The Talk of Town
The talk of the town in Toronto is Jay Bouwmeester and his contract. No news there. No news either that it is in his native Canada that the pundits sharpen their pencils every time Bo comes around. Last it was the trip to Toronto and the media seemed more interested in Jay’s contract status than the game at hand or its result. Perhaps understandable – when your own club is not making any positive headlines on the ice.
The starved Maple Leafs fans are grasping for any twig of hope, dreaming of draft picks and the summers dip in to the free agent market. Top on everyone’s tongue is of course the lip-smacking possibility of getting Bo to come to Toronto this summer if/and when/ his much talked about contract is set to expire.
Florida’s General Manager Jacques Martin and Head Coach Peter DeBoer had many questions to answer in the numerous interviews. Not many of those questions touched on any other topic than the Bouwmeester saga. Jay himself is, as we know, the ultimate poker player with his tightlipped demeanor and won’t give anything away.
So, grasping for something even resembling newsworthy scoops – the pundits reach for straws and come up with: “As Florida Panthers general manager Jacques Martin watched his team at the morning skate yesterday, he continually chewed on his nails” [Quote from the Toronto Sun]. All manicurists beware! Horror *shock* what does this all mean!?
Well, according to the Toronto Suns columnist Steve Buffery it means that Jacques Martin is likely to be damned whether he does, or doesn’t, trade Bouwmeester just before a lucrative and rare playoff appearance for the Panthers. Further they think the Florida franchise is in jeopardy if we don’t make the playoffs this year; and that it is virtually a question of life and death for Martin and Panthers owner Alan Cohen.
Only in Canada, and to be more specific, only in Toronto – does a pending free agent take on such proportions. And from where is it we continuously hear this talk about the South Florida franchise being ready to crumble any minute anyway?
Yes, we get it! People north of the border don’t like the fact that its national sport has been exported to warmer climates, such as Florida – where it doesn’t get the same headlines or overall appreciation, and if most people up there had their own way we would never have come in to existence in the first place.
But *newsflash* we did, and here we are, overcoming unimaginable opposition and many years of extreme adversity – pushing for that elusive playoff spot.
It is unlikely our support will wither away any further because of missing this year’s playoff, if that indeed were to be the case, once again. With so many seasons of mediocrity it is fair to presume only the hardcore Panthers fans are still making that regular trek to the Bank Atlantic Center in Sunrise. Most of us will be back next season even if we stumble at the end this one. We’ll ingest this latest setback, as we have swallowed all the previous ones, and still (with or without Bouwmeester) be safe in the belief that our day will come. And when it does, it will all be so much sweeter – because of the tremendous trials and tribulations we’ve had to go through along the way.
Whether or not Jay Bouwmeester turns out to be another speed bump along the way or a thoroughbred adding tremendous pull to the Panther engine room, remains to be seen. Personally, while everyone remains tightlipped on the situation, I will remain reassured that Jacques knows what he’s doing. So far there has been little reason to suspect otherwise. The blockbuster trade involving Olli Jokinen, the McCabe swap and recent draft picks have been pure inspiration from his part – and reason enough to stay positive.
Fact is, we have a remarkable duo in GM Jacques Martin and coach Pete DeBoer. I have every confidence in their combined ability to turn this franchise around; so far they have been nothing but impressive and I don’t think they’ve really got the credit they deserve.
We can and should be critical at times, no one is perfect, but must also recognize that in the big picture they deserve a lot of praise for their work up until this point in time. I don’t think this goes unrecognized from the management either. Even if it is a worst case scenario; we don’t make the playoffs and lose Bouwmeester for free in the summer, even then, this franchise should not need to be in jeopardy and neither should the GM’s or Head Coach’s respective jobs.
What we do need is stability and long-term vision, as well as creativity in reaching out to those South Florida demographics that has yet not embraced Hockey. Lastly, but of utmost importance; we need to have a bit of patience. It takes time to get out of the hole that we’ve been in. And unlike in Canada – where life revolves around the sport – fact is we should actually be able to afford that rarest of luxuries.
Whatever happens to Bouwmeester – new contract or free agency, trade or no trade – we need to, and I believe we will, stick with our GM and Head Coach through thick and thin. They are both immensely qualified, ambitious and yet realistic enough to get results in this league. Whether things happen this year, next year, or the year after that – the foundation is solid with these two guys at the helm and Florida will move forward if we place our confidence and trust in their able hands.
I couldn’t agree more than both DeBoer and Martin deserve praise for what they have achieved with the franchise this year. I do think that most fans overlook this, but in the end, it will be Bo’s decision to stay or go anyway – no management can be blamed for his decision.
There’s so muh speculation that it can be overwhelming to ponder on the subject, considering Bo’s tight lips on the matter … I guess we will just have to wait and see!!!