Looks like the Buffalo weather guy's (Adam Schmidt) sources are saying Vesey is choosing the Bruins
https://twitter.com/afino...status/766612370051432448
Hearing from sources that Jimmy Vesey has elected to stay at home and play for the hometown team. Max ELC plus bonuses as expected.
- Marlowe

Weathermen and women are in the prediction business and are often wrong. Please take note.

Al doesn't go out on a limb with rumors and whispers like I do. So when he does, IMO, generally speaking, he feels pretty confident.

Numerous sources have told me the Hawks seemed to be in the lead on this for some time. I also reserved judgment due to the nature of the interview process and the number of teams involved.

All that said, depending on the kind of kid he is, and if the rumors that he is concerned about his second contract (primarily) are to be believed, it is hard to argue against Chicago.

I think we will hear today.
- John Jaeckel

Yea ,

Al seems pretty confident . That makes me happy. Who knows exactly what Vesey will be but for 925k plus bonuses hes worth it . Hawks need young talent at cheap cost .

Wonder what number the Next One will wear...

Weathermen and women are in the prediction business and are often wrong. Please take note.
- golfbard

And he's not even a "true" weatherman yet - graduates college in 2018 per his twitter account (had to look, since I had never heard of WTOP before growing up in Buffalo - turns out it's a college channel). He's still learning to be more accurate (yet still wrong)!

Al doesn't go out on a limb with rumors and whispers like I do. So when he does, IMO, generally speaking, he feels pretty confident.

Numerous sources have told me the Hawks seemed to be in the lead on this for some time. I also reserved judgment due to the nature of the interview process and the number of teams involved.

All that said, depending on the kind of kid he is, and if the rumors that he is concerned about his second contract (primarily) are to be believed, it is hard to argue against Chicago.

I think we will hear today.
- John Jaeckel

Thanks for keeping us all informed JJ.

Signing with Toronto means close to home and with family. Same for Bruins and Devils. Those three teams aren't going much of anywhere in the next couple of seasons.

But to play with star power and put up points and to learn from stellar talent?
It makes sense that it would only be either Chicago or Pittsburgh. Isles? Maybe. NYR? Window is about to close on their fingers. So, if money on the second contract is such a concern, playing in Chicago or Pittsburgh for a year or two only makes sense.

Vesey knows (or should know) the Hawks have a glaring need for a LW with decent size and skating. He appears to fit the bill.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if he signs in Toronto or New Jersey, but, as you and the analysts say, if the money is a concern, the argument against the Hawks is flimsy.

And he's not even a "true" weatherman yet - graduates college in 2018 per his twitter account (had to look, since I had never heard of WTOP before growing up in Buffalo - turns out it's a college channel). He's still learning to be more accurate (yet still wrong)!
- stashu

Thanks for the local color! Helps a lot. This whole process has been pretty leak free and that's kinda impressive in this day and age.

Thanks for the local color! Helps a lot. This whole process has been pretty leak free and that's kinda impressive in this day and age.
- Marlowe

While I'm not in the camp of being annoyed by this process...it will be nice if it ends today

Wonder what number the Next One will wear...
- Hank3Henshaw

91

You cant put anything on the internet that isnt true...
- z1990z

That's right!

Al Gore said so...

Al doesn't go out on a limb with rumors and whispers like I do. So when he does, IMO, generally speaking, he feels pretty confident.

Numerous sources have told me the Hawks seemed to be in the lead on this for some time. I also reserved judgment due to the nature of the interview process and the number of teams involved.

All that said, depending on the kind of kid he is, and if the rumors that he is concerned about his second contract (primarily) are to be believed, it is hard to argue against Chicago.

I think we will hear today.
- John Jaeckel

He'll never hit the second bonus with any other team, but when you have Kane sitting in the room with you who has had the best PPG production in the past 2 years I wonder if Vesey saw a rainbow in the room now if he hits the second bonus once or both years he's looking at a fat contract. 60 points in a season gets you 6 to 7 mil a year. We'll see if he decides with his heart or head.

I'm sure they also told him they will set him up with local companies/endorsement get a little extra cash on the side

Just a little snippet for thought as we sit and wait, something I've thought about as I view his decision from my own eyes, as if I were in his shoes.

Toronto is in Canada.

(I know he's got brother and I think father there). But he's a Boston guy, like I'm a Chicago guy. US citizen, rooting for the Stars and Stripes when watching the Olympics. The fact that Toronto is in Canada would weigh meaningfully in my own decision like this. Do I want to live in the US, or do I want to live in another country? I'm not in any way disparaging Canada. And I certainly don't want this post to start a political discussion of the merits of the US or Canada. It's just when considering Toronto on a list of cities that include Boston, NY, Chicago and Buffalo, one of those is simply in a foreign country.

Does that even matter to a hockey player? A hockey player from the US?

91
- z1990z

Looks like he wore 19 in college. If he comes to Chicago, I heard out of respect for his talent and the respect he's gained over the years in the league, that Toews is going to let him wear 19. Sort of like what Kruger did for Ladd or Bourque did for Esposito...

Just a little snippet for thought as we sit and wait, something I've thought about as I view his decision from my own eyes, as if I were in his shoes.

Toronto is in Canada.

(I know he's got brother and I think father there). But he's a Boston guy, like I'm a Chicago guy. US citizen, rooting for the Stars and Stripes when watching the Olympics. The fact that Toronto is in Canada would weigh meaningfully in my own decision like this. Do I want to live in the US, or do I want to live in another country? I'm not in any way disparaging Canada. And I certainly don't want this post to start a political discussion of the merits of the US or Canada. It's just when considering Toronto on a list of cities that include Boston, NY, Chicago and Buffalo, one of those is simply in a foreign country.

Does that even matter to a hockey player? A hockey player from the US?
- Cmonalready

You can't know how someone feels in terms of love of country. I am pretty sure though that he would have played a lot in Canada before he went to Harvard so he probable has some knowledge of what it's like. Maybe the bigger things weighing against playing in Canada are the hefty taxes and the overwhelming press attention to hockey and the Leafs in particular. Granted the press coverage will be especially focused on Matthews, but it will still be much greater than it would be anywhere in the US where hockey is the arguably the 4th most popular of the pro sports.

Just a little snippet for thought as we sit and wait, something I've thought about as I view his decision from my own eyes, as if I were in his shoes.

Toronto is in Canada.

(I know he's got brother and I think father there). But he's a Boston guy, like I'm a Chicago guy. US citizen, rooting for the Stars and Stripes when watching the Olympics. The fact that Toronto is in Canada would weigh meaningfully in my own decision like this. Do I want to live in the US, or do I want to live in another country? I'm not in any way disparaging Canada. And I certainly don't want this post to start a political discussion of the merits of the US or Canada. It's just when considering Toronto on a list of cities that include Boston, NY, Chicago and Buffalo, one of those is simply in a foreign country.

Does that even matter to a hockey player? A hockey player from the US?
- Cmonalready

FWIW, I've read that his father scouts the Boston area, so he's employed by a Canadian team, but he's not really in Canada.

I like Vesey's chances with Chicago per Al and JJ. I do think that negotiation and sales can dictate and change things last minute though and there are a lot of teams tugging on his strings.

Just a little snippet for thought as we sit and wait, something I've thought about as I view his decision from my own eyes, as if I were in his shoes.

Toronto is in Canada.

(I know he's got brother and I think father there). But he's a Boston guy, like I'm a Chicago guy. US citizen, rooting for the Stars and Stripes when watching the Olympics. The fact that Toronto is in Canada would weigh meaningfully in my own decision like this. Do I want to live in the US, or do I want to live in another country? I'm not in any way disparaging Canada. And I certainly don't want this post to start a political discussion of the merits of the US or Canada. It's just when considering Toronto on a list of cities that include Boston, NY, Chicago and Buffalo, one of those is simply in a foreign country.

Does that even matter to a hockey player? A hockey player from the US?
- Cmonalready

Yeah - but think how far his pay in US dollars will go north of the border.

If Vesey decides to play close to home than Boston it is, I'm not buying any other east coast team since they all require at least 4 hours or more of travel in a car. If you have to board a plane than what difference does it make if I'm playing in Chicago, Toronto, NY, NJ. So where's my best chance to succeed, no brainer Chicago.

The great thing for JJ...this Jimmy Vesey filler lets him get a vacation from throwing up now talking points as we all have beat this one to the ground.

If I were a betting man and how classy the Hawks org is they probably told Vesey the private jet is available to you any time you want to go home or any time your mom wants to come to Chicago and we'll handle all the accommodations and treat her like a queen.

If Vesey decides to play close to home than Boston it is, I'm not buying any other east coast team since they all require at least 4 hours or more of travel in a car. If you have to board a plane than what difference does it make if I'm playing in Chicago, Toronto, NY, NJ. So where's my best chance to succeed, no brainer Chicago.
- BetweenTheDots

In times or airplanes, which he will not have a problem affording, this shouldn't be a determining factor.

The great thing for JJ...this Jimmy Vesey filler lets him get a vacation from throwing up now talking points as we all have beat this one to the ground.
- wiz1901

This HAS been a fun ride...hasn't it?

Lots of occasional posters have come out of the mothballs and voiced their opinions, and the usual suspects have be optimistic or doomsayers but it wasn't boring, now, was it?

If I were a betting man and how classy the Hawks org is they probably told Vesey the private jet is available to you any time you want to go home or any time your mom wants to come to Chicago and we'll handle all the accommodations and treat her like a queen.
- BetweenTheDots

If he's using a private jet whenever he wants, I'm calling him Nature Boy Jimmy Vesey.

I'm Jimmy Vesey! I'm the stylin', profilin', holdin' out for Free Agency, puttin' the NHL on pause, seekin' a second year contract and making impossible expectations to live up to son of a gun!

WOOOOOOOOOO!

Crazy (and sad) to watch the amount of people on Twitter ripping on this kid while he's making one of the biggest decisions of his life. Where there's smoke there's fire...clearly the kid's got something a bunch of NHL teams are interested in.

Crazy (and sad) to watch the amount of people on Twitter ripping on this kid while he's making one of the biggest decisions of his life. Where there's smoke there's fire...clearly the kid's got something a bunch of NHL teams are interested in.
- JGould70

But that is what the internet and social media is for these days, spreading hate. I get that people may hate this process but these are the rules that the league (owners) created. If they don't like this process then they need to change it. Otherwise the Jimmy Veseys of the world, if they're smart, will take the opportunity to make their own choices.

But that is what the internet and social media is for these days, spreading hate. I get that people may hate this process but these are the rules that the league (owners) created. If they don't like this process then they need to change it. Otherwise the Jimmy Veseys of the world, if they're smart, will take the opportunity to make their own choices.


- Quicky72

As much as I'd love it, merely changing the process won't get people to act like decent respectful humans on the internet.