Havlat requests release for personal reasons

[dmiles2186]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/hockey/p ... 6853a.html

The Blues have placed forward Martin Havlat on unconditional waivers. According to general manager Doug Armstrong, Havlat asked to leave the team for personal reasons and the request was granted.

A statement from the Blues said Havlat "has asked for privacy at this time and neither he or the Blues will have any further comment on the matter."

Havlat, 34, didn't sign over the summer and joined the Blues just last week, signing a one-year, two-way contract, after going through a 10-day tryout as the team looked for players to fill in their injury depleted forward ranks. He scored the game-winning goal for the Blues in his first game, on Tuesday against New Jersey and played 14 minutes. He played just seven minutes in Thursday's loss to the Rangers.

On Wednesday, Havlat gave no indications that he might want out.

"I still love the game," Havlat said on the offday between the New Jersey and New York games to Jeremy Rutherford of the Post-Dispatch, "so I just want to play hockey and I want to be part of it.

"It's not about money anymore. It's about playing the game and having fun with the group of guys here.

"It's always a little different when you come to a new team, new coach, it takes time, that's for sure. So one game for me right now, there's a still little things I'm I'm trying to get to know. But it's still the same hockey game, it's just hockey."

With Steve Ott having missed the past three games, the Blues at the moment have just 12 healthy forwards on the roster.

Check back for updates later in the day. The Blues are scheduled to be on the ice for practice at noon.

[APOD]

Very strange, his ice time was cut in half from his first game, but its probably a family issue.

Time to call Rattie back up.

Whats the deal with Reaves this year? leg injury still a bother? or no need for his skills set?

[WaukeeBlues]

Shortest Blues career evar.

Yea, this is kind've bizarre. It had to be something relatively unexpected you would think.

[Portland Blues]

How will the Havlat area be remembered?

[ecbm]

Shortest Blues career evar.

Indeed. Even beats Barrasso. Hope it turns out ok for him, whatever it is. You'd think it's something serious with the suddenness of his departure.

Just throwing it out there: Barbashev is producing a point per game in Chicago. I really think it's only a matter of time before he forces his way onto the big team.

[Oaklandblue]

I hope things on his end are good and that he comes back. Like what little I saw of him in Blue. Godspeed.

[Robb_K]

He played absolutely terribly in his 7 minutes in is 2nd game. He didn't get back on defence, sent a bunch of passes to Ranger players, lost virtually every puck battle, and played poorly without the puck. He was nothing but a liability. Hitchcock benched him during the game, and probably bawled him out. Havlat must have rebelled at that treatment, and quit. I assume they came to a mutual agreement that he would just "decide" to quit. What I saw, was that other than his scoring the goal in his first game, he did not play well. He lost puck battles, and was weak on defence. He just doesn't fit the demands of Hitch's 2-way game. I assume that Hitch couldn't quite tell what Havlat would do in real games, based on his play in the practices.

[Misc. Blues]

On the bright side he's gone now and we are gonna win the cup now...

[milanooco]

This guy is over the hill.St Louis Blues Jersey

[cprice12]

This guy is over the hill.

Epic first post.