Glen Sather wants compensation for your soul

[RedKingGold]

Report: Rangers seek draft pick in wake of Cherepanov's death

ESPN.com news services
Updated: November 7, 2008, 1:55 PM ET

• Comment
• Email
• Print

Three weeks after the death of top prospect Alexei Cherepanov, the New York Rangers are seeking a compensatory pick in the second round of the 2009 NHL draft, saying "with all due respect to Alexei's family and his memory, he is technically eligible to be drafted again next year," the New York Post has reported.

The team is citing Article 8.3 (b) in the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, which mandates compensatory selections be provided when teams are unable to sign first-round draft picks.

"The question is with the one parenthetical phrase in Article 8.3 (b) that refers compensation for an unsigned first-round draft pick who is '… again eligible for the Entry Draft or becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent,'" Rangers assistant general manager Cam Hope told the newspaper. "That language was inserted to clarify that a team would be owed a compensatory pick even if they were to re-draft that player or sign him as a free agent.

"It seems now as if that phrase is unintentionally precluding the deceased from being included as eligible for compensation. We understand that this is a sensitive issue, but with all due respect to Alexei's family and his memory, he is technically eligible to be drafted again next year."

Cherepanov was the 17th selection in the 2007 draft. He died Oct. 13 after collapsing during a game in Russia while playing in a Continental Hockey League game with the Omsk club Avangard. He was 19 years old.

"We are not attempting to capitalize on a tragedy, but there would be no question regarding the Rangers' right to a compensatory pick if Cherepanov had been revived and survived the incident and were on life support," Hope said. "If an unsigned player sustained a massive injury on or off the ice, the drafting team would get a compensatory pick.

"We believe that the letter of the law applies in this case, but even if there is a disagreement on that, it's clear that the spirit of the law applies."

Rangers general manager Glen Sather first put the matter on the table in Chicago last month at the league's GM meetings, the Post reported.

"At this point, the league has taken no position on the Rangers' request," NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told the newspaper. "The matter is in front of the league's general managers, who will address the subject at their next meeting in March.

"It's possible that the language of the CBA would need to be amended to address situations such as this one. If that's the case, then we would need to negotiate that with the Players' Association."

.

[Tekneek]

I had a feeling that something like this would come up.

[samifan24]

Classy move by the organization.

[RendeR]

I always knew the Rangers were worthless.

[Fidatelo]

I think it's a perfectly legitimate request, but they should have waited a few months.

[RedKingGold]

Further proof that all New York franchises are evil and never deserve to win championships.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Are the dead actually eligible to be drafted?

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA

Are the dead actually eligible to be drafted?

In the CFL they are.

[Blade6119]

How is a deceased player eligible for the upcoming draft? While I think its classless on a personal level, from a level standpoint i fail to see how their claim holds merit. As a deceased player, he neither became a UFA nor is he really eligible for the next draft. I may be mistaken, but can teams really draft dead people?

[ISiddiqui]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I think it's a perfectly legitimate request, but they should have waited a few months.

QFT

[Logan]

Yeah I'm hoping there's some reason as to why this needed to be requested now, maybe that it needs to be in play for an upcoming Players Association meeting.

[samifan24]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I think it's a perfectly legitimate request, but they should have waited a few months.

It may be a reasonable request but the Rangers and the NHL should have handled it quietly to be respectful towards Cherepanov's family.

[Blade6119]

Originally Posted by Logan

Yeah I'm hoping there's some reason as to why this needed to be requested now, maybe that it needs to be in play for an upcoming Players Association meeting.

It would, as the extended article indicates. It would dictate a rule change, and therefore must pass the NHLPA

[RedKingGold]

Well, what is missing is whether the dead player would have to re-file for draft eligbility.

There's a formal filing process in most leagues which each "draft-eligible" player must fill out and submit to the league office. I'm not sure what the NHL's rule process for that is, however.

That's why schmoe's like you and I can't get drafted in any major sports leagues.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by samifan24

It may be a reasonable request but the Rangers and the NHL should have handled it quietly to be respectful towards Cherepanov's family.

Agree 100%. I don't really find fault with the Rangers feeling they might be deserving of a compensatory pick, but certainly the handling of this could have been done better. Keep it all to back channels until its absolutely necessary.

[Carman Bulldog]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

Agree 100%. I don't really find fault with the Rangers feeling they might be deserving of a compensatory pick, but certainly the handling of this could have been done better. Keep it all to back channels until its absolutely necessary.

I call bullshit. Should the Canucks get compensation for Luc Bourdon dying? After all, he was a first round pick only 3 years ago (and seven picks higher than Cherapanov if memory serves - albeit in different years).

Sure, he may have signed with them but he really only ended up playing 27 games in his career so they should be able to get some sort of compensation.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by Carman Bulldog

I call bullshit. Should the Canucks get compensation for Luc Bourdon dying? After all, he was a first round pick only 3 years ago (and seven picks higher than Cherapanov if memory serves - albeit in different years).

Sure, he may have signed with them but he really only ended up playing 27 games in his career so they should be able to get some sort of compensation.

But Bourdon signed with them. Cherepenov never signed, and the Rangers are right when they say that if he was on life support right now they'd be getting a pick. I think it's much less of a stretch to connect the dots the way the Rangers are than the way you are.

[bhlloy]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

But Bourdon signed with them. Cherepenov never signed, and the Rangers are right when they say that if he was on life support right now they'd be getting a pick. I think it's much less of a stretch to connect the dots the way the Rangers are than the way you are.

Sure. It's also cold as hell when his family has to deal with the fact he's not on life support and there is no chance he's ever coming back and now they have to read about this shit in the papers.

I see absolutely zero reason the Rangers needed to release statements like that to the press and this couldn't have been handled between them and the NHL with a footnote at the draft next year. No class whatsoever.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Sure. It's also cold as hell when his family has to deal with the fact he's not on life support and there is no chance he's ever coming back and now they have to read about this shit in the papers.

I see absolutely zero reason the Rangers needed to release statements like that to the press and this couldn't have been handled between them and the NHL with a footnote at the draft next year. No class whatsoever.

Did the Rangers actively seek the press? This sounds like they filed last month with the NHL, some paper got wind of it, and the paper is blasting it all over and using the situation to sell papers. The Rangers are responding to questions, not sending out press releases.

Or did I miss the part where they issued a release first?

[RedKingGold]

Originally Posted by gstelmack

Did the Rangers actively seek the press? This sounds like they filed last month with the NHL, some paper got wind of it, and the paper is blasting it all over and using the situation to sell papers. The Rangers are responding to questions, not sending out press releases.

Or did I miss the part where they issued a release first?

Well, wouldn't it have been a lot easier for Sather to say, "No comment" then give the wonderful quotes he gave above?

[Shkspr]

Because the New York media never froths at the mouth over a "No comment." If Sather hadn't gone on the record, the Post would have had a league official report that Sather was banging Cherepanov's mother on top of his casket while Madonna and Isiah Thomas's pharmacist were filming it for Eli Manning's bachelor party.

Is that mental image classy enough? Subby, don't answer.

[Fidatelo]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

Sure. It's also cold as hell when his family has to deal with the fact he's not on life support and there is no chance he's ever coming back and now they have to read about this shit in the papers.

I see absolutely zero reason the Rangers needed to release statements like that to the press and this couldn't have been handled between them and the NHL with a footnote at the draft next year. No class whatsoever.

I'd like you to keep in mind that I agreed from the get-go that the Rangers didn't handle this very well.

[Crim]

Originally Posted by Fidatelo

I think it's a perfectly legitimate request, but they should have waited a few months.

bingo

[Logan]

Originally Posted by bhlloy

No class whatsoever.

Not cool considering we don't have a clue as to how this process really went down.

[EagleFan]

The Rangers are a classless organization but that can be said about any New York team so I guess they are just trying to keep up with their counterparts in that area.

[Logan]

Original, thanks for your contribution. Go buy some more batteries to throw.

[EagleFan]

Original, thanks for your contribution...

[RedKingGold]

Originally Posted by Logan

Original, thanks for your contribution. Go buy some more batteries to throw.

OH HAI YOU CANT SAY COME BACK WHEN YOU WIN SOMETHING NO MORE