Ottawa Senators

[donpaulo]

Looks like Wikstrand went home to be with his brother who has cancer

ouch, this could turn out to be a nasty little diversion

Hopefully the Sens do the right thing here

[Axeman33]

Looks like Wikstrand went home to be with his brother who has cancer

ouch, this could turn out to be a nasty little diversion

Hopefully the Sens do the right thing here

Here's more on that story:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/s...-sick-brother/

[Big Ev]

Doing the right right thing would be still not letting him play anywhere but North America, unless it drags on for many more months and he actually meets with management. Wikstrand hasn't even talked to Murray or anyone else on the team - think about that. Why would they let him play without even talking to them about his situation, especially before he left. If he wants to play in Sweden then be a man and face your boss.

[bondon]

Hoffman come back I need you.

[larrylintz]

While it was incredibly unprofessional and immature to just not tell a GM who has his own serious health issues about the brother thing, if that is in fact the real reason then I hope Murray changes his tone. And if the kid is going to stay in Sweden this year to be with a dying brother, but still wants to play hockey, i don't see how it would help his development to play in a beer league all season. Maybe there's a reasonable compromise here. If i were Murray i'd try to talk to the kid's parents, since clearly the agent is in the dark.

[Big Ev]

While it was incredibly unprofessional and immature to just not tell a GM who has his own serious health issues about the brother thing, if that is in fact the real reason then I hope Murray changes his tone. And if the kid is going to stay in Sweden this year to be with a dying brother, but still wants to play hockey, i don't see how it would help his development to play in a beer league all season. Maybe there's a reasonable compromise here. If i were Murray i'd try to talk to the kid's parents, since clearly the agent is in the dark.

Wisktrand said his brother is doing OK so it doesn't sound like he's on the verge of dying. I am fully on board with Ottawa wanting to play in Binghamton and nowhere else right now. Everyone is affected by cancer but Wikstrand has a job to do.

If Murray decides diffrerently after talking with Wikstrand one-on-one, something Wikstrand is afraid to do, then maybe he will let him stay.

Nobody would understand the situation better than Murray, even if it had nothing to do with cancer. He's a GM who goes above and beyond trying to make his players feel comfortable and happy.

[larrylintz]

Yeah, it sounds more like the kid is homesick and maybe isn't a good fit with NA life and perhaps hockey dressing-room culture. I once played catch with a small-town guy in his 40s who had five pitches and hurt my hand with his fastball. He was recruited by an MLB team, went to the low minors, and just got homesick and left. I also met a taxi driver in Croatia who was about 6-9, he got NCAA scholarship but returned home in October, was too much of a culture shock though he deeply regretted that decision. Who the hell knows. We see incredibly well-spoken athletes at age 18-19, like mcdavid and crosby, and assume they are all that mature. But they're kids.

[notch4077]

Wilkstrand has been in contact with Murray so...

[Big Ev]

Wilkstrand has been in contact with Murray so...

maybe this just happened but as of yesterday he was not.

[Mr. Guru]

I am fully on board with Ottawa wanting to _____________________________

Fill in the blank. And the statement is true.

[Big Ev]

Fill in the blank. And the statement is true.

enough with the fluff

[Big Ev]

A goal against once again caused by a Gallagher dive. It's unbelievable how soft the Canadiens are.

[The Comish]

Wow, nice goal by Bobby Ryan to tie up the game at 3's with Detroit!

[larrylintz]

very nice rebound to get a point, shame they can't seem to figure out this 3 on 3 like some teams can. very disorganized. vs rangers someone, i think hoffman, tried to beat a couple of guys one on one in a crowd, of course gave up puck. no need for that kind of gamble.

[donpaulo]

Leukemia is no fricking joke. Its often cancer of the bone marrow, side effects include a propensity for infection. There are basically 2 kinds of cancer, the first gets its roots into you and takes your life, the second makes you weak so that opportunistic diseases such as Influenza or Pneumonia kills you. Those who have never experienced a family member with the 2nd kind of cancer do not understand the situation, thank goodness they haven`t because it really is a punch to the gut. You are sucking wind, yet its your loved one that is facing the grim reaper and you HAVE TO BE THERE for them. Or I suppose you could bail ... I don` t know about the rest of you but when my mom got the prognosis for cancer I was there for her. Went to the appointments, called the doctor, did the paperwork. Later I moved to Japan but called her 2 or 3 times a week, just to touch base.

So if you have Leukemia, are in the hospital for treatment which is a petri dish of disease the chances to catch some nasty Pneumonia are significantly increased. I can`t speak for Wikstrand but if its my brother then the Sens can get bent, screw the money too. Then again I would have said something to the team, the manager the GM but I don`t understand the Gary Cooper type to begin with.

The kid is far from home with a sick brother so he bails on the team. They do the right thing and tell him he is suspended only to discover its about cancer.

This is a learning opportunity, for Wikstrand, the team and the NHL. Get on the fricking ball guys ! They have cancer awareness yet the team and the player turn this in a circus. Its sad and shameful for everyone involved.

now back to your sens talk /cancerrant