Where were you...

[Al Bundy*]

Where were you guys for those trades of your favorite players that you never saw coming?

When you found out about it, what were you doing and how did you react?

Here's my story:

In 1993, I was at a Hardee's when someone just said that Dave Andreychuk had been traded for Grant Fuhr. I dropped the fried chicken that I was eating right on the floor. I was in total shock and didn't recover for a week.

To this day, I insist that Buffalo's getting rid of such a reliable goal-scorer for what I assumed was a past-his-prime goalie was the most idioctic thing and HORRIBLE trade of my younger years.

That's my story.

Feel free to comment on mine and tell me yours.

Click to read more...

 

[Gulol]

Hearing Keith Olbermann break the story on KTLA Channel 5 sports that it was going to be announced that Gretzky was being traded to the Kings. It was amazing to see LA really become a hockey town to the level that it did for the first few days after the trade happened. I have to say, my Dad who had season seats for the Kings certainly found out about all the friends he never knew he had when people started hitting him up for tickets right after that trade was announced.

Of course, I'm glad I was on the right side of that trade, if you will. I can't even begin to imagine experiencing it first hand if I had lived in Edmonton at that time.

 

[Gulol]

Oh, and I feel your pain on the Grant Fuhr side. I was not amused that McMaster the Disaster had essentially traded Alexei Zhitnik for Grant Fuhr when Kelly Hrudey wasn't playing all that bad and the Kings had no need for another starting goaltender. Stauber was just fine as a back up

 

[Ogopogo*]

Hearing Keith Olbermann break the story on KTLA Channel 5 sports that it was going to be announced that Gretzky was being traded to the Kings. It was amazing to see LA really become a hockey town to the level that it did for the first few days after the trade happened. I have to say, my Dad who had season seats for the Kings certainly found out about all the friends he never knew he had when people started hitting him up for tickets right after that trade was announced.

Of course, I'm glad I was on the right side of that trade, if you will. I can't even begin to imagine experiencing it first hand if I had lived in Edmonton at that time.

I was on the other side of that trade and it was devastating.

I first heard about the trade on the radio while I was working - delivering a load of chairs. I said "That can't be true". When I got home I was glued to the TV watching the coverage of the days events. When I saw Gretzky crying at the press conference in Edmonton, I wept as well.

Needless to say, I am still very bitter at Peter Pocklington. Had he been smart and sold the team when he couldn't afford to run it any longer the Oilers would have won a minimum of 3 more cups.

 

[Al Bundy*]

I was on the other side of that trade and it was devastating.

I first heard about the trade on the radio while I was working - delivering a load of chairs. I said "That can't be true". When I got home I was glued to the TV watching the coverage of the days events. When I saw Gretzky crying at the press conference in Edmonton, I wept as well.

Needless to say, I am still very bitter at Peter Pocklington. Had he been smart and sold the team when he couldn't afford to run it any longer the Oilers would have won a minimum of 3 more cups.

Didn't know you were an Olier fan. Your Kansas City Scouts avatar threw me off.

 

[Diving Pokecheck*]

I was in a Mexican restaurant when my mother told me that the Kings had traded Gleason and Belanger for ex-Duck Tverdovsky and 'some guy named Johnson.' I was pissed, as Gleason was a fan favorite. Then, remembering a player ranked high on the HF top prospects list, asked if it could be Jack. When the answer was yes, I forgot all about Timmy Gleason.
Interesting fact: at that restaurant, I usually order #11(Tamale and Enchilada) and refer to it as a Kopitar.

 

[bruins309]

November 30, 2005: I log onto the computer at around 10 pm EST to check out espn.com. I see a headline on the front page, but my brain only sees "Thornton" "Trade" and "Sharks"

You see, I had thought the Bruins had traded for Scott Thornton but became immediately horrified once I clicked the link.

When Bourque was traded to Colorado in 2000, everyone knew it was coming. We saw him pick up the puck to keep at the last home game so we knew he was on his way. Heard about it on the way home from a 5-1 loss to Ottawa with no Ray....originally heard he was going to Philadelphia for Simon Gagne and others from word of mouth at the arena, but instead it was the Avs.

 

[Gulol]

I was on the other side of that trade and it was devastating.

I first heard about the trade on the radio while I was working - delivering a load of chairs. I said "That can't be true". When I got home I was glued to the TV watching the coverage of the days events. When I saw Gretzky crying at the press conference in Edmonton, I wept as well.

Needless to say, I am still very bitter at Peter Pocklington. Had he been smart and sold the team when he couldn't afford to run it any longer the Oilers would have won a minimum of 3 more cups.

3 cups at a minimum ... no doubt! I'd be lying if I said I wasn't one of the Forum Faithful screaming our overly mature chant of "Gretzky Sucks" and how much I HATED the Oilers because they were too good, but now, I know just how lucky I was to see them annihilate the Kings seemingly every time they came to town.

 

[CaptBrannigan]

lol, biggest trade to me during my fandom was Khabibulin to Tampa. My favorite player coming to my team. I caught it in the morning paper, over my bowl of cereal. It amazed me. Not much of a story, I know.

 

[Sensfanman]

When Hossa was shipped for Heatley, I was in Disney World with my family. My dad was flipping out and I was confused until I found out what happened. I guess it is the happiest/magicalist place on earth (although I think the tip of Katrina passed over that day >_>)

 

[brianscot]

I was standing in the school yard (probably making lewd comments) when I heard that Boston had traded Phil Esposito and Carol Vadnais to the NY freakin Rangers for Jean Ratelle and Brad Parrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrkkkk?

Now, wait a minute. Isn't Espo coming off a 61 goal season? Isn't it bad enough that Orr is out right now? Didn't Chicago knock us out in the first round last year?

How is trading out best goal scorer possibly going to help?

Didn't Brad " I'll never be Bobby" Park write a book and say nasty things about some Bruins?

Ratelle is 35 years old, what can a 35 year old possibly do in hockey?

It took quite a while to adjust to Park wearing a Bruins uniform. Actually, it took 2 games. The sight of a returned Bobby Orr and Brad Park playing the point on the boston powerplay remains one of my favorite hockey memories --- even if it only lasted 10 games due to Orr's knee.

 

[BruiseBros]

I was in the checkout line a local grocery store when I read the Buffalo News front page saying Hasek had been traded to the Detroit Red Wings. I was torn on this trade because those are my 2 favorite teams.
Still, the cleanup crew wasn't happy after I dropped my carton of eggs on the ground...oops

 

[VanIslander]

Where were you guys for those trades of your favorite players that you never saw coming?

I was working as a newspaper reporter in a quiet far northern Alberta small town on a very cold autumn day in 2001 of about minus-15 C when I heard on the radio that Trevor Linden was traded to Vancouver, news that made this B.C. boy immediately jump up and run out of the office and scream "HE IS BACK! ALLLLLLLLL RIIIIIIGHT!! YEAH!" I then took a deep sharp breath, realized I was wearing socks in the snow (take boots off at the door), turned around and went back to finish editing that week's edition.

One of the unforgettable moments of elation, pure joy, in my life, almost on par with the game seven win over Calgary in '94 and the towel power in Chicago in '82.

Just thinking about this makes my day. Thanks.

 

[MXD]

When the Habs sent Petrov packing.

 

[cupcrazyman]

....i think i was in the John when JFJ traded away Tuuka Rask.

 

[Voice of Reason]

I was away with an old girlfriend for a wedding when I heard that Kirk Muller had been traded to Montreal for Stephane Richer. I was stunned that the leader and one of the supposed cornerstones of the Devil franchise was traded away for a scorer. The need for a 50 goal guy was obvious, but I couldn't believe the price was the captain.
Anyway, the both won Cups in the next couple of years so I guess it worked out well. Still a shame to not have one of the guys, Muller, who helped turn NJ around not raise that first cup in 1995.

 

[Ofuzz]

It's pretty embarssing, but it was a Thursday Night, just as I was getting to bowl in the Men's league. As I walked in, a friend stunned me with the news that Marcel Dionne had been traded from LA to New York. I was a huuuuuuge Dionne fan and a biiiiig LA follower at the time. I was stunned. I actually was a bit surprised that I became a little 'misty eyed" as the Fonz would say. I couldn't believe that the Kings would've trade Marcel. .....very sad. I still get very upset that he had to finish his career in New York.

 

[Gulol]

It's pretty embarssing, but it was a Thursday Night, just as I was getting to bowl in the Men's league. As I walked in, a friend stunned me with the news that Marcel Dionne had been traded from LA to New York. I was a huuuuuuge Dionne fan and a biiiiig LA follower at the time. I was stunned. I actually was a bit surprised that I became a little 'misty eyed" as the Fonz would say. I couldn't believe that the Kings would've trade Marcel. .....very sad. I still get very upset that he had to finish his career in New York.

I had forgotten about the impact with this one. If I remember right, he and Pat Quinn weren't seeing eye to eye and the fact the Kings weren't winning, he had demanded a trade, but was upset when it actually happened. I suppose this begs the question on what the impact would have been for the Kings if Dionne had not been traded and was able to stick around after Gretzky was acquired.

 

[acr*]

I was watching a DVD for some freshman class for my college, and was checking this site amongst others, when a lot of threads popped up everywhere about Marco Sturm, Brad Stuart, and Wayne Primeau being inexplicably scratched minutes before a Sharks game(against Dallas IIRC).

At that time, I was saying "The Bruins could sure use guys like that". I thought that if it involved us, the cost would be Samsonov and Boynton, which I didn't want to do...then after refreshing the sportsnet site for about a half hour, Joe Thornton's name popped up on the headline and I was ecstatic. We got three quality players and gave up our choke artist of a "captain".

Of course, the three didn't necessarily perform for us as they should've, and we should've gotten a better return for a regular season MVP numbers guy. I was just happy to be rid of him at the time though.

 

[Shredder]

I'll never forget when my dad read out loud from the paper one day at the summer house that Jeremy Roenick had been shipped out of Chicago. My favorite player of all time was gone from the team I loved.

Sad, sad times.

 

[Big Phil]

At that time, I was saying "The Bruins could sure use guys like that". I thought that if it involved us, the cost would be Samsonov and Boynton, which I didn't want to do...then after refreshing the sportsnet site for about a half hour, Joe Thornton's name popped up on the headline and I was ecstatic. We got three quality players and gave up our choke artist of a "captain".

Stuart, Sturm and Primeau on their best days arent near Thornton. That trade was so good that Mike "dont call me a moron" O'Connell lost his job. You cant trade away the MVP of the league and live to tell about it (right Pocklington?)

 

[mrhockey193195]

Honestly, the Brian Leetch trade to Toronto was so devastating to me that I don't even remember where I was or what I was doing.

That whole end to the 03-04 campaign was such a haze. First Jagr getting traded here, the Rangers sporting an all star team, then the whole team getting dismantled: I couldn't remember who we traded where and what we got back in return. And then Leetch getting traded, which killed me inside. And then, my biggest hockey hero (tied with Gretz), Mark Messier, retired at the end on the year...I was so emotional I refused to watch the end of the game (though I taped it and watched it many times over once I started to "cope")

 

[MiamiScreamingEagles]

The good: September 1994. I was in a hotel bar/poolside in Orlando when I saw a TV that the Flyers had reacquired Ron Hextall. Happy happy joy joy. I decided to buy drinks for the house. Luckily for me, there were only two other people at the bar.

The bad: When the Flyers traded Dave Poulin. I was at work and let out a somber "geeez" especially when I found out it was for Kenny Linseman.

The ugly: When Brian Propp was traded about six weeks after Poulin, a file cabinet at work bore the unhealthy brunt of my frustration.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I'll never forget when my dad read out loud from the paper one day at the summer house that Jeremy Roenick had been shipped out of Chicago. My favorite player of all time was gone from the team I loved.

Sad, sad times.

On the other side of that trade, Alexei Zhamnov was my favorite player, and his trade was the final nail in the coffin of my love for the Jets organization.

I was driving home from work in my car when I heard, and knew at that point I could never be a Phoenix fan.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

I remember around 1990 when the Hawks traded Denis Savard for Chris Chelios, I was a 10 year-old kid in tears and i didnt know who the hell chris chelios was at the time i remember the trade was said on the news and i just stared crying, i was really sad because savard was a god to me. I guess it worked out for the best kind of, Savard came back a few seasons later and Chelios had 8 great years on the Hawks blue line.

I remember when the Hawks signed Bob Probert....I was like 12 or 13 and read it in the paper

Both the Roenick and Belfour trades werent really shocking, i remember i was like 16 when roenick was traded i think i was smoking pot when i found out roenick had been traded for a russian named Zhamnov and a pick, i was kinda pissed but i knew the trade was comming.