Quote:
Originally Posted by Hockey_Ninja
I could see this. I could also see some other family members wanting him to come home and some wanting him to stay in Calgary. That definitely could’ve played a big factor in his final decision
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This time last year he was waiting for it to play out and leave Calgary as he is now. Got married and think about family. His agent fully aware and probably the Flames too which way it was going, after missing the playoffs. So, the Flames as a result back away from pushing, and agree not to talk during the year, but making it clear they want him and will match dollars that anyone offers in July 2022.
But then fall hits and:
A career year and a coach that pushed him and got him in shape to have a career year. A decent playoffs, key penalty shot goal and an iconic but now semisweet OT Game 7 winner and just magical on the ice with his linemates.
But all sorts of other things that would factor into a life and 7 year decision….seeing his buddy Monahan hurt and maybe never the same going forward, and probably chats with Tkachuk about his future, puts hockey and life things here into perspective. All this while putting up career numbers and the team rolling. Also trying to start a family and pressures from that side of the family, subtly or not.
So a lot of things to consider. Fans treat him and the team like rockstars. Organization bending over backwards for him and protecting him like all Flames players, from the media garbage seen up north.
Countered by a crappy facility 15 years past it’s usefulness with no line of sight for a new facility. And his child will be almost 8 by the time his contract is here, his parents almost a decade older too, a 4.5h plane ride away.
Again, I think in his perfect world, play 2 or 3 more years here with this Sutter window, then 5 out east to be at home. But that’s foolish to think it plays out like that.
When he left here garbage bag day I would say he thought 70/30 he’d be back. But a few weeks at home it went to 50/50. As teams started to emerge that made indirect proposals in the past weeks, it probably went both ways because he would have to deal with growing pains and struggling teams and different coaches fro what he was used to here, where he was comfortable with the on ice situation here and liked the team and it’s chances.
In the end, since he had to make a call now about his next 1/5 of his life future and not in 2 or 3 years, and there is a so so hockey situation for a team stepping up, but a perfect life situation, so he makes the choice to spend the next 7 years somewhere else, for family, and to leave $5-10 million on the table, for that family, while abandoning a chance at a legacy here.