The Inevitable End

What I heard was a requiem for a heavyweight.

Nothing wrong with that.

What I also heard was a dedicated, long-time hockey guy lamenting the way the business used to be, the way the game used to be.

Nothing wrong with that.

That's what I heard behind all the words Brian Burke uttered today while announcing the team's decision to send enforcer Colton Orr to the minors after he had cleared waivers.

Let me repeat that. After the Leafs CHOSE to send Orr down. Nobody made Burke do it. It wasn't about a cap consideration. If Orr was so beloved and his role so important, the Leafs could have kept him.

It was Burke and Ron Wilson who decided not to use Orr this season and, more to the point, he and Wilson who decided another, younger tough guy, Jay Rosehill, was more valuable to the team. Burke will have to explain this to team ownership, why a $1 million player will be getting that money to skate in the AHL, although my guess is that is a small part about what pained Burke about this decision.

He likes Orr. Most people who played with him have liked Orr. In Toronto, he chose not to talk a whole lot, so we didn't get to know him much, about how he got a late start in hockey but still made the big time, about how he designed his own tattoos. Heck, after he was concussed badly last season, we never really heard from him again.

Burke likes Orr, and he likes fighters, and he likes fighting. He and I have been up and down this subject for years. He loves to call me a "Greenpeace puke," and I laugh, mostly because he knows I'm not changing my anti-fighting views and he's not changing his.

In fact, the way in which enforcers like Orr are discarded when they aren't needed, either because they can't fight any more or play well enough to justify their presence in the lineup, is one of the many reason I despise the presence of fighting in the game. That, plus the damage it does to these gladiators, and they are gladiators, albeit well-paid ones. We know a lot more about the damage after the de-mystifying process of last summer, and after Bob Probert, and after John Kordic. But those who love fighting choose either to look the other way to the huge toll it takes or say that simply adds courage and honour to a tough job.

When the Leafs signed Orr away as a free agent from the Rangers, it wasn't a bad decision. He was a legitimate heavyweight, Burke's championship experience in Anaheim had taught him such players were an invaluable component to team success and he wanted to forge a new personality for the Leafs.

But less than five years after the Ducks won it all, the game has indeed changed, changed to a remarkable degree considering the relatively short period of time. Speed, or lack of it, and a concussion (or more than one) rendered Orr unable to keep his job. That said, he has this year and next year on his deal and if he goes to the Marlies and works on his game and his skating, well, who knows what might happen? This is a sport that handsomely rewards those who can re-invent themselves.

The other stuff in Burke's presser today, about rats in the game and concern about accountability, well, he believes it but I'm not buying. Such players have always been in the game, probably always will be. They existed before the instigator rule, and after. They were there in the 1960s and every decade since, arguably in larger numbers than now. The Leafs have had their share of these agitators. Bill Berg. Darcy Tucker. The great Bobby Clarke was surely one. The list is long.

They've existed because they can be effective. They've never been scared of heavyweights like Orr because they never had to fight them. Indeed, players like Clarke and Ken "The Rat" Linesman were able to poke and prod and needle largely because the beefier fellows on their own teams were more than happy to do the fighting, to be enablers, as it were, so they could continue to do the rat-work.

Dan Carcillo might be the worst rat in the game today. Well, when he hit Tom Gilbert the other night, Gilbert's Edmonton teammate, enforcer Ben Eager, was on the ice. Sure didn't stop Carcillo did it? The only retribution he faced was from the league, which suspended him seven games. Which is the way it's supposed to work. Next time it will be 10 games. Soon he'll be unemployable.

Burke lamented a time when players fought their own battles. Well, had Dion Phaneuf wanted to, he could have dropped them with Steve Downie of the Lightning the other night just like the "good old days," but wisely Phaneuf thought better of it, knowing it would be a total waste of his talent and energy. But Downie wasn't running away from fighting. He challenged just about every Leaf out there to fight. He's a rat, but he's accountable for his own rat-ness.

So to me, today's Burke presser was about feeling bad for Orr, missing the way the game used to be played and regretting sending an NHL salary to the minors for no pressing reason other than he needed to open a roster spot and Orr was the least valuable guy on the team.

Nothing wrong with any of that.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Al]

I feel the same way about Colton Orr that I did about Tie Domi, any team that he's good enough to be on doesn't have the depth to compete with the top level teams in the league!

If anything, I'm encouraged by the fact that they don't have a spot for him on the roster...

[Paul]

You are always gonna have guys like Carcillo..but he has a list of bad behavior the length of his arm..how many slaps on the wrist does a guy like him get??
Oh sure the next time he might get 10 games..oh Golly Gee! he should have been gone a long time ago.

[Pat Ribble]

re rats: Ken Linseman aside, I recall Don Saleski was a pretty effective rat.

[Matt B]

Could agree with your more. Nothing wrong with that.

[5440orfight]

Good read Damien but i have a slight problem with ur views on this one, when you were being courted by the sports networks you didn't hesitate to choose the network that promotes heads shots every 3 or 4 comercials they show(all be it, a different sport,UFC) and I'm sure you had your reasons for your choice,But i do wonder why only head shots in hockey seem important to you. Brian Burke had a descision to make and he made it , as did you.......In the end I wonder who's was more honorable.

[A Facebook User]

So if someone can get away with cheap shot and end a players career like Cooke-Savard, can we, should we, tolerate this? I think Burke's message is - well I don't want to upset my buddy Bettman so I'll give kudos to the way we play game post-lockout and all, BUT, I like fighting and toughness. I like the star protector. You touch Grtez, then Semenko is coming after you kinda thing.

[Ginkgo]

Damien, you must admit that injuries to key players are up significantly since enforcers roles have been diminished due to the new rules.

I could see a correlation made between the lack of player enforcement and skilled player injuries. I know you don't agree with this.

Nothing wrong with that.

The element of players, such as Downie, is the concern. I was hoping to read how you would tackle that element of the game rather than your normal rant of anti-fighting every time someone brings up this topic.

How would you go about eliminating THAT element from the game?

[Mark Whitney]

Here's a thought. Maybe Burke is lamenting the fact that his penalty killing stinks, so the 'rats' as he calls them can do there worst without fear of retribution. The Leafs can't afford for anyone to sit 2 minutes and Orr would be a likely candidate for that. Teams like Boston can afford to put rats in their place because they have possible the 2 best goaltenders in the NHL and Chara. The Leafs have shaky goaltending and nobody who I would consider a 'shut down' guy on D. So, lament all you want Mr. Burke.... but let's not kid ourselves. If you had a PK maybe a guy like Orr could do a little police work without costing the team a goal.

[Jeff Prince]

But if Ben Eager goes after Carcillo after that hit guess what?..... Instigator! He hurts his team by eliminating his team's power play.

[Mark Berry]

"Dan Carcillo might be the worst rat in the game today. Well, when he hit Tom Gilbert the other night, Gilbert's Edmonton teammate, enforcer Ben Eager, was on the ice. Sure didn't stop Carcillo did it?" ---->> While the instigator rule is in place, players will continue to take cheap shots. Eager was on the ice, yes...but so what - his coach has it drilled into the players heads to not cost the team a power play, or to leave his team shorthanded....if you think the NHL doesn't need fighting, then you are probably one of the "fans" who enjoyed Pacioretty's cheap shot to the head of Letang. Yes, you'll say "but Pacioretty got suspended"....big freakin' deal, he got a few days off and lost some pay which he will never, ever miss....no punishment there.

[Conn Smythe]

'The only retribution he faced was from the league, which suspended him seven games. Which is the way it's supposed to work. Next time it will be 10 games. Soon he'll be unemployable.' If there is a 'next time' (and I hope there isn't) I hope Carcillo gets suspended for 25 games (because he is such a repeat offender). A 10 game suspension won't do it for these type of players.

[Ron]

I agree with all that you said Damien. Unfortunately for Burke he is an admitted proponet of fighting and as long as he is involved in the hockey world he will not or cannot change.I don't get it...the world changes like it or not. Hopefully he has enough common sense guys around him to save him from himself.

[Dennis Regan]

Sick game still! We can fix it though - dump the goon-makers!

[TC]

I don't understand how anyone can call Carcillo a "rat" He fights once every 4 games at least and has fought Eager on multiple occasions. He shows no similarities with Darcy Tucker minus the size, but in Carcillos case he does not turtle when he's challenged. Sad to hear about Orr and his concussions. Hope everything works out in his favor.

[Sean Kaye]

Actually to be fair and call point of order, Damo, you're wrong. Aulie stepped up and you could see him challenging Downie after his cheap shot on Phaneuf. Downie wanted absolutely no part of Aulie and I suspect if Eager had challenged Carcillo he would have wanted no part of Eager.

Players like Downie and Carcillo just pick their spots and unfortunately, the instigator rule and some of the odd refereeing we've been seeing the last month (Torts called it) only contributes to the problem.

[Bill]

"but Downie wasn't running away from fighting. He challenged just about every Leaf out there to fight. He's a rat, but he's accountable for his own rat-ness."

Dude, did you watch the same game that I watched?? (the one where Downie wouldn't even look at Aulie &.Boyce when both tried to engage Downie after his attempted shananigans with Phaneuf)

[moe green]

Another great piece Damien.

[RRWM]

To me, this demotion was about a combination of things...cap space for another trade with Anaheim, making roster room for Komi, Brown, Army etc, as well as conditioning for Orr in case we need him against Boston come playoff time...all this disguised for Burke to make his personal political statement which I agree with...nothing wrong with that...

[Mike]

Brian Burke's lament for a heavy weight obscures the fact that the Leafs are a far better team without Colton Orr in the lineup. What's troubling is the length of time that coach Wilson and Burke took to realize it. Burke's defence of hockey enforcers should also be troubling to the league. Here is a general manager of a National Hockey League team declaring publicly that he has more confidence in Colton Orr to enforce the rules than he does in Brendan Shanahan and the on ice officials. Imagine if this concept applied to other aspects of life. Would it entitle me to sideswipe the guy who cut me off on the highway?
The enforcers are the dead men walking of hockey. They detract from the speed and excitement of the game. Even dinosaurs like Brian Burke must know this and that's why Colton Orr has gone to the minors.

[Dana Lomas]

It strikes one as just a little bit perplexing that the hockey traditionalists still believe that the presence of a so-called 'enforcer' on the ice is somehow going to strike fear into the hearts of the 'rats' who take liberties with the rule book. Given the speed of the game these days, and the average size and weight of the players, and the inevitability of high-intensity collisions -- accidental or not -- possibly resulting in career and/or life threatening injuries, these players literally put it all on the line every time they step on the ice to compete. What makes anyone think that a few bare-fisted whacks to a helmeted head is going to make them think twice before doing exactly what they've been trained and conditioned to do since they started playing for keeps? If they're fearless enough to play the game at this level, knowing full well the very real potential for major injuries and pain, then getting into a scrap with some 'tough' guy is hardly going to alter the fear-factor. The only solution, it seems, is getting tougher with penalties and suspensions. Keep increasing them until they get the message, or find themselves out of a job.

[Bill]

"Dan Carcillo might be the worst rat in the game today. Well, when he hit Tom Gilbert the other night, Gilbert's Edmonton teammate, enforcer Ben Eager, was on the ice. Sure didn't stop Carcillo did it? The only retribution he faced was from the league, which suspended him seven games."

Two words - Instigator rule.

[Steve C.]

The league just needs to get smart and eliminate the 'staged' fights. (This should even keep you quiet for awhile Damien....of course you'd never be happy or proud of our game though) These fights accomplish absolutely nothing and give the illusion that ALL fighting is unnecessary or stupid. I don't know of anyone who actually likes these (other than the fighters who can retire after a few years of them).

[Jonathan, Montreal]

Good article Damien.
I admit I do enjoy watching some heavyweight tilts, but over the years, your arguments against fighting have made me at least realize that this sideshow doesn't sell hockey to the masses but instead works to undermine it's growth (i.e. sustainability).

[Craig]

About Downie supposedly wanting to fight I don't know where you get that from. From what I saw, just about every Leaf wanted a piece of Downie so he shouldn't have had trouble finding a dance partner. Keith Aulie had his gloves off and Downie wouldn't fight him, I don't blame him for not wanting to fight the wookie on skates, but clearly there was a fight there is Downie would accept and I'm sure Aulie wasn't the only willing participant.