Ok. I feel like I have delivered this "speech" 500 times but here are my thoughts on Eric Staal. Eric Staal is never going to fit in this mold that people want him to fit in. People have decided what they expect a captain to act like and his personality doesn't fit it. They want to see passion. They want to see "fire." Yet when he shows said fire on the ice people say that he needs to control his temper. You can't have it both ways. I don't frequently hear people refer to Henrik Sedin as "fiery" but I don't hear anyone questioning his passion for the game or his ability as a leader.

Here's the thing. It's not Eric Staal's responsibility to prove to us how fiery and passionate he is by outwardly demonstrating it. It is his responsibility to lead his team. If his teammates came to me and said "Actually he's not a good leader" then I would adjust my opinion.

Case in point…Tim Gleason. I like Tim Gleason. I miss that ol grumpy cat looking face around these parts. But I personally never understood him wearing the A. I just didn't get it. But it wasn't for ME to get. His teammates and coaches obviously felt that he was a leader. He wore an A and he was given the Steve Chaisson Award by his teammates ("which goes annually to the player that best exemplifies determination and dedication while proving to be an inspiration to his teammates through his performance and approach to the game." courtesy of Hurricanes website). It has also been awarded to Eric Staal. So while I may not have understood why they put Gleason in that role, it doesn't matter. It's not about me.

And I know people are chomping at the bit to say "Well a captain shows his determination and fire by winning! And leading his team to the playoffs!" Of course he does. He also has a cast of supporting characters for which he is not responsible. It's not his job to go out and scout players, make draft picks and sign players. He doesn't negotiate contracts. He doesn't pick the lines. There is only so much he can control. It's a team sport. It takes more than one guy to carry a team.

It's no secret that I am an Eric Staal fan. Of course I have emotional responses to these things. But I also use reasoning and logic to form my opinions. I wish people would spend less time worrying about what they think Eric Staal is thinking. People don't like Eric Staal. They are never gonna like Eric Staal. And there really isn't anything he or I can do about it.

And for anyone that doesn't think he cares, I challenge you to watch that post-game interview in Dallas. Caring was in his voice. It was also all over his face. Which seems to be what people need to see.

I watch an obscene amount of hockey. I listen to hockey radio constantly. I read hockey websites. I subscribe to the Hockey News. And amazingly I never see the kind of criticism or questioning of Eric Staal in those places that I see and hear from this fanbase.

No fancy ending…that's all she wrote.

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