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Fri Jul 04, 2008 8:27 am EDT

Hockeytown sells dreams and happiness

Ken Holland

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"We sell dreams and happiness," Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland said, unable to stop himself from chuckling. "Dreams and happiness."

The Wings general manager was kidding, but only partly so. His hockey club, which boasts the most stable ownership/ management team in hockey as well as the most talented roster, has become the destination of choice for the best players in the sport. That, it seems, is the only way to understand the decision of Marian Hossa to accept a 25 per cent discount on his services for one year to go and live in Detroit and play out of crumbling, smelly Joe Louis Arena.

Dreams and happiness, indeed. Hossa clearly valued a chance to play with great players and win a Stanley Cup over maxing out his income, and he identified the Wings as the ideal team to try to reach those goals.He could've received $9 million or $10 million a season over six or more years to skate for a variety of teams. Instead, for a one-year, $7.45 million contract, a number designed not to exceed Nicklas Lidstrom's reported team-high $7.6 million paycheque, Hossa moves from skating alongside Sidney Crosby to joining Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and the rest of the remarkably talented Stanley Cup champions.

Imagine that.

Holland gets to underpay Hossa at the same time the Maple Leafs are overpaying Jeff Finger, the Blackhawks are overpaying Cristobal Huet, the Islanders are overpaying Mark Streit, Boston is overpaying Michael Ryder and the Stars are overpaying Sean Avery. The rationale in cities like Toronto for getting into questionable contracts is that the free market sets the price and they're powerless to do anything but pay.

Source: Toronto Star

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78 Comments

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  1. RedWingFan
    1. Posted by RedWingFan Fri Jul 04, 2008 8:59 am EDT

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    Go Red Wings!
    Pizza! Pizza!
  2. Dan S
    2. Posted by Dan S Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:10 am EDT

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    I couldnt agree more. Hockeytown is the best place to play if your an NHL player. Players sacrifice money and stats to be a Stanley Cup Champion. Its something that you have to admire if your a Detroit Red Wing fan. And if your a team like Toronto, Chicago, NY Islander or Boston fan you have to scratch your head and say WTF?
  3. Dan
    3. Posted by Dan Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:10 am EDT

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    Them posts like on #1 are getting old. They're not remotely funny, and just show that Yahoo doesn't screen blog forums for children.
    On a serious note, hats off to Marian Hossa for taking less to play for more and to Ken Holland for having the smarts to get him signed.
  4. Rob-o
    4. Posted by Rob-o Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:18 am EDT

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    will the whining in Toronto ever stop? make a Finals appearance and maybe somebody will want to play in your town! I'm sorry that the Leafs have broken the bank on grinders and role players, but that's really not Detroit's fault. Perhaps if the Leafs' GM could work out of PEI or New Foundland (ie, away from the Toronto media), he could get things done. in the meantime, they make panic decision after panic decision, force Sundin out and have no real shot to compete anytime soon. NEWS FLASH!!! the Canadian dollar is worth as much as the American dollar and you're located in Toronto! why can't you get good players?
  5. Anthony S
    5. Posted by Anthony S Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:23 am EDT

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    hockeytown=dump
  6. Chris W
    6. Posted by Chris W Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:29 am EDT

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    The only smell coming out of The Joe is success.
    chuck=douche
  7. 9
    7. Posted by 9 Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:33 am EDT

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    Life's not fair, so why dwell on it? Lots of people keep themselves down with bad karma and attitude. Rise above, or choke on your own poor-me pudding. Watching the firefighters out here on local tv, i don't think any of them are whining for real, about life not being fair, except maybe when it comes to resources available. It's all relative, eh?
    So many teams in sports just get caught in a loop and stay there...good or bad. Some find ways to change for the better, briefly or for longer. Look at the LA Kings, for cripes sakes, they are CURSED! Jack Kent Cooke CURSED them when he sold them because he lost so much money. Then he bought a newspaper instead.
    The Kings had a few okay years, and one really overacheiving one in the '93 Cup run, with Gretz, Melrose, the criminal owner, etc. Wow! It really is a small world, after all, ain't it? LOL
    Maybe the WIngs success isn't any big secret...work hard, play hard, be smart, keep going forward, make your own luck, etc.
    Same thing a lot of people have been raised with.
    Go Wings!
    )c[[[(l
  8. <i>alex48111</i>
    8. Posted by alex48111 Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:50 am EDT

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    All are welcome to Red Wings Nation. Joe Louis, smelly?
  9. Bill
    9. Posted by Bill Fri Jul 04, 2008 9:59 am EDT

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    I've never been there but "crumbling, smelly Joe Louis Arena"? Is it really that bad?
  10. Karen M
    10. Posted by Karen M Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:07 am EDT

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    Priorities........so Detroit has fallen on hard times, not unlike other cities over the past 100 years - boom then bust, boom then bust. Although it would be nice to build a huge arena worthy of the classy team that takes the ice game after game, but I'd rather put my money into the team! The Joe has history, and who cares if its described as "smelly". The banners and retired jerseys still fit in the rafters. Its the team that we go to see, and our imaginations take us to the years of hockey icons that skated on that ice. You can construct a new arena, and that doesn't guarantee a Cup nor does it guarantee that you'll sign players with allegiance to your team, willing to take a pay cut just to play for THE TEAM! What a concept?!?!?! Can't wait for October so that I can see those Wings at the smelly arena! Is that the aroma of success!
  11. Brodie182
    11. Posted by Brodie182 Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:08 am EDT

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    ummm, rob-o.....why are you citing that people in toronto are whining? i don't see a single post under this article that indicates that people in toronto are whining.
    are you just one of those leaf-fan-haters that love to point out all the short comings of the leafs?
    This article wasn't about the the toronto fans whining about not getting good players, it was talking about the excellent management the red wings have employed and the inviting atmosphere of playing for a team like the red wings. which if i was a player i would take 6m a year to play for the red wings over 8m to play for the leafs...i don't think that 2m paycut is really going to affect my quality of life that greatly lol
  12. James S
    12. Posted by James S Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:17 am EDT

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    Hossa joined with some free agents on a team trying to buy a cup. He watched as a better team of career Red Wings took apart the "one-and-dones." His team began to desolve as was anticipated. He had a chance to join the superior team. They must have seen a "team player" in him. He is where he should be. sPitt is where they should be. Everything is right.
  13. Silent Ryan
    13. Posted by Silent Ryan Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:18 am EDT

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    I would very much like to meet the douche who wrote this article so I can punch him in the face. Newsflash: Michigan is in recession. It has been for like 6 years. We don't have the money to build a fancy new arena like Minnesota. I'll take my "smelly, crumbling" arena that has the best team in hockey over a new facility with an average team.
  14. Karen M
    14. Posted by Karen M Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:25 am EDT

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    @14
    So.......since Pitt is getting a new arena, will that make them a better team? Will they win the Cup as a direct result of playing in a new arena? Maybe they'll have more space for banners and retired jerseys? hmmmmm. Maybe there's a Mastercard commercial in here somewhere.....
    Love the Joe, Love the Wings!
  15. VPW
    15. Posted by VPW Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:28 am EDT

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    .........................playing in the smelliest arena in the country AND winning the cup.........PRICELESS!
  16. Dewman
    16. Posted by Dewman Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:31 am EDT

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    I don't think its necessarily that they can't afford a new arena, I think the Ilitch's have the money. Look at Comerica Park, Ford Field. It took a long time to get a new baseball stadium for the same reason they aren't building a new hockey arena... HISTORY. Everyone loved Tiger Stadium, Joe Louis is also a great place with a lot of history. They will get a new arena someday, but its not "crumbling" and is a great place to watch a game. The only problems with it is it being outdated by the new standards of the league... i.e. lots and lots of suites and more than one entrance. The place still holds around 20,000 people, more than many arenas around the league. Money is NOT the issue here. Its necessity. There is no dire need right now.
  17. Karen M
    17. Posted by Karen M Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:34 am EDT

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    @17
    Case in point! LOL
  18. jimmy jam
    18. Posted by jimmy jam Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:34 am EDT

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    hossa, crosby, malkin is still a better trio than hossa,datsyuk,zetterberg.
  19. 9
    19. Posted by 9 Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:36 am EDT

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    A lot of America is is bad shape, no doubt. For most working people, it's tough all over, not just this place or that place. But we've been through Depressions and Recessions lots of times, and what doesn't kill us makes us stronger. The world is crumbling and smell in a lot of ways, but it's the only one we've got, eh? So make the best of it...Have a great 4th, people, and remember what the man said, "Liberty is always unfinished business."
  20. Dewman
    20. Posted by Dewman Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:37 am EDT

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    As far as Toronto goes, its too bad they pretty much forced Sundin out. This is a guy that could draw other talent in, like Markus Naslund. It seems the media and maybe the fans, I don't know, put so much pressure on the team, that management can't afford the patience to develop a team. Its time the management ran that team... not the media and fans. They need to get a plan and stick with it. Toronto is a great city and yes, the Canadian dollar is strong, so they really just need to find 2-4 players that will be a backbone for the next 10-12 years. Lately all they've been able to do is waste the career of a great player in Mats Sundin. I wanted to see him in a Wings uniform, but alas that won't happen now.
  21. <i>cheapshotx</i>
    21. Posted by cheapshotx Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:44 am EDT

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    lol what?
    How much of an effort did Malkin give this "trio" line in the finals? Maybe if he wouldve tried harder or scored more, they would've pushed it to seven games.
    But i doubt it. Hank and Pav are two of the best forwards in the game. You don't see them signing deals with Powerade or anything like that to promote themselves. If i remember correct, Hank tied Crosby in points during the playoffs. And Pav got more then Malkin. Last thing. Crosby's favorite player growing up was Steve Yzerman. Go wings.
  22. Jeff
    22. Posted by Jeff Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:48 am EDT

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    Ken Holland has constructed a team in the post salary cap ERA where athletes actually want to play. They show time and time again that they are willing to sacrifice millions of dollars to become part of a team that works hard and wins!!!
    Congratulations to Ken, Steve, and Mr. Ilitch!! Looking forward to the fall already.
    Go Wings!!!!!
  23. TaTTeReD
    23. Posted by TaTTeReD Fri Jul 04, 2008 10:50 am EDT

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    jimmy, it showed in the finals didnt it
  24. Wings2top
    24. Posted by Wings2top Fri Jul 04, 2008 11:18 am EDT

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    #20, Hossa, Crosby, Malkin are better than Zetterberg, Datsyuk and Hossa? You couldn't even beat Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Holmstrom. Who's celebrating the Stanley Cup now? Keep dreaming!
  25. <i>sc00baru89</i>
    25. Posted by sc00baru89 Fri Jul 04, 2008 12:06 pm EDT

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    Just goes to show that Hossa wants to play with the Champs. He is not greedy money wise only stanley cup wise. He wants to win one and he will. Back 2 Back Champs, again!

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