The sky fell on Jonathan Huberdeau’s head.
Before the season even began, the star forward found himself buried on the third line of the Calgary Flames, alongside Anthony Mantha and the “goon” Martin Pospisil.
While Calgary is tipped to come last in the west, head coach Ryan Huska decided to humiliate it in front of everyone.
However, it is no coincidence that Huberdeau finds himself in such a situation. The impressive performance of 2023 first-round pick Samuel Honzek has forced the coaching staff’s hand.
With seven points in six preseason games, the 19-year-old has earned a spot on the top line alongside Nazem Kadri and Andrei Kuzmenko.
Meanwhile, Huberdeau, the fallen star, now has to deal with the role of plumber, a tough blow for a player who was among the best in the NHL not so long ago.
The contrast is striking. Traded to the Flames in 2022 in an ugly trade sending Matthew Tkachuk to the Panthers, Huberdeau has seen his former team transform into a true playoff machine.
Since Tkachuk’s arrival, the Panthers have racked up more playoff victories than any other team, erasing bitter memories of past failures. Result? A Stanley Cup.
For Huberdeau, the irony is cruel: his departure seems to have freed his former teammates, who now shine without him.
In Calgary, the reality is very different. The disappointing statistics and poor performances pile up, and the murmurs grow louder.
Some still remember this famous evening in Tampa, the day before a crucial playoff game, where Panthers players, including Huberdeau, were seen partying with dancers until late at night.
This famous dancers’ night in May 2022 became an infamous moment in the history of the Florida Panthers and marked a turning point in the careers of several players, including Jonathan Huberdeau.
While the Panthers had just won the Presidents’ Trophy for finishing first in the overall NHL standings, they faced a tough challenge in the second round of the playoffs against the rival, experienced Tampa Bay Lightning. and who kept beating them.
The Panthers were already in trouble, down 3-0 in the series, when an embarrassing story broke in the media: several players had been seen at a strip club in Tampa the day before the fourth game, which promised to be crucial for avoid elimination.
Radio hosts Pat Donovan and Aaron Jacobson of 95.3 WDAE & AM 620 were the first to reveal the information, saying crew members were seen partying until 3 a.m. in the morning.
This behavior shocked many journalists, given the importance of the issue. The night out was seen as a lack of professionalism and seriousness, particularly at a time when the team desperately needed to focus on hockey.
The impact of this affair was immediate: the next day, the Panthers were swept by the Lightning, losing 2-0 in Game 4. A quick and humiliating four-game elimination.
For general manager Bill Zito, this event represented the last straw. Although the Panthers’ regular season was successful, repeated poor performances in the playoffs and rumors of unprofessional behavior prompted Zito to make drastic changes.
Weeks after the cut, he orchestrated one of the biggest trades of the 2022 summer, trading Jonathan Huberdeau, Mackenzie Weegar, a prospect (Cole Schwindt) and a 2025 first-round pick to the Calgary Flames in return of Matthew Tkachuk.
For Huberdeau, this scandal was a turning point that turned his career upside down. Long considered one of the Panthers’ leaders, he went from undisputed star to sacrificed player in an attempt to reorganize the team.
Since that moment, his path in the NHL has been catastrophic, and the echoes of that famous evening continue to haunt his reputation.
As for the Panthers, Tkachuk’s arrival coincided with a culture change and resounding success in the playoffs, which only accentuated the contrast with Huberdeau’s struggles in Calgary.
This scandal marked a turning point for the Florida franchise and for the destiny of the Quebecois. Since that day, nothing has been the same.
While the Panthers are in seventh heaven, Huberdeau must be content to share the ice with an agitator like Pospisil, a player whose main feat of arms is to accumulate penalty minutes.
Although he says he appreciates his new teammate’s physical style of play, it’s hard not to sense the desperation in his words.
His paradise in Florida seems far away. And if his incredible contract of 84 million dollars over eight years with the Flames provides him with financial security, on a sporting level, he will never find sporting happiness again.
For Jonathan Huberdeau, the situation is serious. His journey since that fateful night in Tampa Bay is a painful reminder that sometimes the most trivial decisions can have immense repercussions on a career.
If he hadn’t been the leader of that dancing party, he’d still be in Florida.
Today, he finds himself on the third line of shame, while the shadow of Tkachuk still hovers above him.
And the shadows of the dancers too.
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