Huberdeau rubs some salt in the wounds for Habs fans who are disappointed that he didn't want to wait and sign in Montreal
At this time last week, Montreal Canadiens fans were planning for a future that included both Jonathan Huberdeau and Pierre-Luc Dubois. Now, with Huberdeau having inked an 8-year extension worth a whopping $10.5M per season with the Calgary Flames, Habs fans will have to make peace with the fact that the Saint-Jerome, PQ native is not coming home.
Huberdeau, who was one of 4 pieces that came over to the Flames in the
Matthew Tkachuk deal, was a pending UFA who many thought would likely end up in Montreal next summer, and it wasn't just Habs fans who felt that way either. When it was reported that Huberdeau was in Montreal at the time that Flames GM Brad Treliving flew in to take him out to dinner to lay the groundwork for a new deal, there was a ton of speculation that it was just a matter of time until Huberdeau became a Canadien.
However, Huberdeau has embraced the idea of being a Calgary Flame right from the get-go. During his introductory presser via Zoom, Huberdeau had stated that he was very open to the idea of inking a contract to remain in Calgary long term. Whether it was the 8-year term, the $10.5M AAV or a combination of both, Huberdeau did not really give the idea of becoming a Hab next summer any real consideration. This much is evident by the fact that Huberdeau showed up to a charity road hockey game in his brand new Flames jersey, donning his new #10. The kicker? The tournament is taking place IN Montreal.
There are a lot of players who prefer not to play at home for a variety of reasons. For some, it's the pressure of playing in front of friends and family so often and for others, it's the demand of the hometown market and all of the extra appearances that they might be expected to make, being bombarded by everyone they know for tickets, plus losing any and all anonymity. In Huberdeau's case, he also likely wanted to play for a playoff team, which Montreal certainly is not and might not be for the first half of his new deal.
Either way, he seemed to have no qualms with rubbing some salt in the wounds for any Habs fans who might be in attendance at the tournament by wearing his new Flames sweater in enemy territory.
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