The latest chapter in Kyle Wellwood's wild and weird world is a sad one. Dmitry Chesnokov of Puck Daddy is reporting that Atlant Moscow Oblast has released the pudgy playmaker from his contract. The news comes from Russian sports website sports.ru, which apparently broke the story, but the website resists my translation attempts (ie. it goes all weird and wonky when I try to use Google Translate), so I'm trusting Chesnokov's translation.According to Chesnokov, the website reported that "the club management is not satisfied with the play of the 27 year old, and because of that a decision was made to end the relationship."
It seems likely that Atlant believed they were getting the diminutive dangler of 2005-07 rather than the dependable defensive presence of the current Wellwood incarnation. Wellwood only had 5 goals and 3 assists in his 25 games, but managed a +6 to go with his minimal point totals. Chesnokov also points out that he averaged a mere 8:39 in ice time per game.
Either that or they thought that in signing a hockey player from Canada, they were going to get a tough enforcer willing to drop the gloves at any moment. Wellwood had to dispel that notion in this interview:
Q: Are you ready to jump into the fray?Wellwood: There is an image of a Canadian hockey player, but I do not like to fight. You could even say I can't.
Maybe that was the issue. Kyle just needed to be willing to drop the gloves. I'm guessing he didn't because he found the green Russian bandages embarrassing. Either way, his unwillingness to fight for his job left him without a job to fight for.
On the plus side, Kyle Wellwood is coming home.
Why, why, WHY don't other teams see the same Kyle Wellwood that we see?
ReplyDeleteWhen Gillis grabbed him off waivers, I was excited. In fact, I yelled out loud, forgetting I was in class and not supposed to be surfing for hockey news. Kyle Wellwood's first act upon being acquired was to get me in trouble with Allan Lovelace, the RCC journalism teacher.
That said, he showed he could score in bunches, he showed he could use his vision on the ice to make smart defensive plays, and he showed that when he really needed to, he could take a beating for the team (recall the "now he looks like a hockey player" comment from AV).
Wellwood should have been targetted by four or five teams. I just don't understand it.
REPATRIATE THE KYLE
ReplyDeletebut srsly, i hope he finds somewhere else to play - assuming he wants to.
This could be a complete Sack Sack comic in itself. Poor Welly.
ReplyDeletefavourite guy to watch on a breakaway.. hope he finds a home
ReplyDeleteOh welly :(
ReplyDeleteI'll be SO happy for him if he gets an NHL contract. At least, a very reliable source tells me, Wellwood is recently engaged, so there's some good stuff going on in his life...
everyones favorite underachieving millionaire back in north america?
ReplyDeletePut him in an islanders uniform, I don't see how it could do any harm.
perhaps we could sign him as a shoot-outist. they have those, right? real low cap hits, those ones.
ReplyDeleteAww. Poor Wellwood. :(
ReplyDeleteOh, and @passittobulis was mentioned in a twitter section of today's 24HRS Vancouver newspaper. Forgot what it was about, but it's on the sports section of the newspaper...
sign him before chicago does! i mean this in the best interest of the canucks.
ReplyDeletechickenhawk
Wellwood and Johnson on the 4th line eh chicken hawk?
ReplyDeleteMake Wellwood a defense man and he'll be a Norris candidate in no time.
ReplyDelete