The Philadelphia Flyers announced on today that they have reassigned defenseman Luca Sbisa to the Lethbridge Hurricanes of the Western Hockey League, according to club General Manager Paul Holmgren.
"We feel that it is in the best interest of Luca and the Flyers organization that he gets back to playing on a regular basis," said Holmgren in making the announcement. "Luca will join Lethbridge for its game in Portland, Oregon on Wednesday."
Flyers defenseman Luca Sbisa was reassigned to his junior club today, the Lethbridge Hurricanes. Sbisa spoke with On The Fly regarding the announcement by the club earlier this afternoon.
Q: What is your reaction being sent back to juniors?
Sbisa: “Obviously, I am disappointed. I kind of had a feeling that it may happen. I did not play for a long time, so you start to think that something might be up. They told me this morning. I was kind of disappointed, but now I know where I am going to play. It’s just another step to playing in the NHL. I am going to back to Lethbridge and help the team out. I am really looking forward to playing a lot of minutes there, play the power play, [penalty kill] and the last minutes of a game. I kind of missed that stuff. This is just another experience that I have to go through. I am disappointed, but I am looking forward to getting a lot of playing time.”
Q: Talk about your time playing for the Flyers. How was the experience?
Sbisa: “It was a great experience. I played 39 games here and it was just amazing and the locker room was just filled with great guys here. A lot of stuff happened in a short amount of time. I played my first couple of NHL games and I thought it went pretty well. I had a very good start this season and made the team out of training camp. I played pretty good. But, when all the injured guys coming I got less and less ice time. I tried to get back into the lineup, but we have a very good team here. I just didn’t play much. But it was a great, great time and a great experience playing in my first couple of NHL games. I would never had expected to play at 18 years old in the NHL.”
Q: Obviously the experience you got on the NHL level is going to help you back in juniors.
Sbisa: “Oh, yes. I have almost 40 games in my pocket at the NHL level. I just want to show what I learned up here, down there. I am sure it will help my game in juniors. I will take a lot of responsibility down there to Lethrbridge and try to go as far as we can in the playoffs.”
The big question is, how will Sbisa handle this demotion given it comes late into the season.
“I spent a lot of time over the past month or so preparing him for this,” Holmgren admitted, “even though I didn’t know a date in my own mind if this was the direction we wanted to go. He’s aware of the thought process. He knows he needs to play.
“When I talked to him today, he seemed OK. I talked to him about having the right attitude and told him this would only work if he had the right attitude. He had a big smile on his face and he said, ‘I know and I want to play.’ ”
Last edited by MiamiScreamingEagles: 02-02-2009 at 04:23 PM.
Lethbridge is currently sitting 7th in the Eastern Conference of the WHL with a record of 26-23-3-2 (W-L-OTL-SOL), 57 points and even with 6th place Kootenay who have one game less played. The hurricanes got 18 games left to go. Their next is against league-last Portland on Wednesday.
Let's see how Luca will be doing back in the WHL. He was a great replacement for the injuries at the beginning of the team. I expect him to make the team next training camp. He definitely needs some more experience and gain some weight and he will definitely do that playing 20 minutes a night the WHL rather than sitting in the press box in the NHL.
Lethbridge is currently sitting 7th in the Eastern Conference of the WHL with a record of 26-23-3-2 (W-L-OTL-SOL), 57 points and even with 6th place Kootenay who have one game less played. The hurricanes got 18 games left to go. Their next is against league-last Portland on Wednesday.
Let's see how Luca will be doing back in the WHL. He was a great replacement for the injuries at the beginning of the team. I expect him to make the team next training camp. He definitely needs some more experience and gain some weight and he will definitely do that playing 20 minutes a night the WHL rather than sitting in the press box in the NHL.
I agree...but he shouldnt have been here to begin with in my opinion. If this bonehead coach would just play Kukkonen we wouldnt have had all these cap problems.
It's about damn time. Although I have no idea what the hell the Flyers were thinking, sitting him for the better part of a month and then sending him back. Just stupid.
Sweet, maybe I can get tickets to the Portland game.
Shouldn't be that hard. Attendance isn't exactly breaking any records around here. And just a head's up, the Hawks just raised ticket prices. The cheap seats are now $14.25 (if you pay cash, $14.75 with a card). Not sure what they're thinking raising prices in the middle of another losing season AND a 10 (11 now?) game losing streak. Anyway, have fun if you go. I'll be working that night.
p.s. at least Luca gets to return to the WHL for what should be an almost automatic win.
Instead of whining and moaning about how the Flyers waited so long to send Sbisa back to junior, how about every be excited that the Flyers have yet another prospect who looks like he's going to be a gamer for us for years to come. The guy played with the big boys and he more than handled his own. Now, he's being sent back to junior to play. Maybe the fact that it took so long for the Flyers to send him back was a sign that Sbisa maybe more than earned the right to stay and maybe, just maybe they were looking for another option besides sending Sbisa back to get him some playing time.......
Assuming jones is traded, give you kuks as your 7th d, and you know the flyers are going to loose at least 2 dmen in the playoffs. I'm assuming his Jr season will be over by the time the NHL playoffs start.
As good as the flyers are now, they are going to be that much better in the next 2 or 3 years with JVR and giroux coming into their own, and their young D maturing.
Instead of whining and moaning about how the Flyers waited so long to send Sbisa back to junior, how about every be excited that the Flyers have yet another prospect who looks like he's going to be a gamer for us for years to come. The guy played with the big boys and he more than handled his own. Now, he's being sent back to junior to play. Maybe the fact that it took so long for the Flyers to send him back was a sign that Sbisa maybe more than earned the right to stay and maybe, just maybe they were looking for another option besides sending Sbisa back to get him some playing time.......
Like dumping Jones' worthless overpaid ass? Ahh, one can always dream...
Assuming jones is traded, give you kuks as your 7th d, and you know the flyers are going to loose at least 2 dmen in the playoffs. I'm assuming his Jr season will be over by the time the NHL playoffs start.
As good as the flyers are now, they are going to be that much better in the next 2 or 3 years with JVR and giroux coming into their own, and their young D maturing.
They can bring him back once his season in the WHL is over.
Assuming jones is traded, give you kuks as your 7th d, and you know the flyers are going to loose at least 2 dmen in the playoffs. I'm assuming his Jr season will be over by the time the NHL playoffs start.
As good as the flyers are now, they are going to be that much better in the next 2 or 3 years with JVR and giroux coming into their own, and their young D maturing.
I understand what your saying. But can you explain where I made bold? I'm not quite sure what you mean, loose two dmen in the playoffs.
Instead of whining and moaning about how the Flyers waited so long to send Sbisa back to junior, how about every be excited that the Flyers have yet another prospect who looks like he's going to be a gamer for us for years to come. The guy played with the big boys and he more than handled his own. Now, he's being sent back to junior to play. Maybe the fact that it took so long for the Flyers to send him back was a sign that Sbisa maybe more than earned the right to stay and maybe, just maybe they were looking for another option besides sending Sbisa back to get him some playing time.......
I'm with you, I just read through a lot of this thread, and all it is is complaining, I don't understand it. I mean did Holmgren mishandle Sbisa? Possibly, but we can't judge that for another 3-4 years when he fully develops. For now, we have a 19 year old offensive-minded defensiveman prospect, who already has a half a season under his belt at the NHL level. Not many teams can say that.
And like you said, there could be something behind all this press box mess. Maybe, like you said, they were actually tying to trade Jones (god that would be sweet), but were unsuccessful in doing so, so Sbisa was finally sent down so he could get playing time.
Regardless of what happened with Sbisa this year, Holmgren did a great job of turning Umberger into a pick, and while he may have been aiming for Pikard, Sbisa has certainly showed why he is a 1st round pick, and that he can actually play in the NHL...At 18 years old.
