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About This Page: This is a discussion on News within the LetsGoKings.com forums, at Los Angeles Kings Hockey Fan Forum. With the next 48 hours being some of the most excitement Kings’ fans will get in this otherwise challenging year, bar none the most talked about, hated and debated component
With the next 48 hours being some of the most excitement Kings’ fans will get in this otherwise challenging year, bar none the most talked about, hated and debated component has to be Blake and his no trade clause or as I like to think of it, to waive or not to waive, that is the question… yikes!
This week on XM they were were comparing Blake to Sundin where they suggested that Sundin was less embraced by Maple Leafs' fans than Blake. The implied message I got was that somehow Kings’ fans had more positive emotions for Blake compared to Sundin. It was at that point that I knew as much as I love XM and Home Ice (Is there any channel worth anything other than 204? …. I didn’t think so either.) They are uninformed as to the way most here in Los Angeles really feel about their team’s captain.
First, let’s restate the obvious. Whatever amour and admiration Kings’ fans had for Blake ended in 2001 when he was traded to Colorado when, regardless of accuracy, he was deemed a turncoat whose first love was his wallet not his team. In fairness to Blake, back then, money was probably the entire reason better players left.
In fairness, Blake’s moves since the lock-out gave me the same take on him. In the new CBA, bonuses apply to a team’s salary cap. The payment of those caps for the Avalanche to Blake and Sakic, an issue that never existed when these players’ deals were signed, made it impossible to re-sign Blake or Sakic for cap reasons without some help from the players.
No shock that Sakic worked with the team and Blake took his check and moved on to his current $6 million dollar two year deal with the Kings. I even watched Blake’s press conference after his signing. Blake turned around his jersey and explained, “See here, it says Blake not boo”. His complete inability to appreciate why there were boos seemed dim to me then and now. He knew exactly why he got that reception and the reason he left Colorado was identical to why he left the Kings. Less for Rob, Blake picks up his toys and goes home….ouch!
Fast forward to this year and two of the most talked about names are Sundin and Blake. (I get Hossa is getting as much ink; but he doesn’t have a no trade clause.) The debates between the two are both heated and passionate. What I find different between the two are the takes from the players’ themselves. One has consistently expressed loyalty to his team. The other flip flops are much as Presidential candidate Kerry ever did. Let’s take a gander from some of Blake’s own words:
December 30, 2007 The Denver Post:
“.. the former Avalanche defenseman said he would consider waiving his clause to go to the right team. (The Kings) would have to come to me first, but, yeah, it's a possibility," Blake said, after Saturday's 3-1 Kings victory over the Avs.
“ Chelios also talks trade possibilities, saying that he thinks a defenseman would help the team most. His defenseman of choice? Rob Blake of the Los Angeles Kings. "He's in a situation there where there's just no end at the light of the tunnel and he's lost his drive right now," Chelios says of Blake. "I've been there. I talked to him last time we played him, and he would love to come here."
“Blake's response: "I don’t know if that’s exactly what was said (between he and Chelios), so I’ll leave it at that."
Blake said he wasn't upset at all with Chelios for making the comments. When I asked if there's any truth to him losing his drive, he gave a long ``Well ...,'' then said he was still trying and he didn't know any more he can say about that.”
“Blake, who has a no-trade clause in his contract but has been rumored to be on the block heading into the trade deadline Feb. 26, has been choosing his words carefully when asked about a possible trade. But he was quick to downplay the significance of the trip.
"Home or away, it doesn't matter that much," he said."
“You know there is a group of teams that can compete for the Cup and if they want to get a couple of guys just to push them over the top, I am totally for it,” Blake said. “If I was an older player without a Cup, maybe. My goal was to come here and to build something and that’s what I hope happens.”
That being said, even he admits you just never know. There will be a lot of speculation over the next few weeks for sure,” Blake said.”
“On hoping to hold a position with the Kings after his playing career: ``It’s a little premature to answer that but I’ve dedicated most of my career with the L.A. Kings and always wanted to stay in hockey when I'm done (playing). I think the likely choice would be to stay with the L.A. Kings. It’s what I would like, but I don’t control those sort of things.''
“You're going to read a lot of stuff," Blake said. "Nothing has changed on my part. I expressed my feelings to stay here again and do what I wanted to do when I came here two years ago. . . . My goals have been, two years ago, to sign here, to finish here. And to do something here, and that hasn't changed. If it takes two more years, three more years, or five years, I hope I'm involved somehow with that process."
“Kings President and General Manager Dean Lombardi, in Naples, Fla., for the NHL general managers' meetings that end today, said he had not asked Kings captain and defenseman Rob Blake to waive his no-trade clause. They met last week to discuss Blake's future, and Blake, who will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, said later he did not want to leave.
"I just don't think it's necessary to go through the process unless there is a legitimate offer," Lombardi said. "If we have an offer. . . . I'm not at that point."
“One of those players with a no-trade clause is Rob Blake of the Los Angeles Kings. Los Angeles is in last place in the NHL and Blake is in the last year of his contract. He's a 38-year-old future Hall of Famer who could possibly help a team in a playoff run and a trade could help the Kings obtain some assets to improve the team.
The problem is Blake has a no-trade clause and it's been announced that he doesn't want to waive that clause. This is understandable since he'll have to uproot his family next year as he is an unrestricted free agent this summer and doing it again for a few months of a stretch run and potential playoff run is a big pain.
Naturally, some Kings fans are unhappy.
. . . Fans were upset by Blake's decision to be traded in 2001 and they're upset by his decision to not be traded in 2008. No matter what Blake does, it's wrong in the fans' eyes.”
“Blake, who has said his preference is to remain with the Kings. Lombardi has pretty much established a short list in his own mind and is listening to offers. If he gets a good one he will ask Blake the question. If he doesn't, he won't. And if I do ask and the answer is no, then the answer is no," Lombardi said. "It's up to him."
“Lombardi himself hinted broadly at the annual winter GMs meetings last week that practically all of his veterans (read over 30) players were in play. And Lombardi’s fellow general managers were saying Blake’s name was getting tossed around regularly, even by Lombardi himself.”
“It's still unknown if Rob Blake will waive his no-trade clause to allow the LA Kings to trade him. Anaheim is reportedly out of the running but San Jose could still be interested.”
Only Blake and Lombardi know for sure what deal(s) are or are not on the table. Only Blake knows if the rumors about him only being willing to go to Anaheim or San Jose are true. All this notwithstanding, if Blake truly wants to rejoin this organization after his retirement, he needs to rethink his loyalties and choices.
Fans won’t embrace Blake (for those that still might) if he forces Lombardi’s hand by so restricting his short list thus negating a maximum return for the Kings. It just begs the question whether he gets his part as to why fans see him the way they do. They revere Robitaille for his love of the Kings and their fans. He never left for $$ the way Blake has left two teams already including this one.
Consider the example Brown sets about loyalty. He recently had a show about him on Fox Sports, “In His Own Words”. Brown’s wife is a huge hockey fan and has won two national championships. She would love to be able to see all of the hockey available in Southern California. The problem is she is banned from going to the Ducks’ Honda Center unless the Kings are playing there. That is an example Blake never got.
Hockey Buzz Season Ticket Holders:
I will be participating in Tuesday's live internet trade coverage on Hockey Buzz where the Kings expect to be key sellers. I hope everyone will join me!
aside from (really) a gaggle of Kings fans, BOTH are considered on the same level.
Maybe because one has stayed loyal to his team for 13 straight years while the other left his team for an extra few million even though he would have been set for life anyway?
I'd like to hear people's opinions as to why there's so much anamosity towards Blake, but none for Luc. I'm not saying there should be any for Luc. They guy wanted to win a cup... so did Blake. Both returned afterwards to (presumably, though it remains to be seen) finish their career here. It seems to me like it's a bunch of inconsistent people who have never played sports/competed who are giving Blake flak.
Anyone who has a passion for the game is there to win. They have to have that drive to make it as far as they have. Players must be obsessed with winning to be a success. So how can people start to hate a guy who took his chance to taste victory, then came back probably knowing he never would again? Especially when one of the most popular players in team history did the same thing?
I simply don't see a difference in context that justifies such polarized feelings. Any insight?
I'd like to hear people's opinions as to why there's so much anamosity towards Blake, but none for Luc. I'm not saying there should be any for Luc. They guy wanted to win a cup... so did Blake. Both returned afterwards to (presumably, though it remains to be seen) finish their career here.
Some of the differences are that Robitaille's initial trade away to the Penguins was during the Gretzky tenure and if Gretzky wanted a player gone, gone they were. (I admit this is rumor only, but I have read it more than once.) Luc then got traded to the Rangers and when he wasn't in their plans, he got traded back to the Kings. I honestly haven't read any articles nor was I living in Los Angeles when Luc signed as a free agent with the Red Wings. Others can provide more answers than I. After the lock-out, he came back here and signed for lesser dollars. Bottom Line: Robitaille never seemed like a guy to me who went to the highest bidder or publicly disrespected the Kings and Kings' fans.
In contrast, Blake wasn't going to re-sign in 2001. (In fairness, pre-lockout all better players probably left this organization to get more $$ elsewhere.) During that season, he allegedly renounced his captaincy of the Kings and pretty much stopped Taylor from getting full value for him the way he did it. (Think Pronger from Edmonton but no wife issue, just $$$).
After the lock-out, bonuses counted against the cap. Blake and Sakic had bonuses applied against a cap that wasn't in existence when the deals were done and the Avs couldn't afford to re-sign Blake and Sakic without some $$ concessions due to bonus money/cap. Sakic worked out a deal. Blake left and came back to the Kings for $6 million two year deal and the no-trade clause. Speaking only for myself, I don't blame him for taking what Lombardi offered. Nonetheless, the Kings hardly got $6 million dollars worth of value over the last 2years. Mentors should come cheaper than that.
Since the Avalanche game, Blake was quoted as saying he would 'consider waiving his NTC' but he has never been asked. He has flip flopped back and forth since then.
Overall, my perception of him is that he is a paycheck guy, not a heart and soul guy. Robitaille has always seemed the exact opposite to me. He also was only captain when Gretzky had his thoracic spine injury. I don't remember (nor have I seen anyone say otherwise) Robitaille publicly disrespecting fans the way fans perceive Blake has. Blake was captain and I believe the face of the franchise at the time. So, he probably is held to a higher standard. (fair or not - especially because there has really been no damage control by him to change the way fans feel.)
Blake also seems impervious to why fans think what they do. In his press conference when he came back to the Kings in his current deal, he turned his jersey around and says 'it is Blake, not boo'. Even if this was in jest, it left me thinking he just doesn't get it. All he had to do was say I know fans have issues with the way I left the first time. To those I offended, and to this organization, I apologize. I am back, I am committed to this organization and you will get 100% of me.
I get near no one says or does this. It is just that had he acknowledged the ill will rather than make a joke about it, it would have gone a long way to repairing past bad feelings. His silence and his less than $6 million dollars worth of play since his return have fans and I seeing him in a less than favorable light.
CarlaMuller
As the Blake Turns 
