Time to End the Bash Jake Comments

[Quoted]

2 minutes ago, ChuckNORRIS4Cup said:

I have always been a Jake supporter, although that was until what I have recently heard about him. I can't make what I know public on here, but I'll say this, it is almost Cody Hodgson 2.0 again. If someone said that to me a month ago I wouldn't of listened to them and wouldn't of believed them, that's how much I believed in Jake, my take is completely different now sadly.

 

You'd think the clubs would provide them with some sort of PR/media training once drafted. Too many kids seem to get into a bit of trouble just by saying the wrong things at the wrong time. It's unfair as the Interweb blows everything everything out of proportion but it is unfortunately reality these days.

 

[ChuckNORRIS4Cup]

30 minutes ago, Quoted said:

 

You'd think the clubs would provide them with some sort of PR/media training once drafted. Too many kids seem to get into a bit of trouble just by saying the wrong things at the wrong time. It's unfair as the Interweb blows everything everything out of proportion but it is unfortunately reality these days.

 

 

Honestly what he has said publicly I don't even know I haven't even paid attention, the only thing I read was the "stuff" comment anything else I don't even know. My opinion on the matter has nothing to do with what he has said, or what the interwebz say, it's actually much worse then I thought. 

 

On a side note I agree 100% about the PR/media training, some have it naturally while others just don't. It would be beneficial to the ones who don't have it, and also help them feel more comfortable as well.

[Kevin Biestra]

Well, he's better than Bro Jake.

[Quoted]

6 minutes ago, Kevin Biestra said:

Well, he's better than Bro Jake.

 

That's a pretty low bar.

 

[cuporbust]

33 minutes ago, Quoted said:

 

That's a pretty low bar.

 

Pratt removes the bar all together 

[Toews]

I have been underwhelmed by Jake's play but the way Canucks fans have been writing him off and insulting him is a little too much. This isn't just on CDC by the way, Canucks fans can just be the harshest of critics.

[wallstreetamigo]

4 hours ago, BlackBeard said:

you seem to be like Virtanen, an obvious excuse went past your head as well.

 

when WD was pumping Jakes tires, calling him "real good," I don't know what the hell he's talking about.

 

Why make a BS excuse?

 

All Willie had to say was, "We brought him back up so that we could sit down with him face to face to discuss the plan we have mapped out for him. We wanted him to understand exactly what we are looking for him to work on and improve in Utica."

 

Instant shut down of all the distraction about the Virtanen situation that the media likes to drum up. Mistakes have clearly been made by both the team and Virtanen in how things have happened this year and last. But why give the media unnecessary ammo?

 

That is a lot more professional (and probably actually closer to what happened) than, "Oh I think he needed to get his stuff."

 

Willie made himself sound kind of stupid there and sounded like he was not even in the loop of the decision making or communication with Virtanen.

[robvp]

8 hours ago, dpn1 said:

I just read the Hockey News article on Jake Virtanen and I am not sure how you all feel but it seems like the media is just making way too much of the thing now.  I admit to being a big Jake fan but it seems to just be getting stupid.  He is down there now and hopefully he will start to find the back of the soon.  I still feel his frustration is reasonable.  The coach, gm and prez didn't handle him well.  He needs to now shut up and put up the point.  Maybe the press will leave him alone then.

Jake and Management need to have a sit down. They're clearly not on the same page and both parties have said things they shouldn't have to the media. Time for Jake to put his nose to the grindstone, work his ass off and spew out some crappy hockey cliches when speaking to the media instead of feeding them stories.

[Baggins]

2 hours ago, wallstreetamigo said:

 

Why make a BS excuse?

 

All Willie had to say was, "We brought him back up so that we could sit down with him face to face to discuss the plan we have mapped out for him. We wanted him to understand exactly what we are looking for him to work on and improve in Utica."

 

Instant shut down of all the distraction about the Virtanen situation that the media likes to drum up. Mistakes have clearly been made by both the team and Virtanen in how things have happened this year and last. But why give the media unnecessary ammo?

 

That is a lot more professional (and probably actually closer to what happened) than, "Oh I think he needed to get his stuff."

 

Willie made himself sound kind of stupid there and sounded like he was not even in the loop of the decision making or communication with Virtanen.

 

Don't know if you played any sports that involved travel but packing for a road trip and packing for a long term move are two very different things. What Willie said made sense to me. Jake's "I don't know what stuff" sounded much dumber to me. I guess he's one of those 'turn the undies inside out and I'm good for a couple more days' kind of guys.

[wallstreetamigo]

Just now, Baggins said:

 

Don't know if you played any sports that involved travel but packing for a road trip and packing for a long term move are two very different things. What Willie said made sense to me. Jake's "I don't know what stuff" sounded much dumber to me. I guess he's one of those 'turn the undies inside out and I'm good for a couple more days' kind of guys.

 

Yes, I have played many sports and back in the day probably travelled for sports more than the average person has.

 

Desjardins comment still made no sense as to why that needed to be his focal point. Lets pretend for a minute that the Canucks would call a kid up for a few days and pay him thousands of dollars more just to pack up his $&!#. It's unlikely that would ever be a good enough reason for the owner to pony up extra cash but even if we assume they were ok with that, what purpose did Desjardins saying it actually serve? I mean, he knows the $&!#storm swirling around both him and Virtanen. Is fanning the flames like that supposed to be done targeted motivation tactic through the media or something? It makes no sense when he had an easier out there. It just further added to the image that he is either not in the loop of why decisions are being made the way they are or he is in conflict with management about what to do with this kid when he is up.

 

Desjardins looked like a minor league coach in that moment either way. Not a professional NHL coach who says the safe line even though everyone might know it is a crock of $&!#.

[Baggins]

32 minutes ago, wallstreetamigo said:

 

Yes, I have played many sports and back in the day probably travelled for sports more than the average person has.

 

Desjardins comment still made no sense as to why that needed to be his focal point. Lets pretend for a minute that the Canucks would call a kid up for a few days and pay him thousands of dollars more just to pack up his $&!#. It's unlikely that would ever be a good enough reason for the owner to pony up extra cash but even if we assume they were ok with that, what purpose did Desjardins saying it actually serve? I mean, he knows the $&!#storm swirling around both him and Virtanen. Is fanning the flames like that supposed to be done targeted motivation tactic through the media or something? It makes no sense when he had an easier out there. It just further added to the image that he is either not in the loop of why decisions are being made the way they are or he is in conflict with management about what to do with this kid when he is up.

 

Desjardins looked like a minor league coach in that moment either way. Not a professional NHL coach who says the safe line even though everyone might know it is a crock of $&!#.

 

I get that you don't like Willie, but I didn't see Willie's fanning the flames at all. The press, maybe. I'd be pissed if I was on the road for a week and my boss told me I'd be there indefinitely with no trip home to prepare for "indefinite". I found Jake's comment far more baffling than Willie's. Immaturity as far as I'm concerned. I just don't think he's the sharpest knife in the drawer, showing too many similarities to Kassian.

[canuckleheads fan]

4 hours ago, wallstreetamigo said:

 

Yes, I have played many sports and back in the day probably travelled for sports more than the average person has.

 

Desjardins comment still made no sense as to why that needed to be his focal point. Lets pretend for a minute that the Canucks would call a kid up for a few days and pay him thousands of dollars more just to pack up his $&!#. It's unlikely that would ever be a good enough reason for the owner to pony up extra cash but even if we assume they were ok with that, what purpose did Desjardins saying it actually serve? I mean, he knows the $&!#storm swirling around both him and Virtanen. Is fanning the flames like that supposed to be done targeted motivation tactic through the media or something? It makes no sense when he had an easier out there. It just further added to the image that he is either not in the loop of why decisions are being made the way they are or he is in conflict with management about what to do with this kid when he is up.

 

Desjardins looked like a minor league coach in that moment either way. Not a professional NHL coach who says the safe line even though everyone might know it is a crock of $&!#.

I'm thinking Jake freaked out when he got to Utica, and they recalled him for a come to Jesus moment with the entire management team, who is too busy to fly to Utica. It was a show of who's boss. They likely told him he wouldn't be back in Vancouver until hell froze over so feel free to close out your apartment in Vancouver and sign a lease in Utica. WD wouldn't tell the media about the come to Jesus moment, because he doesn't embarrass players in the media, so he made up a BS excuse. Jake being light on brain matter didn't get that Willie was saving face for Jake. 

 

It's too bad really, Jake has been given every opportunity to succeed. He was gifted a spot on the team, gifted second line ice time, played with our best player, all that was asked was that he play hard and be responsible. I hope he learns something in Utica, because it would be a real shame to waste another first round pick.

[Mackcanuck]

Canucks GM Jim Benning on Jake Virtanen's Hockey News comments: 'I don’t hold that against him'

 

Jim Benning was heading home from church Sunday when Jake Virtanen called.

“I didn’t know whether I should take the call or not,” the Vancouver Canucks general manager said Tuesday.

Virtanen reached out in an attempt to clarify his Saturday comments to the Hockey News when asked about his reassignment to the Utica Comets and what the plan was for his return to the National Hockey League.

 

“I don’t hold that against him,” said Benning. “Jake has a good heart, but he’s a young player and sometimes a little naive. I told him not to worry about it, but now when guys ask you the plan, here it is: ‘You’re there to practise and play hard a lot in games and keep improving and there’s no timeline as to when you’re going to be up.’

“Every player’s path to the NHL is different. We want to do what’s best for Jake’s development because he’s an important guy for us. He understands that and I think we’re all on the same page. We’re going to be patient with him.”

 

Baertschi could certainly attest to it from his ride in Calgary

 

Sven Baertschi knows first hand how much first-round picks can struggle with having to temper their tongues and adapting their games.

As the 13th overall pick in the 2011 draft, he had to deal with the disappointment of a yo-yo existence with the Calgary Flames before being dealt to the Canucks.

He has played 124 games at the AHL level and 159 in the NHL and is better for everything he went through — both good and bad.

“It was tough, but I learned a lot,” he said of his AHL experience. “There’s a lot more responsibility you have to take on down there — and you have to — and Jake is getting a lot of ice time and even power-play time. That’s big for him. That’s what is going to make you a better player.

“He has to learn every single day and Travis (Green) is a great teacher and really helped me out a lot. He helped me clear my mind about being in Utica and not focusing on when I was going to get called up. Your head has to be with Utica at the time when you’re there.

“There are so many distractions for players and Jake is a really popular guy in Vancouver. He just needs to take a breather and focus on getting better. He’s a unbelievable player and has so many tools, he just needs to regain his confidence and the ability to make plays.

“There were times where I was playing in the AHL and didn’t know why, but you have to grind away.”

Trust was a factor for Baertschi in Calgary and it didn’t help that Brian Burke’s first salvo after being named president of hockey operations in 2013 was aimed at the winger on the eve of the 2013-14 season.

“I see this as a guy who’s focusing on one area (offence) and even then, sporadically,” said Burke. “So, I don’t know what we have.”

What Baertschi had with the Flames was a disconnect. Whether not having the trust of management and being bypassed by other prospects, his days were numbered. He was dealt and his road to the NHL would only lengthen.

“It took me three years but I was ready,” he stressed. “This feels unreal because I was more prepared for every scenario in the NHL.”

 

http://vancouversun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/vancouver-canucks/canucks-gm-jim-benning-on-jake-virtanens-hockey-news-comments-i-dont-hold-that-against-him

[wallstreetamigo]

4 hours ago, Baggins said:

 

I get that you don't like Willie, but I didn't see Willie's fanning the flames at all. The press, maybe. I'd be pissed if I was on the road for a week and my boss told me I'd be there indefinitely with no trip home to prepare for "indefinite". I found Jake's comment far more baffling than Willie's. Immaturity as far as I'm concerned. I just don't think he's the sharpest knife in the drawer, showing too many similarities to Kassian.

 

What does it have to do with whether I like Willie or not? I actually don't like or dislike him, for the record. I dislike some of his decisions and some of his weaknesses as a coach that he struggles to learn from. I don't know him personally so liking or disliking him as a person is impossible to determine.

 

All I said though was why create unnecessary drama around a situation that you know the press is grasping for some red meat around?

 

It sounded like Willie had not talked to Virtanen at all during his brief call up and really just didn't know what to say to the press about it. 

 

I never said anything about Virtanen being smart or dumb either. I just said he truly sounded like he didn't know what Willie meant by his comment. I don't think that necessarily makes him dumb and I don't think there is any reason not to believe him. It sounded pretty honest actually.

 

Maybe you have a bias against Virtanen. I mean, why are you automatically giving Desjardins the benefit of the doubt for a truly bizarre comment that I don't think I have heard any coach ever say to explain demoting someone but on the flip side you won't give Virtanen the benefit of the doubt for simply saying he didn't know what he meant by it?

 

I am on the other side in that I don't think Virtanen's comments were really all that big a deal. More like he got asked about something that he had no clue about.

[komodo0921]

15 hours ago, dpn1 said:

I just read the Hockey News article on Jake Virtanen and I am not sure how you all feel but it seems like the media is just making way too much of the thing now.  I admit to being a big Jake fan but it seems to just be getting stupid.  He is down there now and hopefully he will start to find the back of the soon.  I still feel his frustration is reasonable.  The coach, gm and prez didn't handle him well.  He needs to now shut up and put up the point.  Maybe the press will leave him alone then.

He was never ready to begin with. Unfortunately, Jake was brought in under bad circumstances. Neither he, nor, McCann were ready for the NHL. 

Sadly, this has reflected badly on him when it, really, is no fault of his. The fault rests squarely on the shoulders of management and their misguided attempts to speed up a rebuild. They are supposed to have the wisdom to properly evaluate talent and place them accordingly. Furthermore, I think it's sad that they let him take the fall for his short comings, rather than being men and admitting to the mistake. 

I truly hope that they, now, do the right thing and let him develop like a true prospect and put an end to the notion that he only need a short stint in the "A". He is a project, plain and simple. He has the tools to be a great forward but needs time to develop his physical and mental maturity.

An 82 game season in the NHL is a grueling and brutal happening. It is a rare thing for a nineteen year old to come into the NHL and, truly, be ready for it. Jake is, and never was, one of these.

[Mackcanuck]

8 minutes ago, komodo0921 said:

He was never ready to begin with. Unfortunately, Jake was brought in under bad circumstances. Neither he, nor, McCann were ready for the NHL. 

Sadly, this has reflected badly on him when it, really, is no fault of his. The fault rests squarely on the shoulders of management and their misguided attempts to speed up a rebuild. They are supposed to have the wisdom to properly evaluate talent and place them accordingly. Furthermore, I think it's sad that they let him take the fall for his short comings, rather than being men and admitting to the mistake. 

I truly hope that they, now, do the right thing and let him develop like a true prospect and put an end to the notion that he only need a short stint in the "A". He is a project, plain and simple. He has the tools to be a great forward but needs time to develop his physical and mental maturity.

An 82 game season in the NHL is a grueling and brutal happening. It is a rare thing for a nineteen year old to come into the NHL and, truly, be ready for it. Jake is, and never was, one of these.

 

Bennings response

 said Benning. “Jake has a good heart, but he’s a young player and sometimes a little naive. I told him not to worry about it, but now when guys ask you the plan, here it is: ‘You’re there to practise and play hard a lot in games and keep improving and there’s no timeline as to when you’re going to be up.’

“Every player’s path to the NHL is different. We want to do what’s best for Jake’s development because he’s an important guy for us. He understands that and I think we’re all on the same page. We’re going to be patient with him.”

[wallstreetamigo]

I also dislike that the organization, particularly Benning, rushed him last year rather than send him back to junior. Then not starting him in Utica this year which clearly was where he belonged.

 

I don't know if it was Benning trying to validate his picking Virtanen at #6 or if he truly thought Virtanen was ready. But he clearly wasn't and it was obvious to many within the time frame to send him back to junior early last year. Just like it was obvious in camp he needed to be in Utica.

 

Management and coaching definitely haven't stepped up to the plate to take any responsibility for their own mistakes in the situation. They seem more than happy to lay all the blame at his feet alone and let him suffer through it but that simply isn't realistic. 

 

Willie and Benning seem to have contributed to breaking his confidence by not making a quicker and more definitive decision on what to do with him. They often seemed at odds about him.

[wallstreetamigo]

6 minutes ago, Mackcanuck said:

 

Bennings response

 said Benning. “Jake has a good heart, but he’s a young player and sometimes a little naive. I told him not to worry about it, but now when guys ask you the plan, here it is: ‘You’re there to practise and play hard a lot in games and keep improving and there’s no timeline as to when you’re going to be up.’

“Every player’s path to the NHL is different. We want to do what’s best for Jake’s development because he’s an important guy for us. He understands that and I think we’re all on the same page. We’re going to be patient with him.”

 

Isnt that pretty much what Virtanen said though?

[chickenman92]

Anyone wondering if Prust is to blame?

 

I mean, I talked to Jake a few times when he was in Calgary, and Hitmen staff about him and he always came across as a likable, hard working, honest guy. 

 

Last year he seemed to spend a lot of time in camp with Prust, who in my opinion, has grown a bit too big for hid britches and has gotten too cool for school in the past 3-4 years - honestly hockey doesn't seem to be Prust's top priority. 

 

Now Jake seems to kind of come across as a bit arrogant or Prust-like. 

[LaBamba]

7 minutes ago, Mackcanuck said:

 

Bennings response

 said Benning. “Jake has a good heart, but he’s a young player and sometimes a little naive. I told him not to worry about it, but now when guys ask you the plan, here it is: ‘You’re there to practise and play hard a lot in games and keep improving and there’s no timeline as to when you’re going to be up.’

“Every player’s path to the NHL is different. We want to do what’s best for Jake’s development because he’s an important guy for us. He understands that and I think we’re all on the same page. We’re going to be patient with him.”

 

Hopefully he breaks his trend down. I like the pick and always will. It's not his fault he has stupid parents.