RICHMOND, Va. -- The first of July has seen quite a few surprises for the Penguins' fans, and a fair share of heartbreak.
And while nothing can quite match the stunned, shocking agony of #JagrWatch, Marian Hossa’s spurning of the Penguins, only to join the Red Wings' juggernaut that had just vanquished his team to win the Stanley Cup, comes awfully close. Consider the frank, cavalier manner in which he described his thought process, that his chances were better with Detroit than Pittsburgh…he couldn’t beat ‘em, so he’d join ‘em? What kind of teammate would say such a thing?
Man … I instantly hated the guy.
As the playoffs progressed toward a rematch of the previous season’s Cup Final participants, the Hossa subplot added an extra layer of intrigue to a series that was already overflowing with drama. The hockey gods couldn’t possibly let him get away with such a thing, could they? Thankfully, they would not, and they made sure to let him know, in the most painful way imaginable. Justice was served.
Of course, as we all know, the third time was the charm for Marian, as he finally lifted the Cup the next season, his first as a Blackhawk...and to be honest, by that point I was almost happy for the poor buzzard. Other than a few Nelson Muntz-esque ”Ha-Ha"’s lobbed in his direction, virtually all the acrimony I felt towards the man melted away once the final horn sounded in Detroit. Still, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more stark example of poetic justice than what Hossa endured on the night of June 12, 2009 !
ROB ULLMAN / DKPSFOR PRINTS AND BOOKS ...
