Best of luck to Matt Stajan in his next chapter. It is always nice to see quality human beings get recognized for their contributions to those around them.
Man, where to start? I LOVED Phaneuf and was so miserable with the return on his trade; I had no idea Stajan would turn into one of my favorite players. I lost my first child at birth in 2010, so I always identified a little more with Matt after his tragedy in 2014. The series-clincher against Vancouver, the willingness to turn into a guy who would forecheck and throw his relatively meager weight around if it was what the team needed - the guy seemed like a complete team guy that you just couldn't help but like.
I couldn't say if coaching would be a good option or choice, but in an advisory role somehow I could see him being a huge help to any team. In any case, he'll always be one of my very favorites.
Probably because his kinda bad contract. I really liked Stajan personally, he was one of the only reliable bottom 6 guys we had for most of those years. Then you add some of his best moments as shared a few posts back, he was a steady vet and a great character guy to have in the midst of a rebuild, even as his career was winding down.
The man transcended the stigma of the Phaneuf trade to become a fan favorite, a key vet in the room, and one of the best foot soldiers you could want on a team.
Congratulations and best of luck going forward, Mr. Stajan!
__________________ "It's a great day for hockey."
-'Badger' Bob Johnson (1931-1991)
"I see as much misery out of them moving to justify theirselves as them that set out to do harm." -Dr. Amos "Doc" Cochran
The Following 8 Users Say Thank You to Yamer For This Useful Post:
Not to be lost in that video is how he goes to McGratton after the penalty shot goal.
Crazy how many occasions we saw the bench influence of McGratton. What I wouldn't give to have someone with that presence in this team right now.
I think it was easy to feel like the Flames got a bag of pucks and some peanuts and a 3rd line center for Dion Phaneuf (greatest defenseman EVVAR) and that Sutter didn't do a good job of that trade.
His value as a solid, responsible player was high, but I didn't appreciate him fully till near the end of his career here, and I can't remember just what game it was, but he hadn't scored for ever, had 3 goals on the season, something terrible, and he managed to get kind of a scrambly garbage goal knocked in, and skated back to the bench and said "Still got it."
And that kind of attitude looks to be badly missing on this current roster.
despite my young age, 17 at the time I was a great musician, and was more mature than other teenagers. as a matter of fact, i spent most of my free time writing and playing classical music and flirting with my friend Marzia. son of a renowned professor specialized in Greco-Roman culture that every year hosts an international student for his or her post-doctoral dissertation, i waited for the student in my 17th century villa. that year, the student that spent the summer with the Irishsprings was the young matt stajan, a 24-year-old very charming canadian student. His laid-back manners caught my attention. when we spent time together, we felt a very strong attraction towards each other that became an uncontrollable desire during a summer i never forgot...
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to IrishSpring2013 For This Useful Post:
