Faceoff Factor

12 Hates of Christmas: Day 11

Mike Wilson | National Hockey League

Dec 23, 11:48 AM | Hype this story!

On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true hate gave to me…a sniper claiming he’d stay for less money.

The second biggest hate of 2008: Marian Hossa leaves Pittsburgh to go Detroit.

Pittsburgh hates Hossa

After losing with the Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals to the Red Wings, Marian Hossa stated he would take a pay cut to stay on a winning team. Little did we know, when he said “a winning team,” he meant “the winning team.”

Upon arriving in Pittsburgh after the trade deadline of 2008, Marian Hossa was being paid $8 million. Knowing that the Pens (with Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, and Sykora) weren’t about to match that, he pretended to consider a major pay cut to stay in Pittsburgh. This so called pay cut turned out to be $550,000 pocket change donation to the Salvation Army and Hossa packed his bags for Motown.

Now before we officially make Marian Hossa’s move the second biggest hate of the year, let’s give him a chance to defend. When he played in Ottawa, they were mediocre. His trade to the Atlanta Kovalchu—I mean Thrashers ended in frustration…because they stunk. He was tired of being on a losing team so he came to the team with, what appeared to be, the most promise going into the playoffs and signed a one-year contract with them.

Obviously, Hossa doesn’t know much about being on a winning team. So, when Pittsburgh lost the Stanley Cup, Marian thought to himself, “Well they won the Cup, why don’t I play for them for a year.” And that’s just what he did. Beginning his career in what looked to be a franchised-player fashion, Hossa is now making himself known as a hired hand who is just looking for a Stanley Cup.

Ok, now we can officially make him the second biggest hater of the year. And I think I can safely say, Hossa has now joined the ranks of Jaromir Jagr as someone who will be passionately hated in Pittsburgh for years to come. I’d like to end this one on a prediction: If Detroit doesn’t win the Cup this year, Hossa tries to sign with whoever does. And if they do win the cup, he goes to whoever can offer him the most money.

Tomorrow, the twelfth day of Christmas, well…I think everyone knows who to expect. If not, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow morning to open the last present.