To Calgary | By Johnny Gaudreau

[chedder]

Originally Posted by Icon

Well the easy answer is he wanted to re-sign at a similar AAV that he just signed to (or more), and at the time the Flames weren't interested in paying that much.

In the end it doesn't matter but I imagine it was somewhere around $9x8 at most. In hindsight, a great deal but seemingly risky after his subpar season. We won't ever know the details but if you're the guy who is supposed to know your players and believed in them maybe the deal should have got done.

[Moneyhands23]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

Go be an Oilers fan if you want to throw your jersey on the ice.

No

[BigT112]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

I will be giving him my #13 jersey back when he returns to the dome.

If you throw that jersey on the ice you're fandom is revoked and we will deport you to Edmonton.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by Cecil Terwilliger

I really appreciate Johnny’s agent taking the time to write that article for him.

Savage.

[transplant99]

Its heartfelt, genuine and still full of contradictions.

Its clear he and his wife were putting family first, and good on them for doing so because its the right thing to do. No one should hold that against them as he earned that right in multiple ways.

The disconnect happens when he says family is priority one and eloquently states why, but then says he was still looking at Calgary as a place to play. He needed to make a tough choice? Nope, he had already made it. He just needed to face it and let the club know. Not so they could "deal his rights", but so the management team could pivot to addressing his loss before draft day and beyond. The team and fanbase he espouses to love and cherish was left holding the bag because of how this was handled. You don't do that to something you love...full stop.

Nope, this was done without class or honor. He knows it too. NHL rules allow it of course and he isnt the first player to play it this way, nor will he be the last. That does not change the fact he has to wear the scarlet letter on this debacle.

Hope him nothing but success off the ice and a long happy life with his growing family, but as a player....he can beat it.

[Moneyhands23]

Lol...I posted that just to hear these responses. I don't even have a gaudreau jersey

[gvitaly]

Thanks for the memories John. It was a lot of fun watching you on the ice.

[BigT112]

The statement is all a little bit too polished. Whatever, doesn't change the bad taste this whole situation leaves.

Go be closer (but not close enough that it's a distraction?) to your family. Do not expect a warm welcome upon your return. Loyalty is a two way street.

I wish you many long long off-seasons with your family!

[Infinit47]

He chose not to be on the team. Since he's not a Flame any more I feel no obligation to wish him any future hockey success.

On a human level he is not a bad person and I hope he has a wonderful and fulfilling personal life...but on the ice he is the enemy and I hope he hates every game he plays from here on out.

[jg13]

lol i full on expected this to be the "i'm going to do something special for calgary" bit.

[mdubz]

Can't wait for "To Calgary | By Matthew Tkachuk" in a week.

[VilleN]

Originally Posted by chummer

"We wanted to re-sign last summer."

Ok Brad, why didn't that happen?

Good question. One that as fans we don't have the answer to. I like to assume that Tre isn't a blubbering moron who doesn't know how to manage a team. He's made lots of good moves, signed lots of great contracts... There could be a ton of reasons why it didn't work out last summer - demands were too high based on previous production, Johnny decided at the last minute (very out of character) that he wanted to play the year to see if he could increase his value, or he still wasn't positive he wanted to play in Calgary (may have kept that to himself) so decided another year might bring more clarity, etc.

[tvp2003]

It's The Players Tribune, they absolutely have someone come in and polish things up for them.

Here is the piece Johnny "wrote" in 2016 -- https://www.theplayerstribune.com/ar...calgary-flames

[devo22]

you know it's a well-written PR piece when some people at least pause to think. But at the end of the day, it's still nothing more than that, a well-written PR piece that still contradicts itself. And the whole "closer to home" thing is understandable on some level, but also hilarious when you think about all the players from Russia, Sweden, Finland etc. on the Flames roster and the league in general.

it is what it is. I wish him all the best in his personal life and to his family, but hockey-wise he can still go pound sand.

[PuckSlap]

This was all his agent and PR.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Moneyhands23

Lol...I posted that just to hear these responses. I don't even have a gaudreau jersey

Lord knows I do...

[Red_Baron]

If only Brayden Point and Cale Makar felt the same way.

*sigh...

[Aarongavey]

And this is the truth, I promise: I cherished the time I spent in Calgary. For a long time, Meredith and I saw our future there. We wanted to re-sign last summer. We were looking at homes to start a family. But it just didn’t work out and we thought this summer might be different.

A shame the deal did not get done last summer but it does take two to make a deal. Best of luck in Columbus Johnny, thanks for the memories.

[agulati]

I don’t think this whole negotiation thing was meant with malice. It doesn’t change the fact that Gaydreau and his agent had a take it or leave it contract offer to the flames and when the flames accept it, the player backed away from his word (if that is true). Be it immaturity or in lack of professionalism, it definitely left the team in a horrible place.

Wish him the best, but definitely has left a sour impression on his way out

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by transplant99

Its heartfelt, genuine and still full of contradictions.

Its clear he and his wife were putting family first, and good on them for doing so because its the right thing to do. No one should hold that against them as he earned that right in multiple ways.

The disconnect happens when he says family is priority one and eloquently states why, but then says he was still looking at Calgary as a place to play. He needed to make a tough choice? Nope, he had already made it. He just needed to face it and let the club know. Not so they could "deal his rights", but so the management team could pivot to addressing his loss before draft day and beyond. The team and fanbase he espouses to love and cherish was left holding the bag because of how this was handled. You don't do that to something you love...full stop.

Nope, this was done without class or honor. He knows it too. NHL rules allow it of course and he isnt the first player to play it this way, nor will he be the last. That does not change the fact he has to wear the scarlet letter on this debacle.

Hope him nothing but success off the ice and a long happy life with his growing family, but as a player....he can beat it.

I’m not sure I agree it was done without class or honor but in the end I think he just wasn’t being honest with himself or the Flames.

Sounds like deep inside that his heart wasn’t really in to re-signing with the Flames from the start of the offseason, and he actually just needed to admit that to himself.

But I can see that conflict too, sometimes you think you’re open to something right until that moment is right in front of you.

I don’t think it was malicious or that he was using the Flames as leverage, especially considering it sounds like he didn’t actually make the decision until he was just about to put pen to paper with the Flames and then realized he couldn’t do it. But that also doesn’t mean he handled it the right way.

Flames got left at the alter. It’s a bit immature, and you always wish the runaway bride or groom would have handled it better, but in the end sometimes it’s tough to know for sure right until you’re at that moment and you just can’t do it.

In the end Gaudreau loved the Flames and Calgary but also just didn’t want to marry us.

Edit: also maybe it’s just me but I didn’t feel the piece was too polished at all. I actually found the construct a little sloppy and felt like it could have been written by him for sure.