Monday, June 30, 2008

NHL vets at contract crossroads

We have an update on the contract status of three ex-Terriers who played for the 1995 National Championship team and have gone on to lengthy NHL careers: Mike Grier, Jay Pandolfo, and Shawn Bates>

Yesterday's Boston Globe hockey column noted:
Agent Jay Fee reports that ex-Boston University winger Mike Grier had a troublesome knee cleaned up soon after the Sharks were eliminated in the playoffs and will be back for September training camp. The deal Grier signed in San Jose (three years at $1.775 million per) includes a no-trade clause. He'll enter the new season with 934 games played, including playoffs. Not bad for the 219th pick in the '93 draft, considered by many not to have the speed or skill level to make it beyond the minors .

Pandolfo, who earned $836,000 last season and is a free agent, is expected to complete a multi-year deal in the $2 million range that will keep him in New Jersey for the rest of his career. Captain of BU's 95-96 team, Pandolfo, who was having his best offensive year year as a pro before an injury sidelined him for 28 games, finished the season with 24 points. A Boston Globe feature on Pandolfo last season was posted on the Body By Boyle Web site.

Newsday reports that the Islanders will buy out the remaining year of Bates' $1.2 million contract making him aun urestricted free agent.

....under NHL buyout provisions, he will receiver two-thirds of that amount in equal installments of $400,000 spread over the next two seasons. Last season, Bates appeared in only two games, and he was limited to 48 games the previous season by a groin injury and hernia surgery. Islanders general manager Garth Snow said, “It was a decision based primarily on creating a spot on the roster for a younger player.” Snow said Bates is 100 percent healthy and has been training in Boston.

A highlight of Bates' Islanders careers was scoring on a penalty shot in overtime to Game 4 of New York's 2002 playoff series against Toronto. Here's the video, via YouTube.

No comments:

Site Meter