Not Starting Lou Classless & embarrassing to the Player and Organization another big black eye

[ShakyWalton]

I honestly thought it was a joke when I first heard Lu wasn't starting. I was a torts supporter from day one, but this move really just blew me away. It was like committing suicide along with the stuff said about team Canada. I mean I just don't get it. If you're trying to reestablish yourself as a top coach why would you say things you know are going to piss people off in the hockey market you're working in. Regardless of what he meant, unless he's an idiot he would know it was going to start a bunch of crap I don't know this guy actually enjoys stirring the pot or what because it made no sense whatsoever. Lu is a favorite in the dressing room, and regardless of what the players will say media I can't imagine being real impressed either even though lack has been playing well. It doesn't make any sense at all. Just absolutely ridiculous. Torts is slowly killing off any support he actually had here. I can't imagine what's next for this guy. Maybe the idiot reputation he has is well-deserved. Absolutely idiotic move and I've never even really been a massive Luongo fan

Very well said and spot on..I used to be a big Torts supporter when he arrived here,,after the gong show this year,,I am no longer...yesterday was dumb on so many levels and the level that makes me cringe is are we going to have to go through another goalie soap opera dominating the news and papers...frankly Lu cant leave fast enough.

You could almost see this coming,, knowing that the organization wanted Lu gone ..another young goalie comes along and plays well and its the same old story.

[Snake Doctor]

I'm going to be straight to the point. Luongo should have started yesterday. It was a bad decision not to start him. We now have a young goalie in Lack who is taking heat from the media with an onslaught of questions regarding his role with the team. Futhermore, this has added to the tension in which Mike Gillis created when he said he would trade Luongo. Luongo is a better goaltender than Ryan Miller. Other than contract status, why was it so difficult to trade him? His cap hit is friendly, you know he can play out the contract he signed, and the guy just won another gold medal.

Put it this way, Luongo is the best goaltender this team has ever had in its history. Treat the guy with more respect. If he is healthy, PLAY HIM.

Quite frankly Torts has made some brutal coaching decisions lately which will affect us making the playoffs.

[Fred65]

Personally I'm getting completely fed up with the whining & drama that surrounds this hockey team, it sounds more like a soap opera than a sports team. Too many fans want to relate on a personel level rather than treat it like a business. I know in my working days bosses rarely came to me and asked if you'll be offended if you have to work extra hours of miss your weekend, fly off to some lousy destination on short notice. Pull on your big boy pants and get on with it. I don't want to hear this constant whining. All the players have a job to do they get paid very well..just do it and shut the Hell up

[poetica]

We did not get the 2 points.

As for the rest of the posters. This Lack vs Lu stuff is not helping, Lack knows his role. I like lack and think he will be a great goalie here in a few years. With that said, Lu should have been shown more respect and had the starting role for yesterday's game. Anyone using the fact that Lu lost five in a row before they break is clueless and should know that was three weeks ago. Jetlag/injury I understand, but saying Lack was better is a clueless comment.

Especially since the TEAM lost Lack's last 5 starts before the Olympic break too.

This team's problem isn't our goalies. But our coaches continuing to pretend it is rather than addressing the real deficiencies may be.

[Guest Gumballthechewy]

I'm a 25 year old

Learn your place, kid.

I find this absolulty hilarious.

[Phantasystar]

Especially since the TEAM lost Lack's last 5 starts before the Olympic break too.

This team's problem isn't our goalies. But our coaches continuing to pretend it is rather than addressing the real deficiencies may be.

Personally I think the Canucks just need the right coach to motivate his players. I'm an Avalanche fan and I don't think anyone thought we would do what we are doing with Roy behind the bench. The players have bought into his system and that is a huge thing. I don't think Torts is the type of coach that knows how to coach with what he has in front of him. He'd rather instead change a team more to his liking. If the team doesn't buy into it then you got trouble.

Also I feel quite bad for Luongo not getting the start. They really do need to move him or the circus will probably never end.

[poetica]

Personally I think the Canucks just need the right coach to motivate his players. I'm an Avalanche fan and I don't think anyone thought we would do what we are doing with Roy behind the bench. The players have bought into his system and that is a huge thing. I don't think Torts is the type of coach that knows how to coach with what he has in front of him. He'd rather instead change a team more to his liking. If the team doesn't buy into it then you got trouble.

Also I feel quite bad for Luongo not getting the start. They really do need to move him or the circus will probably never end.

That's my fear as well.

[hockeyhero]

the big issue i have with not starting Luongo in the last game is not so much coz it's the heritage classic.. if you are saying Luongo is cold coming into the game.. then he's going to be cold coming into the phoenix game.. if he thinks lack gives him a better chance to win.. then he should play lack against the divisional foe where it's essentially a 4 point game? by not starting Luongo in the classic.. he's going to go into a big divisional game cold.. unless he's planning to start lack again.. if he cares about points that much.. then should have started Luongo vs ottawa and lack vs phoenix... Luongo did not lose the net to lack coz you can't really base the last 6 game of the season and wipe out his entire season's work.. not starting Luongo is a slap to his face and also a poor coaching choice if he's going to put an ice cold Luongo into a big game vs a divisional foe with his last game played almost 2.5 weeks ago.

Exactly ....... well said !

[CroSen]

It is hard to be a Canucks fan sometimes; give up a 2 goal lead, and a new goaltender controversy started. I really like Lack and we are lucky to have him, however I have no idea what Torts was thinking starting him in a game like that, especially considering the Canucks goaltending history. I wanted to feel really excited yesterday and by the end I almost felt like giving up on this team.

[viking mama]

Plenty of people felt that way too. Hence the we want Lou chant at the game.

Yup - the level of the disrepect for our 2010 Olympic & 2011 Stanley-Cup-Run hero (Luongo) in that decision....was in equal proportion to the level of disrespect afforded to Trevor Linden after his Stanley-Cup-Run heroics in1994.

Linden was unfathomly dethroned.... & co-erced into giving-up his captaincy to the villain that gooned him without penalty along the boards at the buzzer after a Canucks' Game-6 victory...hoping to put Linden out of Game 7....which he did NOT. Our captain performed valiantly scoring 2 goals there...but was still vanquished by circumstances, the officials, & fate. Any leader worth his freakin' salt...would have acknowledged that he needed to win over that room, by example of loyalty & devotion to the people in it - before he could be possible supplant the old captain & be accepted as their leader. Ohhh...but NOT Messier! That ego of his was just TOO freakin' massive for humility...or for the more dignified choice to emerge.

That lone decision...heralded in a period I call the DARK AGES as a Canucks' fans.

The integrity shown by both of those men (Linden vs Messier) was totally different. One oh-so generous & respectful... & the other having no-respect for one's former opponent.....& a COMPLETE disconnect to the to the wishes of that team & its' fan-base. Absentee owner John McCaw & his Orca Bay flunkies who invited all of that to happen....also had a COMPLETE dis-connect to the situation. See the similarities here?

Tortorella ain't all that together - folks! He's got the enormous ego in this situation. He's been all about beating down the stars into foot-soldiers since day 1.....no matter their rank or seniority....all of that be damned 'cuz to him - this should never come to bear,... nor should leadership-past. Hell...clearly the will of the fans has no bearing, either! He's a putz...& he's a fool - for thinking you can coach by discounting all of those factors in team-building moments such as these....and so is GM Gillis - for letting this happen,...& on a day meant to revere & herald great achievements & performances...of the PAST.

Instead...this decision brought this franchise under further scrutiny....created more controversey,...& free-agents, who are generally the seniority of this league, took ample notice of the public-shaming of one of their own...'cuz this was a lime-light event....supposedly for them & the fans.....to enjoy & for ALL to see!

Yikes....such BAD FORM....yet again!

[Tearloch7]

Hopefully MG does the right thing and trades or buys out Luongo. Frankly, he deserves better than this two bit organization.

Why are you still here then? .. flee to another team and take the 'snivel-pack' with you, please ..

[aqua59]

What a bunch of babys. In the end Lou got how much this season?

[Heretic]

What a bunch of babys. In the end Lou got how much this season?

Well now you know the answer to one of life's mystery's...it isn't always about money.

[Neversummer]

Repost from another thread, more appropriate here:

Imagine when Torts came back from his suspension for the Calgary locker room incident, Gillis says, "Before your suspenstion, we were 2-5-2 in Jan, Sully went 2-3, I want to give Sully another couple of chances see how he does as Acting Head Coach, come and watch the next game in the box with me."

Do you think Torts would be a professional about it?

[viking mama]

Absolutely. Chanting anything related to something not happening to a player currently in the game is stupid. If fans don't think that has some impact on Lack then why would it matter when they did it? Why not do it during warm up then celebrate Lack while he was playing?

No, the chant was meant to be derisive and had no thought to Lack or how to be a fan supporting your team that needed a push to win the game. If you don't support the decisions of the coach (and management) then don't go to the games.

Don't go to the games unless we support the decision of the coach & management - eh? LOL.

If we all did as you suggest...many arenas would be empty 'cept for crickets. Get real! Second-guessing the coach has always been a part of the experience. Always! I go to support the team...but the players fore-most. But - for a successful franchise - you need to fill the seats & keep the fans happy. If thats playing an exciting uptempo brand of hockey....`winning...or giving away free-bees at the games.....hiring ice-girls,...providing good food & beer at the concessions...or simply playing your franchise goalie in a special event- feature game....you DO all of those things - together. It`s marketing wisdom.

As for you being sure that the LU-chants were meant as derision & directed at Lack. Pleazzzze!

The Lu chants WERE there at the start. A grass-roots campaign was afoot to attempt to change Tortorella's mind. Not so many went there & were that loud about it at the start. But as Lack & the team faltered...why not encourage the emergence into the game of Lu, as a hero to the rescue. Trust me. Lack was up for either option - yesterday. He had already re-tweeted something about himself that was noted by a fan...(paraphrasing)... that knowing who Lack is, no one was feeling more uncomfortable about the decision to NOT play Lu - than him. He knew the optics of the situation from the fans perspective... & from his teammates perspective...everyone DID! Oh - 'cept for maybe the coach & his beleaguered GM. This debaucle puts fresh new nails into both Gillis' & Tortorella's professional reputations. No one will ever forget this.

This is an example of Tortorella being... disconnected to his team. Breaking down star players is his MO. Making 'em all into loyal automatons is the goal...no ego is to be bigger or more important to the group....than Mr. Tortorella - himself! The team has swung their pendulum wayyyy too far, I'd say. This reset....became a re-tool...& turned into a nuclear-bombing...in a hurry here - with no intelligent or cerebral coaching in-sight.

Now, please tell me why....oh why.... did they NOT select...the very cerebral & intelligent - John Stevens?

[erkayloomeh]

Repost from another thread, more appropriate here:

Imagine when Torts came back from his suspension for the Calgary locker room incident, Gillis says, "Before your suspenstion, we were 2-5-2 in Jan, Sully went 2-3, I want to give Sully another couple of chances see how he does as Acting Head Coach, come and watch the next game in the box with me."

Do you think Torts would be a professional about it?

haha good one

[CanucksHockey11]

I'm sick and tired of everyone saying "WOW, The Canucks management is so classless. We have by far one of the most bipolar fan bases in the NHL. Last year half the fan base was against Roberto Luongo and have been for many years. Now all of a sudden everyone's a huge Luo fan. The worst thing that came from yesterdays Heritage Classic was the fact that our own fan base BOO'ed Eddie Lack when his name was announced over the PA and the We want LOU chants.

I know many fans are not apart of this problem. If you're part of this problem simply give your head a shake. I don't understand why people would be mad at Eddie? Be mad at Torts idc but, how can you blame Eddie? I'm sick and tired of the classless organization remarks, when our own fan base is classless.

Just my two cents.

[TheRussianRocket.]

No ones mad at Eddie, he was unfortunately the poor guy caught in the middle. Fans were chanting Lu to send a message it was a very controversial move to sit him out which it ended up being.

Nothing more nothing less so don't make it anything it isn't.

[VanIsleNuckFan]

Hockey players aren't as fragile as the fans.... Not defending anyone, but was it really him we were booing, could have been anyone but Lu and they would have got the boo... I'm pretty sure Lack will understand this, because I assume him to be a man, who has more than a one sided and emotionally based rationality.

[Aladeen]

Eddie is a great guy and deserves nothing but support from us, but he will have to grow a thick skin to play and succeed in this market and I think he has what it takes to do just that.