francis246
Registered User
- Nov 16, 2007
- 12,935
- 15,840
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.