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Sunday, October 31, 1999
Rocky KOs himself!
Thompson throws in towel with Flames
In the immortal words of Roberto Duran -- no more.
He's quit.
The Calgary Flames minor-league enforcer in training has dropped his gloves and walked out on his American Hockey League team.
The last he was seen, Thompson was talking about getting into his vehicle and driving back to Alberta from the East Coast.
A fierce competitor, Thompson has been felled by something worse than the haymaker from Brantt Myhres that knocked him out of the game for 11 months.
It's called ego.
Inflated self-worth.
Funny, but Thompson never struck me as a quitter.
But that's exactly what he is now.
His complaint is a lack of ice time in the minors. Understandably, Thompson wants more ice time to become a better player. More than a fighter.
But in dishonouring himself by quitting, Thompson has lost sight of the fact that one skill alone has got him to this point in his hockey career.
It's not scoring. It's certainly not skating.
It's fighting.
That's the role Thompson must play, whether it's in Calgary or Saint John.
When Thompson was released from Calgary, he expressed similar frustration. But Thompson's inability to compete with his gloves on, is apparent to everyone but Thompson himself.
You can understand Thompson's desire to improve.
But quitting is not the answer.
"I was on the roster to play, but I've hardly played since I've been down here and I've played well," Thompson told Saint John writer Brad Janes after quitting.
"I've been stuck on the fourth line and I've done my job and I haven't been promoted. I was promised ice time from the people in Calgary and it hasn't happened.
"I had a long talk with (coach) Rick Vaive and there's no hard feelings. I'm just frustrated because I believe I can play on the top three lines.
"I want to go somewhere I can play and I'd go to the East Coast (Hockey League) if I have to. It's not about fighting anymore, it's about me getting to the NHL. If I don't stand up for myself, I'll be stuck here until I'm 27, 28 years old in a lesser league trying to get up. I'm willing to sacrifice playing in the AHL to get my ice time up.
"Calgary has a problem with all the players here and I'm getting shortchanged because of that. I was in the dressing room and wanted to go out and play but I couldn't.
"My heart's not in it and I'd be on the verge of doing something crazy. I'm not right in the head. We were going to re-evaluate after three games this weekend but if I wasn't going to be into it, I wouldn't be any good."
So he left the team on a road trip.
Left his teammates.
The Flames have suspended him.
They are clearly frustrated as well. But GM Al Coates said last night the team has no desire to trade Thompson.
"He's complaining about not getting enough ice time to aid his development, but the simple fact is that you can't do what he did," said Coates.
"I wish we were able to get to him sooner, even though Nick (Polano) spent much of the afternoon with him talking about it.
"We'll sit down and reassess it after this weekend but somehow or another he's going to have to go back to the team first.
"What happens is that a limited role player, whether a powerplay guy or aggressive guy like him, they play the same role whether it's in the National Hockey League or American Hockey League. We're trying to designate what players should be in roles for the Calgary Flames at the AHL level and let them adapt into the role. That's where he is at.
"The team in Saint John has three good lines going and has had good success and Rocky can be a big part of the team, but he has to be on the team and play where he best serves the team."
In quitting, Thompson has sent a message that he is not a team player.
He's let his ego get the best of him.
And effectively sucker-punched his own career.
Get back in the ring Rocky, and demonstrate some of the competitive spirit you do when you drop your gloves.
'No Mas' is for losers.
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