JWalk : I'm sorry what is your claim to fame ? You have all the opinions in the world and yet most of them never really are correct . Were you not one of those Wilson bashers back in the day saying he'd make it "no where " ? http://forecaster.thehockeynews.com/...layer.cgi?5415 Yep you nailed that one on the head kids doing nothing with his hockey career
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LOL ! Hey genius - I was the guy that was the big supporter of Wilson back in 07 -08 when another poster kept on dumping on him. Maybe you are a little (or a lot )confused . As a troll with 6 posts to your credit you might want to get your facts straight before you start taking potshots at a the regular contributors to this board.
Just curious, because I don't know: if Yakupov is considered fit enough next weekend to play for the Sting, would the CHL not want him to participate in the Top Prospects game?? Do players get to say whether they will play or not??
I asked this back on the 22nd of Jan. With the possible 2 game ?? suspension of Yakupov for missing the Top Prospects Game, who is to blame or is there anyone? It seems to me that he wasn't going to go regardless of whether his knee was wonky or not (post injury), so the Sting had to know that the possibility of a suspension was real. Is JB to blame for bad player management? Are the docs to blame for saying he was fit to play last weekend? Is Yakupov to blame for maybe saying he was good to go when he needed more time? Is the CHL to blame for expecting players coming off injury to play in a meaningless made for TV exhibition game? And why should the player be suspended when the team, the docs and the agents make the decisions?
It seems nothing surprises me anymore, but I would have to believe that it would be suicide for the league if they suspended him. Yakupov has recieved tons of media attention and to suspend him, after barely coming back would get more than it's fair share of negative attention.
As for anyone blaming JB on this - if he does get suspended then give JB some credit for putting the needs of the player at the top of the list.
What a joke if he gets suspended. He'd only been back for one weekend after comming back early from his knee tweak, which was supposed to put him out until after the prospects game. I understand the CHL wanting to look out for for their interests and having its players attend things like this but, this is a situation where the Sting camp indicated well in advance that he wouldn't be going. Yes he played a few games before the game but for precautionary reasons it seems the Sting were within theyre rights to have him not go. Whether he gets suspended or not I think JB made the right call here. I doubt he will though.
What a joke if he gets suspended. He'd only been back for one weekend after comming back early from his knee tweak, which was supposed to put him out until after the prospects game. I understand the CHL wanting to look out for for their interests and having its players attend things like this but, this is a situation where the Sting camp indicated well in advance that he wouldn't be going. Yes he played a few games before the game but for precautionary reasons it seems the Sting were within theyre rights to have him not go. Whether he gets suspended or not I think JB made the right call here. I doubt he will though.
He shouldn't of played in Ottawa and the Sting new very well if he did things would happen. This is not the first and won't be the last. CHL player agreements are as hard as cement and the league must protect the league for future events like this.
I`m sure the league is always in receipt of medical reports when a team declares a player injured, so I doubt that Branch and company are overriding a doctors opinion by saying he had to play in the Prospects game (or at least show up in Kelowna). A doctors opinion that he should rest versus an opinion that he is injured badly enough to not play are two different things.
Personally I think the Sting screwed the pooch on this one. Why risk Yakupov by having him play last weekend, deliberatly miss the Prospects game with an injury and expect to have him play this weekend. If they want him to be suspended and have 2 weeks off to fully recover then why bother re-activating him from injury last week. Just keep him as injured.
I wonder if he would have been suspended had he at least attended the top prospects game; which to my best knowledge he did not. I understand that sometimes there are setbacks with injuries and stuff but he could have at least made an appearance @ the event.
Can't see Branch overruling a doctors ruling either, as one poster already pointed out.
The Sting cleaned things up big time tonight vs a very good team. I was impressed by how sound the entire team looked, for the first game in a while. I thought we could be in for a rough one with Yak plus 2 of our big D-men out vs the big physical Whalers forwards but they played a very solid game, making crisp passes exiting the zone and not getting hemmed in for extended periods and best of all no giveaways in the neutral zone leading to odd man rushes. First game I've watched all season I think that I could say that! The forwards were also going to the net much harder which led to the first goal and set the tone. I like what I saw tonight, lets see them keep it up.
Totally different team tonight. I was also extremely impressed at how well they took care of their own zone and it looked as though players were putting in that extra effort to win battles and clear the zone. Players were getting traffic in front of Wedgewood and it paid off. It appeared Sarnia went to a dump and chase system putting pressure on the opposing defensemen. Sarnia worked a very effective physical cycle in the offensive zone and got pucks to the net from dirty areas and it paid off.
Keep it up.
Connor Murphy is starting to play like an elite defenseman and I thought he had his most impressive game all night. Regardless of the fact that he scored tonight, he was making smart pinches and reading the play extremely well. Ludvig Rensfeldt continues to roll since the WJC gold medal and appears to be adjusting well to the OHL.
Others who played VERY well - Alex Basso (very underrated), DeAngelo, Hottot (as usual) and Boucher started to "buzz" which is a good sign.
The entire RBC had more life to it (right from the start of the game). I am sure that the Girls Silver Stick tournament helped attendance as well as the fact that there isn't another home game for a long time but it was nice seeing a good attendance.
If true the Ohl is treading in dangerous waters going against the word and advice
of a doctor who was treating him
If I were his agent I would sue the league and withdraw Yakupov from futher oHL
action
The fans and the sarnia sting organization would be the losers from this stupid act by the
OHl
To me if a doctor says u should not go thats gospel and supersedes any league directive
period
For a agent to sue the league would do no good if the courts would even hear the case it would likely be months away as the court system is back logged as it is even if you get your case to court there is not that much they can do i doubt they would have the power to take over the league as for pulling Yakupov out of the league that would not go over well.
He shouldn't of played in Ottawa and the Sting new very well if he did things would happen. This is not the first and won't be the last. CHL player agreements are as hard as cement and the league must protect the league for future events like this.
I agree that there is a need to have rules, etc. People don't think about what will then happen. A player will go to the game with the only effort being to stay out of the play. This will do several things, first it will screw things up for the other four players on his line, it will take a spot away from someone that does need to maybe prove themselves and eventually turn the game into a ridiculous pickup game like the NHL all star game.
Coaches and GMs will find a way around the rule in the future with this incident and the Pat Roy incident. There is too much riding on the health of some of these players to risk it in a meaningless game. Sarnia is a classic case - Yakupov is a huge part of this team.
Mark my words, you won't see this happen again, but there will be plenty of top players missing the game 'legitimately'.
Carnavale had a doctor's recommendation and what did that mean?
Was he going back to the doctor who screwed up his surgery last summer? That was not a new thing his injury...
Docto's note or not, Yakky should not have played in all three games last weekend, even though it was limited...that was desperation on the sting's part...they could have sat him out until Friday nite and missed the prospect's game.
So Dr. Branch said it was an invitation. You can turn down invitations.
As a matter of Fact, once your name is presented, it is mandatory...and obligation...not an invitation.
Carnavale had a doctor's recommendation and what did that mean?
Was he going back to the doctor who screwed up his surgery last summer? That was not a new thing his injury...
Docto's note or not, Yakky should not have played in all three games last weekend, even though it was limited...that was desperation on the sting's part...they could have sat him out until Friday nite and missed the prospect's game.
So Dr. Branch said it was an invitation. You can turn down invitations.
As a matter of Fact, once your name is presented, it is mandatory...and obligation...not an invitation.
Well said. I think prior to the Ottawa game it was mentioned that Yakky only had 1 or 2 full contact practices. He should not have played that weekend. The Sting were playing a dangerous game with his future.
As for Dr. Dave. He said that the CHL is well aware of the Fowler Clinic and "that" particular doctor, but Yakky would have been evaluated by the Kelowna team doctors. What??!! Evaluated by a doctor for a club in a different league (yes I know..still the CHL) who has never seen the player and knows nothing of his history. Were they going to do MRI's, CAT scans, X-rays and whatever the hell else they need to do to assess an injury properly?? Does the Kelowna team doctor have more specialized experience and a more intimate knowledge of Yakupov and his knee injury than the Dr. at the Fowler Clinic?? Bogus.
Sportsnet wanted to showcase Yakupov and were pissed that he didn't show. Branch bows down to the almighty TV dollar and shows that the players he is supposedly concerned about are nothing but a commodity to be used and abused.
Well said. I think prior to the Ottawa game it was mentioned that Yakky only had 1 or 2 full contact practices. He should not have played that weekend. The Sting were playing a dangerous game with his future.
As for Dr. Dave. He said that the CHL is well aware of the Fowler Clinic and "that" particular doctor, but Yakky would have been evaluated by the Kelowna team doctors. What??!! Evaluated by a doctor for a club in a different league (yes I know..still the CHL) who has never seen the player and knows nothing of his history. Were they going to do MRI's, CAT scans, X-rays and whatever the hell else they need to do to assess an injury properly?? Does the Kelowna team doctor have more specialized experience and a more intimate knowledge of Yakupov and his knee injury than the Dr. at the Fowler Clinic?? Bogus.
Sportsnet wanted to showcase Yakupov and were pissed that he didn't show. Branch bows down to the almighty TV dollar and shows that the players he is supposedly concerned about are nothing but a commodity to be used and abused.
I'm not agreeing with Branch's decision, but there is something that can't be ignored when it comes to Yakupov's suspension. Sting management was made well aware in the days leading upto the prospects game that Yakupov would be suspended if he did not attend. Beaulieu and co knowlingly let Yakupov get suspended when Branch told them he would and that is inexcusable. Once again not agreeing with the suspension, but once that was said by Branch rather than depriving the team of it's star and the fan base from the player they came to see, management should have put Nail on a jet and flew him out west to at least be present at the event or play in the skills comp. I fully understand the concern with Yakupov playing in the game due to the risk of further or another injury, but how is it better for the team and the fans to not send him to Kelowna and have him sit out 2 games? I was frustrated with Branch's decision, but when I was made aware that management knew it was comming, I'm more frustrated with them.
dumb decision by branch but even dumber decision by jacko to call his bluff.
a much better game by sting on fri night. finally showed some urgincy and played one of the better games ive seen all year and without some key players. am hoping it continues with the long road trip comming up.
I think Beaulieu is to be commended for not sending Yak to Kelowna. Or maybe Igor nixed it, I don't know, but it is refreshing to see the player's needs being put first. The fact is it was embarrassing for Branch that Yak was not there, I am sure there was lots of media attention planned around him. So Branch carried through on his threat to suspend Yak. So kudos to the Sting camp for not bowing to the pressure and putting Yak at risk in a meaningless game. I think it was a class move.
he shouldnt have gone to play if the dr said no way. but branch might have been happy for him to make apearance and sign autographs and smile for cameras. sting could have sent him to make an apearance and pacify dr branch but that doesnt mean get on the ice. i totally agree with dr. and he shouldnt have played. teams in the future will learn how to get around the madness of dr branch.
but i also think he shouldnt have played the weekend before if there was any doubt about his health and you could tell by how he played he wasnt right yet. if he didnt play that weekend there wouldnt be this discusion. yes health first. the dicision sucks but it will give him some more time to heal and the team did play well without him on friday.
Branch out on a limb
Suspension for skipping meaningless game clearly shows where OHL's priorities lie
By MORRIS DALLA COSTA, QMI Agency
Posted 2 hours ago
The Ontario Hockey League embarrassed and damaged itself on the weekend.
It acted like the schoolyard bully that didn't get his way and in the process proved what many have known for a while -- players are no more than meat passing through the processing plant.
The suspension of Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov for two games by OHL commissioner David Branch was a clear indication that selling tickets, appeasing sponsors and making money -- no matter the cost to the player or his teams -- is the No. 1 priority.
This should be the first story handed to a player in the throes of making a decision about where to play the game at the next level.
Go ahead, play in the OHL, but be aware that they own you.
If you don't do a song-and-dance for its sponsors, the weight of the league will come down on you with the full force of their wallets.
In this instance, Branch not only felt he knew what was better for Yakupov and his team, but also he knew better than London doctor Bob Giffin, one of the best knee specialists around.
Sound ridiculous?
Yakupov, the projected No. 1 pick in this year's NHL draft, was injured at the world junior hockey tournament (a huge money maker for Hockey Canada and the CHL).
Yakupov missed almost a month with the injury. He came back and played three games for the Sting -- important games, ones that counted in the standings and meant something to the community of Sarnia -- before his command appearance in the top prospects game in Kelowna.
He sat out most of the second and third periods in that final game with the Sting.
The team and the doctor from the renowned Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic in London felt it was in the best interest of the player not to participate in the prospects game, which allows scouts from NHL teams to check out the herd and decide which side of beef they like.
The It's one of those promotional showcases for the CHL, of which Branch is also the president.
It's a photo op for sponsors with players; an opportunity for fans to see some of the top healthy players in the country; an opportunity for junior hockey people to cozy up to big-time hockey people.
There is no reason to play if you aren't healthy. It's a meaningless game. Scouts already know Yakupov.
That didn't matter to Branch. He wanted Yakupov to fly west to be examined by Kelowna team doctors. That in itself questions the reputation of the Fowler Kennedy clinic and Giffin.
Branch cited Plymouth Whalers forward Tom Wilson, who sat out a regular-season game to play in the prospects game. It was nice of the Whalers to sit him because Wilson probably felt it was important for him to play so that scouts could get a better look.
The bullies at the CHL level forced No. 2-rated player, Quebec Remparts centre Mikhail Grigorenko, to visit the Kelowna doctor. Grigorenko said his ankle was only "80% healed." He was judged healthy to play.
Patrick Roy, GM and coach of the Remparts, ripped Branch as well as Western Hockey League commissioner Ron Robison and his own league commissioner.
"I find it extremely unfortunate that we seem to want to promote the league's image instead of protecting the players," said Roy, who was fined by the QMJHL.
The truth hurts.
What happens if Grigorenko injured his ankle? What if Yakupov was forced to play and reinjured his knee? What would the cost be to the Sting in playoff money? What would it have done to its fan base?
The OHL didn't fine the Sting as the QMJHL did Roy. It chose to hurt those faithful fans and teammates by suspending Yakupov in a playoff run.
The junior leagues caterwaul about how much they care for players. It's amazing they can do it with a straight face.
It brings guffaws when:
* The league forces injured players to play or be suspended.
* The OHL makes its players play three games in less than three days.
* The OHL allows a player to be traded two or three times in a season.
This is a business and every player who plays major junior hockey is a piece of property indentured to his league.
That's no secret.
But at certain times, it just becomes more evident.
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DOCTOR: OHL 'IRRESPONSIBLE'
The doctor treating Sarnia Sting star Nail Yakupov's knee injury says the Ontario Hockey League was "irresponsible" in asking Yakupov to fly to Kelowna to be evaluated by another doctor.
Bob Giffin, an orthopaedic surgeon at the Fowler Kennedy Clinic in London, one of the best-known sport medicine clinics in Canada, says he's been managing Yakupov's treatment as an independent practitioner, not associated with the Sting, since Yakupov hurt his knee at the world junior hockey championship.
He's angered by the way the OHL has dealt with this situation.
Yakupov was suspended for two games by OHL commissioner David Branch for not going to Kelowna for the prospects game to be evaluated by another doctor.
"You would think that they would recognize what's best for Nail is that he be treated by people he knows," Giffin said.
After playing three games before the prospects game, Yakupov's knee was sore and he was examined by Giffin, who determined it would be better if Yakupov took the time off.
"I don't know how anyone can feel that it would be better for Nail to fly to the West Coast, get off a plane and be seen by someone who doesn't know his history or the treatment he's received," Giffin said. "In a five-minute examination, a doctor who has never seen Nail before is supposed to have a better idea of what to do than someone who has treated him for a month? It's ridiculous."
Giffin said he has never been contacted by Branch to learn what the situation is first-hand.
"If the situation were reversed, and I was the doctor in Kelowna and someone said to me, 'examine this player and give me an opinion' knowing that he was under the care of another doctor, I'd be wondering what the heck is going on," Giffin said.
Why is this turning into such a big deal. Didn't the NHL All star game have the same rules regarding a suspension if you miss the game. It also isn't like every other team across the league didn't know about this rule. Healthy or not, the Prosects game is quite a big deal and an opportunity for NHL scouts and clubs to have interviews with players and the NHL tests them in various things. I also think all this blowing up and making Branch look like the bad guy and going against his league issued rule is going to hurt the Sting in the long run when it comes to a time where he could make a more lenient decision regarding a suspension or team fine. Also I do agree to an extent that Branch wanted Yakupov there to cater to sportsnet. But the CHL is a business and ratings do mean $$$. But you cant disregard that the NHL has a partnership with the CHL and you want to cater to the fact that they want the best prosects in the league there and the Yakupov situation is such a grey area since he played the weekend before, and Branch was setting up 2nd and third opinions. It was probably in the best interest for the Sting to sit him, but at the same time if he was so bad why was he playing the game before the prospects game.
jb done the right thing by not allowing yakupov to play in the all-star game. nail missed almost a month before returning and was cleared to play but might not have been 100% and a bit out of shape , but in his mind probably healthy enough to help the sting. if yakupov would have reinjured that knee in kelowna sarnia fans would have declared a war against jb and these fans are the ones that pay the bills. i am sure that if yakupov was injury free he would of loved to play in that game and the sting and jb would have no problem with that.
The fact that Branch didn't even contact the doctor at the Fowler clinic speaks volumes as to why he wanted Yakupov at the game - please the league's sponsorship. That negligence shows a lack of due diligence and disregard for a players health.
I agree that Sarnia should've sent him to do PR stuff if at all possible
