276 replies to this topic

[egroen]

Good draft to pick up 2 extra 2nds, IMO.

[dragonballgtz]

Personally I was quite offended that he would speak in another language in the States. Why is that necessary?

Are you a Texas Senator?

[Konnan511]

do not want rocco grimaldi at all!!!! anyone see his interview on tsn? they were talking about how he is all religious and rocco said something about guys on the team who do things that are "wrong" the quickly corrected himself by saying guys who do things he "doesn't agree with" in regards to drinking alcohol and such.... sounds like he would be a cancer in the locker room.

You do know Rafalski is one of the biggest religious people around right? And there's nothing wrong with being nervous and stumbling over your words trying to find the right words to say. I didn't see anything wrong with what he said and I'm not religious at all. He wouldn't be a lockerroom cancr and he already said he doesn't judge people. Get over it, the kid is a great hockey player and I'd welcome him on the Wings regardless of his faith.

[F.Michael]

Here's my theory, Holland knows all the smallish undersized soft non-physical players they are targeting will still be there in the 2nd round.

[F.Michael]

If Holland doesn't obtain a big North American boy who fights, I'll riot worse than Vancouver.

Ok - but ya gotta clean your room first.

[dragonballgtz]

...and we are still stuck with Hudler...

everyone seems to be getting better and making deals and the only thing we have to show for it is two second rounds picks that whoever they are, aren't gonna see the city of Detroit for at least 5 years... Come ON Holland! Damn it don't sit on yourf****** hands again! You talk a big game all the way up until it's time to pull the trigger and then...nothing... Hudler and our first could have gotten us somebody to improve our team!

Don't worry our savior Jagr will come to us.

[Hockeymom1960]

do not want rocco grimaldi at all!!!! anyone see his interview on tsn? they were talking about how he is all religious and rocco said something about guys on the team who do things that are "wrong" the quickly corrected himself by saying guys who do things he "doesn't agree with" in regards to drinking alcohol and such.... sounds like he would be a cancer in the locker room.

Oh really?

[55fan]

Considering that Pavel keeps pictures of Jesus, Mary and St Nicholas (the Russian saint, not the Captain of the Wings) in his locker, I think a religious person would be in good company.

I honestly have to question some people's perception of others and how quickly we jump to conclusions. It's insulting to the majority of Christians I know, including myself.

Honestly, I can't remember his exact words, but it was something to the effect of living his own life by what he feels is right and not what others think.

So he doesn't cave in to negative pressure. Not a bad thing for a kid.

Edited by 55fan, 25 June 2011 - 09:23 AM.

[Hockey Convert]

Or possibly, the fact that all we have going on in the draft thread is a silly argument on religion is a symptom of the fact that the Sharks got a legitimate defenseman out of their first round pick, and the Wings got absolutely nothing. Not that I think it was anything less than a sharp move full of strategery.

[Vladifan]

Are you a Texas Senator?

THANK you!! They are idiots. Both of 'em.

NO!!! WE HAVE TO ACT NOW!!!

NO!!! YESTERDAY!!!!!

And yes, I'M YELLING!!!!!

[CaliWingsNut]

Considering that Pavel keeps pictures of Jesus, Mary and St Nicholas (the Russian saint, not the Captain of the Wings) in his locker, I think a religious person would be in good company.

I honestly have to question some people's perception of others and how quickly we jump to conclusions. It's insulting to the majority of Christians I know, including myself.

Honestly, I can't remember his exact words, but it was something to the effect of living his own life by what he feels is right and not what others think.

So he doesn't cave in to negative pressure. Not a bad thing for a kid.

That or he's narrow sighted and not open to other perspectives. Which could be a very bad thing.

[Z and D for the C]

You do know Rafalski is one of the biggest religious people around right?

I'm happy I didn't know that until he retired.

[GMRwings1983]

I'm happy I didn't know that until he retired.

Obviously, God couldn't help Rafalski cut down on the turnovers.

[Dimaline312000]

Looks like it was a good deal for the Wings to get 2 extra picks plus their own in the 2nd giving the team 3 picks in that round. It makes sense that Detroit would do something like that. They are really good and drafting quality players late in the Draft and as Jim Nill said they felt the players they wanted would still be there when it came time for them to pick so I defintley agree with the trade.

[Konnan511]

Obviously, God couldn't help Rafalski cut down on the turnovers.

He sure did sell his soul for a few cups and massive contracts, though.

[Majsheppard]

Good draft to pick up 2 extra 2nds, IMO.

Agreed. I said before the draft that it was a good one to trade up or trade down. Big drop off after the first 12, but the next 40 were solid development picks.

[Zetts]

Right, because everyone thought Rafalski was a "cancer in the locker room", too. Those stupid religious hockey players!!!

The way I look at it is that there's nothing wrong with being very religious. But there's a key distinction between the two. Rafalski made it to his retirement with nobody having a clue about it - he kept it as part of his personal life. That's good.

In contrast, this guy couldn't even make it through his draft without not only making it very apparent, but using it to judge people. (Admittedly I didn't see this, I'm going off of what people here are saying.)

They're two very different cases.

Edited by Zetts, 26 June 2011 - 12:35 PM.

[55fan]

The way I look at it is that there's nothing wrong with being very religious. But there's a key distinction between the two. Rafalski made it to his retirement with nobody having a clue about it - he kept it as part of his personal life. That's good.

In contrast, this guy couldn't even make it through his draft without not only making it very apparent, but using it to judge people. (Admittedly I didn't see this, I'm going off of what people here are saying.)

They're two very different cases.

Disagree on both counts. Those who know Raffy were quite aware. He and other Wings have often spoken of their beliefs (see also Datsyuk and Howard). We may not notice or hear of it, but it comes up in interviews and such. I remember Draper commenting on it once that it made no difference in the locker room what their beliefs were. They all had their own.

Rocco is a young underage kid headed to UND (which is why I had kind of been looking at him) and he isn't going to drink or get in trouble in college. Locker room cancer? I doubt it. Not sure how abstaining from alcohol when one is underage makes one judgmental. I'd rather have a kid in my system that I didn't have to worry about doing that sort of things. Too many kids around here have screwed up their sports scholarships over drinking or other illegal activities.

So he said it would be wrong for him to drink. Yeah. He's underage. It's illegal.

By the time he gets to the NHL, he'll be of age. Then it will be his decision whether or not to drink or anything else. Knowing the ND culture as I do, he will have been exposed to a LOT of drinking. He will either find people with his own likes and dislikes to spend his time with and avoid the parties, or he will become everyone's favourite Designated Driver. I went to college with both types of non-drinkers.

Being religious or non-religious doesn't make a person a good or bad player, nor does it make them a good or bad teammate. Once a person is a teammate with someone, they know that person well enough that they know their beliefs. They may not be the same, but they know what they are. And from that point on, it isn't whether a person is religious or not; it's how they coexist with others.

[Zetts]

...

To clarify, I'm not the one who said that he was a locker room cancer and I also did not say that it made him a bad team mate.

I appreciate that some of the Wings are religious, but none of them express it on even close to the same level as this guy. Not that it necessarily makes him good or bad, but we should be clear that he is MUCH more open about his religion than most.

"I think [Twitter and Facebook] are a way to spread the Gospel."

Around the draft floor, and off the record, there were those who said teams were "scared off" by Grimaldi's candid religious discourse and that, combined with being an undersized forward, they facilitated his move out of the first round. With his use of social media, it was on display for any team considering him.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_daddy/post/Panthers-pick-Rocco-Grimaldi-8217-s-leap-of-fai?urn=nhl-wp8027

Reading some articles, he does seem like a great role model - I actually like him more and more. However, frequently discussing your religion doesn't necessarily make people too happy. If you ask what someone had for breakfast, and their response references their religious beliefs, it gets old. I don't actually know if that's the case with him - some signs do seem to point to it, but obviously I don't know him as a person. That's why I didn't say that he's a locker room cancer, etc, etc.

I mean, half of the discussions of him in the draft reference his religion due to his frequent comments about it himself.

Grimaldi said that some clubs asked if his dedication to his faith would affect his ability to fit in with other players.

“They really asked me if it was going to be a hindrance for me or get in the way of me and my teammates because some of my teammates might make mistakes, or not mistakes, but things I don’t really agree with and go out. I’m not a drinker, and I don’t go out and do that stuff, so they felt maybe I am going to judge them for that, which, you know, I would never judge someone for the things they do,” he said. “We are brothers when we are on the ice and off the ice as well.”

http://losalamitos.patch.com/articles/rossmoor-nhl-hopeful-discusses-roles-of-his-height-and-religion-in-todays-draft

That quote to me shows that his religion likely won't influence his play. But clearly it's not just a few posters here looking at this...scouts have concerns about it too.

Edited by Zetts, 26 June 2011 - 01:17 PM.

[Konnan511]

The way I look at it is that there's nothing wrong with being very religious. But there's a key distinction between the two. Rafalski made it to his retirement with nobody having a clue about it - he kept it as part of his personal life. That's good.

In contrast, this guy couldn't even make it through his draft without not only making it very apparent, but using it to judge people. (Admittedly I didn't see this, I'm going off of what people here are saying.)

They're two very different cases.

This is full of lies.

Anyone who has ever met Rafalski knew he was religious. He wore a cross around his neck everywhere he went. Not to mention, in any interview they had with him in regards to breasts cancer awareness or the natural disasters he always spoke of God coming to their rescue.

And the kid didn't use the draft to profess his love for jesus, he was asked a question about his tie. Tim Tebow had a different bible verse on his eye black every game and look how he turned out. People need to stop being so discriminatory. It seems it's ok with people that a person is ***, but if a person is religious, it's a bad thing. If they are good people and good athletes, who gives a flying f***?