Vinny was a phone call from being traded

It has been seven years since Lightning superstar Vinny Lecavalier almost was traded to the Maple Leafs, and when I say almost, I mean it. Former Lightning president Ron Campbell, who on Friday was named a senior adviser to the new ownership group spoke at length for the first time about what almost went down in December 2001.

Campbell has been credited with stopping the deal that would have brought Nik Antropov, Jonas Hoglund, Tomas Kaberle and either then-prospect Brad Boyes or a first-round draft choice.

"I didn't stop the trade, per se," Campbell said. "I stopped the conference call."

That's how close Tampa Bay was to trading Lecavalier. According to Campbell, a deal was done with Toronto and general manager Rick Dudley was simply waiting for the conference call with the league to make it official.

This is Campbell's take on what happened:

He said the team had badly "mismanaged" the negotiations with Lecavalier, who was a holdout from camp in September 2001. When an agreement was finally reached the day before the season's first game, Campbell said Lecavalier was not told he would not play in the first two home games. He also wasn't told that decisions had been made by the team that he was not ready to continue as captain.

"John was really fearful he wasn't in playing shape and didn't want him to get hurt," Campbell said of then-coach John Tortorella. "Vinny didn't know until he finally showed up in Tampa, and then he found out he was no longer going to be captain. That's what created the big gap between him and John Tortorella. John should not have been the messenger on either one of those fronts, but he was put in that position."

The gap between player and coach became so strained, Lecavalier asked for a trade. Then-GM Rick Dudley determined the two could not coexist, and why not get a windfall of assets for a future superstar?

"And John endorsed the trade because it had become such a distraction, and he wanted to move forward with the team, and getting assets wasn't the worst thing in the world, and to start with a clean slate," Campbell said.

Campbell said he, Dudley, Tortorella, then-assistant GM Jay Feaster, then-Lightning CEO Tom Wilson and then-owner Bill Davidson met in Tampa Dec. 7 to discuss the possible deal.

"Mr. D just laid out some ground rules," Campbell recalled. "One of them was you take 30 days and make sure you get the best possible deal. Literally within hours, Rick had a conference call to trade Vinny. I walked in and I challenged him. I said, 'I thought you were supposed to take 30 days?' He said, 'Well, I've been working on this for 30 days.'

"Mr. Davidson had just told him to take 30 days from that moment, and then I walk in three hours later, he's preparing for a conference call. I told him, 'Let's rest on this for tonight and let's talk in the morning, and make sure we have Mr. Davidson's blessing.' So I didn't stop the trade. I just said, 'We're not following what my owner recommended we do."

Campbell said he also had reservations about the trade's possible repercussions from a business angle.

"The team had been going along with 17 wins, 19 wins (it actually had 24 in 2000-01), but the one icon of Tampa Bay was Vinny Lecavalier, so you would be stepping back greatly if you trade him. ... But the biggest reason, I said, 'If you trade a player because he asked to be traded, if you do this for Vinny Lecavalier, where does it stop? You cannot let a player dictate. You may trade him down the line, but it's under your whim, but not on someone else's.' We agreed to pull the plug on the trade at that time."

I've told this part of the story before, but it's worth repeating here. I was on the team bus heading for the Senators' stadium and speaking to Dudley, who told me Lecavalier would not be traded. I asked him if he had spoken to Lecavalier. He said he had not. I told Dudley tat Lecavalier was sitting right behind me, and did he want to speak to him? He did, so I handed my cell phone to Lecavalier. That is how he found out he was not being traded.

Granted, this is only one man's story, but it is worth noting that Campbell was on record in the St. Pete Times on Dec. 5, predicting Lecavalier would not be traded. "I don't think Vinny Lecavalier should plan on going anywhere," Campbell said at the time, "And we're not going to accommodate anyone but the Tampa Bay Lightning."

Having lived through the story myself, it gives you a good flavor for what was going on at the time.

Comments

[léo]

First off Mike,
I didn't say "pity", remember? I amended and said "love". C'mon, don't put words in my mouth.
Secondly, since 1965? 11 Cups in 43 years. 26%.
Since the expansion? 1967. 9 Cups in 41 years. 24%. What's your point? TB is still 6%.
Thirdly, you wanna talk about recent history? Ok, how about last year? Doesn't get more recent than that. You finished last, which means that Nashville and Columbus did better than you, so take it easy comparing yourself to those organization, whose "recent history" has them as "more winning" organizations than you.
But I understand how THAT "recent history" doesn't suit your argument. It has to be a "specifically designed" history, doesn't it?
So let's try something else,
IF, I say "IF" We manage to pull off the greatest centennial possible and hoist the Prize...that's a Cup for EVERY decade since Our inception, in fact, if We DON'T Win this year, that run ends.
Point is,
TB won nothing in the 90s.
We've earned Our bragging rights cuz We've got glorious ones, mate. So the truth is, yes, sorry, you're MUCH closer to Nashville and Columbus in achievements than you are to Us.
But you're learnin', at least, We hope so.
And say, good question,
When ARE you playing Nashville and Columbus next?
Be curious to see how those games play out.
P.

[PD]

Stay tuned on Chicago jrc

[jrc]

PD Having work in the NHL for 15 yrs it's amazing a guy like Dudley can get a job after almost ruining Tampa when he tried to trade Vinny.From tampa he went to the Panthers an they saw how his act was and then he's in Chicago.
He's probably trying to get his boys in there because in his mind he invented hockey.

[Mike13]

Looks like I struck a nerve with our troll buddy from Montreal.

Leo, chill out dude. I wouldn't rib you like I am if I didn't like you.

So, you didn't win all of your championships before expansion, but you won 14 of the 24 before the 1965 expansion that added 6 teams like the Flyers, Penguins, and North Stars. So that's 10 championships in 41 years.

Look, nobody is debating whether or not the Canadiens have a long history of winning. They just don't have a recent history of winning. Yeah, the Lightning stunk last year thanks to a freak accident to our top D-man and a penny-pinching owner. We'll be back in the hunt this year.

I'm not saying that the Lightning franchise has been more successful than Montreal. I'm just saying that we don't want your pity. Becuase we don't need it. 1 stinking year in the past 6, doesn't warrant pity from anyone. That's why I made the comment to take your pity to some town like Columbus, who have no idea what winning is all about.

[PD]

JRC, your caps lock button broke?

What is the point you make?
Duds wasn't a goon in hockey or lacrosse but he could take care of himself rather well.

I sense a little jealousy.

[JRC]

P.D I USED TO WORK FOR HIM SO I THINK I WOULD KNOW HIM BETTER.CHECK OUT HIS STATS ON HOCKEY DB, NHL TOTAL G.P. 309,PIM,292,I MINUTE A GAME. WHA GP 270 PIM 516 LESS THAN 2 MIN A GAME. DO THE MATH

[PD]

Heh JRC, I played pro lacrosse against Dudley and he was as tough as they come. You are full of it.
Ask some sabres how tough he was or even better JRC , ask him yourself.

He built the core of the cup team and is doing exactly the same thing with the Hawks.

[JRC]

DUDLEY WAS NEVER THE SHARPEST KNIFE IN THE DRAWER.HIS THINKING IS YOU GET ALL GRINDERS TO PLAY THE GAME AND YOU WILL WIN.HE ONCE MADE THE COMMENT THAT FRENCH HOCKEY PLAYERS WERE NOT TOUGH ENOUGH TO PLAY AND VINNY WAS ONE OF THEM. WHEN DUDLEY PLAYED HE WASN'T THAT TOUGH, HE FOUGHT GUYS AT THE END OF THEIR SHIFT. CHECK HIS STATS ON HOCKEYDB

[léo]

There were only 5 other teams in the League when We won the Cup 6 times in the 70's? Wow, I didn't know that, Mike, thank you.
And AGAIN: TB Argument num1, "We won a Cup 4 years ago so ONLY Carolina, Anaheim and Detroit are better than us."
THAT is how that works. Thank you again, Mike, for explaining how the concept of -what have you done for me lately?- works. Yes, because what matters MOST is what your team did 4 years ago and not NOW. It's ok to stink now...as long as you did good four years ago. Thank you for explaining that to me.
But I'm a Mtl Canadien. We don't see things that way, right or wrong. We NEVER entertained DELUSIONS that We were going to win in the years of misery before the ray of light.
Réjean Houle was a clown; Our misery stemmed from his ineptness. We saw it, accepted some loss of face and sacked him. Bob had a whole new cake to bake. And Bob's no clown. He's a Mtl Canadien.
Canadiens don't CONTENT themselves, Mike. Ever. And I am POSITIVE Bob picked that up from his mentors.
That's WHY We have 24 Cups and you got 1. That's a 25% efficiency in winning the Championship for your 6% efficiency. So sell your PAST efficiency in a MEANINGLESS window of time to the tourists, ok? You will notice that this 24Cup business is a fact Leo NEVER revels in because it is PAST. Yes or no?
I'm talkin' about the NOW, baby.
And right now? Ask Don, we spoke about this,
No, Mike. Though We would LOVE to have Sundin...No. We DON'T need him. We finished first WITHOUT him, remember?
Who NEEDS Sundin? Couver. THEY need him. A Swedish captain with Presence who will dominate on the team score-sheet. A trifecta for Couver. That's why it's 20mil. They'll pay it gladly and I don't blame'em.
Nyr, Phi. Can they make the dough? I don't think so.
Toranna. Do they NEED Sundin? Depends on the Plan they adopt, we talked about this. I don't know; ask PD.
Colorado? If Sakic doesn't return, you see Sundin acceptin the West THIS TIME to play for his Nordiques? It's possible. Pros and cons for Sundin again.
The ONE team you DON'T hear about anymore is Us. I guess Bob's said everything needin' to be said, which is,
Yes or no, Mats?
Cuz bottom line?
With or without Sundin, wish Us happy birthday cuz We are going to the Show.
Whaddaya say to that, Mikey?
P.

[Gary]

Mike13.....Not just Montreal but any Canadian team. Odds are so against the cup going to Canada, hasn't been won by a Canadian team since 1993, and doesn't look very promising for years to come. But we thank those Canadian players playing for American teams winning it here.

[Gary]

I love American sites, they allow you to post without some moderator checking the post first.(like Torstar) Isn't Canada supposed to be more liberal? ROFLMAO!

[Mike13]

For the love of Pete! When will the season start so I can read some REAL MATERIAL?! It's a sad day when in Florida and all you see is the ramblings of Leo San Habidashaire - an egotistical french Canadian.

Yes Leo, we WILL keep V4. We do NEED him. Especially if we are going to have a shot at THE CUP. If the Habs are so good as is, then can you tell me why they went after Sundin so hard? I mean, you must not need him either, right?

Gimme a break on the winning thing. Everybody knows that the Habs were dominant when there were only 5 other teams to play against. But not so much recently huh? Yeah, they made it into the post-season last year. Big deal. When was the last time Lord Stanley's cup took a parade through downtown Montreal? Shoot, when was the last time the Prince of Wales trophy got snubbed by your team Captain?

[Don in St. Pete]

Leo, I'm going to stroke your ego for you and declare, that it terms of championships versus # of years competed, Montreal was not only the best in all of hockey, but the best in all of pro sports. That being said the sHABs haven't done squat in the last 14 years, not even made it to a division final. Let's stick to the 21st century, recent hisotry. How do the Bolts and sHABs stack up? Wait, I can't see.....that light it's blinding me......oh thats the gleam off the Stanley Cup we won in 2004! The more I look at things, the more I like our chances this year. I see now why the owners made some of the moves we all found questionable. You'd better get used to seeing the Bolts around the top of the standings, as we're back and we're going to give you all you can handle and then some. With your lack of proven guys who've done it before, you will probably fold in the playoffs if not before. GO BOLTS!

[léo]

I am unaware of American propaganda campaigns so I have no input on that, Steve.
But though the pleasures of ale might fulfill YOU more than your team, it certainly isn't the case for Us.
Now, I didn't start this. I was simply responding to being "infuriatingly frustrated" at the fact that V4 doesn't play for Us...for the millionth bloody time, like it was TB's sole claim to fame and not WINNING, like it is for most hockey clubs.
Add to that the fact that the Canadiens are the greatest team in the history of this planet, well, it doesn't really MATTER what I say, does it?
Just puttin' the time back in, is all.
P.

[Steve R]

leo, reading your post all I can think of is the "I love you man" Bud commercials. Almost as crappy an ad campaign as the talking lizards.

[léo]

You said it Mike, "Proposed". Thanx fer diggin' up my post that clarifies this; I wouldn't have had your perspicacity.
Not "propose".
Proposed = the past.
Propose = the present.
In the past? Yep. In the present? No way.
In the present, YOU keep him. You NEED him; We don't. But if it'll make you feel vindicated that you are LOSING with him while We are WINNING without him, then ok, We are "infuriatingly frustrated". Haw!
As for the "history of winning" in TB, you're embarassing yourself. One Cup is hardly a history, unless we have different definitions of the word.
Same thing goes for you Twiney, getting all hopped up in the joy of keeping V4 away from Us superceding the fact that you are LOSING, you have the gall to mock Us. Oh Twiney. Oh sir. You disappoint Us.
Hey Twiney,
Wait til V4 hits SEVENTY goals! Or EIGHTY! Then, in Mtl, that'll REALLY, REALLY stick in Our craw! Haw!
So yes, keep him. And make no mistake: it would be EXACTLY the same for Columbus and Nashville with ONE important difference,
We DO Love you guys. You guys have Our blood in you. We MADE you. We didn't MAKE Col or Nas so who cares about them?
The very REASON you have a Cup, Twiney, is BECAUSE of everything We taught you. Don't EVER forget that.
That's the part of your ACTUAL "history" that interests Us the most. I'd be interested to hear anyone renege this and therefor SHOW that he or she does NOT know the Bolts as well as he or she thinks. (look it up, padawan)
And it's also why We don't like to see you stink, as opposed to Col or Nas.
Truth is, We've never HAD V4, so nobody knows what We'd be missing (argue that all you want and the fact remains). If YOU lose V4, the whole franchise shuts down as the team implodes, investors run out of town without making their payments, the housing market further deteriorates and the President issues a State of Emergency.
So keep V4.
For GOSH'S sake, keep him.
Don't worry about Us,
We'll be alright.
Just do your thing.
And don't be mean to Us.
We Love you guys.
P.

[Mike13]

Found it...quoting Leo from his post on Jan 29th at 8:41pm...

"...what I PROPOSED was Vinny for the Kid, the Kostitsyns, (Komisarek!), the McDonaughs!Paciorettys! and 2 second round picks."

Yeah, that sounds like Montreal thinks we need Vinny more than they do.

Leo, feel free to post here, heck I think it's great that you do. But don't pity the Lightning or its fans. Go pity Columbus or some team that has no history of winning.

[Don in St. Pete]

Right on Twiney! Understood and agreed NTMM. I'm expecting a big year from Vinny. He has his linemates locked up under contract for 3 more years and a long term deal for himself. He has solid lines behind him so less pressure to score every shift and a more equal distribution of playing time.

[Mike13]

I know, right?! This is the same kid that offered 75% of the 'crabs' roster for him last year. Pity us. Pfff.

[Twinebulge]

Lemme get this straight. You want us to have Vinnyt because you love us and we need him more?! How about instead of that utterly unbelievable load of steaming moose flop, you want us to have him because we already do, you don't, you can't, and you never will--and the infuriating frustration of that, the empty sense of loss and lack, is getting to be too much.

And you know what?

It's just getting started. It's gonna get WAAAAYYYYY worse before it gets better. Wait'll he hits 60 goals and beyond. This will always stick deep in the craw of Montrealers who will always believe they will always be the rightful heirs to any and all superstar French Canadian players, always.

Hooray for Campbell for nixing the trade, and hooray for Feaster for not trading Vinny for Luongo or whatever the other 28 GMs were dangling

[Not the Marlboro Man]

Personally I haven't commented in a couple of weeks because I haven't found anything worth commenting about. I wish camp would go ahead and start already.

[léo]

Good one, Mike. Crabs. I like it. It's catchy.
But like I said.
YOU keep V4. We WANT you to keep him because We pity you (no wait, that's too harsh) because We Love you.
You need V4 MUCH, MUCH more than We do.
But thanx fer thinkin' about Us anyway.
As fer the Deal. It's soo absolutely crazy that I refuse to believe it ever came as close as we're hearing it.
No WAY you could trade V4 and HOPE to get equal value in return.
Crazy.
Can't be true.
Peace.

[Patrick]

Don,

You can't reasonably speculate about the long term benefit we would have gotten from the players we were supposed to have gotten in this deal because by now, if Dudley was still our general manager, he would have traded every one of them away for something else.

This was the best move the lightning never made.

[Boltflasher]

Boyes has had 1 super season only and we'll see this season how well Kaberle and Antropov are without Sundin. This would have been a bad trade. Ron and Mr.D do deserve credit for not making the trade. That old saying was certainly appropriate here..."Sometimes the best trades are the ones you don't make"..

[Tackleberry]

Campbell was better at running Forum operations vice hockey. The Forum is one of the top grossing arenas in North America. He may not have known much about hockey but he has brought a lot of big-name concerts/venues to Tampa. He will be remembered for keeping V4 in Tampa.

[Don in St. Pete]

While the squashing of the trade lead to a cup for Tampa, the players that Dud's had scheduled to come our way were no slouches. We could have actually been better today because of that trade ( although without a cup, that may be a moot argument ). Boyes, finally has developed into the 40 goals scorer and Kaberle is a mainstay as the PP QB in Leafland. Andropov is a good complimentary player. I think Campbell made the right move as it won us a cup. We are now entering a new more promising era.

[Mike13]

Ah, the day THE TRADE was squashed. The day Toronto wept -- or is it more accurate to say that they have wept every day since?

They can fantasize about it though. Just like the crabs, I mean Habs.

[Boltflasher]

For those who had been saying a couple of months ago "trade Vinny for prospects"...this is an example of how bad such trades can be, only rarely do they turn out like the Herschel Walker deal...with "prospects" you really don't know what you're getting. This one would've gone down as one of the all time bad trades in history...like the Lou Brock trade...

[léo]

Wrong again, Don.
We could use Sundin.
We don't need Sundin.
But keep guessing!
P.

[Don in St. Pete]

Leo, that's simple. You'd continue pontificating just like you do now. getting tough to find a worthwile morsel in any of your post's lately. I'm guessing that like most sHABs fans you've chewed your fingernails down to the first knuckle waiting for the "annointed one" to make his decision. It's fun watching you all squirm!

[léo]

TOTALLY agree, Corn Flake and Andrew.
Toranna have NO CLUE as to what they're doin'.
To come to realize that the days of BALLARD were MUCH better is so sad, I don't know how I could put up with it if I was a leafer.
P.

[Andrew]

Where are all the people who have continuously said that "Feaster didn't build the Lightning, Dudley did." If Dudley had it his way, the Lightning probably would've gone on to be moved to Vegas in 04 instead of winning a cup. Leafs however would've won a few cups probably...This trade would've been the biggest steal in the world for Toronto.

[Corn Flake]

This makes Leafs fans want to punch stuff. We've heard this story before but not in this detail. Can't believe how close we came to getting Vinny... Rick Dudley was the biggest idiot to ever be a GM in this league. This is the proof.

[léo]

So how was Mars, everybody?
This news is 6 years old!
The leafs DEFINITELY would've kicked Mtl's butt more than they did in the last 15 years with Vinny, Steve.
They STILL wouldn't've won a Cup though.
We did.
P.

[boltcc]

That wouldda been worse than the Roberto Luongo trade. Vinny IS the Lightning.

[Steve R]

No doubt PD. Your guys would have kicked the crap out of the Habs more than you did....

[PD]

Lecavalier and Sundin.
That would have changed the landscape.

[Spifferson]

Oh crap!