Ek’s Note: we are so lucky to have some of the best writers in their respective cities and Karine is one of them for sure. I always love her take on the Habs, mainly because it is so real and her story on PK was something I especially wanted everyone to read. I will be back with rumors and more for you after the podcast…Karine will be joining us today at 1pm ET.
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Love him or hate him, P.K. Subban made his mark on the Montreal Canadiens. In an era where the show was often lackluster, in put some life in the game and got people to jump out of their seats at the Bell Centre. On top of that, he made a never-before-seen contribution to the Montreal’s Children Hospital and inspired kids of all ages and cultures to jump on the ice. I’m not going to lie, a part of me is sad to hear it’s over today, although I prefer to see him call it quits than see him sign a PTO with Habs rivals like Boston and Toronto.
For me, Subban will always remain a special player. When I lived in England, he was part of the Hamilton Bulldogs team that came over to Scotland to play in the Gardiner Cup in 2009. I was there when the team bus arrived, I had a chat with then team coach Guy Boucher and Subban signed my Bulldog jersey, on the Canadiens shoulder patch, where I asked him to sign it by saying “Right on the Habs logo please, since that’s where you’re going fast”, he smiled at me, said I sure hope so and signed it. This is my very first Subban memory, but there has been so many more.
At the top of my list, is the hit he once delivered backing-up into Brad Marchand, the Bruins’ pest looked absolutely shellshocked when it happened. That hit perfectly represents the Boston-Montreal rivalry during Subban’s best years with the Sainte-Flanelle.
Then there was that double OT game winning goal on the power play which he blasted past Tukka Rask in 2014. I was watching that game at La Cage with friends and the place just absolutely erupted.
And how could one forget that time he skated at will in the Tampa Bay zone, shaking off Palat who tripped over his own net before feeding Gallagher for a goal, I love that sequence.
In the end, Subban played 834 games in the NHL posting 467 points, winning the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in 2013 and reaching the Stanley Cup final once with the Predators in 2017. In a way, it feels like this retirement announcement is coming much too soon, but Subban’s game wasn’t what it had been in his heyday, so perhaps, it’s the right move to focus on other ventures. Thanks for the memories P.K. and for electrifying this city for 7 years.
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