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Post by bcmike on Oct 12, 2011 16:28:41 GMT -6
Zinger helped build the Moose, they where and are his baby. Now he's the number two guy and probably feeling a bit out of place at the higher levels.
I think its probably pretty natural what he's going through.
With that said, yes please keep him away from the media for a while because he's a downer that's for sure. I have to admit, I have been a little perplexed at some of his statements as well.
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Post by NHLWinnipeg on Oct 12, 2011 16:29:15 GMT -6
Excellent post Jimsabo! I was looking for an opportunity to post Heisinger's comments reported in the New York Times from a few days ago. Here they are: Perhaps no one has a better perspective than Craig Heisinger, the Jets’ director of hockey operations. He obtained that job after working his way up from trainer and equipment manager roles with the old Jets and with the Manitoba Moose, the minor league team that filled most of the 15-year void.
On April 28, 1996, after the original Jets’ final game, Heisinger was the last one out of the Jets’ locker room; as the equipment man, he was vacuuming, in tears.
In the intervening years, did he ever believe the Jets would come back?
“I was one of the few people here who never thought it would happen,” Heisinger said. When did he finally let himself believe? “About seven days before it happened.”
Heisinger was speaking over the phone Thursday, barely heard over the roar of thousands at the N.H.L. Face-Off party. www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/sports/hockey/nhl-giddy-winnipeg-reclaims-its-long-lost-prairie-companion.html?_r=1&pagewanted=2Heisinger didn't believe the NHL would return until 7 days before the announcement!?! And he makes such comment to the NY Times? He must have thought the sentiments expressed by ppl at Jetsowner.com were crazy...or he must have been out of the loop with TNSE?...or he is just making a ridiculous statement the meaning of which might be he hoped the NHL would not return...or he was in personal denial about the possibility of the NHL's return...I can't help but feel that part of him didn't want ROTJs to happen because he was comfortable being the GM of the AHL Moose...sigh...not the type of attitude you'd want or expect from a senior Jets executive...
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Post by JimmyMann on Oct 12, 2011 16:44:10 GMT -6
Zinger's statements are perplexing and probably best kept to himself. He is GM of the Ice Caps and maybe in time he will move to the rock. I heard he was also given MC's seat on the AHL board of Governors but can't confirm this.
After the NHL announcement he spoke at an amateur hockey dinner and said the Moose brand would live on. Once the realization set in that Moose are an invasive species in NFLD and cause many deaths and accidents the Moose brand all but died.
The people of NFLD also had an attatchent to the team name Capitals as we did Jets. Hence Ice Caps. So not only was the new NHL team in Winnipeg not named the Moose but neither was the AHL affiliate. Zinger seemed to have problems letting go of the Moose.
Zinger did seem quite friendly to those very few fans in Moose jerseys prior to Sundays home opener after his interview with H & L.
I hope his attitude changes but he is best left muzzled for now especially if he travels the league conducting such negative/odd interviews. A six month vacation to the AHL is what the doctor orders for Zinger.
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ovi1
Alternate Captain "A"
Posts: 503
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Post by ovi1 on Oct 12, 2011 17:19:05 GMT -6
TNSE had to have seen the final copy before it was released. Having said that, I have no idea why his comments would not be edited a little more.... Heck maybe they were and what we saw was the good part.
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Post by pegger5 on Oct 12, 2011 17:22:49 GMT -6
Zinger needs to let the Moose go... Sometimes I feel when I watch him getting interviewed he is actually jealous of the Jets... He seems more loyal to AHL.... Love ya Zinger but where is your loyalty today? Moose were the minors...You are the show now! Maybe he should move to St John's
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Post by jimmyohhhh on Oct 12, 2011 17:27:28 GMT -6
Am getting tired of the whole discussion. The guy's a passionate and loyal person.
He loved the old Jets, loved the Moose, and he's going to be loving the new Jets.
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Post by jetsreborn on Oct 12, 2011 17:46:24 GMT -6
Zinger needs to let the Moose go... Sometimes I feel when I watch him getting interviewed he is actually jealous of the Jets... He seems more loyal to AHL.... Love ya Zinger but where is your loyalty today? Moose were the minors...You are the show now! Maybe he should move to St John's he is still the gm of the ice caps as well as what hes doing with the jets.
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Post by sting on Oct 12, 2011 17:49:25 GMT -6
Am getting tired of the whole discussion. The guy's a passionate and loyal person. He loved the old Jets, loved the Moose, and he's going to be loving the new Jets. Maybe you hit it right with the GOING to be part. Just does not seem like he's their yet.
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Post by sting on Oct 12, 2011 17:53:52 GMT -6
Yes I thought the same thing when I watched the CBC documentary. Chipman, Shenkarow etc came across very well. Heisinger, intentionally or not, just sounded bitter. The Moose were a good AHL franchise, and as far as that goes TNSE and all Moose fans should be proud of them (I was not among them). But the Jets are a NHL franchise and they are so much bigger. I have no quarrel with the Moose or former Moose fans, but I think we all recognize that most people's hearts were with the Jets and many of them couldn't care less about the Moose except as the means to the end they seemed to have become. And furthermore, there is no shame, in my opinion, in preferring the NHL and/or having little to no interest in the AHL. I completely understand how proud everyone at True North, especially Zinger, is of the Moose. There is no question they ran a first-class AHL organization and are to be commended for that. On the other hand, they have no right to look down their nose at anyone who simply wasn't interested in AHL hockey. For me personally growing up with Jets, I could not get into the AHL with the Moose it felt like I was in grade 12 and now I would have to go back to grade 3. It was hard to go from NHL to AHL. Funny part is now I'm more interested in the Ice Caps than I was the Moose.
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Post by jimmyohhhh on Oct 12, 2011 17:54:55 GMT -6
At time of interview they hadn't played a game yet.
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Post by Douggy-D on Oct 12, 2011 18:09:59 GMT -6
One thing: For whatever reason, AHL and ECHL Playoff Attendances are lower than regular season. I have no clue why though.
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Post by Grumpz on Oct 12, 2011 18:13:31 GMT -6
I heard his rags to riches type story and though it was amazing. Then I watched the CBC show and heard him spewing the garbage about how the fans weren't there.
Stopped listening to him, because he lost a lot of credibility in my eyes.
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Post by jimmyohhhh on Oct 12, 2011 18:25:45 GMT -6
Look up the actual attendance stats.
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Post by jimsabo21 on Oct 12, 2011 19:09:12 GMT -6
Look up the actual attendance stats. We all know the attendance stats. What zinger fails to mention is in the 80s, hardly any team sold out on a regular basis including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, etc, etc, etc ... this is a new era of hockey ... did all the above cities "deserve" to lose their teams too???
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Post by Grumpz on Oct 12, 2011 19:12:27 GMT -6
Look up the actual attendance stats. Even in today's model, teams can be successful filling 85% of the building, when Winnipeg Enterprises isn't charging rent and funneling all the concessions away from the team. Our attendance figures were not the problem.
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