I like this one too:For those questioning his competitive fire let me remind you exhibit A. In an AHL game
View: https://youtu.be/iqXnurQh5Uk
I like this one too:For those questioning his competitive fire let me remind you exhibit A. In an AHL game
I think once a professional athlete thinks “well, getting eliminated and going home wouldn’t be that bad,” it makes things really difficult for the team given how close the margins are when you get to this point. I suspect that there are more than a few players who are playing with some ambivalence right now but you can deal with it if it’s a forward on the second line or one of seven or eight defensemen. A goalie? That’s probably more of a problem.My first take on this after reading the headline only was that his ambivalence about being there had shown up in his play - he knew it would take more to compete for the Bubble Cup and he knew Halak would put the team in a better position than he might. He looked so despondent with himself after the Dougie laser that when the news broke, I instantly thought he quit on behalf of the team not in betrayal of it.
I'm sure someone has already said it, but he's got 3 kids under 6, one of them a newborn. There's a lot there that can happen that would make him feel that he needs to be with his family right now instead of bubble hockey. I'm also positive his teammates are supportive of him and have his back.A friend of mine knows Tuukka personally (she's dated a member of the team for a bit), and said he's been battling mental health issues for a couple of years. She wasn't shocked when this was announced.
So - yea. If so - I hope taking the time off helps, and I hope he's ok.
“He texted me back and I asked specifically if I could share this part of what he said to me and he said you can. The fact of the matter is he said to me there was a family emergency," Arnold said. "He went on to say everything is fine now, but there was a family emergency and he felt he needed to be back with his family. "
“I will tell you that I got a text message from a former teammate of his and this former teammate said, ‘He just called me. I would have left too if it was me.’ This is what a former teammate told me yesterday almost in the immediate aftermath of Tuukka reaching out to me."
Or, as Dale Arnold did a couple nights ago, with Tuukka's explicit permission to share.It also has no business coming out unless it comes from Rask's mouth
Talk about searching for a controversy where there is none. If he was dealing with mental health issues/stress/feeling like he can't escape/not feeling motivated, a relaxing game of golf with no pressure would seem to be the perfect outlet. (By the way this is also why I've never understood why people get mad when presidents or other politicians or leaders play golf or go on vacation.)Now everyone is getting mad at Rask going out and playing golf today. It came out on social media and now reporters were stalking the club where he supposedly was. People are messaging guys like Jim Murray and Zolak and trying to get pictures. I’m supposed to already know this, but the media in this town sucks(in my best Pitino voice).
Great optics from Rask. Play golf and take care of yourself if you have to leave your job because of possible mental health issues and or a family emergency.Bad optics from Rask. Lay low if you bail on your team.
*If* he had "bailed on his team" then maybe "laying low" would be good advice.Bad optics from Rask. Lay low if you bail on your team.
I'm sure this well-reasoned, well-supported comment will change lots of minds in this thread.Bad optics from Rask. Lay low if you bail on your team.
Bailed on his team? And why exactly should he have to lay low?Bad optics from Rask. Lay low if you bail on your team.
In your mind, he should have "just sucked it up and been a man" I bet, huh?Bad optics from Rask. Lay low if you bail on your team.
100% agree. Hockey is a game, and we will get to watch the Bruins next year. He can't take care of his family if he isn't taking care of himself.Great optics from Rask. Play golf and take care of yourself if you have to leave your job because of possible mental health issues and or a family emergency.
You're not here to have a discussion or contribute in any meaningful way. Enjoy HF Boards.Oh my bad, it's very good optics. Get out there Tuukka!
Darn, I took the Under at 8 1/2. You couldn't have done this yesterday?You're not here to have a discussion or contribute in any meaningful way. Enjoy HF Boards.
I hope your stay here is short.
Well how bout that.You're not here to have a discussion or contribute in any meaningful way. Enjoy HF Boards.
4 goals in 7 minutes and now this. Hallelujah.You're not here to have a discussion or contribute in any meaningful way. Enjoy HF Boards.
It honestly amazes me why any elite pro athlete would want to play here. The media here is insufferable, and judging by the social media reactions to this, the fan base in general is toxic. I think since I get most of my sports information from SOSH I forgot how bad it was on other outlets.Now everyone is getting mad at Rask going out and playing golf today. It came out on social media and now reporters were stalking the club where he supposedly was. People are messaging guys like Jim Murray and Zolak and trying to get pictures. I’m supposed to already know this, but the media in this town sucks(in my best Pitino voice).
Yeah I'm pretty insulated as well since it's either self curated podcasts or SoSH or maybe a few trusted subreddits and well weird Celtics Twitter. It's crazy when I go into some of those rabbit holes.I think since I get most of my sports information from SOSH I forgot how bad it was on other outlets.
I don’t think the fans any worse though than an6 other big market team thoughIt honestly amazes me why any elite pro athlete would want to play here. The media here is insufferable, and judging by the social media reactions to this, the fan base in general is toxic. I think since I get most of my sports information from SOSH I forgot how bad it was on other outlets.
NY fans are not as venomous because there’s so many teams. DC, SF, and LA fans are indifferent to bad teams and in some cases even with good teams.I don’t think the fans any worse though than an6 other big market team though
I've lived outside of Boston for most of my adult life, and I can honestly say this isn't true. Other sports fans love to talk about their team, and there's definitely smack talk between fans, but no other sports fans relish the ability to hate on their own teams and players the way that Boston sports fans do, and it stems in a really, really large part from the Hot Takez Boston media, which is awful.I don’t think the fans any worse though than an6 other big market team though
Celtics excepted, 40 straight years of agonizing championship failures will do that to a fan base. Especially a self-regarding, provincial one. ;-) . I was among the worst until 20 years of unparalleled success sat my ass back down.I've lived outside of Boston for most of my adult life, and I can honestly say this isn't true. Other sports fans love to talk about their team, and there's definitely smack talk between fans, but no other sports fans relish the ability to hate on their own teams and players the way that Boston sports fans do, and it stems in a really, really large part from the Hot Takez Boston media, which is awful.
In general, I would rather have a discussion about sports with a MFY fan than with a random Boston fan, because Boston fans are the worst, and I'm honestly not sure it's particularly close.
This has dawned on me the last couple years after allowing myself to be ignorant to it most of my life. The culture around sports in this market is horrific. Most of the fan base is uninformed and reactionary and the media has so few people doing actual reporting and 90% of them just looking to bury someone to raise their own profile. Then when people don't want to stay in Boston, they all say that person can't "handle it." No, you're just awful.It honestly amazes me why any elite pro athlete would want to play here. The media here is insufferable, and judging by the social media reactions to this, the fan base in general is toxic. I think since I get most of my sports information from SOSH I forgot how bad it was on other outlets.
The fans are "informed." As you suggest in the next sentence, a lot of it is who they're informed by. I dont think the average afternoon listener realizes that Felger, for example, is "just playing the contrarian role, and doesn't really believe Rask is soft" or whatever nonsense he spews in the name of ratings.This has dawned on me the last couple years after allowing myself to be ignorant to it most of my life. The culture around sports in this market is horrific. Most of the fan base is uninformed and reactionary and the media has so few people doing actual reporting and 90% of them just looking to bury someone to raise their own profile. Then when people don't want to stay in Boston, they all say that person can't "handle it." No, you're just awful.
God, that’s gotta suck. I know how tough it is when my wife calls about an issue with one of my kids and I’m at work and have to get my shit together and rush out the door to drive 10 miles. I can’t imagine getting that call and rushing out only to have to wait for a 3 + hour flight
Literally every Bruin related person that has talked from player to coach to management has said something to the effect of we support him 100% and he is doing the right thing for him and his family.I don't understand why they didn't handle the media part of this, which they all knew was going to be a major story, better. Had the Bruins advised him to go and we'll handle the media part of this, they could have announced: "Tuukka has had to leave the bubble to attend to a family emergency. He hates to leave his teammates right now, but this is what he needs to do to support his family in this difficult time. The entire Bruins organization is behind Tuukka and his family and we are doing everything possible to support them. We will have no further statement and we ask that you respect Tuukka's privacy."
That or something similar would have taken this down a notch.
Yes, yes it does, I've been in both spots, when I had an hour drive from here in the office, and when I had to wait for 28 hours on a flight back from Asia. The anxiety and angst on that flight is pretty intense.God, that’s gotta suck. I know how tough it is when my wife calls about an issue with one of my kids and I’m at work and have to get my shit together and rush out the door to drive 10 miles. I can’t imagine getting that call and rushing out only to have to wait for a 3 + hour flight
Seriously. Not a single person from the organization has said "Tuukka quit," and left it at that. Every person from Sweeney to Cassidy to his teammates that I have seen interviewed has been very clear that they support him and this is what he had to do, from the very start. The Bruins organization is literally the only part of this that hasn't been a shitshow. The media and fan reaction to it has been nothing short of embarrassing.Literally every Bruin related person that has talked from player to coach to management has said something to the effect of we support him 100% and he is doing the right thing for him and his family.