Marty Havlat Is Not Happy With The Hawks
And he's taking the fight to Twitter
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Farewell, Marty. You -- and your beard -- will be missed.
The Blackhawks made something of a momentous signing Wednesday. They lured former Red Wings and Penguins star Marian Hossa to a 12-year contract. Hossa, being 30, will play for the Blackhawks at a $5.2 million cap hit until he is 42. It's a long-term commitment, obviously, but it's one that -- provided the Hawks can sign key youngsters Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith in 2010 -- that is likely to make the franchise very good for a very long time.
Unfortunately, the Hossa signing prevented the Blackhawks from making another move. Winger Martin Havlat, who was the Hawks' team MVP in 2008-09, was the main casualty of the Hossa signing. Up until yesterday, it appeared Havlat was a top priority for the Hawks, but once free agency opened up and Hossa -- who is a better and more durable player -- became available, Havlat was left in the dust.
Havlat, as you might imagine, is supremely pissed off. From his Twitter:
"Excited to be in Minny where I was welcomed and appreciated by management. The real story about what happened in Chicago to come out. -- about 17 hours ago from web"
"There's something to be said for loyalty and honor. -- about 17 hours ago from web"
Havlat's agent has also gotten in on the fun, saying via Twitter that Havlat and the Hawks seemed near a multi-year deal before the free agent period began. Needless, to say, Havlat's agent isn't happy either. Fortunately, though, Havlat's hurt feelings and sense of betrayal didn't stop him from wishing Marian Hossa well -- he called Hossa a "good friend" -- and thanking Blackhawks fans for the love and support for the past three years.
It's a sad way to end a surprisingly productive and endearing run, but in the end, it's hard to fault the Blackhawks for their decision. There is something to be said for loyalty and honor; there is also something to be said for a player of Marian Hossa's caliber. The Blackhawks aren't just about endearing themselves to fans anymore. Last year -- it changed things.
Eamonn Brennan is a Chicago-based writer, editor and blogger. You can also read him at Yahoo! Sports, Mouthpiece Sports Blog, and Inside The Hall, or at his personal site, eamonnbrennan.com. Follow him on Twitter.
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Posted Tuesday, Jul 14, 2009 - 3:56 PM CST
