Talbot Deserves Cheers, Not Jeers From Penguin Fans

With the Philadelphia Flyers making their first trip to Pittsburgh this season, fans still remember that day in late June when fan favorite Maxime Talbot signed with the Philadelphia Flyers. While his departure from the Penguins was imminent, the idea that Talbot would sign with the cross-state rival Flyers had some questioning how he could do such a thing.

While it will pain many to see Talbot in orange and black at Consol Energy Center tomorrow night, there are a few reasons why fans should applaud him for what he did while he was a member of the Penguins.

His overall representation as a fan favorite. It's enough for people to point to Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin as their favorite player, but for others, Talbot stood out. I have always acknowledged that NHL players are some of the best athletes when it comes to fan relations. Talbot was a perfect example of that representation. A character in his own without trying to draw all the attention to himself. I said that Philadelphia was lucky to be getting a guy like Talbot. Who could forget his A&L Car Motor Sales commercials that had him getting "Superstar Treatment?" I can also say that my family adopted him as our favorite. His "Ice Time" program covers are still on the refrigerator. 

Another reason would be the on ice contributions that Talbot brought to the Penguins. Talbot was a great defensive forward and unsung hero in his time in Pittsburgh.

Wind the clock back to April 25, 2009. The Penguins are in a series clinching situation against the Philadelphia Flyers in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. The Flyers go up 3-0, and Tablot and Carcillo drop the gloves. While not a victory for Talbot, it was the spark the Penguins needed to come back and win the game 5-3. Go to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final. The story of how an unexpected player will rise and lead his team to victory in the deciding game. In that Stanley Cup clinching 2-1 victory, Talbot had both goals.

So for those of you who feel that these reasons still don't take away from the fact that he did take a contract with the Flyers, look at it this way. Talbot, unlike Jagr, who is expecting and will be booed by the Penguins crowd for the first time since May 4, 2008, is a young player who is still has a long career ahead of him. Talbot is 27, and wanted a long term contract from the Penguins, who didn't offer him one, and the Flyers did. He also left on better terms than Jagr did.

So if you are a Penguin fan and are going to the game tomorrow night, show your appreciation for Max Tablot. There is a lot more to him than the color of the jersey he wears. FYI: He's #27 now.

Jagr's Choice Shows the True Colors Pittsburgh Forgot

For Pittsburgh Penguin fans, they have to be slapping themselves for not realizing that Jarimor Jagr was capable of making the move he did on Friday afternoon. Earlier in the week, the Steel City was abuzz about the idea that Jagr was very interested in signing with the Pens in his return to the NHL. On Wednesday, Pittsburgh expected Jagr to make a flight into New York City, hop on a plane to Pittsburgh, and agree to a one year, $2 Million deal. To top it all off, all the Pittsburgh affiliates would have had coverage of the live broadcast of Jarimor receiving his "68" jersey on a jersey different from the one he wore a decade ago with the team, and shaking Mario Lemieux's hand and possibly a "bro-hug."

For all of us, our alarm clocks awoke us from that wonderful dream while Jagr's whereabouts remained unknown from Wednesday night into Friday afternoon. The Penguins and Red Wings both patiently waiting to hear on his decision, finally pulled their deals an hour before free agency began. Pens fans showed some disappointment, which turned into anger once the afternoon rolled around. The news that Jagr not only turned Pittsburgh down, but then the news that he took $1.3 million more to play for the Philadelphia Flyers.

For those of you who have never watched hockey or followed it, the Penguins and Flyers hate each other. There was more love between Biggie and 2Pac than there is between these two teams. So you can see why your friend the Penguin fan may have had steam coming out of their ears yesterday.

Well, unless Jagr doesn't know the Flyers schedule, he will have to face the crowd that once loved him long ago three times, and maybe even in a playoff series in the spring. So it is going to be interesting to see the fans reaction to Jagr when he takes the ice on December 29 at CONSOL Energy Center. Hopefully for him, the fans are still in the Christmas spirit, and the Pens are at the top of the Atlantic and East. While it won't be like Lebron James' return to Cleveland, it will be a hostile environment, especially since Pittsburgh is still pulling the knife out of their back which Jagr dug deeper this time.

So what did we learn from all of this? Jarimor Jagr is in it for the money. OK,  lesson learned, but to go to an arch rival that the Penguins despise with a passion leaves fans feeling that this was the nail in the coffin for any reconciliation of Jagr and the Penguins. This may not bother Ray Shero as much, but what about a guy like Mario? A man who reached out to him when he could have said "sorry, but we're not interested in your services anymore." So put your Jagr jersey back in the closet or into your bonfire this 4th of July weekend, it'll be a collectors item down the road or good firewood. 

Jagr's Interest in Penguins Creating Buzz, Questions

For many Penguins fans, we can all remember the amazing play of the Czech born Jarimor Jagr, a man whose name could be arranged to say "MARIO JR." He dangled the puck and scored a goal to tie Chicago in the historical comeback in Game 1 of the 1992 Stanley Cup Final. He became the leader of the Penguins after Mario Lemieux retired for the first time. We can all say that Jagr will be in the Hockey Hall of Fame and he is worthy of having his number 68 retired and raised to the rafters at Consol Energy Center along with Mario and Briere (66, 21). If Jagr's story with the Penguins was as simple as this, Hollywood would pass on the simple storyline. But Jarimor's story took him from being the town hero and became an outlaw a decade ago.

The story of Jarimor Jagr has been written and re-written by people based on their attitude toward the man who Pittsburgh once called a hero. Most of remember how his time ended in the Steel City and the rumors that spread about him. Of course, rumors are rumors and like my hockey coach always said "what is said in the locker room, stays in the locker room." Of course, the Pittsburgh and national media never wanted a sound bite after our junior varsity games. This has lead to divided feelings towards him.

Fans of the Penguins will acknowledge that Jagr was a big part of the success the Pens had in the 90's. That may be, but some fans remember how the break-up went and many would say that Jagr got the better of the divorce settlement. I have attended hundreds of Penguin games over the past 15 years. I have been to several games that Jagr has played in as a Capital and a Ranger. Boos seemed to outshine the cheers from the fans, especially during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2008, Jagr's then final games in the NHL.

Now onto the main part of this article. Everyone in Pittsburgh and the hockey world is buzzing about Jagr's interest in coming back to the NHL, and seems to be looking at Pittsburgh. It's been reported that he has talked to Mario and maybe even Ray Shero. The Penguins had extended an invite to a charity golf outing which would be a 20 year reunion for the 1991 Stanley Cup team.

When it comes to coming back to the NHL and possibly signing with the Pens, it should seem reasonable that fans have put aside their grudges with Jagr. They are now analyzing it based on how much he can contribute to this team that is still a Stanley Cup contender.

It's obvious that his age sticks out. He's 39. He is not the young Jagr that blew us all away in the 90's. Then again, the Penguins did bring back Alexei Kovalev halfway through this past season to add some reinforcement to a battered squad. In his three years in the KHL, Jagr had 82 goals and 102 assists. Not bad stats for a guy his age. The Penguins also need some help at Right Wing. Keep that in mind.

The Penguins also have to look at who they will resign and have to let go once July 1 rolls around. Shero should look at signing Tyler Kennedy to a 3 year contract, and will have to make a tough choice that may involve saying goodbye to fan favorite Max Talbot or Dupuis. The Penguins will have $5 Million added to their salary cap this year. If they are serious about Jagr, they need to negotiate a one year deal worth at most $2 million. Jagr may not get what he wants, but the Pens need to think about the core of their team.

One reason that I think Jagr could be resigned is to finish his career in the city where he became a star. By saying that, I would expect Jagr to play an important role in the Penguins lineup. He will have a chance to play with Malkin, who plays like a young Jagr and Crosby, the reincarnation of Mario Lemieux according to many. If he thinks he can coast through the season and just pick up his paycheck and call it quits, the fans will not tolerate that and will let him hear it.