Jeremy Rutherford just called in the following from Scottrade Center …
Blues owner Dave Checketts held an impromptu press conference during this morning’s practice where he expressed his disdain with the team’s performance this season. Here are a few excerpts:
“Well, I’m frustrated like everybody else. And I think it’s frankly time to declare the wait over. I think our fans have been patient, I think we’ve been patient, John (Davidson) and the coaches and everybody have been on the same page … we’re going to rebuild the organization the right way. Now there is no reason for the kind of effort we saw last night. This team has everything it needs and now is the time to win. We should be, all year long, we should compete for first or second in our division. This team is good enough and that’s what we expect from them. I think everyone can expect that. And it’s top to bottom … it’s everybody in the organization has to be on that page. It’s time to win. We have everything we need to win … there’s no excuse.”
****
Asked if he was prepared to make changes if necessary, Checketts said:
“There are no changes that need to be made. We’ve got premier coaching, we’ve got great young talent, we’ve got terrific veteran leadership, we have great goaltending. … This is a team that the time has come, it’s time to win. The waiting is over. We don’t need to be patient anymore. We have a right to expect. We’re spending enough and we have a terrific group of guys. We will not get outworked. It’s time to win.”
(Jeremy will follow with a full story on the topic in Saturday’s paper.)
Don’t understand why everyone expects us to be so good. Most of the players drafted and expected to be good players are 1-3 yrs in. Johnson, Bergland, and Perron are not even close yet to what they will become. Pietrangelo who was supposed to be so good hasnt even officially been a rookie yet. Then you have Eller, Cole, McRae, etc. We just need to be patient, relax, and let them develope.
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Mr. Checketts, good for you!!! You’ve called out this team to be better. I think they are better than they are playing. They have lots of talent. Just seem to be missing a bit of spark to get the job done. Now Mr. Checketts how about doing the same with Dish Network and Fox Sports Midwest and get their dispute settled!! Dish Network customers are being cheated out of seeing the games that are supposed to be broadcast. That means you are losing some of your fan base due to this duspute. So how about it Mr. Checketts?? Make some calls and get this dispute settled. With that being said…LET’S GO BLUES!!!!!!! Start winning and kicking some butt!!!!!!!!
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yawn
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Just like Auggie Busch! Pass the Bud
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I’m very happy that we have an owner who isn’t afraid to drop the gloves. Dave Checketts may be the owner, but first and foremost, he is a fan. He is just expressing what the majority of the Blues nation is feeling silently.
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He made a great point but I think he definitely got a couple of things wrong:
1)Andy Murray is not a premier coach.
2) Eric Brewer should not be the guy leading the team in ice time.
3)Andy Murray is the coach.
4)You send Lars Eller down hardly playing him but expect to score by playing McCLement huge minutes. He’s a great player at what he does but he doesn’t score.
5) Alex sits in the press we don’t score.
6)jonas Jundland sits in Peoria and we have issues scoring and a couple of sub-NHL caliber on the roster logging large minutes of ice.
7)Andy Murray is a terrible coach of young players.
8)Andy Murray is a terrible at designing a style for his team to play but great at understanding how the other teams’ use their style. In the end he has his team try to play against the other teams’ style rather than having confidence in his team playing their own style and forcing the other team to adapt.
9) Andy Murray relies to heavily on role players which are good for a team but not what leads a team to winning.
10) I think you understand where I’m going with this–Andy Murray.
Otherwise I love you Dave Checketts. You are a great owner. It’s time to do the right thing and hold the coach accountable. Our team continues to play the same way for the past three seasons. Sometimes goaltending has gotten us over the hump. Other times it was injuries to players like Brewer and being forced to play kids and rely on them. The kids and goaltending got this team into the play offs. It was not the likes of Keith Tkachoke.
I’ve rooted for this team to lose when our seasons were hopeless so that we could get higher picks. Now, sadly, I root for them to lose, though it tears my heart up, so that Murray is fired. I go to work expecting to be held accountable for my job. If I fail it can cost lives. This man only has to motivate players and make good decisions that allow for the best possible outcome in a game. He has never accomplished this in the NHL, unless simply getting to the play offs is the standard.
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I think it may be time to re-examine the coach. A team with this kind of talent shouldn’t have to be scolded by the owner. The coach should do that. We have a goaltender that literally stands on his head game after game and we do have the wherewithal to beat Detroit two games in a row in two consecutive days no less. With all that in mind I tend to look toward the coach to provide that fire a team needs in a situation like this. It may be time to look into someone who will put the kind of spark into this team that it desperately needs !!!
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This team and coach are all talk and no action on or off ice free agents
are a joke esp. so called premier goal scorers. Injuries are part of the game with all the teams in the league. All the high price contracts have
produced lazy hockey players who could care less what the coach or owner
says. Good luck Blues fans you will need it
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Great post SleepDoc. I laughed 3 years ago when he was named coach and have been laughing since. He’s an Assistant Coach. Thats all. Also JD needs to be called to the carpet. They all have been terrible. When you don’t improve this team over last years late run…Huge red flag.
The dog days are ahead.
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#1) This was nothing but a PR move by the owner – just trying to avoid an exodus of fans due to a lack of performance on the ice. People are talking about the Blues today – mission accomplished. #2) When a team can’t beat anyone, it’s due to a lack of talent – coaching can’t help. #3) When a team has enough talent to win some games, but never against the contenders, it’s usually due to inexperience. #4) When a team has experience and young talent combined, but still can’t win against contenders, it’s coaching. The Blues are losing because of coaching. AM is a standup guy and I like his candor, but he’s not a great coach – never has been. He looks good in a suit and handles interviews well, but cannot teach youngsters or motivate veterans. The owner knows this, and is undoubtedly searching. Today was the setup. If they continue to lose, there will be a new coach before December 1.
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Exactly the kind of owner the Rams need — fully committed to winning, to St. Louis, AND EXPECTS OTHERS TO DO THE SAME.
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Now if we could have the same demand placed upon the media in St. Louis. We’re tired of all the bad reporters/announcers straddling the fence. You either stand for something or nothing at all. Go Blues!!!!
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and while you’re at it can you get Gary Pinkel and the Mizzou Tigers on the same page too please?
(hey you think Mike Alden would give this speech?)
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Dave, can you get Bill DeWitt, Tony LaRussa, and all of the Cardinals and Rams on the same page too?
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AM is gone.
Whenever a owner calls a press conference to praise the coach and “confirm” his confidence in him the guy is gone within a week or two.
AM had a good run but it is over, thankfully.
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Here, here. About time an owner started acting like one!
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I agree with Mike, TC and all the others calling for change. It is time to fire the coach. Fire the GM. Fire the President. Trade the youngsters. Dismantle the entire team. The season is over. Spend, spend, spend. Blah, blah, blah. Apparently hockey fans know more about how to run a team than the professionals. TJ doesn’t have 20 goals already. Send him to the minors. Brewer isn’t Pronger, trade him for a bag of pucks.
Geeeez.. What lame, impatient, “fans” we have.
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They played one period last night, the first one. After that they quit playing and ran all over the ice. Since they don’t seem intent on winning it may be a good idea to sit some of them and let some others play the game.
Jackman turned the puck over at least 3 times last night and one of the turnovers was in front of the net. He’s played too many games to be making basic mistakes like that. Too many long passes, dump and chase isn’t for this team, they dump but forget to chase or get out hustled to the puck.
Either Murray needs to get tough with them or the front office needs to get tough with Murray or change coaches. I agree, this has been going on for too long with the talent on this team.
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I agree with everything except “premier coaching”. Murray’s Kings plateaued and so have the Blues. It’s time for a coach who can take this team to the next level. This team should play like Tuesday every night, and they aren’t cuz Murray’s not the guy.
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Mr. Checketts wil you please buy the rams/cardinals? Best owner in professional sports and we were lucky to land him here in St. Louis!
— Dkon
1:53 pm November 13th, 2009
Why do we need him to buy the Cards? The Rams maybe but not the Cards. The Cards success this past decade speaks for itself. What a dumb comment Dkon!
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All I’m going to say is this: Sometimes the Coach’s “message” can get lost when it’s repeated over and over and over again….
Let the Boyz play…
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The thing they lack is called “Leadership.”
There’s no nucleus to this “Team.”
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Amen I say, AMEN to Mr. Dave Checketts, its time like this when an owner has the right and should come down on his team…………DA Boys better wake up and get their butts in gear….He is right we have everything in place, now its time to execute, drive hard, and finish the checks. Backus was the only one I saw last night banging bodies, Jackman, he needs an MAJOR attitude adjustment and play NHL hockey. This guy (BJ)is suppose to be a front-line defense-man, well when is he going to play like one and be held accountable. I am in full support of the Blues, and I applaud Mr. Checketts, and the management for this wake up call…GO Blues….!!!!
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Thank you Dave Checketts…
This team is underachieving bigtime and all everyone can do is make excuses for them…”their rebuilding,” “its a young team.” Blah, Blah, Blah. How many more lousy hockey seasons do we have to endure as this team “rebuilds?” Time to start seeing some winning hockey. If Murray isn’t the guy to lead them, then get rid of him. Get someone else in there that can motivate this bunch and get it done. I agree with Mr Checketts in that it is time they start competing. Say what you want about his comments not being said behind closed doors. I think there are a lot of people who are sick of seeing the Blues blow game after game.
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stlfan_pah, I’m sure he has been calling in the coaches and management for some time now. It’s a good idea at this point to let your customers know how you feel about it all and to also put the players on notice that it is on them(as it should be).
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“premier coaching” – LOL
Very much agree with Dave London’s comments, as well as tubastarr.
Murray is a .500 coach – he can make lesser guys play better, but he can also make very talented guys play mediocre. He coaches on the Bell Curve; as such, we’re going to meddle around the middle until he learns to play to win. He’s an “old dog”, is he open to new tricks? If not, please let him go play on the farm and enjoy his golden years before he shakes himself to death.
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Dear Lord I hope this guy finds some big-pocket investors so he can run the Rams. This is the type of leadership we need for the pro-sports teams in St Louis
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With all due respect, how can you say “There are no changes that need to be made”? The players are not playing for the coach and are being held back by his style. There’s the change that needs to be made. We have two choices:
1. Get rid of the talented youngsters and replace them with Crombeen clones (no offense to Crombeen, he’s been great).
2. Get rid of the coach who wants all players to flush their skill and play like Crombeen.
One or the other.
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Hope Checketts said this to the Blues players and not just the media.
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I have no respect for what Mr. Checketts did. NONE. You do not call out an organization or players in a “public” forum. He should have closed the doors, brought in Davidson and Management, and told them how it was going to be. It starts at the top Mr. Checketts. You hold yourself accountable for the product you provide, then you take to account what your President and Manager are doing to ensure the success of this team. They should be doing this, and should be doing that. Well Mr. Checketts, they aren’t, and accountability starts at the top, and filters down. Mr. Andy Murray has a responsibility to get these players to buy in and get motivated. If not, they don’t play. If nobody responds to Murray, then he’s gone, etc. etc. Having said all this, do we honestly know how good this team is? It is still a young team overall. Is Brewer any good? Do Paul K. and Keith T. still have what it takes? Do we have top tier goal tending? Anybody stop to think we have a fairly young defense overall, and Johnson is starting season 2? In theory, it would seem that we have a very talented young team with tremendous potential. But, that’s how it SEEMS. Do we really know for sure? Are we giving too much credit to guys like Perron and Oshie? They aren’t proven commodities yet. Just because they had a strong second half last year, doesn’t make that a full proof yard stick to measure exactly where this organization stands. I think this ownership has absolutely attempted to rebuild this organization in the correct manner. But, don’t get all pissy, when things are going as you expected, and push the blame downhill. It makes you sound as though you are above this, and hold no accountability for the state of the organization today.
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God love ya, Dave Checketts. Hope you can buy our football team and instill this kind of mentality there, too.
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I’m sure they heard this message. They’ll play inspiring hockey for a game or two – then have another bad game, and the cycle will start all over again.
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I was at the game Tuesday night and there was a sperlative effort! The reason was that Murray unhitched the thoroughbreds from the beer wagon and let them run.
Last night they were hitched back up to Murray’s beer wagon and he got his answer. The team has the talent to be a top tier team if it is allowed to play to its strengths which are speed and the transition game. Instead Murray has them playing dump and chase and going into a defensive shell whenever they get a one goal lead. This team can dominate when it is allowed to pressure the opposing team and play in the opponent’s end. Murray continually has them playing defense in their own end. The game has changed an Andy Murray hasn’t changed with it. he is rapidly coaching this team out of the playoff picture. the only reason they got into the playoff’s last year is that he had no choice the last third of the year but to turn the horses loose.
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Give ‘em hell, Dave!!!! Hopefully this will ight a fire under their rear ends!
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The organization has the talent to look beyond the Central Division. But the day-to-day decisions seem to indicate that the team cares more about immediate wins than long-term success.
I have to question the rationale for sending a top offensive prospect back to Peoria in order to make room for another of the Blues’ burgeoning corps of third-liners.
I have to question the front office’s refusal to make a decision on its top defensive prospect — will they dump him back into junior hockey, or make a commitment to helping his development at the NHL level?
And then there are the in-game decisions. Why would you put your two oldest and slowest defensemen out on the ice together? Why is the power play so predictable? Why, in the final three minutes of a game you’re trailing, do you put your checking line on the ice for a full shift?
If Checketts’ comments are anything more than hot air for the masses — if the organization is being directed to abandon the long-term development of future talent at the NHL level for the sake of wins in the short-term — I’ll be extremely disappointed. The Blues have always been good at getting into the playoffs and then disappearing. We don’t need to return to the “win-now-and-screw-tomorrow” wheel-spinning that the franchise endured from the late ’80s to the lockout.
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Couldn’t have worded his statement better myself.
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Go Dave Checketts!
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Can you imagine how great it’s gonna be when he’s the new STL Rams owner!
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I could not agree more. I don’t know if we’re 100 percent cup-ready just yet, but we certainly should be better than we have been. And he’s right, lats night’s effort just AIN’T gonna get it done in this league. Kudos to Mr. Checketts for saying what needs to be said. I don’t know if he just put everyone on notice, but I think he sure got their attention.
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Mr. Checketts wil you please buy the rams/cardinals? Best owner in professional sports and we were lucky to land him here in St. Louis!
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Thanks for saying it, and nto sitting idly by thinking al is well. While not on life support, we are at the ER.
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Couldn’t agree more SG et al. Who could have guessed we’d be here a few years ago-having a team with talent and expectations. Checketts and JD have turned the Blues into the best-run franchise in the city. They’re honest, accessible, they hold everyone accountable and are truly appreciative of the fans. Even in our current tailspin, I still believe in this team. We just need to increase the effort and get everybody going. There’s WAY too much talent on this team to justify the results we’ve been seeing.
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GOOD JOB!!
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I love it!
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God bless Dave Checketts.
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Wow. I hope that puts a little life in their pants. The owner has taken notice. Time to focus like last year’s 2nd half fellas.
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I really hope the Blues players heard this. I’m sure they did. Checketts is right. We don’t need a new coach or a major trade. We need the players that get paid to score to score. We need the players who get paid to make plays, to make plays. We need the defenders who get paid to defend, to defend.
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That is the type of owner every team needs.
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