Narci
Apr 27th, 2006, 02:50 PM
He's gone.
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1146088214327&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064&t=TS_Home
Berg no longer a Leaf, signs with Finnish club
Despite the boos, defenceman says he'll miss Toronto
Pilar front-runner as replacement on Buds blue line
Apr. 27, 2006. 05:51 AM
PAUL HUNTER
SPORTS REPORTER
Maple Leafs' fans won't have Aki Berg to kick around any more.
The 28-year-old defenceman, often the target of derision at the Air Canada Centre, yesterday agreed to a three-year deal witn TPS Turku, the Finnish elite league team in his hometown.
"You can't predict everything that happens in the future but I don't think I'll be back in the NHL," said a buoyant Berg, when reached in Turku by telephone yesterday.
"Family comes first and hockey after that and this is a family decision. I'm happy and everything is perfect."
Berg has two children under the age of 4 and he wanted to raise them in the Finnish culture among long-time friends and extended family. He would have become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Leafs acquired Berg, drafted third overall by Los Angeles in 1995, from the Kings at the trade deadline in 2001 in exchange for Adam Mair and a second-round draft pick, which L.A. used to select Mike Cammalleri.
The hope was that the 6-foot-3, 213-pound defender, only 23 at the time, could develop in to a hard-nosed, stay-at-home NHL defender. He showed flashes of it, particularly when playing for Finland on the world stage, but he was consistently no better than the fifth or sixth option on the Toronto blue line.
But love him or hate him — and there really was only one side of the equation for callers to the radio phone-in shows — he was a workhorse for the Leafs. In his four full seasons in Toronto, he never played less than 75 games.
Injuries on the Toronto blue line showed the team has several good young prospects toiling in the minors and Berg's departure might, depending on what the Leafs do on the free agent market, open the door for one of them to gain fulltime employment. Carlo Coloaiacovo might also step in if he fully recovers from a concussion.
Another contender will likely be Karel Pilar. He's spent the last two seasons battling a heart ailment that prevented him from signing with the Leafs before the Dec. 1 deadline for Group II free agents. But the 28-year-old signed with HC Sparta Prague in mid-February and helped the team wrap up the league championship in the Czech Republic this week.
In 14 playoff games for Sparta, Pilar had three goals and three assists and was a plus-6. His North American agent Mark Stowe said Pilar's health concerns are no longer an issue.
"He wants to come back (to the Leafs) if he can work out a deal," said Stowe. "He's always said the people in the Toronto organization treated him right."
Leafs' general manager John Ferguson said his expectation is that Pilar, who remains a restricted free agent, will be signed and at camp in the fall.
"In due course, we'll get him over here, make sure he is fit and ready to play and go from there," said the GM. "Obviously he is playing. He's recovered and the reports have been good."
Stowe said Pilar declined an opportunity to play for the Czechs at the upcoming world championship at Riga, Latvia, "just to make sure he's ready for next year."
Berg will play for Finland at Riga and said he will join the national team tomorrow.
Berg declined to say what his contract with Turku will pay him. He conceded he likely would have made more on the open market in North America this summer but said, "it's not about the money."
Despite hearing the boos from the fans, he said he "loved" playing in Toronto and living in the city.
"It's a great city. Playing there was unbelievable. It was a tough decision to leave," he said. "It wasn't something we decided overnight. We've been thinking about it for a long time."
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&c=Article&cid=1146088214327&call_pageid=968867503640&col=970081593064&t=TS_Home
Berg no longer a Leaf, signs with Finnish club
Despite the boos, defenceman says he'll miss Toronto
Pilar front-runner as replacement on Buds blue line
Apr. 27, 2006. 05:51 AM
PAUL HUNTER
SPORTS REPORTER
Maple Leafs' fans won't have Aki Berg to kick around any more.
The 28-year-old defenceman, often the target of derision at the Air Canada Centre, yesterday agreed to a three-year deal witn TPS Turku, the Finnish elite league team in his hometown.
"You can't predict everything that happens in the future but I don't think I'll be back in the NHL," said a buoyant Berg, when reached in Turku by telephone yesterday.
"Family comes first and hockey after that and this is a family decision. I'm happy and everything is perfect."
Berg has two children under the age of 4 and he wanted to raise them in the Finnish culture among long-time friends and extended family. He would have become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
The Leafs acquired Berg, drafted third overall by Los Angeles in 1995, from the Kings at the trade deadline in 2001 in exchange for Adam Mair and a second-round draft pick, which L.A. used to select Mike Cammalleri.
The hope was that the 6-foot-3, 213-pound defender, only 23 at the time, could develop in to a hard-nosed, stay-at-home NHL defender. He showed flashes of it, particularly when playing for Finland on the world stage, but he was consistently no better than the fifth or sixth option on the Toronto blue line.
But love him or hate him — and there really was only one side of the equation for callers to the radio phone-in shows — he was a workhorse for the Leafs. In his four full seasons in Toronto, he never played less than 75 games.
Injuries on the Toronto blue line showed the team has several good young prospects toiling in the minors and Berg's departure might, depending on what the Leafs do on the free agent market, open the door for one of them to gain fulltime employment. Carlo Coloaiacovo might also step in if he fully recovers from a concussion.
Another contender will likely be Karel Pilar. He's spent the last two seasons battling a heart ailment that prevented him from signing with the Leafs before the Dec. 1 deadline for Group II free agents. But the 28-year-old signed with HC Sparta Prague in mid-February and helped the team wrap up the league championship in the Czech Republic this week.
In 14 playoff games for Sparta, Pilar had three goals and three assists and was a plus-6. His North American agent Mark Stowe said Pilar's health concerns are no longer an issue.
"He wants to come back (to the Leafs) if he can work out a deal," said Stowe. "He's always said the people in the Toronto organization treated him right."
Leafs' general manager John Ferguson said his expectation is that Pilar, who remains a restricted free agent, will be signed and at camp in the fall.
"In due course, we'll get him over here, make sure he is fit and ready to play and go from there," said the GM. "Obviously he is playing. He's recovered and the reports have been good."
Stowe said Pilar declined an opportunity to play for the Czechs at the upcoming world championship at Riga, Latvia, "just to make sure he's ready for next year."
Berg will play for Finland at Riga and said he will join the national team tomorrow.
Berg declined to say what his contract with Turku will pay him. He conceded he likely would have made more on the open market in North America this summer but said, "it's not about the money."
Despite hearing the boos from the fans, he said he "loved" playing in Toronto and living in the city.
"It's a great city. Playing there was unbelievable. It was a tough decision to leave," he said. "It wasn't something we decided overnight. We've been thinking about it for a long time."