It appears some in Montreal still aren’t over the P.K. Subban trade.
The Canadiens will play their 2016-17 season debut Thursday night against the Buffalo Sabres with Shea Weber — not Subban — as their No. 1 defenseman.
The Habs and Nashville Predators swapped veteran blue liners during the offseason in a legitimately shocking, potentially franchise-altering transaction.
Subban was, for obvious reasons, a fan favorite in Montreal. His flashy style play fell right in line with what the Canadiens have been for years, and his ascension as one of the best players in the NHL was undeniable. Off the ice, fans revered Subban as a saint, especially for his work with the Montreal Children’s Hospital.
So, yeah. It’s going to take some time for fans to get over the move — if that even happens for some.
One anonymous Canadiens fan clearly still is reeling from the move, as evidenced by a full-page ad in the Montreal Gazette on Thursday morning.
“But this trade has made me feel different,” the fan writes. “Now, I feel anger, disappointment and embarrassment over the treatment of P.K. Subban by team management: the same sentiments that many fans felt after the Patrick Roy trade.”
The fan, a season-ticket holder, also stated he and his family will attend just one game this season — you guessed it, Subban’s return to Montreal with the Predators on March 2.
More:
“This season, more than any I can recall, supporting the Montreal Canadiens organization means supporting the decisions that have been made by our general manager and coach,” he continues. “I do not, and will not support, (general manager) Marc Bergevin and (head coach) Michel Therrien. And make no mistake, my fellow fans: attending games at the Bell Centre is a vote of confidence in their leadership. In the near future, I will be announcing an initiative in this regard, and will be asking my fellow Habs fans for their help and participation.”
A slow start to the season, and we imagine more might start taking a similar stance.
h/t to FOX Sports
Thumbnail photo via Christopher Hanewinckel/USA TODAY Sports Images
