Is loyalty to one team a luxury in today's NHL?
With the passing of Hockey Hall of Fame player Jean Beliveau on Dec. 2, one has to wonder why players do not stay with one team for their entire careers any longer. Beliveau played parts of 20 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens from 1951-1971.
Other iconic players who played their entire careers with one organization include Stan Makita (Chicago Blackhawks from 1958-80), Dennis Potvin (New York Islanders from 1973-88), Steve Yzerman (Detroit Red Wings from 1983-2006) and Joe Sakic (Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche from 1988-2009). The list is much longer than just these four players.
The list of players in recent times that have played their entire careers with just one organization is much smaller. Nicklas Lidstrom (Detroit Red Wings from 1991-2012) and Patrick Elias (New Jersey Devils from 1995-present) are both players that come to mind.
"You don't see it in a lot of sports anymore," said Blue Jackets bench boss Todd Richards. "I think it is because of the economics (of the league). Now you have the salary cap in there. There are a lot of different reasons why. It doesn't surprise me."
While every player dreams of winning the Stanley Cup, it seems as if more players are chasing that dream by trying to sign with a perceived "winner" when their current contracts are finished. This is not an indictment of the players. Rather, it's an observation of the reality of the NHL in the 21st century.
"It the salary cap now, it's that simple," said defenseman Jordan Leopold. "It's all about numbers. You have guys that sign five-year deals or whatever, and at the end of that deal there may not be enough cash to sign them back. The free market sets that number.
"It's unfortunate because when I first started 12 or 13 years ago, a lot of guys were with the same team . . . the older guys that I played against all stuck with their same team. Then the salary cap came in (2005) and the rest is history. Now you see guys bounce around a bit more and play for more teams. The allegiance just isn't there due to the fact that it's a financial decision."
No one is faulted for getting as much as they can while he can. It has become a byproduct of the age in which hockey is played. The salary cap has kept spending in check while forcing teams to maximize returns for money spent on a player. Loyalty is not always rewarded if a player cannot produce. Loyalty may be seen as a luxury that teams just cannot afford any longer.
"I think it's the salary cap and the way the league has gone," said left wing Nick Foligno. "But I also think that guys chase winners now. Careers are so short that they want to play for a Stanley Cup champion and sometimes the team you're on is going in a different direction as you get older. It gives you an opportunity to go somewhere and win.
"I think a lot of it now has to do with the salary cap and the fact that it's become a younger league. As you get older, pieces get shuffled around. If you're not a 'staple guy,' you're kind of gone. It's ironic, because I looked at a guy like Daniel Alfredsson, who I never thought would leave Ottawa (Senators), and sure enough, he's gone (spent 17 seasons with Senators until playing 2013-14 with Detroit Red Wings before announcing retirement on Dec. 4). It's funny what some guys' rationales are."
While many players have no say on whether they are traded from one team to another (Foligno and Leopold are examples of this), some chase the "winner" at all costs. The drive to win the Stanley Cup would almost seem to trump loyalty. Is this good or bad?
Todd Richards said that it doesn't bother him that players move from team to team, albeit for myriad reasons.
"Each guy has to live his own life and do what he thinks is right," Richards said. "For some, a player may be unhappy and he wants to move on. I don't know. There are a lot of different circumstances that lead up to guys making those types of decisions. For me, I don't look at someone and say you should be doing this or doing that. They've got to live their own life."
For those old enough to remember an age where your favorite player stayed with your favorite team for an entire career, those were the days of yore. Rarely, if ever, will one see a player stay for their career in one place. And that makes me a little sad.
The Blue Jackets take on the Florida Panthers Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Catch all the action beginning at 7 p.m. with the FOX Sports Ohio pregame show "Blue Jackets LIVE."
