Corey Neilson

[pantherbird]

Well there's nothing like boosting moral for the up coming weeked is there!

[newham]

bobness said:

newham said:

For the majority of this season he's been very disappointing.

That's exactly the point. Disappointing because we (the club) built him up to be "too good to play in this league". As he says in the article.
That title belongs to people like Jeff Ulmer, Travis Brigley, Kevin Bolibruck, Dan Tessier and the "real" NHLers etc. Turns out he's a "plain" good offensive D man.

If we'd have signed him with no big fanfare, we'd be praising him as "the find of the season after a slow start" right now. I agree with Rich, for exactly those reasons, and have said so on here before. I'd be surprised if he is on top money.

I've got it on good authority that he is on a top whack, one of the top earners, if not the top earner. Obviously my source has been known to be wrong, but he's not go reason to lie about this.

I'm not buying into it being the clubs fault either. The quote from ME when he signed was:

“The roster gets better and better. The reports I have had on Corey have all been very, very positive. Obviously he’s big and strong, he can look after himself. He has a great deal of experience, in his last three seasons he has been at the top or near the top of the points scoring for defensemen with 48, 62 and 79 points.

He will add a physical presence on the ice, and important leadership both on and off the ice.

He is a skilled hockey player, who knows the game and can only be a big addition for us. I think this is a high profile signing for not only our team but also for the Elite League in general.”

Whilst it builds him up, it hardly puts any more pressure on him than say, Sean Mcaslan or Rod Stevens. I think the biggest pressure on him was his previous performances, all star seasons in American leagues. He just hasn't lived up to his previous excellent years.

[heja]

corey hasn'thad that bad a season he had a bad month but other than that he hasn't been bad

it seemed like he was bad for a long while because you got tons of people that knew nothing about hockey blaming him for this that are impossible to do

[Stinchcombe]

newham said:

I'd only consider having Corey back if he was on a heavily reduced wage.

Our top earning defenseman in the past have been the likes of Jimmy Paek, Bob Stancock, Nick Boynton etc... Neilson is nowhere near that standard.

totally disagree. whether he his paid a lot or not you seem to have some rose tinted glasses on. jimmy was poor in his second spell with us, don't believe me? just go back and watch the videos, see how many times he's on the ice when we conceed a goal. stancock was good in his own zone but you're comparing chalk and cheese there, i believe corey is a better 'overall player' (for a start he scored the go ahead goal in one 1/4 final and a clutch penalty shot in the other would stancock have done that?), and boynton was the biggest regular season coaster / playoff hero since jekyll and hyde.

[grumpyminer]

First off - great article. Corey showed in his interview exactly why he is still around. He wants to prove the critics wrong. He did that over the last few weeks. He is also correct when he says every team has a fall guy, someone who takes the brunt of the abuse, someone who, maybe, makes an occasional mistake at a critical time, then pays for it all season long. Corey has been that guy for a good part of the season.

Secondly - I have been one of those critics, though I have only criticised his playing and not subjected him to any personal abuse, I do not take back what I have stated previously, as those comments were relevant opinions at the time. I do however appreciate Corey's efforts to change his game and improve his fitness to suit British hockey. This has shown over the last few weeks culminating in TWO AWESOME displays last weekend, MoM at Sheffield also IMO.

If THIS Corey Neilson wants to return to Nottingham, after all the times I have passed criticism, I would welcome him.

[ashotinthedark]

Sorry guys - I wouldn't have him back - one thing that doesn't come out in the article is his attitude on a personal level - early on in the season my son and I encountered him in the bar, the team had just won and he was as arrogant as you like, and was downright unpleasant to my son, who found himself a bit toungue tied, as you would when confronted by a 6 foot or so giant when you are 9, and when James didn't echo the general mouthings of 'great game, great game' , Neilson proceeded to brow beat him about it.
I smoothed it over at the time but subsequently I feel pretty angry about it, for a bloke with small kids himself he needs to grow up a lot, felt particularly irritated as we were there as someone from the clubs guests.
The thing that really got under my skin is that both James and I have had interaction with a number of former and current players, both here in the UK and in the US, James even went to school with the Tampa Bay coaches kids (Ludzig) when we lived there, and we have had dinner with several of the players at barbeques and the like, and this is the first time I ever encountered this attitude and what got me even more irritated is that he isn't the worlds best, otherwise he would be in the NHL and he isn't even Nottinghams best......... step forward Jan Krajicek.
He might go someway to redressing the balance if he has a blinder in both games at the weekend, but I for one won't be forgetting the rest of the season and his under par play.

[dirtyden]

Could be a bit personal, ashotinthedark?

[jaycourtney]

I think Corey Neilson has suffered from 'Steve McKenna Syndrome' all the media and press have hyped him up that much, and his not lived up to the hype. His had his moments but I'll happily take 40+ points from any D man. I think Coreys played well on the PP and his started playing really good D with Meyers.

[ted]

Hat off to the guy... I was having this discussion with Rich and Ive had it before playoffs. Corey had a slow start and adjusting to British hockey.

Ive said in the past weeks Corey will be a playoff player. He will be a big part for us this weekend I reckon.

As someone else said IF hes back next season I reckon we will see playoff Corey.... or will we see 'comfy for another season' Corey. Thats not a slight on him... that could go for any player.

In regards to ashotinthedark. Fair enough I see your point. Manners cost nowt... but we dont hire and fire players on their attitude to fans... sure its nice if everyone was Danny Meyers and Mike Rees but they arent. Thats like keeping a pants players just because hes a great guy.

[Ovechkin8]

ashotinthedark said:

Sorry guys - I wouldn't have him back - one thing that doesn't come out in the article is his attitude on a personal level - early on in the season my son and I encountered him in the bar, the team had just won and he was as arrogant as you like, and was downright unpleasant to my son.

Sounds like we met two different people i met him in Belfast after we lost and was very pleasent and signed a picture for me and was just being nice!!

[newham]

Everyone has mood and attitude swings.

[matt44]

I like Corey. He showed what he CAN do when we beat Sheffield. He was head and shoulders above ANYONE on the ice! And he completely owned Tessier!

[Doughnut]

jaycourtney said:

I think Corey Neilson has suffered from 'Steve McKenna Syndrome'

[cynic mode]You mean he can't be bothered to play well all season, then suddenly remembers how when play-offs come round and he needs to start looking for new contracts? [/cynic mode]

[matt44]

doughnut said:

jaycourtney said:

I think Corey Neilson has suffered from 'Steve McKenna Syndrome'

[cynic mode]You mean he can't be bothered to play well all season, then suddenly remembers how when play-offs come round and he needs to start looking for new contracts? [/cynic mode]

hehe

[heja]

ashotinthedark said:

Sorry guys - I wouldn't have him back - one thing that doesn't come out in the article is his attitude on a personal level - early on in the season my son and I encountered him in the bar, the team had just won and he was as arrogant as you like, and was downright unpleasant to my son, who found himself a bit toungue tied, as you would when confronted by a 6 foot or so giant when you are 9, and when James didn't echo the general mouthings of 'great game, great game' , Neilson proceeded to brow beat him about it.
I smoothed it over at the time but subsequently I feel pretty angry about it, for a bloke with small kids himself he needs to grow up a lot, felt particularly irritated as we were there as someone from the clubs guests.
The thing that really got under my skin is that both James and I have had interaction with a number of former and current players, both here in the UK and in the US, James even went to school with the Tampa Bay coaches kids (Ludzig) when we lived there, and we have had dinner with several of the players at barbeques and the like, and this is the first time I ever encountered this attitude and what got me even more irritated is that he isn't the worlds best, otherwise he would be in the NHL and he isn't even Nottinghams best......... step forward Jan Krajicek.
He might go someway to redressing the balance if he has a blinder in both games at the weekend, but I for one won't be forgetting the rest of the season and his under par play.

sorry but who really cares what there like off the ice

i wouldn't give a damn if they were telling fans to f-off if they didn't want to speak to them if they play well on the ice

[88Panfuz4]

I have to stick up for Mr Neilson here, me and my wife went to the pre season training camp in Morzine, coincidentally (we're not stalkers!) we were staying in the same hotel as the team, just us and the team by the way. Anyway, we wanted to give them space, and not be stalkerish. After one of the games against Morzine when Mopes did his shoulder, we were sat in the bar and Steve Simoes came over and sat with us talking about his beliefs on the game, Mopes came over and was talking to us also. All of this time Mr Neilson stood with his hands behind his back patiently listening, when the opportunity came, he said to me and my wife, "Hi, my name is Corey Neilson and I'm very pleased to meet you and thanks for coming to support us" He then went on talking very politely and respectful to us for some time. He was/is a true gentleman. Make no mistake, this season I have had my issues with him as a player but you have to realise he has brought his family to a strange country, had to get his kids settled at schools etc. The last few games I think we've seen the real player and I don't think many could say they've played better. I would LOVE him to come back for another season, a class player and a thoroughly nice bloke off the ice.

[supergirl8]

I met Corey on Wednesday after Sean's presentation and thought he couldn't have been much nicer. He waited around while people had their photos taken with him and seemed very modest when I congratulated him on his performances at the weekend. No he hasn't been the most consistent or spectacular player this season, but no-one can argue with the fact that he scored a very good penalty which helped us through to the semis this weekend.

[oldman]

with some of the comments what makes you think he wants to come back! give the guy some respect for once, he has put up some good points he was not responsible for the hype when he got here, at every warm up he takes the trouble to chat to people at the end and throw some pucks to the kids.

Also if nothing else he was brilliant last weekend seems to me some people just need some guy to single out for the jeff sebastian treatment, first Evan now Cory,

i have to admit at times he has frustrated me but you can still see the class the guy has got, and the brit boys will have picked up a lot from watching this guy i hope. look every guy has made mistakes it just seems that cory's get blown up out of all proportion.

So yes i would have him back next season for sure if only to silence the lynch mob.