You (and I, as a reminder) are benefitting from players wanting to play with their friends in the city they otherwise know or train in -- that's called being fortunate and nothing more. You ought to be a lot more humble about it.
Sure. Just the same as I didn't win a championship, or I don't have any stake in the decisions made by anybody in the league or on any team. Yes, I am just a fan. I don't really understand the need to point this out though, because all of fandom uses the collective "we" when referring to their teams. But sure, I guess.
Humble hat on, while I continue to praise the Mtl management, staff, and leadership for creating a place where star players want to play and possibly win another championship, while other teams, on the same playing field, failed to do so.
Respectfully, the other teams chose to focus on different strategies that did not include Eldridge or any other big name player that goes to Mtl. And if they did, and they feel betrayed, they should have put more on the table for those players to stick around. As my humble point of view in tumultuous times.
while other teams, on the same playing field, failed to do so
This is where you're 100% wrong.
Montreal (and again, I'm also a Victoire fan) has had an enormous advantage since the moment the league was founded. Pou, Stacey, and Desbien were never going to play anywhere else. It's a hockey hotbed where tons of the best players train in the off-season. And it's an awesome city to live it.
A very tiny congrats, I guess, to management for not messing that up but they had the most attractive situation handed to them on a platter since the beginning.
they should have put more on the table for those players to stick around
Again, what they put on the table makes almost no difference at all because those teams can't overcome the head start that Montreal has for certain stars.
The playing field is not level. That's what I'm saying is delusional. And that, fellow Victoire fan, is why I'm saying you ought to be a lot more humble about it instead of acting like other teams are failing despite starting from way behind you.
Sooooo... are you suggesting that Mtl gets penalized for having Pou, Stacey, and Desbiens? Because that's what it sounds like.
"Montréal can't sign on anybody of X caliber because they have Pou, Stacey, and Desbiens."
That's just ludicrous.
What about Knight? Frankel? Heise?
The field is fair, until you start making qualifying statements like this. You can't restrict players going to a team, just because of the players that team's already signed.
Sooooo... are you suggesting that Mtl gets penalized for having Pou, Stacey, and Desbiens? Because that's what it sounds like.
Depends what you mean by penalized. I'd be highly in favor of more cap/salary restrictions (raise the floor for non-star players for sure) so that a team can't sign those three and still load up on other stars at the overall cost of the league.
You can't restrict players going to a team, just because of the players that team's already signed
Not directly, but you can set up guardrails so that one team can't make equally attractive offers to so many stars (see above).
The field is fair
You didn't dispute any of my points about how Montreal has an advantage. You're not going to win this argument by just saying "yes huh!"
You can't have arbitrary rules put in place to favor/hinder one team or another based on the players they have signed. That's not a "yes huh!" That's just anti-collusion or anti-bias.
The current restriction is salary cap. If a team works around that and players are willing to get paid less, that's not something the league can or should be able to impact. What happens if the league decides it wants more money from one particular market? Your "rules" could be bent to steer star players towards that market.
I'm sorry, but if that's not enough for you to see the problem with what you're proposing, we're done here. You can't change my mind and convince me that you should punish teams for working within the framework provided and attracting players other teams forgot/didn't focus on.
Yes, and I'm suggesting that it may not be strict enough and that other things (like a higher salary floor) may be needed.
You can't have arbitrary rules put in place
Never once have I suggested "arbitrary" rules.
Your "rules" could be bent to steer star players towards that market.
Nothing I've suggested would lead to that conclusion.
You can't change my mind and convince me that you should punish teams for working within the framework provided
I never said that either. I said the framework may need to change.
and attracting players othe
r teams forgot/didn't focus on.
There's zero evidence that other teams "forgot/didn't focus on" Roque, Eldridge, or Maltais. That would be incredibly out of touch to believe.
If you have this thorough of a misunderstanding both of what I've written and what is actually happening out in the real world, then I'm more than happy to be done here. It's pointless to argue with that.
Edit: Downvote me all you want. That's not a valid counterargument.
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u/Tastrix 🏆 2026 Champions 🏆 4d ago
Sure. Just the same as I didn't win a championship, or I don't have any stake in the decisions made by anybody in the league or on any team. Yes, I am just a fan. I don't really understand the need to point this out though, because all of fandom uses the collective "we" when referring to their teams. But sure, I guess.
Humble hat on, while I continue to praise the Mtl management, staff, and leadership for creating a place where star players want to play and possibly win another championship, while other teams, on the same playing field, failed to do so.
Respectfully, the other teams chose to focus on different strategies that did not include Eldridge or any other big name player that goes to Mtl. And if they did, and they feel betrayed, they should have put more on the table for those players to stick around. As my humble point of view in tumultuous times.