Post by atlantaisburning on Apr 3, 2010 18:04:12 GMT -5
ATLANTA (AP) - If you're one of the Flames fans who has been less and less enthused about the team's play this season, you might want to buy a program tonight. There will be some new faces in the lineup tomorrow night.
But instead of picking up a new jersey at Flames Store, you might want to try a Value Village first.
The Flames made a three-way deal with the St. Louis Eagles and the Detroit Falcons, first trading C Mario Lemieux, 30 years old, D Eric Desjardins, 26, RW Owen Nolan, 23, and D Jason Smith, 22 to St. Louis for RW Jarome Iginla, 18, D Chris Pronger, 21, D Bret Hedican, 25, and LW John Leclair, 26. The Flames then sent Leclair to Detroit along with Daymond Langkow, 18, and LW Dean McAmmond, 22 in exchange for cash, C Joe Nieuwendyk, 29, and a conditional draft pick in 1999.
The deal sees the Flames move many of the top prospects from their farm team to acquire two of the most highly touted youngsters in the league, Iginla and Pronger. They also hit reset on an earlier trade that sent Nieuwendyk to Pittsburgh.
"What did I say? Don't mess with things to get a star player. They don't listen to me, I guarantee ya we'd be in first place if we had Nieuwendyk all year," said Head Coach Don Cherry. "Now we can get down to business with things and by time playoffs come we'll be smooth sailing."
Cherry was overheard giving his support for youngster Chris Pronger. One scout said anonymously: "Pronger is a dirty player, and in the environment around players like Fleury, Roberts, Clark, Gaetz, Domi, they're gonna make other teams pick up their teeth on their way out of Georgia."
The atmosphere for the Flames was tense, as expectations for the team skyrocketed with Lemieux in the lineup. Team officials claim Lemieux changed the team attitude, with more focus on offense and less on the backcheck. Grapes said the team wasn't his style to team management, and the choice was made.
A statement from the GM read: "Two weeks earlier, Grapes told me we don't need a star player, we need our players. So we freed up cap space for next season to re-sign our guys to long-term deals and compete at the highest level in the long run. We get two great prospects, and a good chance at the cup this year."
The team also announced a new promotion that donates $250 per tooth that is knocked out by an Atlanta Flames player during home games.
But instead of picking up a new jersey at Flames Store, you might want to try a Value Village first.
The Flames made a three-way deal with the St. Louis Eagles and the Detroit Falcons, first trading C Mario Lemieux, 30 years old, D Eric Desjardins, 26, RW Owen Nolan, 23, and D Jason Smith, 22 to St. Louis for RW Jarome Iginla, 18, D Chris Pronger, 21, D Bret Hedican, 25, and LW John Leclair, 26. The Flames then sent Leclair to Detroit along with Daymond Langkow, 18, and LW Dean McAmmond, 22 in exchange for cash, C Joe Nieuwendyk, 29, and a conditional draft pick in 1999.
The deal sees the Flames move many of the top prospects from their farm team to acquire two of the most highly touted youngsters in the league, Iginla and Pronger. They also hit reset on an earlier trade that sent Nieuwendyk to Pittsburgh.
"What did I say? Don't mess with things to get a star player. They don't listen to me, I guarantee ya we'd be in first place if we had Nieuwendyk all year," said Head Coach Don Cherry. "Now we can get down to business with things and by time playoffs come we'll be smooth sailing."
Cherry was overheard giving his support for youngster Chris Pronger. One scout said anonymously: "Pronger is a dirty player, and in the environment around players like Fleury, Roberts, Clark, Gaetz, Domi, they're gonna make other teams pick up their teeth on their way out of Georgia."
The atmosphere for the Flames was tense, as expectations for the team skyrocketed with Lemieux in the lineup. Team officials claim Lemieux changed the team attitude, with more focus on offense and less on the backcheck. Grapes said the team wasn't his style to team management, and the choice was made.
A statement from the GM read: "Two weeks earlier, Grapes told me we don't need a star player, we need our players. So we freed up cap space for next season to re-sign our guys to long-term deals and compete at the highest level in the long run. We get two great prospects, and a good chance at the cup this year."
The team also announced a new promotion that donates $250 per tooth that is knocked out by an Atlanta Flames player during home games.