That is upsetting to hear. Hossa, Pronger, Savard in the span of what? 2 years? I'm not familiar with too much of Hossa's career, has he had multiple concussions before or is this number one (at least that is reported)? The league can't be happy with players retiring because of this. Savard was expecting 3-4 more years, Pronger at least 3, Hoss probably 4 or 5. Crazy stuff.
- anawrocki

Does anyone know how injury forced retirement would work in the NHL?

A guy like Hossa or Pronger or Savard who still have big money left, do they get paid anything if they walk away or do they have to stay on LTIR?

I think your super blogger covered it already.

But in a nutshell he said he spent more time dealing with Hodgson's "issues" in 3 years than he spent on the rest of his players combined.
- Gunner Staal

Gillis is probably right, but what else is he going to say after the flame out his team just had? Is he going to say he made a mistake?

Gillis is probably right, but what else is he going to say after the flame out his team just had? Is he going to say he made a mistake?
- kingcong39

No, just like Ray Shero isnt going to say that Paul Martin sucked this year. However, he probably didn't have to say he spent more time on Hodgson than any other player combined. That is going out of your way to take a shot.

Rosenblog-Chi Tribune today...>READ IT!!!!!
- PuckkmeNOpuckU

Wow....! The most damning thing and something the guys here touched on too: Marketing (the tail) wagging Hockey-Ops (the dog).

I know the Hawks are big on marketing and branding, but when the hucksters in a hockey organ-I-zation dictate to the hockey people in a hockey organ-I-zation, it’s over. You’re dead. Welcome to Loserville. That’s thumbsucker stuff. That’s the old Cubs blueprint, or even the new Cubs blueprint. Isn’t that right, Kerry Wood?

Wow. This seems a way too early for Hossa to start thinking about retirement. Don't want to question your source, but it's been a week since his injury. Just seems way too early for him to even have time to really assess the injury, let alone ponder retirement.

I do love Hossa, but if he does choose to retire, that would be a big plus for the organization long-term. Then they could easily target a big name (Nash? ), or add two solid $4MM a year forwards.
- coldsteelonice

He was a victum of a horrendous hit.

He has a concussion

He has severe whiplash.

He had to be put on a stretcher to be taken off the ice.

He's 34 years old, with a young family whose future I'm sure he'd like to actively take part in.

He's made probably enough generational money won a Cup.

If he's not at least thinking of retirement, he's nuts.

Sure it's his call, but I like how when someone gets hurt a week later we hear these rumors that someone within the Hossa camp is urging him to retire. Seems like something that is used to get hits.

Big decisions shouldn't happen 2 days after being knocked out of the playoffs. Talk of retirement shouldn't happen a week after a guy gets hurt. Patientance.
- Lahey

Nice word

Does anyone know how injury forced retirement would work in the NHL?

A guy like Hossa or Pronger or Savard who still have big money left, do they get paid anything if they walk away or do they have to stay on LTIR?
- fattybeef

Pronger's contract stays on the books for the Flyers because he signed the deal after he was 35 years old. He would be forced to go on LTIR. Savard is on LTIR right now, but I thought I read a while back they were going to wait this year to see how he felt before discussing a settlement. If you 'buy out' the contract, it'll count against the cap. I'm assuming the Bruins are waiting until the new CBA is agreed upon before making any stance on this. Savard isn't playing again, that much is clear. Just trying to cut through the red tape

Does anyone know how injury forced retirement would work in the NHL?

A guy like Hossa or Pronger or Savard who still have big money left, do they get paid anything if they walk away or do they have to stay on LTIR?
- fattybeef

Thought the team is on the hook for a certain amount of money but none counted against the cap.

Hossa's contract was one of those cap-evading contracts brought up a couple years ago. When he was in his latter years of the contract and heading towards a "retirement age" and the cap hit was higher than the salary, he'd retire and the team while having to pay the money didn't have the cap hit.

IIRC the one thing in the investigation of these deals was if timing of a "retirement" was ever mentioned during the contract negotiations.

Same too can be thought of with Keith's deal.

-Good to know that Rocky isn't pleased.

-Let's all hope Hossa makes a full recovery.

He was a victum of a horrendous hit.

He has a concussion

He has severe whiplash.

He had to be put on a stretcher to be taken off the ice.

He's 34 years old, with a young family whose future I'm sure he'd like to actively take part in.

He's made probably enough generational money won a Cup.

If he's not at least thinking of retirement, he's nuts.
- StLBravesFan

Absolutely !! He'll evaluate things with the Dr's and the team. I'm confident the right decision will be made regarding his health. And the class-act that he is, he'll make sure to give the 'Hawks every chance possible to fill his shoes should he decide to hang 'em up.

Good luck Hoss, we're all hoping for a quick recovery and hope the decision you make, you'll be happy with in the future.

My big question is. Will other teams like Detroit wait until the CBA is settled before going shopping. The players don't seem to be buying what Q is selling. He had a great game plan for game 6. Shoot the puck and get traffic in front of Smith. What the forwards did was chase the puck like a bunch of Mites. If the hawks did get the puck down low they were all standing next to one another. If Kane thinks he is above following a game plan, get rid of him. He just exudes bad attitude and I think it trickles down. What do you think?

That's his call. if I were him, the thought would certainly cross my mind.

What else, specifically, is knee jerk?
- John Jaeckel

Good to hear Rocky is irritated.

Irritated to hear that people are advocating trading Kane... again. It isn't so much that I disagree with the notion of listening for offers (why wouldn't you? a young defender + lottery pick + another first rounder + second and third round picks is justifiable) but the droves of playoff only watching NHL fans that will spew stupidity and make my brain hurt the next 4 months is unbearable.

Having to educate these people on the economics of the NHL and explain why players were moved after 2010 to people who watch 2 weeks of hockey a year is such a headache.

The CBA: when is it up? I read September, which doesn't give them much time to get a new one (assuming, like most managment - union negotiations, the meetings don't really start until the old agreement ends).

Is this correct?

He was a victum of a horrendous hit.

He has a concussion

He has severe whiplash.

He had to be put on a stretcher to be taken off the ice.

He's 34 years old, with a young family whose future I'm sure he'd like to actively take part in.

He's made probably enough generational money won a Cup.

If he's not at least thinking of retirement, he's nuts.
- StLBravesFan

How many Hawks players had concussions this year? Should they all consider retiring? Yes, it was a very nasty hit. But it's hard to say how he will respond. Seabrook has taken 3 very nasty hits in the past couple years and has bounced back rather quickly. All I'm saying is Hossa could feel much better in a week or two. Who knows?!

I could pretty much make the same case you made for any player that has won a cup. Why are Lidstrom and Selanne still playing? Crosby? Many, many others.

The CBA: when is it up? I read September, which doesn't give them much time to get a new one (assuming, like most managment - union negotiations, the meetings don't really start until the old agreement ends).

Is this correct?
- StLBravesFan

I wouldn't be surprised to see the current CBA extended for a year or two while negotiations take place.

I wouldn't be surprised to see the current CBA extended for a year or two while negotiations take place.
- DarthKane

Yeah - that will never happen. Fehr was hired for a reason....

My big question is. Will other teams like Detroit wait until the CBA is settled before going shopping. The players don't seem to be buying what Q is selling. He had a great game plan for game 6. Shoot the puck and get traffic in front of Smith. What the forwards did was chase the puck like a bunch of Mites. If the hawks did get the puck down low they were all standing next to one another. If Kane thinks he is above following a game plan, get rid of him. He just exudes bad attitude and I think it trickles down. What do you think?
- Dangle6

He worked his ass off this year to play center, become better in his own zone and engage more physically (as much as his frame would allow him) coming off wrist surgery that was due to "overuse" during off season training.

That does not really reflect someone who has "bad attitude"

They won the Cup with Sharp at 2nd line center. If you are going to make insinuations about not doing what the team needed or the coaching staff botching lineups you could start there.

Who ever was instructing or not instructing Keith/Leddy/Hammer should get punched in the face IMO. Maybe hire a new goalie coach since this is what 2? that have been ruined in the last 4 years... One who had a pretty impressive resume (Huet --- Seriously use the internets look it up)

Lots of finger pointing can be done. Movement will be predicated on EOY reviews / hopefully hockey operations long term goals not likability (fingers crossed).

Sure it's his call, but I like how when someone gets hurt a week later we hear these rumors that someone within the Hossa camp is urging him to retire. Seems like something that is used to get hits.

Big decisions shouldn't happen 2 days after being knocked out of the playoffs. Talk of retirement shouldn't happen a week after a guy gets hurt. Patientance.
- Lahey

He's probably sick of being injured, realized he has enough money to retire well, and doesn't want to have problems down the road, with all the concussion related problems athletes in all sports have experienced.

Yes, the CBA does matter - IMHO it is the first domino that must fall before anything else can be done. I doubt any owner has any inside track on anything yet, as the two sides are just now jousting over what the actual size of the pie to divide is. They won't start talking substantive issues until the union is satisfied that Bettman and company are not hiding revenue. And that is the easy part.

Until an agreement is signed and in stone with cap numbers and rule changes, no substantive changes will be made at all. That could theoretically run all the way to the September deadline.

As for Rosenbaked's article....

I love it when the premise of an article is contradicted internally by its author. He tries to sell seeing what could be had for Kane on the basis of him not coming up big this year - especially in the playoffs. Safe to say that is not something unique to Kane - plenty of blame to go around on the no offense thing.

But the credibility of Rosenbloom's logic comes into question when he answers the question of why Kane did not do so well this year. HE IS NOT A CENTER. They made him be a center, then a winger, then a left winger for a game or two. First line, second line....typical Q stuff.

I do give Rosie credit for identifying the core of the problem being the lack of a true second line center. If that is in fact the issue (which I think it is) trading Kane does not necessarily solve that problem. Now you lose a guy who will succeed if he has continuity of his place in the lineup and someone at the pivot to feed him.

Sure, look at everyone on the roster and see what you can potentially get for them. Not fair to single out Kane as the only disappointment. He's 23. Even more upside is there.

But one thing is for sure: until NHL GMs know what the rules are going forward, its Sitzkrieg - and that could last until the bitter end of the offseason.

-Good to know that Rocky isn't pleased.

-Let's all hope Hossa makes a full recovery.
- dan9189

I wish McDonaugh would get more heat, as I blame him for much of what has transpired from above.

I have no faith in Stan, but obviously Scotty's resume speaks for itself.

They're going to need some significant moves to become a realistic SC favorite going forward.

When you have 20+ million already.. is it worth your health to make another 20 that you will never need?
- victorymc98

Exactly. Money won't be a problem for him. Why risk problems the rest of your life? While I'd like him to stay, I would understand if he felt his health and his family are his priorities.

John Jaeckel: Source: Big Changes Possibly Looming
- John Jaeckel

Thanks John for the blog. Good info there. Does the CBA have any on-ice ramifications other than the cap? Because what I've heard is the cap won't likely go down anyway. Assuming Rocky spends to the cap, we've got plenty of money to work with and plenty of needs to fill. Maybe we can get our needs filled before the CBA.

Or we can just ice Saad, Pirri, Beach, Salak and Olsen.

Ha, well, I wish Steve the best. He will be burned in effigy by all the Kane-iacs.

Interesting also that he is alluding to the possible, pervasive influence of marketing and branding on player personnel decisions.

When you have tens of millions of dollars beyond salaries invested in making certain players your team's brand— it is hard to completely divorce objective player personnel decisions from that.

All teams are prone to it, the Hawks to a very large degree because they have gone down that road very far and have spent a lot of money and time on it.

On Kane, all I will say is this, I have been saying for 2+ years that being open to the possibility of dealing Kane is somethng the Hawks should be.

Also, his overall dip in production in the playoffs the last two years (a couple big goals aside) speaks to a game (perimeter, not real physical) that is not as well-suited to the playoffs.

The other side of the coin is, he is a huge threat, and still has room to grow as a player. And if Hossa did retire, I don't see how they fill two huge holes at RW.
- John Jaeckel

If Bowman wanted to trade Kane he could get it done before dinner...

In many ways Kane showed me more this season than in the past.

How many Hawks players had concussions this year? Should they all consider retiring? Yes, it was a very nasty hit. But it's hard to say how he will respond. Seabrook has taken 3 very nasty hits in the past couple years and has bounced back rather quickly. All I'm saying is Hossa could feel much better in a week or two. Who knows?!

I could pretty much make the same case you made for any player that has won a cup. Why are Lidstrom and Selanne still playing? Crosby? Many, many others.
- coldsteelonice

If he feels better in a week or two, he can always say "just kidding".

There is a big difference between saying "I'm retiring" and "the thought of retiring has crossed my mind", but I'm not surprised the the latter has happened. It is not too early, and if it is knee jerk, then that's OK too - he's in pain, he's concerned, he's looking at the next 40 years and what might happen if....

Yeah - that will never happen. Fehr was hired for a reason....
- CaptainBlackhawk

But Fehr might go along with that IF there is nothing that the players really want out of a new agreement that isn't in the old: they are now getting - and would continue to get - 57% of eligible revenues.

If anything, it would be management that would not want to extend. Players would probably just like to hold on.