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Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:25 pm EDT

Did Tampa Bay tamper with Mattias Ohlund?

By Sean Leahy

The 2009 edition of "Free Agent Frenzy" kicked off at 12 p.m. ET on Wednesday and by 12:14 p.m. ET, the hockey world learned, via the Twitter account of  Kevin Allen from USA Today, that Mattias Ohlund(notes) had signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Four days after the signing was announced, the Vancouver Province's Tony Gallagher believes there's something fishy about how quickly the former Canuck and his new club finalized the 7-year, $26 million deal; a deal that has a different dollar amount almost every year of the contract:

"How the hell do you agree to a contract structured so bizarrely 15 minutes into free agency without any tampering going on? How does that work?

Who proposed this deal? Did Ohlund's agent J.P. Barry have this all conceived going in and say to the first team that called: 'This is the asking price,' at which point Tampa simply said 'sold' without the slightest haggling?

Did Tampa get enough time between the hassles in their own ownership to formulate this generous payout and then present it to Barry, who was so bowled over he took it immediately?

Either scenario is about as likely as Darcy Hordichuk(notes) winning the Art Ross trophy next year, and Barry was not returning my calls to explain how this sudden meeting of the minds on such a complicated, unusual deal came to pass in nanoseconds."

The National Hockey League punishes any teams involved in tampering with players under contract through heavy fines and possible loss of draft choices. Players involved don't get off scot free. They could be fined and face a possible suspension if found to be guilty of talking to another team while still under contract.

It is sort of odd that one of the top defenseman on the open market finalized a deal so quickly. Maybe he was just too excited at the prospect of mentoring fellow Swede Victor Hedman? Whatever the case, like Gallagher writes, stuff like that goes on all the time between players, agents, and general managers, but some go about it without causing eyebrows to raise.

Related: Rumors, scuttlebutt, innuendo

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43 Comments

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  1. The_Word
    1. Posted by The_Word Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:51 pm EDT

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    Can we get some news on the Blackhawks RFA investigation?
  2. eyebleaf
    2. Posted by eyebleaf Sun Jul 05, 2009 2:54 pm EDT

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    It's Tampa Bay, and it's Mattias Ohlund; does anybody really care?
  3. i4ni
    3. Posted by i4ni Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:04 pm EDT

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    I don't think Ohlund was "excited" at the prospect of mentoring Hedman as much as he personally liked a 7 year deal with that kind of money. I agree with Vancouver's point. Look at how long it's taking for guys like Koivu and Beauchemin to sign and they probably have offers from at least 5 different teams. Plus, who'd want to play in TB with all the disarray going on management-wise? I guess Ohlund doesn't want to win a Cup in his career, especially with all the VL rumors of him getting traded sometime this season.
  4. Jason H
    4. Posted by Jason H Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:12 pm EDT

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    Seconded on the Blackhawks mess, which is a legitimate blunder. This is just sour grapes from a Nucks writer. I mean really, the guy is bashing Tampa for having $10 tickets, as if there aren't other struggling teams
  5. Larry
    5. Posted by Larry Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:21 pm EDT

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    Maybe Ohlund fired J. P. Barry early Wednesday and hired Will Hunting. That boy's wicked smart.
  6. Steve
    6. Posted by Steve Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:32 pm EDT

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    ron wilson came out and talked about how he wanted the sedin twins on june 30th and now this. 2 top 10 draft picks next year? yes please
  7. Fox
    7. Posted by Fox Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:38 pm EDT

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    Seems more likely to me than one team signing two of the three biggest money free agent deals within a couple hours of gun (while the third went to a division rival -- with a no trade clause, I believe). It is a lot easier to focus hard on one deal and one guy if you know your upper limits going in, and if the player has no special demands. I think this crying has more to do with perceptions of the team that lost the guy and the team he went too (to which the obvious snarky reply is: the biggest difference is one of them has won the Cup).
  8. StevieJ
    8. Posted by StevieJ Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:49 pm EDT

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    Likely scenario:
    1) A few days before, Barry asks GM Gillis if the Canucks have any final talks in mind.
    2) Gillis says, "Nah, we're not planning on going forward. You can start talking around if you want, but let us know what the numbers seem to be like."
    3) Barry talks to Tampa, gets a framework of a contract. "Hey Gillis, they're giving us 7 years, $26 mil, front-loaded."
    4) Gillis, "Pssht, nuts to that. Enjoy Tampa."
    5) 12:14, July 1: Deal occurs after Ohlund's 14-minute search for his lucky signing pen.
  9. Beezer
    9. Posted by Beezer Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:50 pm EDT

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    I don't think anybody in the 'Nucks camp should be raising allegations of tampering. Two words: Pavol Demitra.
  10. JP13
    10. Posted by JP13 Sun Jul 05, 2009 3:55 pm EDT

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    Wouldn't be surprised if Vancouver allowed Tampa to just talk to him ahead of time. They knew they weren't bringing him back and he has been good to their organization so might as well let him talk. It just might of been something that never reached the public ear.
  11. Garth
    11. Posted by Garth Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:04 pm EDT

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    Isn't it a little premature to be making accusations without any sort of research done?
    It could very easily have been the case, as others have mentioned, that Barry was allowed to talk to other teams. As Gallagher mentioned himself, Vancouver quickly decided after Ohlund's "opening salvo" that they weren't going to sign him, so why wouldn't they let him talk to other teams. There was an interview with LA's GM saying that he had been given permission from Detroit to talk to Marian Hossa. I'm sure this is fairly common practice come UFA season.
    Unless this dope has some proof of tampering, maybe he shouldn't start slinging around the insinuations.
  12. NoSprinkles
    12. Posted by NoSprinkles Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:41 pm EDT

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    "Did Ohlund's agent J.P. Barry have this all conceived going in and say to the first team that called: 'This is the asking price,' at which point Tampa simply said 'sold' without the slightest haggling?"
    Hell, they might have. Tampa ownership is super retarded.
  13. Guy F
    13. Posted by Guy F Sun Jul 05, 2009 4:55 pm EDT

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    Isn't tampering really a "no-harm, no-foul" type of thing? For instance, The Maple Leafs are guilty of tampering with the Sedins, however, everyone in Vancouver (literally, absolutely every single hockey fan in the province) knew Ohlund was gone. In post-season interviews he gave the obligatory "i'd love to be back with the Canucks...I believe I still have a lot to offer and would like to be where I can be a leader on defence". Any Canuck fan who has seen Mattias' deterioration immediately knew what that meant. He was gone. Ohlund knew he was gone. Gillis knew he was gone. Barry knew he was gone. I'm sure every single one of his teammates knew he was gone. Lawton thinks he just signed Lidstrom. Everything fell into place as expected and no one is upset except Gollum (Tony Gallagher)
  14. habs1rule
    14. Posted by habs1rule Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:10 pm EDT

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    Some fans are really losing their sense of reality, Vancouver had no desire of resigning Ohlund and their fans have been saying as much for a month..The Lightning did them a favor..."Tamper with this"!!
  15. wsscarlett
    15. Posted by wsscarlett Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:12 pm EDT

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    It iws Tony Gallagher that we're talking about here.He is an idiot and this is typical Left cost whining from a pathetic excuse for a journalist.
  16. Garth the Hoser
    16. Posted by Garth the Hoser Sun Jul 05, 2009 5:27 pm EDT

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    They were talking about Ohlund being gone as a foregone conclusion as far back as Christmas 2008, maybe earlier. He's so far over the hill he can't see the top anymore. Not that he can't help a club. But not at supertar money. Tampa's loaded with soft Dmen, a concussed starting goalie, no credible backup, and a collection of forwards that makes my drawer of mismatched socks look like a well thought-out plan.
    Enjoy dining out on that fluke Stanley Cup, Bolt dolts. This time next summer, you'll be able to regale your neighbours with tales of how you were a Lightning fan from Day 1 and how much you cried when they were transferred to Hamilton. And your neighbours will reply: "Isn't lightning that bright flash in the night sky?"
  17. J D
    17. Posted by J D Sun Jul 05, 2009 6:05 pm EDT

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    I agree on a couple of points made above: First, Tony Gallagher is a moron. Second, Gillis probably gave permission to Ohlund's agent to start talking with other teams. Third, anyone who watched Ohlund last year, and especially in the playoffs, understands that he's now barely a Top-4 defenceman.
  18. Shawn F
    18. Posted by Shawn F Sun Jul 05, 2009 7:36 pm EDT

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    This case may be hard to prove, but on principle it's a bad idea to be jumping the gun on the July 1st deadline. To all those who say no harm no foul, the harm was done to the Canucks, since they could have pried a 2nd or 3rd round pick out of Tampa for the negotiating rights like Sutter gave up for J-Bo's negotiating rights. I really hope that something comes of this, but I doubt it will.
  19. Neil A
    19. Posted by Neil A Sun Jul 05, 2009 8:21 pm EDT

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    This is simply more Bitter-Canadian bull [profane] over southern teams' existence. "Get a decent (but not great) deal? Oh, something must be up that's not kosher."
  20. scott g
    20. Posted by scott g Sun Jul 05, 2009 9:00 pm EDT

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    Stevie J - Nice. I agree with you thats probably exactly what happened. This was a strange unecessary article in my opinion.
  21. Hobbes
    21. Posted by Hobbes Sun Jul 05, 2009 10:14 pm EDT

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    @ Neil, Man you couldn't have hit the nail on the head anymore with your comment if you had a nailgun and a plank of plywood. Jesus I'm so sick of the Canadaian press's bs over anything and EVERYTHING that any "non-traditional market" team does these days. Every move by any team south of say, idk, the state of New York (sorry Missouri, but the Blues haven't done anything newsworthy since Hull played for you) is always looked at with distained and astonisment; thus the accusations always insue. Hell if it hadn't happened to the Nucks, I'm sure someone from the Globe and Mail, or the Star woulda had something to say about it. Listen up Canada, the south is here to stay. I know you hate to admit it but "southern" teams have been in more Stanley Cup Finals (and won to boot) then all the Canadian teams in the past 25+ years COMBINED!!
    @Garth Tampa Bay has a collection of forwards that were coached horribly to start the season and the roster was 75% new linemates (only the top line was the same from the previous year). NO TEAM will compete even remotely well under those conditions. Tampa now should have 2 lines this season that are legitmate scoring lines (something only 1 Canadian team can even begin to legitmately state) and 2 of the forwards on the Lightning are guarenteed HoFers. Do they lack depth, sure, but most teams outside of the Great lakes area (and i do mean on the Stateside, not the North) have the same problem. Tampa's problem last season was defence NOT offence so I think they'll do just fine on that front again this season.
    Anyways it burns me to say this giving the current movement but, GO AVS (where's my Kleenex, looks like another long season for us).
  22. Guy F
    22. Posted by Guy F Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:23 pm EDT

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    @ Hobbes : "Listen up Canada, the south is here to stay. I know you hate to admit it but "southern" teams have been in more Stanley Cup Finals (and won to boot) then all the Canadian teams in the past 25+ years COMBINED!!
    I suppose the Marlins are a much more rich and storied franchise than say the Cubs or Red Sox. I mean they have as many World Series'in 16 years as those other two franchises have in 187 years COMBINED!!
    Plus, they won their Stanley Cups with Canadian players moron. 2004 Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards, Tampa captain Dave Andreychuk. 2006 Conn Smythe winner Cam Ward, Carolina captain Rod Brind'amour. 2007 Conn Smythe winner and Anaheim captain Scott Niedermayer. Why not go tell those players how much you think Canada sucks tough guy....
    I realize hockey is most likely a two-line blurb on page 8 of the sports section in Florida but up here the media is as obsessed with hockey as much as Americans are obsessed with celebrities. They make stories out of nothing. Gallagher is one of the worse. He is not liked here and does not represent "Canada" any more so than Michael Vick represents "American Athletes"
    Avs fan, eh. Well I guess at least someone here actually likes Bettman. Quebec Nordiques arrived intact all ready to provide Denver with a Stanley Cup parade. If Bettman put anywhere near the effort and money into Winnipeg and Quebec that he put into Phoenix then the franchises would still be there.
    Finally, I assume you are calling Lecavalier and St. Louis "guaranteed HOFers". Well, at least I know that the ramblings are obviously coming from someone who is a tad slow when it comes to NHL knowledge.
  23. onenastyevo8
    23. Posted by onenastyevo8 Sun Jul 05, 2009 11:52 pm EDT

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    everyone is just complaining cause tampa has a killer offense and now they got a killer defense and there gonna kown the other nhl teams so we got all the complainers hatin now .....oh well get over it we got ohlund lets go lightning!!!!
  24. jibblescribbits
    24. Posted by jibblescribbits Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:40 am EDT

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    "the Vancouver Province's Tony Gallagher..."
    Wysh, this is where I stopped reading. The guy is a class-1 moron.
  25. jibblescribbits
    25. Posted by jibblescribbits Mon Jul 06, 2009 12:41 am EDT

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    OR Leahy... whatever

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