swflyers25
7-08-05, 1:47 PM
General Manager eager to start next season
http://images.comcast-spectacor.com/flyers/story//13013.JPG
Bob Clarke, Flyers scout Serge Boudreault and Paul Holmgren at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft last summer.
Flyers General Manager Bob Clarke last week sat down for an interview with the local television network, CN8. He addressed such issues as the future of the Flyers organization, the Phantoms winning the Calder Cup, rule changes that could be incorporated into the NHL, and finally how anxious he is to get back to work.
Question: Nobody knows for when there will be new CBA agreement, but would you say it would be sooner or later?
Clarke: ?From the rumors we hear, it is closing in on ending.?
Question: One would think everybody has had enough and it is time to go back to work.
Clarke: ?I think that is the feeling everybody has. It has dragged on far too long. Let?s get it done. It is time to go to work.?
Question: Should we see a lot of the Phantoms making an impact with the Flyers once they hit the ice?
Clarke: ?Yes. There will be six or seven of them for sure. Our team was a very young team in the American Hockey League and they won the Calder Cup so how much better can we get? We don?t know what the salary levels are going to be in the NHL but we will certainly buy-out some of the veteran players and make room for these kids, because they have to play and they are good enough to play in the NHL. They are ready for the NHL.?
Question: Was it a good ?stop-gap? for the fans to have hockey, even if it was minor league hockey, and for the team to deliver a championship to the city?
Clarke: ?The AHL playoffs were really good and entertaining. Some of these 19, 20 and 21-year-old kids played so good and at such a high level in order to win. For our organization and the fans that was very encouraging because these kids are going to be the future of the Flyers.?
Question: There was enthusiasm on the ice and in the stands during the AHL playoffs. What is it going to be like when the NHL starts again? It is not going to be the same old thing, correct?
Clarke: ?It?s not going to be the same old game for sure and it?s not going to be the same old players either. I think a lot of NHL teams are going to put a lot of their young players into their line-up. They?re going to have to. They?re obviously going to be cheaper but they are also going to be ready for the NHL. The AHL was so good this year because all the young players were already there. Junior hockey was so much better because players like (Jeff) Carter and (Mike) Richards stayed that extra year. We developed a lot of young players this winter and a many will be playing in the NHL next year. Also, the recent rule changes to keep the action constant. There will be more sustained action than there ever has been in the past.?
Question: Does the game need that at this time?
Clarke: ?The rule changes don?t have to be huge, but I think a rule like the tag-up rule will allow more forechecking. Personally I don?t think the red line needs to be taken out. The red line was actually put in to increase offense. I think if we take it out it will just increase defense, not increase the offense that some people think it will.?
Question: How have you been able to deal with this whole work stoppage?
Clarke: ?You go through the stages of anger and then frustration. Eventually it becomes, ?Just tell us when it?s over.? We are not even involved on a day-to-day, week-to-week or month-to-month basis like the people who are negotiating. The rest of us are tired of the whole thing. We just want to be told when it is finally over.?
Question: We all know how you love the game. Can you take a step back and say ?what have we done here??
Clarke: ?What we did was hurt the game, the owners and players. Now we have a lot of preparing to do to get the fans back and happy with the players and the game. We?re going to certainly try our hardest to make it happen in Philadelphia. Other cities like Montreal, Toronto, Boston and other cities that have been successful in the past should be okay. How much it is going to hurt Nashville, Atlanta, Florida and teams like these, remains to be seen.?
Question: What do you think the fan reaction is going to be when things start again?
Clarke: ?I think it?s going to be okay in Philly. Fans are going to be excited about our team because they are going to be able to watch all these young players. We brought in players like (Eric) Lindros and (John) LeClair when they were young and the building was full and I think are building will be full again. We will have an exciting product.?
Question: Maybe not from a talent standpoint, but from a dollars and cents standpoint, do you think the superstars of hockey will disappear?
Clarke: ?No. The best players will always be the best players, regardless of the games and rules. They will always be paid the best. The rules we were under in the last agreement caused a lot of players to make a lot of money. Players made this money because they were free agents in a year where there were not too many free agents and a team that had money needed that particular player. This did not mean this player was a star, but he got star money. Under what we understand what this new agreement is about, we will have more parity amongst the teams. Star players on a team will still be paid the most but you won?t have the ?non? stars getting that kind of star money.?
Question: At some point you will hopefully have a new collective bargaining agreement. How long will the healing process be between the owners and the players?
Clarke: ?There really is not a problem between Philadelphia Flyers players and Philadelphia management. The majority of the players and majority of the managers have been kept out of everything that has gone on. I don?t think the players are blaming me or Flyers management or Mr. Snider because of what has been happening and we are certainly not blaming them. There will be no healing process necessary here. It may be different in some cities that I am not aware of.?
Question: So trust is not an issue with the Flyers?
Clarke: ?No. We trust the athletes will play the best they possibly can for us and they trust that we will but the best possible team together on the ice to try and win games.?
Question: For lack of a better word, how are you going to ?sell? the game? Is it going to be a recovery or a new beginning or some of both?
Clarke: ?Probably some of both. Once this agreement is in place, and we are assuming that we are going to have an agreement, I hope to get our players back and out in the public. We want the people to know that we are going to play and know what our team is going to be. More than sell the individual players, we sell the team. It?s always about the team.?
Question: Does it look like this season is going to start on time?
Clarke: ?Every rumor we hear is that they are coming close to finalizing a deal. I am certainly hoping that it starts on time.?
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Flyers (http://www.philadelphiaflyers.com/pressbox/archive/2056.asp)
http://images.comcast-spectacor.com/flyers/story//13013.JPG
Bob Clarke, Flyers scout Serge Boudreault and Paul Holmgren at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft last summer.
Flyers General Manager Bob Clarke last week sat down for an interview with the local television network, CN8. He addressed such issues as the future of the Flyers organization, the Phantoms winning the Calder Cup, rule changes that could be incorporated into the NHL, and finally how anxious he is to get back to work.
Question: Nobody knows for when there will be new CBA agreement, but would you say it would be sooner or later?
Clarke: ?From the rumors we hear, it is closing in on ending.?
Question: One would think everybody has had enough and it is time to go back to work.
Clarke: ?I think that is the feeling everybody has. It has dragged on far too long. Let?s get it done. It is time to go to work.?
Question: Should we see a lot of the Phantoms making an impact with the Flyers once they hit the ice?
Clarke: ?Yes. There will be six or seven of them for sure. Our team was a very young team in the American Hockey League and they won the Calder Cup so how much better can we get? We don?t know what the salary levels are going to be in the NHL but we will certainly buy-out some of the veteran players and make room for these kids, because they have to play and they are good enough to play in the NHL. They are ready for the NHL.?
Question: Was it a good ?stop-gap? for the fans to have hockey, even if it was minor league hockey, and for the team to deliver a championship to the city?
Clarke: ?The AHL playoffs were really good and entertaining. Some of these 19, 20 and 21-year-old kids played so good and at such a high level in order to win. For our organization and the fans that was very encouraging because these kids are going to be the future of the Flyers.?
Question: There was enthusiasm on the ice and in the stands during the AHL playoffs. What is it going to be like when the NHL starts again? It is not going to be the same old thing, correct?
Clarke: ?It?s not going to be the same old game for sure and it?s not going to be the same old players either. I think a lot of NHL teams are going to put a lot of their young players into their line-up. They?re going to have to. They?re obviously going to be cheaper but they are also going to be ready for the NHL. The AHL was so good this year because all the young players were already there. Junior hockey was so much better because players like (Jeff) Carter and (Mike) Richards stayed that extra year. We developed a lot of young players this winter and a many will be playing in the NHL next year. Also, the recent rule changes to keep the action constant. There will be more sustained action than there ever has been in the past.?
Question: Does the game need that at this time?
Clarke: ?The rule changes don?t have to be huge, but I think a rule like the tag-up rule will allow more forechecking. Personally I don?t think the red line needs to be taken out. The red line was actually put in to increase offense. I think if we take it out it will just increase defense, not increase the offense that some people think it will.?
Question: How have you been able to deal with this whole work stoppage?
Clarke: ?You go through the stages of anger and then frustration. Eventually it becomes, ?Just tell us when it?s over.? We are not even involved on a day-to-day, week-to-week or month-to-month basis like the people who are negotiating. The rest of us are tired of the whole thing. We just want to be told when it is finally over.?
Question: We all know how you love the game. Can you take a step back and say ?what have we done here??
Clarke: ?What we did was hurt the game, the owners and players. Now we have a lot of preparing to do to get the fans back and happy with the players and the game. We?re going to certainly try our hardest to make it happen in Philadelphia. Other cities like Montreal, Toronto, Boston and other cities that have been successful in the past should be okay. How much it is going to hurt Nashville, Atlanta, Florida and teams like these, remains to be seen.?
Question: What do you think the fan reaction is going to be when things start again?
Clarke: ?I think it?s going to be okay in Philly. Fans are going to be excited about our team because they are going to be able to watch all these young players. We brought in players like (Eric) Lindros and (John) LeClair when they were young and the building was full and I think are building will be full again. We will have an exciting product.?
Question: Maybe not from a talent standpoint, but from a dollars and cents standpoint, do you think the superstars of hockey will disappear?
Clarke: ?No. The best players will always be the best players, regardless of the games and rules. They will always be paid the best. The rules we were under in the last agreement caused a lot of players to make a lot of money. Players made this money because they were free agents in a year where there were not too many free agents and a team that had money needed that particular player. This did not mean this player was a star, but he got star money. Under what we understand what this new agreement is about, we will have more parity amongst the teams. Star players on a team will still be paid the most but you won?t have the ?non? stars getting that kind of star money.?
Question: At some point you will hopefully have a new collective bargaining agreement. How long will the healing process be between the owners and the players?
Clarke: ?There really is not a problem between Philadelphia Flyers players and Philadelphia management. The majority of the players and majority of the managers have been kept out of everything that has gone on. I don?t think the players are blaming me or Flyers management or Mr. Snider because of what has been happening and we are certainly not blaming them. There will be no healing process necessary here. It may be different in some cities that I am not aware of.?
Question: So trust is not an issue with the Flyers?
Clarke: ?No. We trust the athletes will play the best they possibly can for us and they trust that we will but the best possible team together on the ice to try and win games.?
Question: For lack of a better word, how are you going to ?sell? the game? Is it going to be a recovery or a new beginning or some of both?
Clarke: ?Probably some of both. Once this agreement is in place, and we are assuming that we are going to have an agreement, I hope to get our players back and out in the public. We want the people to know that we are going to play and know what our team is going to be. More than sell the individual players, we sell the team. It?s always about the team.?
Question: Does it look like this season is going to start on time?
Clarke: ?Every rumor we hear is that they are coming close to finalizing a deal. I am certainly hoping that it starts on time.?
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
Flyers (http://www.philadelphiaflyers.com/pressbox/archive/2056.asp)