Habs fans dumbfounded, despairing over P.K. Subban trade to Nashville
Consensus seems to be Montreal Canadiens' loss, Nashville's gain
Montreal Canadiens fans reacted with shock and anger to the news Wednesday afternoon that star Habs defenceman P.K. Subban has been traded to the Nashville Predators for Shea Weber.
Canadiens acquire defenseman Shea Weber from the Nashville Predators in return for defenseman P.K. Subban. <a href="https://t.co/jlFvVNyjHG">pic.twitter.com/jlFvVNyjHG</a>
—@CanadiensMTLSubban thanked Montrealers for their support via video.
BREAKING NEWS: <a href="https://twitter.com/PKSubban1">@PKSubban1</a> responds after being traded from the Canadiens to the Predators.<a href="https://t.co/nQjW6gnpiO">https://t.co/nQjW6gnpiO</a>
—@uninterruptedThat message, however, was cold comfort to the many Montrealers who came to love Subban for his spirited style, both on and off the ice.
Top of mind were his contributions to the city, not least of all the $10 million he committed to raising for the Montreal Children's Hospital last year.
Subban fans took to Twitter in droves to express their despair and even outrage over the trade.
One fan even went so far as to burn his Habs jersey bearing Subban's name and number 76.
It had to burn. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Subban?src=hash">#Subban</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canadiens?src=hash">#Canadiens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Habs?src=hash">#Habs</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Montreal?src=hash">#Montreal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/firebergevin?src=hash">#firebergevin</a> <a href="https://t.co/MwgZ8fCjdr">pic.twitter.com/MwgZ8fCjdr</a>
—@PuncheyRest in piece Canadians. Trading off Subban.
—@KagethewarriorI love you Subban <a href="https://twitter.com/PKSubban1">@PKSubban1</a> ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️forever your fan
—@EneaBrandoneneaMontrealers,raise your glass in his honor tonite. <a href="https://twitter.com/PKSubban1">@PKSubban1</a> thank you for your devotion to this city, to our children. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Subban?src=hash">#Subban</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PKSubban?src=hash">#PKSubban</a>
—@CaroomiyaWhat sucks is that I gotta hate subban now! 😡
—@krizznationmmgThis Subban trade is so dumb for Montreal...
—@DylanSchweizerThe Habs tried to break PK Subban and never could. They couldn't handle him cause he was "different". I'm heart broken
—@NikkF07Having a horrible season wasn't enough to turn me away from the Habs. Trading Subban is. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/heartbroken?src=hash">#heartbroken</a>
—@davidgmac9How <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Habs?src=hash">#Habs</a> fans react if you ask them how they're doing after the PK Subban trade <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Canadiens?src=hash">#Canadiens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NHL?src=hash">#NHL</a> <a href="https://t.co/ab3GXbfOEH">pic.twitter.com/ab3GXbfOEH</a>
—@jordanparharWhen you don't watch hockey but know <a href="https://twitter.com/PKSubban1">@PKSubban1</a> 'cause he's dope and he's leaving for Nashville? Smh. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Subban?src=hash">#Subban</a> <a href="https://t.co/gnvNHLex0v">pic.twitter.com/gnvNHLex0v</a>
—@mllebernardCoderre 'hyperventilating'
Montreal Mayor Denis told reporters Wednesday that the trade "hurts," especially given Subban's involvement with the city.
"He clearly wasn't someone who conformed — he strayed from the beaten path — but he had a magnificent connection with the people of Montreal, and that's why we loved him," Coderre said.
He also tweeted in French that the news had him "hyperventilating," and he wished Subban well.
Pour l'hyper-ventilation il faut souffler dans un sac de papier Right? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PKexit?src=hash">#PKexit</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/joke?src=hash">#joke</a>... :)) Serieux Bonne Chance pour la suite <a href="https://twitter.com/PKSubban1">@PKSubban1</a>
—@DenisCoderreBum deal for Habs, fans say
A consensus quickly emerged on Twitter that Nashville came out the winner in the trade, getting a player in his prime for a player many feel is in decline.
<a href="https://twitter.com/MAAMPAC">@MAAMPAC</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/jordanparhar">@jordanparhar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/MeowLillian">@MeowLillian</a> in shock that they did that to Subban. Montreal gets Weber's ok/worse years, Nville gets Subban's best.
—@penguinkitty87<a href="https://twitter.com/mike_p_johnson">@mike_p_johnson</a> also leaving his prime, while Subban is entering it
—@aarontWe're about to see Subban play on a new team, with no pressure.... in his prime years. Wow
—@AntParadiseWelcome to Nashville, P.K.!
The Predators' pro shop wasted no time making Subban jerseys available for sale, and the team's official Twitter site said the trade was "incredibly hard" but an improvement.
The team's fans, meanwhile, had mixed feelings, voicing their excitement at acquiring Subban while lamenting Weber's departure.
Welcome to Smashville! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/predspride?src=hash">#predspride</a> <a href="https://t.co/HT7ETcX2DN">pic.twitter.com/HT7ETcX2DN</a>
—@PredsProShopPoile: "This was an incredibly hard deal to make. We did this to improve our team and we did that today." <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Preds?src=hash">#Preds</a>
—@PredsNHLI freaking love P.K. Subban. Love. Him. But not Shea Weber!!!!!!! Can't we have them both?!?! 😫😭
—@itschristyyallI like P.K. Subban. But I why did we get rid of SHEA!!!
—@fred_thacker