swflyers25
7-23-05, 6:27 PM
Bob Clarke
On informing John LeClair that we was placed on waivers today:
"I don?t think that he was surprised a lot. It?s not a nice way to start your day off, but he knew that this was coming. John has been so good for this team and this city. He knows that there was nothing that we could do about it."
On other player personnel moves:
"Tony Amonte has been placed on waivers for the purpose of buying him out also. I don?t think that we will sign Radovan Somik. We will let him stay in Europe. I think that we will get all of our juniors signed, including Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. We?ll get into free agency and maybe sign a defenseman or two."
On the rule changes:
"I like the new rules. It?s going to make a big change in our game. The play is going to go on continuously a lot better than it did in the past. Speed previously was fairly easy to nullify. Even though you always wanted speed on your team, good checking teams could really slow the game down and slow the good players down. There will be a lot more ice for guys like Carter, (Sami) Kapanen and those guys who have great speed to use. Our defense, with Kim Johnsson, Joni Pitkanen and Eric Desjardins, those guys who can skate and pass the puck, it will be good for them too. We still have to get two pretty big guys and get a more muscle back there. We need more size on the blueline. We have the offense, but we need some size."
On the prospects on the Phantoms:
"Carter and Richard were really exciting. To see players at that age be dominate players in the American (Hockey) League, which is a huge jump from juniors, it was really neat to see these top players coming along. It?s good that they are on our side."
On informing John LeClair that we was placed on waivers today:
"I don?t think that he was surprised a lot. It?s not a nice way to start your day off, but he knew that this was coming. John has been so good for this team and this city. He knows that there was nothing that we could do about it."
On other player personnel moves:
"Tony Amonte has been placed on waivers for the purpose of buying him out also. I don?t think that we will sign Radovan Somik. We will let him stay in Europe. I think that we will get all of our juniors signed, including Jeff Carter and Mike Richards. We?ll get into free agency and maybe sign a defenseman or two."
On the rule changes:
"I like the new rules. It?s going to make a big change in our game. The play is going to go on continuously a lot better than it did in the past. Speed previously was fairly easy to nullify. Even though you always wanted speed on your team, good checking teams could really slow the game down and slow the good players down. There will be a lot more ice for guys like Carter, (Sami) Kapanen and those guys who have great speed to use. Our defense, with Kim Johnsson, Joni Pitkanen and Eric Desjardins, those guys who can skate and pass the puck, it will be good for them too. We still have to get two pretty big guys and get a more muscle back there. We need more size on the blueline. We have the offense, but we need some size."
On the prospects on the Phantoms:
"Carter and Richard were really exciting. To see players at that age be dominate players in the American (Hockey) League, which is a huge jump from juniors, it was really neat to see these top players coming along. It?s good that they are on our side."