From the Pressbox

very sad...we all have to accept that ALL professional sports are just about the $$ now (college too btw), there's no honour anymore. International hockey is the only thing that's really exciting to watch these days. BTW - to the guy who thinks only the Canadian teams in the west have any heart, my Habs have one of the games few true 'heart' players in Saku Koivu and although the Montreal fans can be kind of cruel at times it shows that unlike TO fans, who put the blinders on every year, they wouldn't put up with the garbage that the Leafs organization seems to produce year after year.

hey there. i'm not a really big oilers fan but i like to catch some of their games when they're playing, this is one reason why i was quite surprised when chris pronger chose to opt out of playing in Edmonton. Like the guy had an unbelievable season there, he does every year but i think he played well because of the team atmosphere and how everyone just accepted him in the club so quickly. fans were excited and wanted to just see their team win. no one can really blame the oilers fans because all they wanted was to win the cup and with pronger's great playing ability it was bound to happen sooner or later. after his decision to leave the team it’s an obvious reason that the fans have a right to be upset. but how would you feel if you were asked the same question over and over again and it was regarding your personal life? Would you just openly tell the world that your family hates Edmonton or that they will leave you unless you do something about it. This is the exact same situation pronger was going through, he tried to keep his family away from the spotlight despite them already being in it. i believe pronger should be able to play freely and happily wherever he chooses to because he played in Edmonton and gave them the hope they can win and i mean why are the fans complaining? they did get lupul in return for pronger. they will get better in fact they are, the oilers do lead the northwest division, but i am and always will be a loyal flames fan, GO FLAMES GO!!!!

Each winter this area (Tampa Bay) is packed with Canadians who run away from dark and frozen northern winters. I suppose that Pronger haters should despise them as well. Why don't all of you Edmonton folks move down here, then you can get mad at each other or, maybe, pick on the Tampa Bay Lightning players. But, of course, in nicer weather, you might be less cranky, eh.

hey there. i'm not a really big oilers fan but i like to catch some of their games when they're playing, this is one reason why i was quite suprised when chris pronger choose to opt out of playing in edmonton. like the guy had an unbelievable season there, he does every year but i think he played well because of the team atmosphere and how everyone just accepted him in the club so quickly. fans were excited and wanted to just see their team win. no one can really blame the oilers fans because all they wanted was to win the cup and with pronger's great playing ability it was bound to happen sooner or later. after his decision to leave the team it;s an obvious reason that the fans have a right to be upset. but how would you feel if you were asked the same question over and over again and it was regarding your personal life? would you just openly tell the world that your family hates edmonton or that they will leave you unless you do something about it.. this is the exact same situation pronger was going through, he tried to keep his family away from the spotlight despite them already being in it. i believe pronger should be able to play freely and happily wherever he chooses to because he played in edmonton and gave them the hope they can win and i mean why are the fans complaining? they did get lupul in return for pronger. they will get better in fact they are, the oilers do lead the northwest division, but i am a loyal flames fan GO FLAMES GO!

Chris Pronger captured the imagination of this city. When someone or something captures your imagination it is hard to flip back to see everything through the "its a business" lens and its easy to feel betrayed and hurt, its not logical but its reality. Pronger did a good job giving kudos to the fans before the game and he has often stated that he had a great time playing here. Unlike people in Toronto many of us in this city were faced with the real possibility of losing our team not too long ago. The fact that the Oilers were last year's Cinderella represented more than just winning a few hockey games it represents our victory in a battle we've been fighting since the mid 90's, hence the emotion.

I am sick and tired of reading comments like some of the ones posted here about Edmonton being a terrible place. Chris Pronger never said anything so awful about this city, his actions ticked people off but he was human enough to be decent about it and he never degraded the community. Negative comments about this city simply aren't true, believe it or not but a million people living in this region like it.

The comment below about Coach's Corner being Maple Leafs Corner is generous. Cherry should have been fired or had his pay docked for the way he managed to talk about junior hockey, minor hockey and NHL teams that weren't even on the ice DURING game 7 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Kelly Hrudey does a great job, stays on subject and provides interesting and informative analysis.
I dearly adore the CBC, but they must cease the practice of "bequeathing" the expertise of the eastern play-by-play team when all the eastern teams get the boot. I'll take the CBCs "western" hockey broadcast team any day, at least they can pronounce the players names and are familiar with how they play.

The only thing worse than an NHL player whining is the people who post comments on a blog regarding that issue with horrible spelling, grammar, and sentence structure. If you have a valid point to make at least make sure you spell check your posting so that we listen to what you say instead of laughing at how you say it.
PS, Pronger left and players will continue to leave for various reasons. I was a bit bitter but life goes on. I just wish the Ducks weren't doing quite so well.

i am an oilers fan and was quite upset that pronger wanted to leave after coming so close to winning the cup. I thought we had an awesome team. But i accepted he wanted to leave (with a scetchy explanation) and hoped the oilers would get something great in return. I think the only disappointment matching prongers departure was the trade for him. I thought lowe could have done way better. But lowe is looking towards the future as has been the cace for 13 years or so. I mean when the fans are bleeding over losing there star player to bring in a couple of guys who play a role no where near pronger is not a great medication for that wound. I think they could have gotten a star or two for the top defensmen in the league. Lowe should have held out longer. But anyways as to the article elliot is right in moving on cause he's not likely going to return and we as fans should focus on the team now and hope lowe can ink some more guys like pronger who can stic around.

Pronger signed a contract, 6 years if memory servers me. Kevin Lowe should have told him to honour it or be benched. Pronger disrespected the team, the city and the fans. One year into the contract, he decides he can't play there anymore. TOO BAD. Sit on the bench and cry for a few weeks. Lowe should have held out for a better trade.

I just cringe whenever the boo-bears start up in Edmonton.
Hockey is a business now. Once Gretzky was sold, it became a different game.
Chris Pronger had every right to break his contract if the GM was ok with that.
He doesn't owe anybody anything.
The beer swilling idiots in the stands make Calgary fans look sophisticated.

Two things that need to be considered with equal measure:

1. As an Oilers fan, I was taken aback by Pronger's decision to seek a trade (perhaps because he managed to keep so quiet ...), but it is his prerogative. This type of thing happens all the time in professional sports. Plus, the Oilers are top of their division today, which is terrific, with or without Pronger. There are twenty or so players on a team for a reason. In sum, I'm not actually losing sleep over this, for all of the above reasons.

2. Media hype is also part of the game, whether it comes from the CBC/"credible" broadcasting outlets or from the pundit/radio station complaining side of things. The media and the game are intertwined. Period. So, as much as I agree with many points Elliotte has brought up, perhaps he should remember that because of the complementary relationship of the game and the media, he serves the same purpose as the radio DJs who burn furniture.

Cheers.

What's done is done, let's move on.....and for Erick from Toronto, you are right, there might be some doubt, but at least we had a run....when was the last time the leafs had anything......maybe leaf fans should show a little more emotion like the fans here in Edmonton

Holy Crap. When will the whining stop? Edmonton sucks. I've been there. It is like North York in the middle of nowhere. Cold and frigid in the winter. I flew out of Toronto to Edmonton a few years ago It was 18C in Toronto (wearing a T-Shirt) when I got to Edmonton it was minus 8 and snowing, I thought to hell with this. It is not the first time players wanted out of Edmonton. Peca and Pronger were only the last two players to leave the city because they didn't like it there. There will be more. Pronger is a top notch defenceman and deserves the respect shown to a veteran d-man. So cry cry cry Edmontonians, it only makes you guy's look like a bunch of baby's to the rest of the hockey world.

I must confess that after watching Edmonton eliminate my Jets for years and then losing the opportunity to see a correction of that when they were sold off to Phoenix, I should not be overly sympathetic to Oiler fans... but oddly, I am. That said, as a former minor league player and current coach, I understand hockey and passion but as a husband and father, my work is my secondary interest. Hockey is what Pronger does for a living... extremely well... but at the end of the day, he faces himself and his family first, his teammates and the Oiler administration second, and the people of the city third. He faced each party with relative dignity in that order. I cannot fault him for that.

PS. You do not want to lose the opportunity to watch live NHL hockey at all. It makes you do strange things - like cheer for Ottawa.

Maybe the next time the Leafs go to Rexall Place and any other building they can chant, "40 years, 40 years." Leaf fans will never change, there's an excuse for everything. If they don't make the playoffs this year, again, it will be because Sundin was hurt in november.

Edmonton has moved on, do you ever notice that no edmonton fan makes excuses when they lose. They battle hard every night, a true team. Here's a little tribute to Leafs fans.

'Do you remember that night in 1967
Armstrong raised the cup, then filled it with beers
Leaf fans always have excuses as to why they can't win
And Elliote can post this entry again in another 40 years'

Playing for St.Louis, most hockey fans in Edmonton never got an on going chance to see how good Pronger is. I know I didn't. So of course it hurts to see him leave after coming so close to winning it all. All Edmonton fans should be thankful he carried that team so close and simply understand that sad as it is, hockey is a business and players move, not always at their request either.

This from the man who was as pro-Carolina as you can get on the CBC during the Stanley Cup finals last year.
Oilers fans should get perspective?
This "reporter" should get some perspective. Obviously reporting on the CFL and becoming an honorary citizen of Raleigh have taken him so far away from the perspecive of passionate sports fans that commenting on hockey is beyond his scope of sports comprehension. It continuously amazes me that Western sports fans pay (through their taxes) the salaries of Eastern-minded sportscasters. This virus of negativity towards not only the teams in the west but their fans has to stop. Coach's Corner is nothing but a pseudonym for "Leafs'/Bobby Orr Corner" and blogs like this are a poor attempt at taking a shot at the only teams and fans with heart in this country...

What is most annoying to me are journalists (ahem) who constantly complain about how Pronger is being treated and how the situation is so overblown but yet they themselves KEEP BRINGING IT UP!! I was at the game last night and while there booing and a few signs, it was nowhere near what the media turned it into. The majority of Edmontonions have moved on. Maybe Elliot should focus on the Hawks and Leafs' inability to win the Stanley Cup in the last 40 years rather than rehashing a dead story yet again.

Get with it Freidman, hockey, like all other sports, is a business wrapped in emotion. Why would you even care if a radio station burned Prongers furniture. It's just motivational hype. Being in the entertainment industry you should understand that. It's an adrenalin rush to be on the ice in front of a hostile crowd. I'm sure it all made for a better game than the fans would have seen on another night.

Boo him all you want, but he is a great player, and if his reason to leave was only personal family reasons that should be enough, he probably loved playing hockey back in canada, there is probably no question bout that. Take er easy on him, also i'm glad he went to my ducks team. Just boo him, but he'll only play better.

How many millions of $$$ does Mr. Pronger make? Is it 5 or 6?

Did he not know going to Edmonton would cause strain on his "happiness"? If so why did he sign a multi-year contract?

Edmontonians pay $40,$50,$75 to see these guys play well AND SHOW COMMITMENT.

If burning his furniture (after bailing on his team and fans) is the real issue with Mr. Pronger, maybe we should get him an Ikea gift certificate, maybe that will make him "happy".

It's time to move on here Oiler fans. It's done, he's gone, and not coming back. It's not like he was in Edmonton for a long time. He was with them for only a year. I think the real reason why Oiler fans are bitter is because they lost a great defenceman and now might be having doubts if their team can repeat the same performance as they did last year.

Elliotte, That passion (or hatred as you call it) allows you to make a living as a hockey broadcaster. We indirectly pay your salary. No passion, no TV ratings equals no TV job for Elliotte.

get some perspective.

Oiler fans, Give me at least TEN good reasons why Chris Pronger have to tell you why he left. just because he is a Hockey player doesnt mean he has to tell us why he is leaving. Ok I understand that they are disappointed that Pronger left but do they have to act like big babies, planning to throw pacifiers on the ice , burnung jerseys with his name on it etc. THEY are the ones who need the pacifiers! Im glad the Ducks won this one for Chris!

To all would be hockey fans: Chris pronger was out of action for reasons, which you and I have no business. Any player who has reached the top level of hockey, such as the NHL, deserves some flexibility. Come on people, give the guy a break. Don J. McGraw

To Carlos:

Oiler fans are grateful of Pronger's play while playing in the city of champions. Nobody's whining, it's sad that there is no loyalty in hockey anymore. Steve Yzerman was the last of a dying breed of loyal NHL'ers.

Remember 1967? Did you ever see the leafs win a cup? Leaf fans would be bitter if they lost a player like Chris Pronger after a year. Lets see who on the Leafs is of Pronger's calibre......????? Nobody.

To: All Oiler fans upset with Pronger leaving them (poor babies). Get over it. Stop whinning so much and crying like little girls. Players moving on is part of the business & is to be more common in the New NHL so please stop crying about it as all other hockey fans are going to think Edmonton fans are a bunch of babies. Also a negative when trying to recruit talent.

Thks
p.s - Go leafs go.

Elliotte,

I don't think much Oiler fans will argue with you about Pronger's play when he was an Oiler. I also believe most of them will agree with you that it was very admirable of him not to let the issue become a distraction during the whole season. He kept his mouth shut and played his heart out, yes!
The fact that you can't understand the hatred Oiler fans have for this guy only shows your lack of understanding of the passion for hockey in this city or maybe you've never been that passionate about anything in your life.
Pronger's biggest mistake on all this is not addressing the fans himself. Instead he went off to some tropical place and let his agent do all the dirty work. If he just had a press conference to let the fans know that his family is not happy in Edmonton and that he has to do the best for his family, most of the fans would have understood. (Don't get me wrong, we'd still boo him everytime he visits) How would you feel if your wife left you and had her lawyer tell you she was not coming back? I'm guessing you'd feel a little abandoned, hurt and may even hate your wife a litlle bit. How can someone you love, respect and put on a perpetual pedestal suddenly just leave you without any explanations. Maybe you start to wonder if there's someone else in her life now. Maybe you start to wonder about every possible reason why she left. (Hey, maybe this is how rumours get started.)
Anyway, Pronger's mistake was not facing the fans right in the beginning. Yes he came out after and said it was because of his family, but it was way too late. There was nothing he could have said after the fact that would have earned the fans respect back. Just like the wife who abandons her husband with no explanations. The damage is already done. Anything said after the fact is accompanied by doubt.

You say you can't understand all the hatred. The answer is simple: human nature