"A handshake is a sign of respect" - Bob Boughner
Business is business. Family is family. In the OHL the two are often interwoven, prompting good hockey and at times bad blood. Spits' head coach, Bob Boughner has felt the results of both recently. Days before watching his team dominate its way to another league title, he watched a member of the "family" get swept up by the enemy. Yes, it still stings. And yes, the Spits are still incredibly angry over Kerby Rychel's selection by Barrie. For its part, Colts management says it was business. But Boughner says it should've been about family, and honouring it. That's something the Eastern champs, or chumps tonight, appeared not to do when they took Warren Rychel's son with the final pick of the first round.
Despite any joy deep down of winning that 2nd straight OHL championship, Boughner was still furious post game about what transpired at the draft. He was so upset he refused to shake the hand of Colts' head coach, Marty Williamson. It was minutes after the Spitfires won, behind the bench, and caught on camera. Attempting to read Boughner's lips when he pulled away from Williamson's gesture, he said something like "I ain't shaking your hand." But hey, don't quote me on it ;) Any way you want to interpret it that post game snub is big news in Barrie for different reasons than in Windsor. Down by the border where the 'us against the world' mentality is heavy, the Spitfires' head coach is being hailed as heroic. The team and it's many supporters, of course believe Bougher was standing up for his posse in denying Williamson's hand. To them, the diss was a proud showing of displeasure. And a warning, that the Windsor Spitfires will not be disrespected.
Even today Boughner has no remorse over what did or didn't happen on Tuesday. He actually seems even more pissed off by it, calling what the Colts did "malicious". Boughner might be overstating things a bit with that kind of rhetoric, but he's steadfast in his belief that Williamson and the Colts management group should have honoured Windsor's intentions. Or at the very least given the Spitfires the courtesy of a head's up that Kerby was on their hit list. Boughner insists his group might have made adjustments, hinting a deal could have been struck in order to secure the GM's kid. It didn't happen.
In the end, gamesmanship won out at the expense of sportsmanship. It's latest in an unfortunate, unapologetic and extremely interesting feud between OHL foes. Wonder what's next?
Further reading:
Brandon Bound
Over and Out
Son of a Spit! He's a Colt
Showing posts with label Warren Rychel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Warren Rychel. Show all posts
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Over and out
I'm told the Spitfires haven't even played their best game yet. That includes the entire playoffs and this current 7 game win streak. So are we to believe the Spitfires have even more to offer? They can be better? If true that's nuts.
Either way (and any money it still won't be considered their "best") it's all over tonight. Beating Windsor 4 straight at this point is too monumental a task even for the likes of the talented, but worn down Colts. Point is, the writing's on the wall. This series isn't going 7. So how and where will Barrie find the detemination and grit (not stupidity) it needs to extend things another night? Maybe in that same hope their opponents once clung too. Two weeks ago the Spits were in virtually the same position, down 3-0 and facing life or elimination on the road. The difference is Kitchener at that time had both run it's course and out of luck. Tonight, Windsor is a team on a mission. Cohesive and confident. They're champions. And on the verge of officially keeping their title. Standing in the way, an eventual runner-up. Really, it's only a matter of periods (maybe 3) until the Colts succumb to their inferiority. What's say they officially realize that tonight, take their consolation prize from Windsor in the GM's kid and head home?
All in all I believe the Spitfires are one of the most deadly teams in Junior hockey history. A stature created by the team's General Manager, Warren Rychel. I was critical of his belief Kirby would be waiting for him in the draft, but you can't blame him for wanting his boy to play for him. It's worked out for the Hunters in London and Mike Foligno in Sudbury. And hey, it still might happen. Perhaps there's a deal in the works? Meantime, Rychel will continue to mould the Spitfires into an annual contender. Love him or hate him, he's good at his job. A grading that might just go up to 'great' by about 10:30 tonight, when yet another major trophy is awarded to a once lousy organization he built into a champion. A repeat champion.
Either way (and any money it still won't be considered their "best") it's all over tonight. Beating Windsor 4 straight at this point is too monumental a task even for the likes of the talented, but worn down Colts. Point is, the writing's on the wall. This series isn't going 7. So how and where will Barrie find the detemination and grit (not stupidity) it needs to extend things another night? Maybe in that same hope their opponents once clung too. Two weeks ago the Spits were in virtually the same position, down 3-0 and facing life or elimination on the road. The difference is Kitchener at that time had both run it's course and out of luck. Tonight, Windsor is a team on a mission. Cohesive and confident. They're champions. And on the verge of officially keeping their title. Standing in the way, an eventual runner-up. Really, it's only a matter of periods (maybe 3) until the Colts succumb to their inferiority. What's say they officially realize that tonight, take their consolation prize from Windsor in the GM's kid and head home?
All in all I believe the Spitfires are one of the most deadly teams in Junior hockey history. A stature created by the team's General Manager, Warren Rychel. I was critical of his belief Kirby would be waiting for him in the draft, but you can't blame him for wanting his boy to play for him. It's worked out for the Hunters in London and Mike Foligno in Sudbury. And hey, it still might happen. Perhaps there's a deal in the works? Meantime, Rychel will continue to mould the Spitfires into an annual contender. Love him or hate him, he's good at his job. A grading that might just go up to 'great' by about 10:30 tonight, when yet another major trophy is awarded to a once lousy organization he built into a champion. A repeat champion.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Son of a Spit! He's a Colt
It was funny, stupid, arrogant and unfortunate.
Spits' GM, Warren Rychel says he's going to wait 'til the end of the season to digest just how badly he was victimized during Saturday's OHL draft. He didn't get the player he wanted when he wanted him. How tragic.
Let's be clear: Rychel made himself the victim by expecting trust and sportsmanship from people who are neither fond of him nor his organization. And he further pissed off his "haters", both casual and de facto, by arrogantly announcing to the league that he planned to take his son in the 2nd round. He's the architect of a Memorial Cup champion for God's sake. Yet naively planned on seeing his boy, Kirby waiting there unselected with a pick to spare in round two. Here's the funny part. Not only did it not happen, Kirby was snapped up by the Barrie Colts with the very next selection. Not in the 2nd round where Dad had him valued, but on the final pick of the first frame, owned and happily utilized by those Colts.
It's posturing at it's finest on behalf of Barrie, and again Kirby Rychel might just be worthy of the selection. He is afterall a member of an NHL family. A family whose patriarch is effin' furious tonight. Hey, give the Colts some credit. They're finished in these finals anyway. In addition to doing some physical damage before bowing out (see the last 40 seconds of game 3), why not inflict a little psychological trauma on the Spits too? Let's make another thing clear: The Colts owe the Spits nothing. While they didn't do themselves any favours by helping themselves to forbidden fruit, Barrie's focus is itself. Or so we hope.
Taking Kirby was an automatic dig at the dastardly Spitfires, and most likely a sleek hockey move by the folks on the tip of cottage country. But if Colts management somehow came down with a case of the 'resentments' and chose the younger Rychel just to stick it to his old man, then it's disrupted its own plan both on and off the ice. I'm betting the pick was designed to accomplish a few objectives. I'm also betting Rychel; known to hold a grudge, or several, won't forget this, ultimately causing even more hurt. He'll no doubt remain vengeful. And estranged from the kid who's number one in his heart, 2nd on his depth chart.
Spits' GM, Warren Rychel says he's going to wait 'til the end of the season to digest just how badly he was victimized during Saturday's OHL draft. He didn't get the player he wanted when he wanted him. How tragic.
Let's be clear: Rychel made himself the victim by expecting trust and sportsmanship from people who are neither fond of him nor his organization. And he further pissed off his "haters", both casual and de facto, by arrogantly announcing to the league that he planned to take his son in the 2nd round. He's the architect of a Memorial Cup champion for God's sake. Yet naively planned on seeing his boy, Kirby waiting there unselected with a pick to spare in round two. Here's the funny part. Not only did it not happen, Kirby was snapped up by the Barrie Colts with the very next selection. Not in the 2nd round where Dad had him valued, but on the final pick of the first frame, owned and happily utilized by those Colts.
It's posturing at it's finest on behalf of Barrie, and again Kirby Rychel might just be worthy of the selection. He is afterall a member of an NHL family. A family whose patriarch is effin' furious tonight. Hey, give the Colts some credit. They're finished in these finals anyway. In addition to doing some physical damage before bowing out (see the last 40 seconds of game 3), why not inflict a little psychological trauma on the Spits too? Let's make another thing clear: The Colts owe the Spits nothing. While they didn't do themselves any favours by helping themselves to forbidden fruit, Barrie's focus is itself. Or so we hope.
Taking Kirby was an automatic dig at the dastardly Spitfires, and most likely a sleek hockey move by the folks on the tip of cottage country. But if Colts management somehow came down with a case of the 'resentments' and chose the younger Rychel just to stick it to his old man, then it's disrupted its own plan both on and off the ice. I'm betting the pick was designed to accomplish a few objectives. I'm also betting Rychel; known to hold a grudge, or several, won't forget this, ultimately causing even more hurt. He'll no doubt remain vengeful. And estranged from the kid who's number one in his heart, 2nd on his depth chart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)