First we had "Dry Island" in Philadelphia, but now we have a Gag Order, too.
The Flyers' offseason signing and notorious chatterbox, Ilya Bryzgalov, has been at the focus of much scrutiny despite the Flyers' strong start to the season. After the orgy of scoring that took place last Thursday as Philadelphia fell 9-8 in Winnipeg, Bryzgalov admittedly stated he was far from where he feels he should be as a #1 goaltender in the NHL, and that he needs to simply stop the puck more. Quite an honest, humble confession that many people appreciated, but the Flyers' organization didn't seem to like his post-game comments to the media too much. In fact, they don't seem to enjoy any of his comments to the media as much as the microphones, recorders, pens, pencils, and papers do.
Tim Panaccio of Philadelphia's Comcast Sports Network, tweeted earlier today that just a few days after Bryz's goaltending coach criticized him for talking to the media too much, the Flyers have come down with a gag order on the veteran goalie. Bryzgalov will now be prohibited from speaking to the media the day before a game or the day of a game. He also cannot receive any questions from the media on nights when he does not see the ice. He can only speak to the media after games in which he plays, or other practice days that do not interfere with the restrictions just outlined.
Wow.
We're still awaing news if this "Gag Order", applies to all Flyers players and not just Bryzgalov. If this new rule goes for all in an orange uniform, journalists in Philly are going to have some extremely boring morning skates to look forward to and near-pandemonium post-game routines to scavenge interviews and information. So I wouldn't expect that to be the case. On the other hand, if it did only just apply to Bryzgalov, singling one player out in an official team policy has to be in some violation of some rules or guidelines somewhere that the NHLPA could get upset about, and if it isn't, I'm sure it will be a subject of discussion when the owners and PA meet to negotiate a new CBA over the summer.
Bryz, a very camera-friendly personality never afraid of answering any question posed before him, has never really seen as much media attention in his career as he's gotten day in and day out in Philadelphia. Compared to Phoenix and pre-Stanley Cup Anaheim, Bryzgalov may feel like he's being mobbed by the Toronto media every day! Now, if the Flyers really feel like Bryz getting caught up in speaking to journalists and reporters in a mass media market he's never experienced before is hindering his on-ice performance, good for them for stepping in. But I can only believe this is a reasonable solution if the Flyers had already spoken to Bryz about chatting too much to the cameras, instead of quickly jumping to the conclusion to maroon a player on Dry Island Part II, or "Mute Island", as it is becoming known as on various Flyers' message boards. That part of the story, we may never know.
Tim Panaccio of Philadelphia's Comcast Sports Network, tweeted earlier today that just a few days after Bryz's goaltending coach criticized him for talking to the media too much, the Flyers have come down with a gag order on the veteran goalie. Bryzgalov will now be prohibited from speaking to the media the day before a game or the day of a game. He also cannot receive any questions from the media on nights when he does not see the ice. He can only speak to the media after games in which he plays, or other practice days that do not interfere with the restrictions just outlined.
Wow.
We're still awaing news if this "Gag Order", applies to all Flyers players and not just Bryzgalov. If this new rule goes for all in an orange uniform, journalists in Philly are going to have some extremely boring morning skates to look forward to and near-pandemonium post-game routines to scavenge interviews and information. So I wouldn't expect that to be the case. On the other hand, if it did only just apply to Bryzgalov, singling one player out in an official team policy has to be in some violation of some rules or guidelines somewhere that the NHLPA could get upset about, and if it isn't, I'm sure it will be a subject of discussion when the owners and PA meet to negotiate a new CBA over the summer.
Here's a List of Awesome Quotes Bryzgalov Had After the Winnipeg Game:
"When you have terrible goalies it's no surprise why you have so many goals."
"You know, I have zero confidence in myself right now."
"I am terrible right now."
"They're trying to play hard, everybody, but bottom line: I am a
goalie, I'm the guy who has to stop the puck, you know?"
"I can't even stop the simple shot! You know, maybe that's why the players
make more mistakes, because they have no confidence in their goalie."
"I am the reason we are losing games."
"I am lost in the woods right now."
