While Gary Bettman might wish for both Brian Burke and Kevin Lowe to just go on vacation and stay away from microphones, that apparently won't be happening any time soon.
Despite the Commish's edict last week for both gents to hush up, The Anaheim Ducks President and GM decided to try and sneak in a few shots today, suggesting that Lowe might have been guilty of tampering and was certainly guilty of dissing the Duck's fan base.
The Burke response came out of Anaheim as Burke chose to offer up rebuttals to Lowe's much documented outburst last week on an Edmonton radio station, offering up a point by point examination of the issues raised by Lowe.
Interestingly enough, despite the sudden flare up of hostilities between southern California and Northern Alberta, business it seems will still be business, as the Ducks' websitestill prominently features advertising for a Rocky Mountain Vacation in Alberta. We're sure that Kevin Lowe will be more than happy to be Brian Burke's mountain guide should he decide to check out the offerings made available through the Duck's website.
While he may consider the matter closed, having fired off another shot across Lowe's bow on the tampering issue we suspect that the silence may be golden rule may get more of a workout for a little while yet..
"We felt for a host of reasons it was important to bring the parties together and make it clear to both organizations that public comments disparaging the other were bad for the business and would no longer be tolerated,"— NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly on why the NHL told their feuding GM’s to put a lid on their antagonistic ways.
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman has finally said enough is enough, tired of the bickering between Anaheim GM Brian Burke and Edmonton’s GM Kevin Lowe, Bettman issued a cease and desist order to the NHL’s most colourful if slightly embarrassing feud.
Bettman’s intervention came after Lowe went thermo nuclear on the weekend finally relieving himself of the burden of biting his tongue over Burke’s frequent jabs at his General Managers duties in Edmonton.
To be fair to Lowe, he’s been a pretty patient fellow as the bellicose Burkie has on more than a few occasions taken Edmonton to task for their offer to and subsequent signing of Dustin Penner last season.
In Burke’s world it seems that the move by Lowe was the start of the end of the NHL, while Lowe and more than a few others suggest that it was just another day at the office with the real line in the sand having been crossed much earlier with Columbus’ offer to Rick Nash.
It’s an argument that apparently didn’t sell in Anaheim, as through this past season, Burke has made the occasional jab at Lowe’s ability to run an NHL franchise properly, making for lively subject matter for hockey reporters, who always love a good feud.
As NHL feuds go it’s been a beaut, while Lowe has kept a low profile for the most part, with only occasional contributions, that all went out the window this weekend past when he appeared on an Edmonton radio station, to open up the shotgun with both barrels delivering a withering assessment of Burke’s abilities as an NHL executive
Among some of the more blistering observations that Lowe provided:
He described his Anaheim Ducks counterpart as "a moron" and "an underachieving wannabe"
Accused Burke of being a media junkie who gets his name in the headlines, though Lowe hates the idea of his name being attached to Burke's.
Suggesting that Burke is an underachieving wannabe in terms of success in the NHL, going on to count Stanley Cup rings Lowe tallied up his six to Burke’s one, "He won a Stanley Cup? Great. I've won six Stanley Cups, you want to count rings? Who cares? It's just a little pathetic that he carries on.”
Finally Lowe reviewed some past NHL history and offered up the theory that Burke had destroyed the Vancouver Canucks before he left, leaving successor Dave Nonis with nothing to work. Nonis has since been replaced by Mike Gillis.
With Lowe dropping the gloves on Friday and leveling his most fierce rebuttal yet, Bettman felt that he had no option but to step in today and enforce a little family discipline.
Making for what he hopes will be a more sedate summer season from his two bad boys, a wish that more than a few observers may hope doesn’t come to pass.
Nasty as it’s been, the feud has made for some pretty lively commentary, though judging by the reports over the last few days, more than a few are quite content that Lowe finally took Burke head on, toe to toe.
We found a few of the media highlights over the last few days to provide some colour commentary to Lowe’s play by play descriptions of Friday Night fights…
