Monday, July 14, 2008

Burke and Lowe ordered to play nice by the NHL


This is one of the more interesting stories to appear this summer, it is unfolding like a soap opera. This story also makes you ask is are we in second grade here or what? It is almost like Lowe took Bruke's Tonka truck and he is upset about it.

While I don't care for Brian Burke, mainly because the way he conducted himself after the Wild and Ducks playoff series in 2007, personally I think Brian Burke is a cry baby and does like to make outrageous statements. While this story just proves my point Burke might have a point; Kevin Lowe did over pay Dustin Penner and highly inflated the price of Thomas Vanek. Lets be honest with ourselves folks, there is no way Dustin Penner is worth 21 million dollars, Penner scored 23 goals in 82 games this season. That being said it is time to these two to move-on and stop with the purse fight.
Burke carefully responds to Lowe charges
Brian Burke says he will abide by the NHL's request to end his criticism of Kevin Lowe and the Edmonton Oilers, but the Anaheim Ducks general manager wanted the last word on Thursday.

In a careful, measured statement, Burke took aim at some of Lowe's recent stinging comments about three Ducks players and the Anaheim hockey market.

"There is no question in our mind or defiance about the league's authority here," Burke said in the statement first read to Ducks beat writers on a conference call and then posted on the NHL club's website. "We accept their authority to stop this and we intend to stop it.

"However, several things were said last Friday that I believe need to be addressed."

On Monday, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman warned both men to quit taking shots at each other or face significant fines.

Oilers spokesman J.J. Hebert said Thursday that the team would comply.

"We will be respecting the league's request and will not be discussing this matter any further," he said.

The public year-long spat between Burke and Lowe was resurrected on July 3. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the Ducks GM claimed a pair of offer sheets doled out by Lowe last summer set the tone for the madness of this year's market.

Burke's comments referred to Lowe's inking of Buffalo restricted free agent Thomas Vanek to a seven-year, $50-million US offer sheet, which the Sabres matched. Later, the Oilers signed Ducks forward Dustin Penner to a five-year deal worth $21.25 million US offer sheet, which drew Burke's ire based on the potential inflationary ripple effects the offer could have across the NHL.

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