Originally Posted by calgarywinning
Overall, denouncing or booing Johnny Gaudreau is such a baby play.
Yes, when you boo; it's because you are hurt deep down, so that is okay, but it's such a poor expression in a grown up world.
Johnny gave his all while he was in Calgary. More importantly he was such a great player to watch during these times, which were the prime of his career. He did things on ice; that you could barely understand if you watched him in real life let alone the flat screen.
It's these swinging polarizations that forget and burn everything to the ground. Could he have had a nicer exit, absolutely. Did Darryl forge him into a 2 way player and make his game even better, absolutely.
But here's the thing. If you are in the camp of not saluting a great player who really did compete for the crest on his Jersey, what signal are you sending to future players? As a fanbase do you want to be toxic? Is that the signal. Or can we all just stand down, and say no matter how the team has performed Johnny was a night in, night out draw and crowd pleaser based on his special gift, and he never took it for granted.
Then we slide into the coulda, shoulda woulda arguments. The idea he was given everything. The fact is we were given everything from a fanbase and management point of view as to what Treliving was able to pull off.
What's been kicking around my mind, the last couple weeks is how baseball teams are able to handle these high profile players, contracts and the fit is more rubicon then loyalty or sticking with the "man". The Jay's are a prime example of high level movement to get a combo that fires.
As a team, when Gaudreau had a terrible season, we stuck with him instead of trade-blocking him and he performed. Flip a coin....
After the loss of Gaudreau and Tcachuk, I think our organization became stronger and grittier, in that loyalty is not a trait to build a winning hockey team. It's a trait of good people in general. Now that management is able to see the expediency of making hard moves; sacrifice and going against better virtues in the sake of the right choice of strengthening the team in it's deficiencies.
Finally, you have a squad in general that did play like a team. They didn't succeed but they certainly held us captivated. When I think of a humble Monahan... I ask, if you think you are a fan, and you have respect, do you think Monahan would want you to boo Gaudreau?
When you are in that tunnel as a fan, and you can accept your players the way that Gaudreau and Monahan hugged, then you get it. There is a human factor to the game.
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