Thoughts on booing Heatley

It’s going to be a loud night tonight at Rexall Place. For the most the noise won’t be the fans cheering for the home team as much as it will be the fans booing Dany Heatley each and every time he steps onto the ice.

I’m not a fan who boos opposing players; I just don’t see the point. If I thought I could affect their game then I probably would but I’d rather put some effort into cheering on my team instead. But everyone in the building paid good money for their seat, so if they want to boo a player then they should boo.

Twice before I’ve gone a game when you knew that a player on the opposition was going to be booed relentlessly – when Comrie returned as a Flyer and when Pronger came back as a Duck. But there is one major difference between those situations and the Heatley situation; Pronger and Comrie actually played here and left on less than good terms with the club, Heatley just chose not to play here.

Is that really worth getting all worked up over?

What about Hossa and Nylander, both were pursued by the Oilers who offered more money and years to both but in the end they each signed elsewhere. Why was their snub of the Oilers not worthy of wrath at the hands of Oiler fans?

Hossa and Nylander both entered into discussion with the Oilers about playing here; on some level they must have at least considered Edmonton an option. All Heatley did was exercise his contractual right to not come here (more on the contract later). He never led the Oilers on in any way, he was very clear that this wasn’t a preferred destination for him. The Oilers could have let it end there but instead continued to try and convince him to come here. That says more about the Oilers than it does about Heatley.

In some ways I think that Oiler fans should thank Heatley. I mean it, if you see him on the street give him a big hug because had he not rejected the trade Penner and Smid aren’t Oilers right now they’re Senators. I thought the price for Heatley was high in July but I could have lived with it. Seeing the growth in Penner’s and Smid’s game it looks to me like that trade would have been a big loss for the Oilers. Not getting Heatley might very well be the Oilers best offseason move.

If there is a reason to boo Heatley it would be for the way he treated the Senators. The Sens negotiated a long term, and very lucrative, contract with Heatley; a deal that included a no movement clause. Players want a no movement clause as a form of protection so that in the future should the team wish to trade them they have a measure of control over the destination.

For the most part the is nothing wrong with a no movement clause. Where it goes south is when it isn’t used to protect the player but instead handicap the franchise. When Heatley decides that he no longer wants to play in Ottawa, even though he signed a six year deal with the Senators, he shouldn’t be able to use his no movement clause to choose his destination. As far as I’m concerned his no movement clause should be voided as soon as he requests a trade.

This summer Heatley acted like a spoiled brat, but Senators fans should be mad at him for that not Oiler fans.