| 03 June 2009
A few days after Bruce Garrioch penned that the Senators haven't had any contract discussions with pending UFA RW Chris Neil. That doesn't bode well for him remaining in Ottawa, Andy Strickland has parted the clouds for fans who have held out hope that our favorite gingery pugilist would somehow be retained by the Senators organization.
According to the Hockeybuzz writer:
The Ottawa Senators are negotiating an extension with forward Chris Neil and should have a deal completed before July first when he is set to become an Unrestricted Free Agent. Ottawa has expressed a desire to re-sign Neil who wants to remain in Ottawa so the framework for a deal is obviously there.I have to admit, when I read the word framework, I cringed. Every time Murray negotiates a contract, the player either earns too much money or receives a movement clause or both. Let's hope that's not the case here.
I feel compelled to reiterate that although I think it's time that the organization parted ways with Neil, I've always liked the guy. Everyone has their own favorite memory of Neiler, be it a fight, the Chris Drury hit, or his flashing of the toothless grin. Here's my favorite Neil moment that occurred off the ice in 2001.
Less than 48 hours after the Senators had been eliminated by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs. After a strong showing against the Philadelphia Flyers in round one, I was convinced that Jacques Martin's squad would finally get over the hump and beat their arch rivals. Well, that never happened. The Sens were bounced out and I was devastated. Having just finished some university exams, I had headed out with my friend Lenoire to a local west-end watering hole to drown my sorrows.
When we arrived at the bar, the atmosphere was dead. Including staff, there were probably 15-25 people there. I wasn't surprised. It was the middle of the week and even though the playoffs were still ongoing and televised, everyone was obviously at home licking their wounds. Well, except for ninety-percent of the Senators roster.
Fresh off playing a round at Eagle Creek, the players had obviously decided to vent and let loose that night. As the house band was taking a break between sets, Zdeno Chara and Wade Redden were on stage jamming as they respectively played the drums and guitar. Hilariously, Jani Hurme sat off to the side admiring the work while wearing a white suit and a pair of ridiculously oversized J-Lo glasses.
When the boys had finished playing their instruments, Chara strolled up to the bar where Lenoire and I were standing. I had to say something to him, the man was/is an Ottawa legend. So I measured up the courage and said,
"Hey Zee, how's it going?"
"Good."
"What happened against the Leafs?"
"I know, I know."
And I don't know why I said it, but I blurted it out, "Well, let me buy you a drink."
And he said, "No, no, let me buy you a drink."
In my head, I'm thinking SCORE! A couple drinks maybe twenty minutes later Lenoire and I are introduced and schmoozing with the rest of the players in the pool room. I remember being absolutely being blown away by how accessible and grounded some of the players were. (Lenoire and I spent a good couple of hours talking to Mike Fisher about the finer nuances of living in the west end.) What I also remember is how much the alcohol was flying around that night. While Fisher never so much as touched a drop, Bill Muckalt was doing his best Cocktail imitation as he regularly kept making trips behind the bar to pour trays full of rum and cokes that were 99.9% rum, 0.1% coke.
After enough trips, Muckalt finally developed enough liquid courage to challenge Chris Neil to a game of pool. To his credit, Neil's smarter than most people care to give him credit for. He took advantage of Muckalt's state and said, "Fine, $1,000 per ball." Five shots later, Muckalt had accidentally sunk the eight-ball. One massive f-bomb later, Muckalt had snapped the pool cue over his knee, thrown half of the cue through the light overhanging the table and thrown the other half at Neil. Unfortunately for Muckalt, Neil caught the cue and chased him around the table. Muckalt burst out the side door of the pool room and ran into the parking lot.
About five minutes later, both players re-entered room to laughter. Neil came back without a scratch on him and Muckalt came back with his shirt in tatters. A fitting end to the year for Muckalt: zero goals, eight assists and one ruined shirt courtesy of Neil.
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