News Article: Subban surprised Leafs didn’t sign him

[francis246]

No one wanted the side show that comes with him.

I think PK was very misunderstood, there's a podcast he did recently where he explains everything that happened in Montreal and why he was able to have success in Nashville vs Montreal.

Basically it comes down to PK was thinking about how to sustain success beyond his career and saw how other superstars in other leagues had created their own brands so that when they retire they can continue to be successful. A lot of athletes lose purpose after they retire. So he started wearing clothes he designed and had his PK Subban hat that he wore and that became a problem for management. They didn't want him to have his own brand. They wanted him to fall in line and he said he should be allowed to be himself as long as he kept producing (which is fair). Never felt racism played a role in his career. Just felt like they expected him to know his place on the team and he explains the difference and how that isn't racism and no one in the organization was racist to him. Never wanted to leave Montreal, was shocked he was traded, but Nashville let him be who he was and embraced him and it's why he was able to have success there. Then injuries kind of derailed him.

Without PK and a few other players taking risks and building their own brand, Matthews doesn't have the personality or brand he does. So I think PK is okay with how his career shaped up because he was one of the few that was able to help bring personality and branding to the NHL which in the long run benefits the players. That's what I took away from his interviews.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

My memory was he announced the donation and then a few months later he was traded because of "locker room issues".

It is possible that the money may not have been transferred until after the move.
But the announcement preceded the trade (from my bad memory).

There was never any money given to the hospital by PK. It was a "Pledge" for $10M....what is a pledge? Basically its a pseudo promise to raise the funds...not out of his pocket...just be involved in raising $10M.

The fact that he keeps getting accolades for this PR stunt years later shows how well it worked.

 

[francis246]

There was never any money given to the hospital by PK. It was a "Pledge" for $10M....what is a pledge? Basically its a pseudo promise to raise the funds...not out of his pocket...just be involved in raising $10M.

The fact that he keeps getting accolades for this PR stunt years later shows how well it worked.

In 2020 the total he raised was 4.5 million so either way he’s done really good work there and he’s very present at the hospital and actually shows up for the children and staff there. Just a horrible take. I think in the interview he gives an updated number. I can’t remember the exact number to date.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

In 2020 the total he raised was 4.5 million so either way he’s done really good work there and he’s very present at the hospital and actually shows up for the children and staff there. Just a horrible take. I think in the interview he gives an updated number. I can’t remember the exact number to date.

Look...the only thing about the whole thing that bothers me is that it was portrayed as if PK was donating $10M himself. That was not the case if you read the fine print. It's disingenuous for his supporters to act like he took $10M out of his own pocket. That was the point I was trying to make. Did he do a good thing by helping to raise money? For sure he did...but helping raise and donating $10M are 2 different things in this case.

 

[francis246]

Look...the only thing about the whole thing that bothers me is that it was portrayed as if PK was donating $10M himself. That was not the case if you read the fine print. It's disingenuous for his supporters to act like he took $10M out of his own pocket. That was the point I was trying to make. Did he do a good thing by helping to raise money? For sure he did...but helping raise and donating $10M are 2 different things in this case.

PK himself has never claimed that, that’s media not doing their due diligence and bad reporting. Every time I’ve heard or watched PK speak, he corrects people and says he is helping raise funds.

 

[usernamezrhardtodo]

PK himself has never claimed that, that’s media not doing their due diligence and bad reporting. Every time I’ve heard or watched PK speak, he corrects people and says he is helping raise funds.

If that is indeed the case I have more respect for him. The media does inflate things and people they deem worthy of it....but in this case they didn't need to pump it up more than it was already.

 

[Stephen]

For the record, I would have signed P.K. Subban. He's months younger than Jake Muzzin, so that gives you an idea that he's not actually that old and there might be some unsqueezed hockey left in him. If he has the burning fire not be a replacement level player, let that play out on the ice. Maybe he would have started at a Victor Mete level, maybe he would have grabbed onto a more prominent role. Maybe not.

 

[robertmac43]

This thread is getting taken out of context. Subban has said on multiple occasions he would have accepted a bottom pair role with little money if he was on a contender. Makes sense. He likely gets a handsome salary with his new role in media, so why sacrifice his body for similar pay on a bad team?

 

[Stephen]

I think PK was very misunderstood, there's a podcast he did recently where he explains everything that happened in Montreal and why he was able to have success in Nashville vs Montreal.

Basically it comes down to PK was thinking about how to sustain success beyond his career and saw how other superstars in other leagues had created their own brands so that when they retire they can continue to be successful. A lot of athletes lose purpose after they retire. So he started wearing clothes he designed and had his PK Subban hat that he wore and that became a problem for management. They didn't want him to have his own brand. They wanted him to fall in line and he said he should be allowed to be himself as long as he kept producing (which is fair). Never felt racism played a role in his career. Just felt like they expected him to know his place on the team and he explains the difference and how that isn't racism and no one in the organization was racist to him. Never wanted to leave Montreal, was shocked he was traded, but Nashville let him be who he was and embraced him and it's why he was able to have success there. Then injuries kind of derailed him.

Without PK and a few other players taking risks and building their own brand, Matthews doesn't have the personality or brand he does. So I think PK is okay with how his career shaped up because he was one of the few that was able to help bring personality and branding to the NHL which in the long run benefits the players. That's what I took away from his interviews.

I think hockey's been very unfair to P.K. and his approach to personal branding. Like you said, we see Auston Matthews being applauded for being a little bit outside of the box with his own promotions on an Original Six team, pushing street fashion while being the centerpiece of an Original Six team. We see former players all finding second careers in all forms of media for actually having personalities.

Well, P.K. was doing all those things as a player. Maybe it wasn't a P.K. problem. Maybe it was a Montreal Canadiens problem. Maybe it was a Marc Bergevin problem.

 

[banks]

Why is everyone insulting PK here and calling him entitled and oblivious? He said he'd always been a top guy, and for the most part that's true. And he said he only wanted to be big part for the team, and didn't want to be in and out of the lineup. When that opportunity didn't come, he saw the writing on the wall and retired. Seems pretty self aware to me.

 

[Dayjobdave]

I would have been happy if the Leafs had signed PK.

I recognize it might have gone wildly off the rails, but I would have rooted for him and I think he could be a difference maker.

The way Lilly has played so far this year and the rise of Timmins indicates we are ok on the right side, but PK would have been an adventure, and we would have a point shot.

 

[Subway Schenn]

Wouldn't be surprised to see him come back next year. He's 'only' 33.

 

[WestCoastLeafs]

Why is everyone insulting PK here and calling him entitled and oblivious? He said he'd always been a top guy, and for the most part that's true. And he said he only wanted to be big part for the team, and didn't want to be in and out of the lineup. When that opportunity didn't come, he saw the writing on the wall and retired. Seems pretty self aware to me.

This thread is oozing with Schadenfreude.