Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Bozek
If the Flames really valued him as an "all star" defenseman, they would have found a way to keep him rather than trade him for a 2nd round draft pick in the 89 draft.
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One thing about Cliff Fletcher: He was always sensitive to the feelings and ambitions of his players, and several times he traded away a player who felt that he was being under-used and could get better opportunities with another team. I heard at the time that this was why Charlie Bourgeois was included in the Beers-Mullen trade, and why Paul Reinhart was let go as a free agent.
Certainly when Ramage arrived in Calgary he never expected to be pushed to the third pairing, because Jamie Macoun was then out with major nerve damage in his arm, and it was not yet known whether he would ever play again. I suppose the original plan was to pair Ramage with Al MacInnis, which, along with Suter-McCrimmon, would give the Flames two top-quality pairings. Instead, Macoun made a full recovery and took that spot.
It was great for the Flames to have a player of Ramage's calibre as their #5 defenceman, but it must have been frustrating for Ramage himself, and he may have requested that trade.