Craig West interview with Bob Tory from 1.12.10 Huge thanks to Craig West for getting it to me, bigger thanks to John McKay at Gap Broadcasting who got it into an mp3 for Westie to pass on to me.

"If anyone doesn't like the direction of the team the last four years, come to my office and get a taste of my personality instead of hiding behind an anonymous name and throwing darts. I don't mind people criticizing what I do or the coaches but certainly it really got us when you start criticizing 16, 17, 18-year-old kids and you don't have the guts to do it publicly or be accountable for it.

These are kids who are playing the game because they love it and are trying to chase a dream and if that doesn't work out they have the schooling to fall back on, the education program. But to be saying who should be traded or be outta here, for an adult to do that to kids to me is sick, and I'd like to have an opportunity to go into their workplace and criticize what they do. These kids give us their best, sometimes, you know what, it's not good enough, other teams have better players or whatever, but we still have to respect them as young adults. And respect them and their families and treat them with respect. They're not professionals and they aren't making tons and tons of money who are accustomed to this.

The trade deadline makes most of these kids sick, most of these guys last night got very little sleep and all week were stressed out because the better your team is, they expect trades. There's not a kid in our room that wanted to leave this place. We've got great fans, good coaches, got a good environment, these kids like it here and to be uprooted is stressful. They're young guys and it's unfortunate that they have to go through that."

I was going to do a whole point/counterpoint analysis, and it may turn into that. But there's a couple things here:

• They are kids. I work with kids everyday, young adults, and it's a stressful enough time without the added hardship of being away from family and friends, trying to chase your dream.
• That being said (counterpoint), they have chosen to chase this dream, to live this lifestyle. We've seen over the last several years, more and more players get out of junior hockey because of the stress, not really sure if their heart is still in it, and so on.
• Since they are choosing this way of life, it could also be said (point, counterpoint, who knows) that they need to develop a thicker skin. That's the nature of the beast. If they intend to pursue hockey and become professionals, the scrutiny is only going to get worse. Granted, when they're professionals, they get paid and that helps ease the pain a little bit--just ask Rick DiPietro.
• Fans are going to speculate, this is nothing new. The internet technology has changed the nature of speculation, made it much more public, more widespread. It also makes it easier for people to not be held accountable, as Bob mentioned.
• I think speculating on deals is different than questioning him or telling him how to run the team. Yes we are fans, yes we are paying good money to be fans. I personally am not one who believes that being a season ticket holder entitles me to any more than anyone else. Though a season ticket will get you into the games, it doesn't allow you the right to think you own the team and can say what you'd like. That's like saying the police don't need to hassle you because your taxes pay their salaries.
• Counterpoint being: yes we can say what we like, First Amendment, baby. But as Bob mentioned, it comes down to respect. Respecting the players and their families. And that includes billets. The billet families take in these boys as if they were their own kids. This stuff is stressful for them too.
• Sure it'd be easy to say, ok then, don't read the message boards, don't read the blogs, but c'mon. As consumers of this hockey product, we all want more information, we want to talk about our team. Readership of this site alone (which is all the stats I have, I don't run the message boards) has increased dramatically since I began two years ago (as if it had anywhere else to go but up...).
• Personally, I know that I have more than once speculated, opined, and/or prognosticated about what I think should happen. Hell, I do an overage analysis every pre-season giving reasons why I think so-and-so should stay or go, I'm not saying I have not been guilty of the very thing Bob is talking about. However, I try to take good care to make my analysis, while it's my opinion, somewhat neutral. Meaning, if I am going to look at overagers for next season, I'll look at my reasons for keeping a certain kid, but also my reasons why said kid could be traded.

On a final note, because heaven knows I could keep rambling forever, as to the comment "hiding behind an anonymous name", yes I use an alias on here, I have from the beginning. That being said, I have never once hidden who I am, in fact it's pretty easy to figure out who I am--even without someone posting it on the Spokane Chiefs message board.

In fact, I have met with Bob, he knows full-well who I am. Originally, my purpose for going with an alias is that when I started this blog, I had no idea where I wanted to go with it, what my plan was for it. Hell, it didn't even have a name to it for several months. I originally had a "dummy" email address for people to contact me but changed it to my actual email, there's a function on the side there where you can instant message me, I've mentioned where I sit. It's not like it's a big secret.

-------------------------
Drinnan's got a link to a story from the London Free Press about the trade deadline as well:

Morris Dalla Costa of the London Free Press takes a look at major junior hockey and the trade deadline. That piece is right here. . . . The three or four weeks leading up to the trade deadline is easily the most embarrassing part of the season for major junior hockey. The leagues really have to do something to stop the have nots from selling out to the haves. But, at the same time, someone has to point out that the three major junior leagues aren’t the only guilty parties here. The way junior A teams move players around the country is at least as smelly.

Boys face off against Seattle tonight, with newly acquired Mike Brown in the lineup:

"It's a good thing for me," said Brown of the move after 2 1/2 years in Swift Current. "I'm definitely excited to be here. Just the thought of coming to a team with the chance of a long run is exciting."

Americans coach Jim Hiller said adding the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder to the roster is a big help after Todd Kennedy suffered a knee injury last weekend.

"I think any time you can add size -- and size that can play -- is important," Hiller said. "We want to make sure we have guys who can go up and down the lineup."

With Brown and the addition of Russian goalie Alex Pechurskiy after the Christmas break, Hiller sees good things ahead for his team.

"We couldn't keep Drew (Owsley) going at the pace he was," Hiller said of his top goaltender, who played 33 games before Christmas. "We are seeing Alex more comfortable and that's a position we are confident in. The nice part is that we have added pieces to be stronger. Today, we are in a much better position to do that (a long playoff run) than we have been all year."

Brown, who will wear No. 12, is not a prolific scorer, coming in with five goals and two assists.

"I'm a checking-line guy," Brown said. "I'm a role player -- a big body who is a physical presence on the ice. I just have to go out, play hard, do what I came here to do and make an impression on the coach." (Herald)

Aaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnndd that's it. That's all I got in me. Thanks to Scotty Wazz with the point/counterpoint stuff and with some wording issues I was having. Less than three.