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Thank you for the continued support and one day soon, I hope to be able to answer many fans' questions on the how and why of the way things have worked out over the course of the last several challenging weeks.
As for some of our veteran players, there are ongoing conversations happening right now, so some of this is a changing landscape and what I write today may change tomorrow. Here is what is fact, as of what I know today.
All Mammoth players were signed to deals in the past, whether one year or multiple years, that expired with the end of last season corresponding to the end of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Moving forward, depending on the situation, we would love to have players under multiple year deals. Keep in mind that these are non-guaranteed contracts, but it gives both the player and the team the piece of mind that if they make the team that they are secured for the future. Many of the players that were signed prior to the agreement on the CBA, signed for one year on the understanding that we didn't know enough about the future to sign long term deals. Now we know more.
Both Gee Nash and Gavin Prout have the same agent that I have worked with for many years and we are in active discussions right now. I anticipate that we will find amicable middle ground and both players will be signed and in camp beginning on December 1st.
Dave Stilley informed me a few weeks ago that he has taken on added responsibility at his full time career as well as his other new job, as a brand new dad. He was afraid that with his new situation, that playing may be very difficult and his committment to the team might be limited. I certainly understand Dave's position and understand that we all have choices. Dave and I are very close so I am hopeful he can figure it all out and he can keep playing. He has reached out to me in the past few days and we will continue to explore his ability to commit to the Mammoth for the upcoming season.
Jamie Hanford also reached out to me several weeks ago to tell me that he didn't think he could play for the Mammoth this season. His job in the New York area was placing added demands on him and he felt the commute to Denver to play was becoming increasingly difficult. Scheduling for Jamie may also become an issue as he has planned his upcoming wedding for the first weekend of the playoffs in May in the Carribean. As the Mammoth plan to the be in the playoffs, its tough to be in two places at once. Jamie is an unrestricted free agent who can choose to go anywhere so I can understand how playing closer to home might work out better for him. We have spoken in the last few days as well, but I am not sure how it can work with the scheduling conflicts and 4 Thursday night games. Should he choose to play elsewhere, we would wish him well and be dissappointed that one of our own has decided to move on. I think a final decision has yet to be made on his part so this is an evolving process right now as well.
Regardless, based on both Stilley and Hanford giving me this information, we must plan to move on without them. If their choices bring them back to us then we will cross that bridge when the time comes. Ultimately, in this business, things are constantly changing and we are forced to adapt to the opportunities that are presented to us.
Thank you for your question, hopefully this is an adequate answer.
SG
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