On the night that the impending Maple Leafs-Red Wings Winter Classic was basically confirmed by Bob McKenzie Pierre Gauthier made sure that he would steal the limelight. Here is the trade made by the Montreal Canadiens and the Calgary Flames:
To Montreal
Rene Bourque, prospect Patrick Holland, and a 2nd round pick in 2013
To Calgary
Mike Cammalleri, the KHL's Karri Ramo, and a 5th round pick in 2012
To Hockey Fans Everywhere
Multiple LOLs, some ROFLs in 2014, and punchlines to be named often and repeatedly
This may be the rare trade that is a lose-lose. Yes, the Flames get a shot at Cammalleri possibly rebounding now that he is returning to the site of his best season ever. However, he is almost 30 years old, has a $6M cap hit, and cost a prospect and a pick. That's not exactly the best deal for a team that should be looking to rebuild.
On the other side of the equation, the Habs - who should also be rebuilding now - get an older player that has had a bad season, they get an anglophone with a French-sounding name (Plan The Protest!), they manage to get older, and he's not going to get them to the playoffs. Neither team really added what they needed but this is great for us. Not to mention that pulling Cammalleri out of the game to send him to the hotel because he was traded is just bush league. You can add that trick to Gauthier's mishandled canning of Perry Pearn, his ill-timed firing of Jacques Martin, and the club's hilarious handling of Randy Cunneyworth's tenure to the list of things that have tarnished the franchise's fading legacy. I bet Habs fans are probably feeling like it's 1995.
Onto a bevy of links after the jump!
Leafs Links
Leafs to Play Wings in 2013 Winter Classic
In case you didn't read the post below or only read this one, I talk about the league's worst kept secret.
What will it take for the Leafs to make the NHL's second season? Find out!
Dion Phaneuf ‘won’t lose sleep’ over being named the NHL’s most overrated player
Friend of the blog Sean Fitz-Gerald gets some answers about the overrated rankings and which ranking Komisarek preferred.
Anthony Petrielli answers some questions. I hope he types fast because that's a lot of information!
NHLers who labelled Maple Leafs' Dion Phaneuf overrated are just green with envy
Somebody is trying to get back into Brian Burke's good books.
Hatred For Leafs Trending Upward
Remember when Chemmy said that he was sick of the pity? Revel in the growing hate.
Cammalleri Links
SBN's Matchsticks And Gasoline's thread features some good reactions
SBN's Habs Eyes On The Prize's thread mostly features fans wondering what prize it is that Gauthier has his eyes on.
Canadiens trade Michael Cammalleri and his big mouth to Calgary Flames
Puck Daddy weighs in on the trade.
Montreal Canadiens Trade Mike Cammalleri To Calgary Flames For Rene Bourque: Who Won The Deal?
Travis Hughes weighs in on the trade and picks...well, you have to click to find out.
This is a lot of fun.
Daniel Tolensky's Twitter Feed
Watch him fly into stats overdrive to hype up Mike Cammalleri. What's that? Pulver Sports, his employer, represents Cammy? No kidding.
NHL Links
This is a scathing look at how the Habs have fallen so far from grace.
Report: Philly police issue arrest warrant for Winter Classic assault on Rangers fans
Philadelphia police are about to arrest the piece of shit that put the Rangers' fan in the hospital.
Kings GM Dean Lombardi says he's sorry for slamming Oilers
Lombardi is a wimp.
Jarome Iginla and the Perils of Staying Loyal
Katie Baker with her weekly tour around the NHL with a heavy dose of Brian Burke
Columbus, True Talent, And The Limits Of Corsi
If this kind of thing floats your boat then I recommend it.
A look at the NHL all-star selections
Justin Bourne has some thoughts on the rest of the roster.
Fix the All-Star Game voting system; let the fans vote for the team captains
I like this solution to a game that I wouldn't be arsed if they cancelled.
Random Video Of Awesome Fan Trolling
The University of Alabama completely dominated LSU in the NCAA football title game. LSU didn't cross the 50 yard line until the fourth quarter. As luck would have it, the two schools played each other in basketball this week too and the Bama fans came up trump:
