Upon Further Review

Hello?

It's a BLOG people...web log...as in writing one's thoughts - no one ever said blogs were to be researched. In fact most of them are supposed to be off the top of one's head and filled with all that good stuff like speculation, wit, sarcasm, even cynicism. Maybe the headline got your attention as if a Leafs blogger/writer/radio host would know something you cowtown folks don't??

Funny stuff methinks (although I hated the headline and blog too). Hey, how about some CBC local "rising star" from Calgary/Edm/Van starting a blog about the Leafs? It would be great to have some headlines like "Should Pogge be unhappy about poor starting goaltending in Toronto?" or "Maurice may be looking to unload Sundin now and get some quality building players for the future" or "Leafs fans should demand overhaul of management and players". I think it would great to hear this from a western blogger...

"Not everyone is happy about the Kiprsoff deal"? Your a journalist, so please, at least humour us with one source who supports your assuming headline. I hope Irving likes having what he 'supposedly thinks' published front-and-center on CBC's website in a length-challenged story.

The only ones likely be unhappy about the deal are other teams who are shutout during the next six years.

Excellent job on Calgary's part for signing one of the best 'minders in the game today. He's going to be a potential all-star for that entire contract (can't wait to see what Finland does at the next few tourneys).

All Sutter needs to do now is ensure the defense doesn't turning into one of the worst in the game (just a comment to stick up for both Raycroft and Toskala, both benefactors of excellent defensive systems in their early careers).

I think the clue might be right there at the top "Jeff Marek, one of sports talk radio's brightest stars...". Sports. Talk. Throw something out there, get a reaction, get people talking. But yeah, finding a way to criticize the Kiprusoff signing seems a little odd.

Keep the Kipper!

I agree, why worry about your backup? People that worry about their backups are teams like Ottawa, who have a real backup problem.

I like Calgary, so do us proud in the West and we'll see you in the finals hopefully.

Ottawa - Calgary - Stanley Cup finals. Let's go boys, all Canadian final for once.

After we had Eddie Belfour and Curtis Joseph here in Toronto, the benefits of a first rate, top notch, number one, save the day, netminder have spoiled the "we like to cry" crowd here at the ACC. Our tenders are both very good here and I hope they get the same steady defence that Sutty gives Kipper. Good on the Flames, good on Kipper, can we have Dion Phaneuf?
We will give you guys the CN Tower and the entire Toronto Argonauts defensive line!

Who in Calgary knows who Leyland Irving. And until he's a proven goalie, who cares. Who at CBC wrote this article about Irving when he could have written so many positive stories on Kipper and how the Calgary sports fans think this is an excellent win-win deal. Maybe he couldn't find a Toronto-slant so a negative piece is all he had left. Typical.

Why would a backup dislike this sort of move when all it does for the 'goaltender of the future' is provide him with a bargaining chip for his own negotiations? Won't he now be able to say, with a solid performance, that he is equally deserving? This is the sort of thing that decisions in arbitration are based on...merely speculating on someone's feelings seems silly to begin with, but it becomes downright ignorant when you're wrong.

My initial thoughts after reading the headline: "Not everyone is happy about the Kiprusoff deal” had me believing that someone of consequence actually thought this was a bad move on the part of the Flames' organization! Of course the only person who may have any reason to be upset about the deal is Kipper himself, who, by all rights, would have received a LOT more by entering the free agent market!

Talk about misleading headlines!

Irving who???

Yeah, my point exactly.

Hey Tim, it's clear that Jeff meant that whole Leyland Irving thing tongue-in-cheek. I found the bit pretty funny personally . Classic Corporate Flames "Fan" For You...

Frank the article doesn't say he was insistent on $7million, it says that's what they were seeking. That's how negotiations tend to work, teams come in with fairly significantly different starting offers and reach a compromise. Just so you know.

What a deceiving headline! One would think that, from the headline, there was some kind of revolt within the locker-room...but really it based a completely speculative article with no quotes on which to base itself. As any hockey analyst knows, a goalie usually take until they are at least 27 years old before they are truly ready to be a number one goalie. Kiprusoff, himself, is evidence of this theory.

Give Irving a chance to get some seasoning in the AHL and then let him learn from David Marcoux and Miikka. In 4 or 5 years, I doubt that Kiprusoff will be able to carry to workload that he now handles. It would be a great opportunity for Irving to get a chance to play 10-15 games a year to see how he reacts to the NHL game.

Of course they had to sign Kipper!

It's like saying they shouldn't have signed Iginla because there was some poor fella who was hoping to be their #1 centre.

Total eastern trash article.

Who is Irving again? Kiprusoff has proven himself. Why didn't you bring up Toskala or Raycroft getting multiple year deals when Racine, Pogge and Clemmenson were all at one point sitting in the minors? Bringing up DiPietro made absolutely no sense, he doesn't make the Islanders a competitive team.

Nice misleading headline. If Irving pans out he will land on his feet with the Flames or elsewhere. Don't create drama about the Flames where there is none - save that for your Leaf's coverage.

Its good to see Calgary lockup good talent such as kippersoff for the next while. When it comes to the big leagues got to take a chance on guys that have proven themselves in the past, and lets hope it carries them into the playoffs.

I think its great that the Calgary Flames have signed the Kipper to a 5 year deal, he has been in my opinion the backbone of the Calgary Flames, he is worth every penny.

Good for the Flames. The only bad news is that us Canuck fans will still have to see his ugly mug after every goal for the next six years.

Mr Marek,
First of all I would like to say that I enjoy reading about your insight into the game of hockey. However, I feel that your point of not everone being happy within the Flames is way off base. Kipper over the last 3.5 years has been the best goalie in the league. The stats cleary prove that. Only Brodeur is close to being in the same league as Kipper. All the other goalies have one good year and are no where to be heard of the next year(Luongo). As for the other goalies being upset within the flames organization, that point is totally off base. Irving and Krahn are both unproven and need to play in the minors to get their skill level up for the NHL. Kipper, Iggy, and Regehr all signed for below par value. You should write an article about how there is still loyalty in the NHL if the team treats its players with respect and gives them the opportunity to win. Show me another team who has their 3 top players sign for reduced salaries? There are none. The credit in this goes to Sutter and the players. Just watch and see how Phaneuff and Langkow are signed well before the end of the year so Calgary doesn't have to worry about the off season. Why don't you write an article on that.

Why would you be worried about an unproven goalies' feelings when you've got one of the best in the league already? What a stupid article!

I think the real gist of the article is that the leafs fans/management are the ones that "aren't happy" to see such a quality tender get taken off the market because they wanted him next year due to the fact that all of their goalies suck

Good for Kipper , good for Flames . I don't
think Leyland Irving or any of the other
Flames young goalie prospects will be jumping
off of any bridges over this. I guess they might
have to wait till they are 25 years old to
make it ... The great part is that they are still making good coin,and enjoying what they
do. Right ! Best part about Kipper is the fact he does not enjoy a microphone stuck
in front of his face and simply goes about
his business.

This is total non-sense questioning the length of the deal. Of course he wanted to stay in Calgary, it's a great city. What do you think we are, Edmonton?

Besides, most goalies are not truly great until 25 or older, just ask Marc Andre Fleury. This is about what Irving will be when Kipper is done.

Great job on the headline (read sarcasm here). "Not everyone is happy..."? You make it sound like there is a legitimate complaint coming from a Flames player, but it turns out to be a theory that one of their recent farm team additions is unhappy about it.

Shouldn't a published article in the news media have legitimate sources and actual news instead of a hypothesis that cannot be proven?

What a rediculous headline. So the lowest rung on the ladder isn't happy. Who cares. Everyone else is ecstatic.

As for the dollar figure perhaps Kipper plans to retire after 5 years. If so, he's doing the Flames a favour and we have an apparent loophole in the salary cap.

If you think a Kipper is going to take you back to the cup with the dismal lineup that makes the leafs look like an all-star team, your way way off track. This is the new NHL and offense is everything, somehow the flames thought they are immune to this new formula. Last in the league last year in offense, kipper being a very good goalie can not shoulder that team alone, even with Jerome. Good deal, but how long do you think the window for Stanley is open for with this team? If I was running this team, no way would I sign kipper, nor any other veterns. Calgary may be in a boom, but the flames need to rebuild!

What a mis-leading headline! It implies that someone in the Flame's organization is complaining about Kipper's contract, when , in fact, it's just a red-herring from Jeff Marek. Don't you have enough to write about in Toronto with your perenially pathetic Make-Believes?

The Flames sign what is probably one of the top three goalies in the NHL and a so-called hockey 'expert' from Toronto writes about the hurt feelings of a unproven goalie. Only in Toronto!

Good on the Calgary Flames to sign their netminder long term. Kipper is an excellent goalie in the NHL.

As usual, the only Canadian team with a lousy goalie (for the future) is Toronto. I guess we know which team will be dusting off the golf clubs come April.

Good on the Calgary Flames to sign their netminder long term. Kipper is an excellent goalie in the NHL.

As usual, the only Canadian team with a lousy goalie (for the future) is Toronto. I guess we know which team will be dusting off the golf clubs come April.

Lets put it this way: signing Kippersoff is for the benefit of the hockey club as a whole. If Darryl had not signed him, then Calgary would have reclaimed its spot at the bottom of the division.

Everyone is happy. Are you nuts? I bet Irving didn't even cross Sutter's mind during this decision. Kiprusoff is and will be among one of the top 5 goalies for the next six years. Calgary would be nuts to wait for Irving hence wait for a young guy to maybe develop, key word is maybe. Irving is unproven in the NHL and young. This contract for Kiprusoff is also good for Irving, no pressure. Irving can develop now. Goalies don't hit their peak until 30s. Your article's headline is way off.

Well done, Flames' management and well done, Kipper. We look forward to many happy and successful seasons to come.

Hey Frank - calm down!

This article is complete nonsense. If Kipper was insistent on $7million, he wouldn't have signed. Maybe he just doesn't want to uproot his family and move away from the city? Did you think about that? I doubt that Darryl Sutter held a gun to his head and forced him to sign.
How do you know how Irving feels? Did you ask him? Obviously not.
The fans are so relieved that we get to keep our goaltender for so much longer, which will keep us a competitive team, and give us something to cheer for come springtime, unlike Leafs fans.

Who cares? He's a backup for crying out loud. I'd rather be sure of who the starter is than what Leyland Irving is going to think.

How could you not sign Kipper long term? He is one of the best goalies in the league and letting him walk away after this season would have been unacceptable.