Post by NsHLPA Director Mark on Oct 29, 2004 11:20:46 GMT -5
Gentlemen of the NsHL:
It is the position of the NsHLPA and it's affiliates to promote our players and to consistently ensure that the best situation is at hand for our specific players. For example, the NsHLPA likes to know what your intentions are when we look to sign our unrestricted players. Is that to hassle you? No, it is to ensure the best scenario for these players, period.
If you paid close attention to the message board during Block 1, 2, and 3 free agency you saw that I had a difficult time understanding why some of you were bidding on a few of these players. For the most part, the NsHLPA protected our players in this free agency period and sent many of our key players into positions for success. Or, it was purely greed (no shame in that).
What GMs must realize to be a fully successful simulation hockey manager, is that the NsHL is NOT a fantasy hockey league. Let me repeat that so that it is entirely clear. The NsHL is NOT a fantasy hockey league.
Let me go through the differences:
In fantasy sports you consistently acquire on margin (in hopes that the player performs better than predicted). In essence, you are trying to accumulate "wealth" by adding players that you think can help you during the course of the year.
In simulation hockey, if you follow the same guidelines, you will consistently ruin players that should be playing in our simulation. For instance, Lance Ward. Lance Ward is a defensemen for Anaheim that has not been given a chance to play in the "big league". Was he effective in the NHL? Yes, however, in our league Lance was denied an opportunity to improve due to the fact that he is languishing his time in Cincinnati. No matter what else the GM does, if the player is not played correctly and does not do very well in his situation, the player rating suffers. As a result, the player gets worse.
This is where the NsHLPA steps in. We are in a position to try to ensure our players get better, not worse, obviously. It is impossible for a player to improve if he is not in a position to be successful. For instance, Chris Neil of the Atlanta Thrashers will NOT improve this season playing for his AsHL affiliate despite having been NHL rerated. How do I know this? Because Chris Neil deserves to be and has the stat set to be playing in the big leagues yet is being wasted in the minor leagues?
The same goes for Bill Houlder, Patrick Traverse, Shjon Podein, Andreas Dackell, Michal Roszival, Peter Worrell, and most of all, Tim Connolly. Tim Connoly has absolutely no business playing in any GM's minor league system. He deserves a chance to be playing in the NsHL and the player's union has failed this promising center by allowing him to play in the minor leagues.
Marty, I know it appears that we are picking on you, and for that I apologize, however, it was something that we hoped would have been handled properly and only got worse. Unfortunately we do not have another team that appears to be doing this at such an epidemic level. I absolutely do not fault you in the least, the NsHLPA completely allowed to happen. I take full responsibility for it.
You are a great GM and you have broken absolutely no constitutional rules so please do not misconstrue anthing that is said. However, playing players that rightfully should be playing in the "big leagues" in the minor leagues is not realistic in the least and the NsHLPA will be taking a more active role in assuring that our players have the best situation possible.
Do not be surprised, gentlemen, if you are "abusing" a player, to get an e-mail from your agent stating that they are unhappy about their current situation.
In a fantasy hockey league you acquire wealth (players). If you run your simulation team like a fantasy hockey league you end up ruining your players. There is no prize for the person with the best players playing in the minor leagues. The reward to playing your youth and bringing along your talent the very same way that the NHL does results in a model franchise with a wealth of good, young players. This is also what makes the NsHL realistic or continuing to strive for realism. Playing Tim Connolly or a player like Igor Ulanov in the minor leagues is not realistic.
The NsHLPA's players deserve better and they deserve to have agents that stand up for what is best for them. We intend to do that in cases where we see issue and I apologize in advance if it hurts any of your feelings.
We simply want what is best for our clients and for the most part, you gentlemen understand it.
Thank you for your time and your commitment.
Marty, your drive for excellence is understood and very much appreciated. I do not want anyone to lose sight of why it is we are talking about this. It is simply your desire to have excellence that motivates you and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Please understand that the NsHLPA has a job to do and we intend on doing it effectively and fairly.
It is the position of the NsHLPA and it's affiliates to promote our players and to consistently ensure that the best situation is at hand for our specific players. For example, the NsHLPA likes to know what your intentions are when we look to sign our unrestricted players. Is that to hassle you? No, it is to ensure the best scenario for these players, period.
If you paid close attention to the message board during Block 1, 2, and 3 free agency you saw that I had a difficult time understanding why some of you were bidding on a few of these players. For the most part, the NsHLPA protected our players in this free agency period and sent many of our key players into positions for success. Or, it was purely greed (no shame in that).
What GMs must realize to be a fully successful simulation hockey manager, is that the NsHL is NOT a fantasy hockey league. Let me repeat that so that it is entirely clear. The NsHL is NOT a fantasy hockey league.
Let me go through the differences:
In fantasy sports you consistently acquire on margin (in hopes that the player performs better than predicted). In essence, you are trying to accumulate "wealth" by adding players that you think can help you during the course of the year.
In simulation hockey, if you follow the same guidelines, you will consistently ruin players that should be playing in our simulation. For instance, Lance Ward. Lance Ward is a defensemen for Anaheim that has not been given a chance to play in the "big league". Was he effective in the NHL? Yes, however, in our league Lance was denied an opportunity to improve due to the fact that he is languishing his time in Cincinnati. No matter what else the GM does, if the player is not played correctly and does not do very well in his situation, the player rating suffers. As a result, the player gets worse.
This is where the NsHLPA steps in. We are in a position to try to ensure our players get better, not worse, obviously. It is impossible for a player to improve if he is not in a position to be successful. For instance, Chris Neil of the Atlanta Thrashers will NOT improve this season playing for his AsHL affiliate despite having been NHL rerated. How do I know this? Because Chris Neil deserves to be and has the stat set to be playing in the big leagues yet is being wasted in the minor leagues?
The same goes for Bill Houlder, Patrick Traverse, Shjon Podein, Andreas Dackell, Michal Roszival, Peter Worrell, and most of all, Tim Connolly. Tim Connoly has absolutely no business playing in any GM's minor league system. He deserves a chance to be playing in the NsHL and the player's union has failed this promising center by allowing him to play in the minor leagues.
Marty, I know it appears that we are picking on you, and for that I apologize, however, it was something that we hoped would have been handled properly and only got worse. Unfortunately we do not have another team that appears to be doing this at such an epidemic level. I absolutely do not fault you in the least, the NsHLPA completely allowed to happen. I take full responsibility for it.
You are a great GM and you have broken absolutely no constitutional rules so please do not misconstrue anthing that is said. However, playing players that rightfully should be playing in the "big leagues" in the minor leagues is not realistic in the least and the NsHLPA will be taking a more active role in assuring that our players have the best situation possible.
Do not be surprised, gentlemen, if you are "abusing" a player, to get an e-mail from your agent stating that they are unhappy about their current situation.
In a fantasy hockey league you acquire wealth (players). If you run your simulation team like a fantasy hockey league you end up ruining your players. There is no prize for the person with the best players playing in the minor leagues. The reward to playing your youth and bringing along your talent the very same way that the NHL does results in a model franchise with a wealth of good, young players. This is also what makes the NsHL realistic or continuing to strive for realism. Playing Tim Connolly or a player like Igor Ulanov in the minor leagues is not realistic.
The NsHLPA's players deserve better and they deserve to have agents that stand up for what is best for them. We intend to do that in cases where we see issue and I apologize in advance if it hurts any of your feelings.
We simply want what is best for our clients and for the most part, you gentlemen understand it.
Thank you for your time and your commitment.
Marty, your drive for excellence is understood and very much appreciated. I do not want anyone to lose sight of why it is we are talking about this. It is simply your desire to have excellence that motivates you and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Please understand that the NsHLPA has a job to do and we intend on doing it effectively and fairly.