OFFICIAL: 12y, $62.4m makes Hossa a 'Hawk

[Electrophile 3,554]

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20..._handwriti.html

Interesting take. Is that his way of saying he fell on his own sword for the betterment of the team? If so, that's rather admirable. Then again, regardless of his reasoning, there will be people here pissed off.

In any event, godspeed.

[titanium2 867]

Interesting take. Is that his way of saying he fell on his own sword for the betterment of the team? If so, that's rather admirable. Then again, regardless of his reasoning, there will be people here pissed off.

In any event, godspeed.

Hey can you post that one gif you had of House dancing to Fight The Power!

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Interesting take. Is that his way of saying he fell on his own sword for the betterment of the team? If so, that's rather admirable. Then again, regardless of his reasoning, there will be people here pissed off.

In any event, godspeed.

Oh please, like he gives a s***.

[MC5Rock 0]

A lot of money is coming off the books in the next couple years; there will be more star wingers for the Wings to compete for in the future. Kenny's hands were tied by the cap this season, and trading multiple players to acquire one would have been counter productive.

I've got nothing against Hossa. He's well within his rights to sign anywhere he chooses.

Agree 100%. IMO if the Wings really wanted Hossa to stay, they would have upped the ante. What he got from Chicago is not that much more than Detroit's offer. Maybe Hossa faltering in the final was the fly in the ointment. He might have scored 40 goals next year, but then again maybe he's the A Rod of hockey, so much talent if not for that little dark cloud that follows him around.

Anyway, I hope fans don't boo him next time he sets foot in JLA. He was only here for a season.......and he always seemed like he was just visiting anyway, just testing the waters. Besides, we laughed at Pittsburgh fans for booing him.......we would look ridiculous if we did the same. I get why Detroit fans booed Fedorov, I didn't like it but at the same time agreed with it. He was here for many many years and was part of the Wings family, then he left like it was no big deal.....but it was, and a lot of emotion was involved. Hossa leaving? It really doesn't measure a blip on the Richter scale.

[OsGOD 3]

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20..._handwriti.html

yeah and what exactly did he do to chicago in the years to come??? seems like a sad excuse to me to try to smooth things over

[T-Ruff 47]

I dont' feel like I have any reason to dislike the Hawks.... I'm excited about a potential rivalry building with them now that they're good again, we'll see how long it lasts though... and it's entirely possible that they start giving me reasons to dislike them

[LidsFan 68]

Hossa chose to go to another team and that is his right , I see nothing wrong if people choose to boo him and not support him. After all he is on a rival team and has no loyalty to the Wings and The Wings fans have no loyalty to him. Once a player leaves a team he cannot expect to hear cheers when he comes back to play in their building. And if people choose to cheer him on, well that is fine too. To each his own.

It's too bad that he went to the Hawks, if he had gone east I might have been able to root for him a little bit.

[stuck in socal 56]

Our defense better be up to par next year or we are going nowhere. Assuming we can not get back Hudler(forget Sammy)

Zetterberg Franzen and Datsyukl will need to carry the load offensively. Filpulla and Cleary also need to have the best seasons of their career.

[RockyMountainWingGal 108]

The Hawks are an odd organization. First off they are copying our contract offers to Franzen and Zetterberg. I guess we are the leaders and others will follow....

Second they take two of our FAs, and two the Wings seemed only half-heartedly interested in (never felt like Holland was going all out for Hossa and I'm fine with that).

Kind of cracks me up how some people suddenly think they are Cup contenders. ESPN even listed Kopecky as "Stanley Cup" winning and experienced. He missed almost all the POs last year, eh? Suddenly they are going to get "leadership" from Hossa. Huh? I don't think he's a bad guy, but he's bounced around so much I don't see him as a leader.

Anyhow, as long as the Hawks have Quenneville coaching them, have no fear, they cannot beat the Wings. Unfortunately, he's bound to get canned sooner or later. This will make the Central interesting at least....

[titanium2 867]

Kind of cracks me up how some people suddenly think they are Cup contenders. ESPN even listed Kopecky as "Stanley Cup" winning and experienced. He missed almost all the POs last year, eh? Suddenly they are going to get "leadership" from Hossa. Huh? I don't think he's a bad guy, but he's bounced around so much I don't see him as a leader.

shh!... If you keep pointing that out, then the look on Hawks fans' faces won't be as funny when they discover how disappointing both of them tend to be in the playoffs.

[Theophany 110]

yeah and what exactly did he do to chicago in the years to come??? seems like a sad excuse to me to try to smooth things over

Hossa doesn't have a NTC; I wouldn't be surprised that he signed with the potential to be traded to another team if the Hawks start having cap issues that can't be solved.

[Snazzy 0]

Hossa doesn't have a NTC; I wouldn't be surprised that he signed with the potential to be traded to another team if the Hawks start having cap issues that can't be solved.

You keep spewing this nonsense but you are yet to provide a source.

I think you're hanging on to false hope that Hossa will return. Get over it, Hossa's gone.... you really do need to let go and move on.

[55fan 5,133]

So... in the extremely unlikely chance that next year's SCF is Pit/Chi, who do we root for?

(Mostly asking the Hossa haters)

[OsGOD 3]

So... in the extremely unlikely chance that next year's SCF is Pit/Chi, who do we root for?

(Mostly asking the Hossa haters)

Why root for either? I don't like either of the teams pre or post Hossa....?

I wont be watching to be honest, my summers are busy enough and if the wings are out, I have much better things to do then watch a fruitless SCF series

Edited July 2, 2009 by OsGOD

[dat's sick 1,002]

So... in the extremely unlikely chance that next year's SCF is Pit/Chi, who do we root for?

(Mostly asking the Hossa haters)

Not a Hossa hater by any means, but I would root for Chicago. I actually like that team.

The only reason I'm not thrilled about Hossa going there is that we'll have to face him every other week.

My hope was that he'd go to the West, to either the Caps or Rags.

[talex 1]

For Christ's sake, where did you come up with this crap. We won the Cup with almost the same team last year. And Hossa did what in the finals?

You'd give Chicago the edge? Huh? Did you watch the WCF this year? We killed Chicago. They won one OT game in which the blew a 3 game lead. So now they add Hossa who is a perenial playoff underachiever. And you give them the edge?

hahhahahaha

You are being sarcastic right?

No sarcasm at all.

Everyone forgets so quickly about the regular season, Hossa was our top goal scorer which may be something we can loose but he also took a significant amount of pressure off our other stars, both scoring pressure and physical pressue because he drew alot of attention. As far as almost winning the cup... if you think it is going to get easier with the loss of Hossa and an even older Homer, Draper, Maltby, Lids as well as the rest of the team I think you are nuts and yes I would give Chicago the edge they now have the jump we got last year from signing the top free agent on the market and they are a much younger team who now has the experience of having gone deep into the playoffs, we are the same team minus our top scorer and a couple guys that have just aged another year.

Do I think we have a bad team? NO I never said that, but looking at it honestly I think the Hawks will have a Monster team although Havlat was a large part of their success so time will tell, if they gel with Hossa I think they are the team to beat in the Central. Next year I think they are hurting... loose a couple key players and the Wings are back on top... but this coming season they look damn good, a 1 hit wonder perhaps but I am not going to deny the obvious.

[VM1138 1,921]

Wow...this really sucks. I wish we could have gotten something for Hossa, we really got screwed on this deal. Having to face Hossa for 12 years on a decent team? The Hawks got considerably better while the Wings slid a little in quality. Yikes.

Can't wish you luck now, Hossa, Chicago is just too close.

[xtrememachine1 795]

I said I would cheer for Hossa even if he left the Wings because I didn't want to be like the Pens fans and be bitter about him leaving but... the Blackhawks? Is this a friggin joke? Plus, he's saying the same stupid things that he said last year.

"That's why I chose Chicago. They have a chance to win a Cup."

The Wings have been in the final four for the last three years, in the Finals for the last two and the Wings BEAT the Hawks in 5 games without Lidstrom or Datsyuk.

Now we get to play him 6 times a year for the next 12 years, good Lord. The deal doesn't make sense for three reasons.

1. Why would you leave the better team for just a little more money?

2. The Hawks' best players contracts are up after this upcoming year. Huet, Campbell and now Hossa are eating a ton of money already. How can they afford Kane, Toews and Keith?

3. A 12 year deal with a team that you've never played for? Hossa doesn't know the coach, the front office, the players, the strategy, the city. You don't sign a lifetime contact with a franchise that you've never played with before.

[HawksFan4Life 0]

I'm not worried about our cap issues. Not in the slightest. Kane and Toews imo are the most popular duo here in Chicago since dare I say Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. I was jumping for joy when I heard about Hossa. Though I am a little skeptical, we gave him a 12 year deal because of the cap issues. We take a 5.2 mil hit. The Rangers, however, get a 7.5 mil hit with Gaborik. I'm not going to make any guarantees, but we have a good chance.

[Zetts 236]

I'm not worried about our cap issues. Not in the slightest. Kane and Toews imo are the most popular duo here in Chicago since dare I say Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. I was jumping for joy when I heard about Hossa. Though I am a little skeptical, we gave him a 12 year deal because of the cap issues. We take a 5.2 mil hit. The Rangers, however, get a 7.5 mil hit with Gaborik. I'm not going to make any guarantees, but we have a good chance.

I wasn't aware that popularity made salary cap issues go away. If you're not worried, maybe it's because you're not actually aware of your team's contractual obligations. And the fact that the salary cap is expected to go DOWN next year.

I don't see how the fact that another team gave out a stupid contract helps the Blackhawks with cap issues either.

Good luck.

[xtrememachine1 795]

I'm not worried about our cap issues. Not in the slightest. Kane and Toews imo are the most popular duo here in Chicago since dare I say Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita. I was jumping for joy when I heard about Hossa.

The Hawks currently have $11.7 mil left in the bank. They still need to sign Kris Veersteg and Cam Barker. Next year, Kane, Toews, and Keith all become free agents. No one will take Huet or Campbell via trade because of their contracts so you're kind of stuck with them. I'll be interested to see who leaves next year. Btw, the Islanders, Kings and Wild have a ton of money to spend. If Kane and Toews aren't locked up by this time next year, they'll be wearing one of those teams jerseys.

If this doesn't worry you then you should probably lay off the drugs or alcohol.

[flip 5]

The amount of illogical and downright stupid statements in this thread is astounding. First, there's no way the Blackhawks would've signed Hossa without more assurance than you can fathom that they'd still have the money to re-sign Kane, Toews, and Keith when their contracts come due. I'm sure most of you consider yourselves smarter than Dale Tallon (laugh out loud), but in situations like these, you check to the power. It's more than conceivable for the three of them to be signed given their cap situation, regardless of the expected cap drop (although forecasts of that have been mitigated recently). From what I've heard, all three love Chicago and want to stay there. Detroit's not the only team in the league that can convince its players to take hometown discounts.

Second, as hard as most of you try to discount Hossa's worth by pointing to his mediocre finals, it doesn't change the fact that he had a 40-goal season despite playing over four fewer minutes per game than he did in Atlanta or Pittsburgh, multiple strong games in the Columbus and Anaheim series, and essentially closed out the series victory over the Blackhawks (his two best games of the playoffs were games 4 and 5 against the Hawks). Put any other Eastern team in the Finals and I'm sure Hossa plays well - it was an enormous amount of pressure on him from the media scrutiny placed on his decision to leave the Pens for the Wings. One player does not make or break a series anymore. Hossa's not Gretzky, just as Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Franzen, or any other marquee player on the Wings is not Gretzky. NONE have the ability to singlehandedly take a game over.

Third, as for the 12-year contract that most of you are suggesting will have him in a Hawks uniform until he's 42, there's no way in hell he plays that long. He'll probably retire at 37 or 38 and the contract will come off the books. Lest you've forgotten, it's the same kind of deal that Franzen and Zetterberg signed. Or did you think the favorable cap rules only applied to Wings? I get that impression from the narrow sightedness of many of you.

Fourth, there's the inevitable fact that the Wings are aging while the Hawks are young and thriving. Fight it tooth and nail, but the Wings' stars are much older than the Hawks' stars and the Wings don't have anyone in the system with the talent of a Kane or Toews to carry the torch as Lidstrom, Rafalski, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg get older. That's the price of success - lower draft picks make it harder to replenish talent. When Lidstrom retires after next season, the Hawks will be the cream of the Central Division crop, not the Wings.

I don't blame Hossa one bit for the decision he made. The Hawks have a brighter future than the Wings. I'm sure there will be a flurry of attempts to refute me that I probably wont even bother to read, but have at it. Take your homer glasses off for a second and see things as they really are instead of as you'd like them to be.

Edited July 2, 2009 by flip

[xtrememachine1 795]

The amount of illogical and downright stupid statements in this thread is astounding. First, there's no way the Blackhawks would've signed Hossa without more assurance than you can fathom that they'd still have the money to re-sign Kane, Toews, and Keith when their contracts come due. I'm sure most of you consider yourselves smarter than Dale Tallon (laugh out loud), but in situations like these, you check to the power. It's more than conceivable for the three of them to be signed given their cap situation, regardless of the expected cap drop (although forecasts of that have been mitigated recently). From what I've heard, all three love Chicago and want to stay there. Detroit's not the only team in the league that can convince its players to take hometown discounts.

You're right, Dale Tallon would never make a bad free agent signing. *cough* Khabibulin *cough* *cough* Huet *cough* The man knows what he's doing *cough* $12 mil for 2 goalies *cough* This team is in good hands *cough* Overpaid Campbell *cough* The Hawks have a very bright future.

So next year when Kane or Toews are signed to long term deals by the Islanders, and the Blackhawks begin to fall apart because there this thing called *gasp* a salary cap, would you be willing to print this post out and eat it?

[HawksFan4Life 0]

Wow. I am appauled at some of the replies that I have seen since I last posted here....

Drugs and Alcohol? How degrading! I have never tried either in my life, and I think it was very unprofessional of you to go there.

As for the Hawks, I think we can work something out. The salary cap may go down, but if Tallon isn't worried, why should the fans be? I think he has this all figured out, or else he wouldn't have signed Hossa to the contract that he did.

Also, I would not call Khabibulin a bad signing. It's not like he had a team in front of him his first two years. That third year, when we were fighting for the 8th seed, that's when he got good, and carried us on his back until we fell slightly short. Last year, he was brilliant. Not a bad signing whatsoever in my mind.

[flip 5]

You're right, Dale Tallon would never make a bad free agent signing. *cough* Khabibulin *cough* *cough* Huet *cough* The man knows what he's doing *cough* $12 mil for 2 goalies *cough* This team is in good hands *cough* Overpaid Campbell *cough* The Hawks have a very bright future.

So next year when Kane or Toews are signed to long term deals by the Islanders, and the Blackhawks begin to fall apart because there this thing called *gasp* a salary cap, would you be willing to print this post out and eat it?

Have they faced any cap issues due to those signings? One may have been ill-advised (similar to keeping Holmstrom, Draper, Maltby, and every other aging liability on the Wings who prevented Hossa from re-signing here), but they haven't put them up against the wall.

Khabibulin is gone - irrelevant point.

Huet is their number 1 goalie - again, do you have a point?

Campbell is the only overpayment, and he could probably be moved if need be. If Gomez could find a suitor, Campbell certainly could.

All you have is your misguided prognostication about a subject you don't fully understand. Do you honestly think Tallon didn't consider the implications of the Hossa signing on his ability to retain Kane, Toews, and Ketih? Nevermind, thinking seems a bit beyond your abilities. I wouldn't expect anything less from a guy who criticized the decision of a 30-year-old who has bounced around the league like a pinball to ensure he stays with one team for the rest of his career. Oh wait, you probably thought it'd be a good idea for a 30 year old to sign another short deal. That's advisable. "Here, Hossa: risk another career-ending injury and the subsequent tens of millions of dollars you'd lose because of it to ensure you like your new coach." You're a dolt.

Do you need some lessons in argumentation? I could teach you how. It's a wonderful ability once you get it down. I could even show you were you can view a team's cap figures all on your own so you don't embarrass yourself like this in the future!

Edited July 2, 2009 by flip