"Obviously the past four years have been special for me. It's been my dream as a little kid growing up to someday play for the Komets. I can't let this take away anything from what we've done the last three years. Even this year, to look at where we came from, as low as you can possibly get as a team, to climbing back and finishing the year pretty good.
"At the same time this is something that is going to be hard for me to swallow for a while. I feel that I've given everything that I've ever had to the Komets and the community, to the fans, and I just feel that it's almost like I was too nice. That's frustrating because I take a lot of pride in giving back to the kids and the community because that's what got me into hockey in the first place, guys like Chinner, Hurd and Boycie.
"Obviously I'm mad and upset at the decision, but I hope the best for the team. That's part of being a good teammate, too. I still hope they have a lot of success."
Comments
Of the 3 that has left the team Danko statement was at the top of the class.
Isn't Warner still the property of the Komets? Does he not making the playoff roster make him a free agent?
Kometsfan....I am not a nameless fan...Shoot I have my name on the back of my jersey...I sit in upper 211 and I'm not hard to find...if anybody ever has a problem with one of my comments or criticisms on here or on Justin's blog, feel free to come up and see me.
Perception or reality?
Sometimes these nouns create confusion because both tend to skew the opinions of people who witness the very same thing.
For example, I tend to view Brandon Warner as possibly the sixth ( at the highest ) ranked defenseman on this team. He would have been my defensive choice to leave off the team also. Why? Well, his decision making with the puck leaves a lot to be desired. I have noticed an alarming rate of errant passes that seem to always lead to a scoring chance for the opposition. ( A few years ago I thought he was too careless bringing the puck out of the defensive zone as he seemed to always bring it out in front of the Komets net, thus increasing the danger of a turnover in front of the goaltender. To be fair I must acknowledge that he is much improved on this aspect of his game.)
I don't have any stats to prove this. However, because I have noticed it in the past, I tend to watch for it. I guess that is my perception of the situation.
What about reality.
Well, he possesses a very good slapshot and has the ability to switch to a forward position if the need arises. No argument there. He also has a tender shoulder and an ankle that has limited some of his ability to turn sharply. Not good for a defenseman in the playoffs. He is from the Fort Wayne area and there are some disadvantages to that. However, there are a lot of advantages, too, so I suggest the "close" scrutiny is more than made up for in different areas.
Management knows what they are doing. He has a "history" since he has played the past few years so I am assuming that management "knows" more than we do and has made a logical decision. I guess you have to trust in their knowledge of the situation, as they are not going to do anything they feel will hinder the teams' quest for the championship.
As I said he does bring some good things to the ice. However his greatest abilities are more than matched by Ratchuk and to a lesser extent DeAngelis. You can only keep so many. Sometimes a good player, a fan favorite, or even a local boy is going to get left off the roster. It isn't a "personal" thing. It is a business decsion based on many factors.
I understand why he would feel hurt, or betrayed in some sense, or even question the teams' loyalty. Unfortunately he is in the business where it is common to sever relationships and I applaud him for granting Blake an interview so soon after the decision to exclude him was made.
Is it perception or reality?
Lots of times one can argue that perception is reality.
Well said Alan, I would have posted something along those lines, but couldn't put it in such few words!!! lol
Danko's parting words vs. Warner's parting words. I think Danko wins the class award! Obviously, no one would be happy at getting "fired," however, a careful choice of words is always a must in those situations.
Blake, wasn't Warner's injury pretty much bad enough that he couldn't play anyways if he was left on the playoff roster?
No, he was healthy.
But he was on the IR. ;-)
Maybe this is what it came down to. Warner is a Offensive Defensemen and Phillips is a stay at home defensemen. We already have 2 offensive defensemen in Frankie and Ratchuk. Ratchuk can play forward which also takes away from the need of Warner.