Quote:
Originally Posted by drewtastic
I’m with you.
To me, Tkachuk was an exceptional draft pick who was only going to play for us for just a little while. I’ve always considered him to be business savvy (similar to his Dad) and figured he’d bolt out of Calgary as soon as he could. And hey-fair enough. It was wonderful watching him play for the Flames and he provided a number of magnificent moments for the fanbase during his tenure. But I never thought he’d be around long term anyway.
While I also therefore don’t share the “he deserves special acknowledgment for the way he left” (especially as compared to Gaudreau) sentiment, I do give him credit for being direct—as a businessman—in his intentions. This definitely helped the Flames recoup a massive return.
It’s Gaudreau’s leaving that stings more for me. I viewed Gaudreau as a lifelong Flame, not necessarily to one day become as great as Iggy, but to craft his own remarkable legacy and have his jersey retired. It just seemed that he was meant to bleed Flames red. He seemed to genuinely love his time in Calgary, on and off the ice. And I believe him when he says it was a painful decision that took until the very last moment.
Nevertheless, I also don’t begrudge Gaudreau’s choice. In the first place, he’d MORE than earned the right to explore free agency. In the second, I accept his rationale for leaving, especially because he is obviously super tight with his family. (Just watch Ryan Leslie’s Instagram interview with Johnny and Guy—hard not to love those guys. And, like many of us, I’ve had a bunch of fun interactions with “Uncle Hockey” on twitter…it’s clear Johnny’s family loves engaging with his entire NHL ride...)
As a guy who is also very close to his immediate and extended families, Johnny’s rationale resonated very deeply. If anything, I gained more respect for him out of this whole thing.
|
Of out all the interviews and letters and statements that have come out recently I've come to realize that Gaudreau is the one who actually had loyalty to this city. The unfortunate part was that his indecision and being torn between his wishes and that of family was that he dragged it out to the last minute - often something emotional people do when faced with things they care deeply about.
Matthew Tkachuk has basically described how he was always just a hired mercenary since his last contract. For better or for worse, his business-like focus did end up benefitting the team much more in the end.