The Saga Of The Hossa Glove Thickens

You can tell when parades and Stanley Cups are the minds of Montreal hockey fans and media alike when stories bordering on absurdity take on the realm of a believable scoop.

Last week it was "Pursegate", and now we have "Glovegate"!

What's next? Jockgate?

As you might have read recently, a pair of gloves in the Marian Hossa name and in the Canadiens colours, brought a frenzy to the euphoria already implanted in the hearts and minds of Habs fans, when it was reported that such equipement was made to order and delivered to the Bell Centre three days ago.

Amid the speculation that Bob Gainey is trying to land the biggest of fish before the trade deadline, and combined with the reports that Atlanta Thrashers GM Don Waddell has been following the Habs closer than the Enquirer spies Britney Spears, came a story that an equipement manufacturer in La Belle Province had been called upon to fit and deliver game paraphanelia in the Hossa name to the Habs hockey rink.

Fact before confirmation. Scoop. News. Insane. Absurd. Believable and unbelievable. Unreal. Reality check.

In light of this, I figured one of two things would occur on Thursday.

There would be a trade announcement between Atlanta and Montreal, or an equally creative denial from many fronts.

I was expecting almost anything from either the Canadiens or Thrashers organizations to refute the news, but all that came forth were redundancies that Atlanta was still in negotiation with Hossa, and some even more farfalluted pipe dream than the Edmonton Oilers, of all hellish snowballs chances, were looking at bagging Hossa in the off season with a kings ramsom of Ovechkin proportions.

Oh, and yes, the was a half baked denial that said the gloves were ordered for Marian's brother Marcel, the former Hab who is now New York Ranger property, who was not so coincidentally in town that very night for a game against Les Canadiens.

I could see this coming!

Nice try!

Marcel is currently a member of the Hartford Wolf Pack, having been demoted to the AHL recently.

So, it would make total sense that he needs new gloves and that they would be sent to Montreal at the precise moment the Rangers were in town.

Does Marcel Hossa need new gloves?

The Wolf Pack wear the same colours as the Rangers!

I smell a coverup!

Mathias Brunet, who broke the story at La Presse, had much to add to the tale today, despite the refutals made. The spin says:

At the top, let's make it perfectly clear: La Presse maintains it's version of facts that equipement in Canadiens colours was ordered for Marian Hossa of the Atlanta Thrashers, and that ongoing negotiations in this area are serious even though nothing can yet be officially announced about a trade involving the Canadiens and Thrashers.

It can be pointed to as fact for the moment, that the it can be confirmed that the piece of equipement in question - a pair of gloves - were odered by Hossa himself, and not by the Montreal Canadiens. That would go a long way to explain the Canadiens reaction yesterday morning, being caught completely off guard as they have nothing to do with the origin of the story. Nowhere did it say yesterday that the Habs had placed the order.

We can then understand why the Canadiens made no statement either way Wednesday, when it was suggested that the gloves were intended for Hossa's brother Marcel, currently in the AHL with Hartford, while the Rangers were in town.

We can however state that the pair of gloves destined for Marian are one thing, and that those headed for Marcel are another.

Benoit Brunet mentioned last night on RDS that he had his own informers saying that gloves for Hossa were also made in the colours of the Boston Bruins and Minnesota Wild, two other teams were Hossa is susceptible of landing by next Tuesday. At press time yesterday, no confirmation could be made that gloves in the colours of other teams were also constructed and ordered other than the ones in Canadiens colours.

The latest news on the subject of Hossa are the folowing: He was dressed for the Thrashers gama against Carolina and according to TSN, Atlanta GM was giving signing Hossa a final shot today despite the player having publically admitted chances were slim at best of getting a deal done before next Tuesday.

What arises from all this will be interesting to follow as his services are vied for. The two visits to the Bell Centre by Waddell make clear that his interest was serious in dealing Hossa to the Canadiens.

In addition, it is still not possible to confirm in any way that Michael Ryder and Mark Streit, names mentioned in the same breath as Hossa, are indeed heading the other way.

To reiterate, as we had repeated in yesterday's story, there is nothing enabling us to confirm that a transaction has been completed, only that negotiations are by all counts very serious.

Hossa Has One Foot In The Bell Centre

Robert L note: I was hearing about this Mathias Brunet piece from La Presse as early as 2 A.M. on CKAC. He it is transcribed. Oh boy!

There is no other evidence as of yet that La Presse can use to confirm that the Canadiens and Thrashers have in fact sealed a deal, but the paper has learned that as of yesterday, an equipement order in the colors of the Montreal Canadiens has been made in the name of Marian Hossa.

Orders as such don't neccessarily mean it's in the bag. Two years ago, a order was placed for Nikolai Khabibulin and Adrien Aucoin in the Canadiens colors, but Aucoin broke his ankle on the eve of the announced trade and everything was annuled. The word was they were all but headed to Montreal for Jose Theodore, Mike Ribeiro, and Pierre Dagenais.

It is also possible that a GM changes his mind at the last minute in light of a better offer.

However, orders are not placed with equipement manufacturers unless talks have reached serious proportions. Companies can take a day to manufacture a pair of gloves or pants to an athletes specifications and the Canadiens would be placing the order to have the equipement ready for the player's timely arrival for the next game.Names circulating as going the other way were Michael Ryder and Mark Streit, and either a prospect or a draft pick, but nothing existed to confirm as much.

During the last day of General Manager meetings in Naples, Florida yesterday, certain rumors were jumping the gun. Late yesterdat afternoon the CBC had posted on it's website a tradec sending Michael Ryder to Calgary in return for Alex Tanguay but the news was quickly and quietly pulled.

Several hints recently pointed to Bob Gainey and Don Waddell pulling off a big deal. Gainey hasn't hidden the fact this week that he's looking to add an impact player to the lineup.

Waddell has taken in some Canadiens games over the past two weeks and even skipped his own team's practice to watch the Canadiens play in Florida eight days ago. At the Bell Centre, Waddell joked with the local press that he was in town to watch a player who wasn't even dressed (Michael Ryder).

The Thrashers GM has maintained that he wants to aquire players that could help Atlanta in the short if he should part with Hossa, since he considers his team still in the runnung for a playoff spot and perhaps even first place in their division. He has also made it clear that he is seeking an offensive defenseman.

Marian Hossa, Mark Streit and Michael Ryder all have identical contract situations and will be free agent at the term of the season. It is not out of the question that the teams involved has given each permission to talk contract with the players they would be aquiring. CJAD analyst Murray Wilson had declared on air that Gainey had received such a privelege from Waddell to talk contract with Hossa.

Hossa, who is making 7 million dollars this season, has seen his numbers drop below standard with 53 points in 58 games, but notched 100 and 92 in the two preceeding years. He remains one of the most gifted wingers in the league.

Here's hoping for the Canadiens sake that Hossa remains as prolific as before and that this formidable player fits nicely into that new equipement...

Habs Have Hots For Hossa

You have heard, and will continue to hear, rumours concerning Atlanta Thrasher's impending UFA Marian Hossa in the next 18 days. As trade deadline day looms large, the prospective landing destination of Hossa will be a hot topic until his future is decided.

It only makes sense - Hossa is the best player available from this year's rent a player crop.

The 29 year old Slovak is about to enter the peak years of his career, and the writing is on the wall that he will not be resigning in Atlanta.

Now there is writing on the wall, and then there is reading between the lines!

Another good, applicable hockey cliche is, where there is smoke, there's fire!

Hossa is into the third year of an 18 million dollar contract with the Thrashers, and money can't be the reason he hasn't resigned - he's already getting it in spades.

I'd assume that if Atlanta wished to retain him, and surely they do, an offer of a million or so per season raise over an extended five years would do the trick.

It would be a fair evaluation of his worth in today's market.

Some will surely suggest he's not worth it, while others might admit he could wrangle even more from the right team.

As often is the case with players nearing the age of thirty who have yet to win a Cup, money and loyalty suddenly become secondary concerns to the almighty coin.

Hossa is as good as gone from this southern state, and everyone from the player, to the agent, to the GM holding his rights, is not foolish enough to lower their guard and admit it. Admissions in such scenario's cost dollars on one hand, and bargaining power on the other.
Mum is the word - usually!















When the player's agent, and the team's GM start offering public denials on record, involving a player's contract, it is the scent of damage control.

Again, where there is smoke.....you can sniff it!

Last season, for inexplicable reasons, the Thrashers sold the farm to get their mits on Keith Tkachuk at the trade deadline. They now have to replenish the sold off assets, and Hossa is their ticket.

Atlanta GM Don Waddell knows that delivering a signed Hossa to a team would allow him more return on this exchangable asset. He aquired Hossa in this manner, after the Senators signed him to his current deal three seasons ago.

He surely would not have aquired him in 2005 without the contract in hand, and Waddell will likely seek a return on Hossa in a similar mode.

The Canadiens are one of the few teams that can fulfill his desire.

In the past week, numerous sources have claimed that such a scenario is being explored with dance partner Bob Gainey of the Canadiens. The rumour gains legs, as the thought process and philosophies fit into both team's GM's methods of operation.

Above that, Gainey has what Waddell needs - the Habs are up to their eyeballs in prospects.

Added to that, the Canadiens have what Hossa likes - a soon to be contending team loaded with European style players that he would have tons of fun with.

I see a fit.

















Waddell, it seems, has had many conversations with Hossa on the subject of his future. There is no imminant contract signing with the Thrashers about to be announced. Hossa and agent may, or may not, have suggested that if Waddell were to trade him to his prefered destination at this time, one where he could sign a deal and play for a contender, then it would facilitate maximizing the return Waddell seeks.

Hossa's agent, Rich Winter, is one coy negotiator. The players he represents love him, as he makes GM's squirm and bend to his demands. He has quite a history of being difficult in negotiation, going all the way back to when the Edmonton Oilers stars sought to be paid their worth in the late 1980's.

Winter is no stranger to using the media to set things up in order to maximize the monetary gain of his players. He is one of the rare agents to be so brazingly unscrupulous.

(Think about the name Rich Winter for a moment! The opposite of his name would be Poor Summer. His name is practically a pseudonym for what he represents!)

When Winter denies that the Habs have been given exclusive rights to negotiate with his client Hossa, would you believe it?

One day before, Waddell made the same denial.

Now, it gets curious. Why is Winter backing up the denial of a GM whose team his player is seemingly moving away from?

It begs a question, and an honest answer - not Winter's forte!

Don't kid yourself, the Canadiens are in the Hossa hunt.

Habs fans may be put off by the reputation of Hossa as a playoff slacker, but the perception disguises the the fact that he has put up respectable numbers come playoff time. Other than last season's Atlanta showing, Hossa had been a prime contributor to the Senators playoff goals.

While with Ottawa between 2002 and 2004, Hossa played 37 playoff games for Ottawa, and his totals read 12-18-30.

At this time of the NHL season, ramprant rumours fueled by speculation are the norm. You'll hear about everybody going everywhere for everyone for three weeks.

What jumps out of this context are the manager and agent's denials. It is my experience that when you hear about such pre trade contract talk priveledges being given, it is usually during their course of them or immediately after such talks break down.

The media have sniffed it out, and Waddell and Winter are being careful not to snub other teams that will come calling with offers that are better than whatever avenue they are pursuing with the Canadiens. Leverage is everthing at this time.

On Wednesday, the Sun media has this short blurb on it:

"The Habs are a rare exception among NHL teams: They have no interest in free-agent C Peter Forsberg.

As Forsberg prepares to make his comeback, Habs GM Bob Gainey won't be making a call to Forsberg's agent, Don Baizley.

Instead, it's believed the Habs have held several discussions with Atlanta GM Don Waddell about W Marian Hossa and have been working on a deal since last summer. A report last night said the Habs have been given permission to talk contract with Hossa, whose agent, Rich Winter, denied that. "Not true," said Winter in an e-mail. "It's just bizarre where this stuff comes from." If the Thrashers do make a deal, the Habs will have to compete with the Bruins, Senators and Wings. The asking price from the Habs is expected to be W Chris Higgins, a prospect and No. 1 pick in 2008."

Notice Winter's choice of the word "bizarrre" to render this information. There's nothing bizarre about it!

The Sun piece followed a La Presse story, courtesy of TFP here, that had Waddell and two other members of the Thashers organization on the Habs trail. It said:

"The Marian Hossa rumors continue to heat up, as Montreal's La Presse is reporting that the Atlanta Thrashers have been scouting the Canadiens. On Sunday, Thrashers GM/head coach Don Waddell took in the Canadiens' home game against the NY Rangers.

Waddell told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he was merely on a scouting trip and wasn't specifically there to talk trade with Habs GM Bob Gainey.

However, La Presse reports Waddell's right hand man, Mark Dobson, the Thrashers' Director of Player Personnel, also attended Sunday's game.

In fact, Dobson and Thrashers pro scout Peter Mahovlich were in Montreal Tuesday for their game against the Ottawa Senators.

The paper notes that a Hossa trade to Montreal is not set in stone. Sources tell TFP the two sides are talking, but nothing appears imminent.

According to La Presse, Waddell is covering his bases and weighing his options. If he cannot sign Hossa to an extension before the Feb. 26 trade deadline, he'll have to explore trading him.
If Hossa is traded, the Thrashers would apparently want a young NHL ready player and a first round pick, however the team might be interested in one of Montreal's top defensive prospects, a source said."

Now as coach of the Thrashers, it is extremely odd that Waddell would pack a suitcase for this. Even odder is the fact that his assistant made the trip. Normally assistants to GM's are the money men - as Julien Brisebois is in Bob Gainey's case - and they specialize in contract details rather than player specifics. That Dobson is also Atlanta's director of player personel, and that he was accompanied by a scout, makes all this sound even more serious.

Kovalchuk Was Almost A Canadien

Back in the summer of 2001 at the annual NHL Entry Draft, then Canadiens GM Andre Savard swung for the home run fence and pulled out all stops to aquire the Atlanta Thrashers first overall pick Ilya Kovalchuk.

Savard had offered a package of 5 players that included the team's two first round pick, with which they'd yet to use to select Mike Komisarek and Alexander Perezhogin.

At the draft table Thrasher's GM Don Waddell admitted that the Canadiens had come closest in luring him into a deal, and later confided that if the Habs had included one player over another he would have gone for it. Savard has never let on who the deal did include, but it was once reavealed that the player he refused to part with was goaltender Mathieu Garon.

Over time, it has slipped out that the players on the table included Richard Zednik for certain, and surprisingly Andrei Markov, who was just beginning to round out and was having adaptation problems to North American lifestyle at the time. Goaltender Jose Thoedore was the stumbling block in it all! Benoit Brunet's name was also mentioned as Savard levied to make it a 6 for 1 deal, but Waddell wouldn't budge in that direction.

As with many Canadiens fans, I ended up adoring the player Jose Theodore became, while considering the possibility that Garon, due to his size, might have the better upside.

Hindsight does blur perspective, Theodore being the Hart Trophy winner the very next season, must have made Waddell second guess himself some.

Foresight is an altogether different beast. How could anyone have known in 2001 that in less than six seasons, Garon would outshine Theodore in the long haul?

The whole once upon a time scenario makes for some interesting backwards speculation. It took Atlanta six seasons to achieve a winning record and seven to make the playoffs, where they have yet to win a game. Montreal in that time, have never had a sniper near the prowess of Kovalchuk. He would not only have lifted fans from their seats in that span, he might have made the seats lift by themselves.

As it stands now the Thrashers have failed consistently due to the lack of a decent backline. Markov and Komisarek, had Atlanta chosen him, would surely have rectified this area.

Montreal is still in search of a gamebreaker the likes of Kovalchuk. Had they sacrificed such depth to aquire him, would they be any better off today?

Needless to say, the complexion of both teams would have been drastically altered had the deal gone down.

When one looks beyond this trade that never happened at teams like Tampa and Atlanta and their current standing, it could be underlined that one player does not make a team successful.
Waddell should have made the deal, in hindsight.

In the same perspective, it might be a good things for Habs fans that Savard was so fussy in his upside assessment of Garon. Despite the fact the he, and Theodore are no longer on the scene, it's hard to perceive that the Habs would have been better off in the long run.

Looking back and placing oneself in that timeline, Savard had he made the trade, might still be the Habs GM - hardly a hellsih scenario!

Whether Andre Savard and his staff would have drafted well enough since then to surround Kovalchuk well enough to make the team a contender within six seasons is guesswork beyond comprehension. Perhaps the Habs fate would have had them take steps back before turning things around. Those back steps might have led to better draft picks, and then again maybe not.

I guess it all comes down to which team one would rather have. One currently resembling the Thrashers - all punch and no pile, or the Canadiens, whose future has a future!