack of talent, on that team, Oates
was justified. With out looking at the roster, I would bet only close to 1/3 would
make the current B's roster.
It must have been awkward telling CJ Young that he did, in fact, not have enough talent to be on the team.
I don't remember Oates asking out of Boston.
I remember Oates complaining to O'Connell or Harry about the lack of talent on the
team. I think it was O'Connell, and then O'Connell went in the dressing room and
pointed to individual players and asked Oates if the player didn't have the talent
to be on the team. Soon after Oates was gone.
I think if you look at the talent, or better yet lack of talent, on that team, Oates
was justified. With out looking at the roster, I would bet only close to 1/3 would
make the current B's roster.
This. He called OC's pooh, and got the hell out of Dodge. Good for him. I cheered him at the time, & cheer him now.
Remember the Dave Poulin thing, where he signed with someone else (forget who) and Harry had the gall to whine about "loyalty"? And he wonders why he's the most hated man in Boston sports, other than his former boss.
A finger injury suffered during the 1994 Stanley Cup Playoffs hampered Oates throughout 1994–95 and required surgery at the season's conclusion.[26] Despite the injury, Oates finished fourth in the NHL with 41 assists in a season disrupted by a work stoppage.[24] The Bruins signed him to a five-year, $10 million contract extension late in that season,[27] but Oates once again became frustrated with his salary relative to the rest of the league by 1997. With the Bruins struggling on the ice and out of playoff contention late in 1996–97 season, Oates publicly berated team management: "You go on a [road] trip and everyone says it's a big trip. For what? So we can win five games because we're lousy and we get in the eighth spot and lose four straight and get embarrassed and then get shelled all summer? It's upstairs, baby. That's their job, not ours. ... Are we rebuilding? What are we doing? What direction are we going in?"[28]
I recall when Oates blasted management during the road trip. It was after a OT loss in Colorado and there was less than 10 seconds left in OT when they lost. MOC stripped Oates of the 'A' and less than a week later he was traded. (Very thankful I was at his last game as a Bruin.) I was so heartbroken at that time.
Congratulations to him being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.
__________________ "Forget about style; worry about results." - Bobby Orr
I don't remember Oates asking out of Boston.
I remember Oates complaining to O'Connell or Harry about the lack of talent on the
team. I think it was O'Connell, and then O'Connell went in the dressing room and
pointed to individual players and asked Oates if the player didn't have the talent
to be on the team. Soon after Oates was gone.
I think if you look at the talent, or better yet lack of talent, on that team, Oates
was justified. With out looking at the roster, I would bet only close to 1/3 would
make the current B's roster.
You know, thankfully my memory of this situation has mercifully faded, or just been blocked out.
Maybe you're right. But I do remember Oates at some point saying something on the order of, "We get worse, and worse every year. Trade me and get some talent and youth in your organization".
But, I just don't remember what came first. However, w/ the exception of Bourque, it's hard to argue w/ what Oates was saying. We sucked.
You know, thankfully my memory of this situation has mercifully faded, or just been blocked out.
Maybe you're right. But I do remember Oates at some point saying something on the order of, "We get worse, and worse every year. Trade me and get some talent and youth in your organization".
But, I just don't remember what came first. However, w/ the exception of Bourque, it's hard to argue w/ what Oates was saying. We sucked.
That was a rough year. The team was still decent but they gutted them, which led to Joe Thornton. Those were dark days.
Last edited by TheShoe82: 11-14-2012 at 08:32 AM.
Reason: added info
If Red Sox fans can forgive Bill Buckner. I'd say it's a/b time to remember Oates for the player he was, instead of the way he went out. Arguably one of the best centers we ever had. It just happened to be during one of the most painful era's B's fans ever had to endure.
Forgive him for what? telling the truth about the organization? Good for him, he told the truth, and got out of dodge. Wasn't the first time those sentiments were spoken about a harry sinden gm'd team.
) and a fellow RPI HOF inductee. During alum weekends Dad and I were regulars in attendance, had the chance to meet and sit with guys like Oates/Juneau/Puppa/Mike McPhee over the years, Oates was, at that time, incredibly quiet, humble and exceptionally decent to myself and the other teens there with their fathers.
