Ron Wilson

ONCE AGAIN THE “INTEGRITY” OF THE NHL IS IN QUESTION…
THE LATEST INVOLVES TORONTO HEAD COACH RON WILSON WHO IS NOW UNDER INVESTIGATION BY THE LEAGUE FOR TAMPERING…
ON MONDAY OF LAST WEEK WILSON CLEARLY STATED ON “THE FAN 590” IN TORONTO…
“WE WOULD BE GOING AFTER THE SEDINS”…
WITHIN HOURS GENERAL MANAGER BRIAN BURKE JUMPED ON A PLANE AND FLEW TO STOCKHOLM…
BURKE NOW INSISTS…HE WAS IN SWEDEN…ONLY TO MEET WITH GOALTENDER JONAS GUSTAVVSON…
FOR THE RECORD:
NHL BYLAW NUMBER 15 STATES THAT TAMPERING IS…
“THE MAKING OR CAUSING TO BE MADE THROUGH ANY MEDIUM…PUBLIC OR PRIVATE…ANY STATEMENT INDICATING ANY INTENTION OR DESIRE OF…OR INTEREST IN…AQUIRING THE SERVICES OF A PLAYER ON ANOTHER CLUB”…
IT IS “BLACK LETTER LAW”…
LAST FRIDAY JASON BOTCHFORD OF THE VANCOUVER PROVINCE QUOTED AN UN-NAMED NHL EXECUTIVE AS SAYING WILSON’S COMMENTS WERE…QUOTE…”A CLEAR CASE OF TAMPERING”…
AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT…
A YEAR AGO…WHILE BURKE WAS STILL IN ANAHEIM…
HE ACCUSED EDMONTON GENERAL MANAGER KEVIN LOWE OF TAMPERING WHEN LOWE SUGGESTED THE OILERS WOULD BE INTERESTED IN A TRADE FOR COREY PERRY…
AS EXPECTED…LOWE WAS CLEARED OF ANY WRONG DOING…
THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN “PUBLICLY TALKING TRADE”…
AND GOING ON THE RADIO AND TALKING ABOUT SIGNING PLAYERS…WHO ARE ABOUT TO BECOME UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS…
“BIG DIFFERENCE”!!!
WHEN BURKE WAS ASKING ABOUT THESE LATEST TAMPERING CHARGES…HIS ONLY COMMENT WAS…”NO COMMENT”…
IN 1999 THE ST. LOUIS BLUES WERE FOUND GUILTY OF SENDING AN OFFER SHEET TO THE AGENT OF SCOTT STEVENS…
AT THE TIME STEVENS WAS A RESTRICTED FREE AGENT…BUT STILL UNDER CONTRACT TO THE NEW JERSEY DEVILS…
DESPITE THE FACT…STEVENS RE-SIGNED WITH THE DEVILS…
THE BLUES WERE FORCED TO PAY THE DEVILS $1.4 MILLION IN DAMAGES…AND GIVE THEM A FIRST ROUND DRAFT CHOICE…
AT THE TIME…COMMISSIONER GARY BETTMAN STATED…
“VIOLATIONS OF THE “NO TAMERING PROVISIONS” DIRECTLY UNDERMINE THE “INTEGRITY” OF THE LEAGUE AND THE GAME”…
SO HOW DOES BETTMAN HANDLE THIS MESS???
HE AND BURKE ARE CLOSE FRIENDS…WHICH IS A CLEAR “CONFLICT OF INTEREST”…
IN THE END…IT ALL GETS BACK TO ONE THING…”INTEGRITY”…