“It wasn’t easy to throw that much money away, but I know I made the right decision. I truly believe that I made the right decision,” said Hossa.
Along with the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Edmonton Oilers were also vying for Hossa's talents. They put together an $80 million deal over nine years. But the Czech star's priorities have changed after 10 seasons.
"Obviously, they're a great organization, with a great history, a great past," said Hossa. "Going to an Original Six team, I've never done that before. Also my friend, Tomas Kopecky, is there. I was in contact with him during the year. We talked about them."
Eenie, meany, minie, moe...
With the acquisition of Hossa, Head Coach Mike Babcock, along with Holland and the rest of the front office have a decision to make—which line do we put him on? The obvious spot is the Pavel Datsyuk/Henrick Zetterberg line.
"Marian is a premier player in this League," Holland said. "We wanted to add another forward who could fit into our top six, and now we have a forward that could fit into our top three. He's strong down low in the offensive zone, is capable of hanging on to the puck, and has a tremendous work ethic. He kills penalties, and will backcheck and play defense. This was certainly a deal we couldn't pass up."
Hossa was a first-round draft pick by the Ottawa Senators in 1997, and was runner-up for the Calder Trophy in 1998 behind Chris Drury. After being traded to the Atlanta Thrashers in 2005, he recorded his best two seasons.
He racked up 92 points (39 goals and 53 assists) beating his best season by 10 points. The next season, he scored 43 goals and had 57 assists for his first 100 point year. With Detroit, he should easily record that many.
A final word, Marian?
"Of all the NHL teams, I always had Pittsburgh and Detroit in mind since they were the two teams I really liked," Hossa said. "At the end of day, I felt strongly about Detroit. I had a great time in Pittsburgh and they have great players, coaches, and fans—and that made this a tough decision. I do feel I have a better chance to win the Cup with Detroit."
Well, welcome to Hockeytown, Mr. Hossa!
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