It’s that time of year… Trade Centre!
It’s when good teams get better, and bad teams build for the future. While the upcoming days ahead of the February 24th NHL trade deadline are certainly exciting, they can also bring with them some heartache. Players that earn their way into the hearts of a fan base can suddenly be finished with the team in a flash, representing one of the harder aspects of the game for both players and fans – the goodbye.
Blake Coleman spent nine seasons with the New Jersey Devils before finding out that he had been traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. It may not have been a total shock, as his contract was certainly one that made him a trade bait candidate, but it doesn’t make the farewell any easier.
Coleman took to Twitter to publicly thank all the Devils fans that had supported him through the years. In an emotional message, Coleman explains how much it meant to have an organization trust him, and how special it was to have his daughter born in the area.
Coleman, known endearingly as Pickles based on a viral clip of him sipping pickle juice, will certainly be missed by a franchise that has been the biggest seller thus far. In one final moment of greatness for the franchise, Coleman was able to yield a return of Nolan Foote and a 1st overall pick.
Some would say that’s more value than what the team got for Taylor Hall.
(H/T Blake Coleman)
