Local fans even more discouraged by their team’s decisions
Many feel loss of Pacioretty will hit Habs where it hurts the most — the bottom line
Forget the Quebec election campaign. Forget NAFTA. Forget Oval Office lunacy. The Max Pacioretty trade seemed to pretty much trump other conversations in town Monday, even Trump talk.
Though some weren’t aware of the players the Canadiens received from the Vegas Golden Knights in return for the former team captain — it was forward Tomas Tatar, junior prospect Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick at the 2019 NHL Entry Draft — mostly everyone had an opinion.
Jon Cercone, co-owner of the popular Tavern on the Square, got to know Pacioretty well during the last six months, both as a friend and a customer, and was clearly miffed by the trade.
“It’s just another example of how this team takes talent, then spits it out,” said diehard fan Cercone. “It’s been the same story for too many years, with John LeClair, Chris Chelios, P. K. Subban … as soon as players get to know and love the city and want to live and play only here, they’re gone.”
All the same, Cercone is surprised at what the Canadiens got for Pacioretty.
“I don’t think (general manager Marc) Bergevin is much good at poker. If you’re going to trade someone, you should at least try to up his value in conversation. Not the opposite. I’m shocked we got any value at all for him. So, all things considered, I guess it was a good trade.
“Still, it’s a big loss for the community. I’ll miss him. Seriously, how can you not like someone whose biggest passions, outside hockey, are wine, NBA basketball and Seinfeld?”
Omar Somji, (appropriately) a cost consultant for construction projects and huge Habs fan, concurs with Cercone that the deal was as good as the team could get under the circumstances.
“We were put into a bad situation by (Bergevin), who has been demolishing the team,” said Somji, in the shadow of the old Forum. “We had to trade Patches under value. All (Bergevin) is doing is finding a temporary patch — no pun intended — for big problems.”
Philippe Vermette, Somji’s fellow cost consultant and beleaguered Canadiens supporter, holds little hope for the future.
“I just foresee the same situation we’ve had for all these years.
“Where are our stars? Where are the players we love and who love the city? Why, we dump our star players for prospects, who might never be good. But watch Patches go to Vegas, and watch him do great there,” said Vermette, shaking his head. “And here we’ll all be saying: ‘Great, we just got rid of another star who will take another team to the top.’ ”
“Small wonder so many good players don’t want to come here,” Somji chimed in. “On top of everything else, there’s the really high taxes players must deal with. Common sense is really not so common here.”
Vermette believes actions like the Pacioretty trade must be hitting the Habs where it hurts most: the bottom line.
“The team has to be suffering at the gate,” Vermette said. “Who wants to buy expensive tickets these days for a team with its big stars shipped out of town. Season ticket holders can’t be happy. Souvenir sales must be really down.”
The man who prefers to be called Louis Fingers (in print) doesn’t think the trade helps business, either — the team’s or his own.
“Maybe down the road, this trade might pay off,” Louis Fingers moaned. “But all this team really has now is No. 31, and, unfortunately, Carey Price can’t score goals.”
Louis Fingers has his … well … fingers more on the pulse of the Canadiens than most. He has been a … ticket reseller for more than 30 years and a familiar sight outside the Forum and Bell Centre. He has lived through golden times in his early years in the biz — so much so that his profits took him to the Tropics.
“Nowadays, I can’t even make enough money to take a trip to Three Rivers,” he lamented. “I’d have much more luck pushing tickets for the Pope — if he came to town — than the Canadiens. Thank God we have someone almost in the same status as the Pope coming to town: Paul McCartney.”
The Bruins, Maple Leafs, Penguins and Predators still attract those seeking last-minute tickets.
“But there are at least 20 other teams who can’t even draw flies and who I can’t sell tickets for, even at par,” he barked. “Last I checked, even the Canadiens hadn’t sold out tickets for games at their box office.
“I think it may be time to change professions, to become the brain surgeon my parents wanted me to be. Really, how much tougher could it be than this business?”